2011 Honda Insight Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Honda Insight review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Insight, and includes Honda Insight safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Honda adds a less expensive version of the Insight for 2011, one that wears a sticker price of less than $19,000. The LX and EX models continue, and all Insights have standard stability control this year.

There are three different Insight models on sale for 2011. The base model has power door locks with remote keyless entry, power side mirrors, power windows, a manual driver’s seat height adjuster, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, and a 60/40-split folding rear seat that turns 15.9 cubic-foot of cargo space into a 31.5 cu-ft area. Automatic climate control, a two-speaker stereo with a CD player, an auxiliary audio input jack, a Maintenance Minder system, and a multi-information display also comes standard. Every Insight is equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), projector beam headlights, LED taillights, and stability control.

The Insight LX adds several new features for 2011. Like last year’s model, the LX has a 160-watt, four-speaker audio system with a USB interface. New features include cruise control, a center storage console with an armrest, a security system, and floor mats.

The Insight EX distinguishes itself with 15-inch alloy wheels, heated side-signaling mirrors, and paddle shifters that allow for manual manipulation of the CVT’s ratios. The sound system is upgraded and can be adjusted using steering wheel audio controls, and the EX also has dual visor vanity mirrors, map lights, a glovebox light, and seatback storage pockets. A navigation system with Bluetooth hands-free calling is optional on the EX.

The Insight employs Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid technology, a mild hybrid rather than a full hybrid setup, which means the Insight cannot move on battery juice alone. In this application of IMA, a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine is assisted by a 10-kilowatt electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery that captures energy through a regenerative braking system. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) delivers a combined 98 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 123 pound-feet of torque peaking between 1,000 and 1,500 rpm to the Insight’s front wheels.

The Insight is also equipped with an Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist) that adjusts the Insight’s air conditioning operation, throttle responsiveness, CVT, cruise control system, and idle/stop duration to maximize gas mileage. To help encourage economical driving, the multi-information screen displays “leaves” that are earned as a reward for going easy on the gas.

Additionally, the Insight is aerodynamic, equipped with a flat underbody. Low rolling resistance tires also help the car go farther on each gallon of fuel. According to the EPA, the 2011 Insight gets 40 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway, which means its 10.6-gallon fuel tank provides a 450-mile highway driving range.

Last year, we groused about the fact that Honda equipped the Insight with standard stability control…as long as you bought the most expensive EX model. This year, stability control is standard on all models. Additionally, the Insight is equipped with Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, which intends to deflect crash energy away from occupants in the event of a collision. Six airbags, antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, and a pedestrian injury mitigation front structure design all contribute to the Insight’s safety equipment list.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says the Insight is safe, giving the car the highest rating of Good for occupant protection in the offset frontal, side-impact, and rear-impact tests. For roof crush strength, the Insight receives an Acceptable rating by the IIHS.

For 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has revised its testing procedures in an effort to raise the bar with respect to what it takes to get a 5-Star crash-test rating. The NHTSA has not tested the Insight against these new parameters as this review is written.

The Insight’s reliability is likely to be well above average if predictions from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates prove true.

If you’ve spent time behind the wheel of the Toyota Prius, you have our condolences. It is an absolute snooze to pilot, feeling artificial and disconnected and not all happy about having to actually rotate its wheels. The 2011 Honda Insight is not like that. It drives like a Honda, which means that it delivers lively response, good feel for the road and more engaging handling. Well, more than the Prius does, anyway.

But is that what hybrid buyers are looking for? Maybe a few, as evidenced by the Insight’s paltry sales figures compared to the Prius. But we think the reason the Insight hasn’t been more successful is related to its cramped rear seat and cargo area, combined with inferior hybrid technology.

It is downright surprising to drive a 2011 model year hybrid that cannot accelerate or cruise a parking lot without requiring a gasoline-fired, internal combustion engine. Such mild hybrid technology should not be the province of a company that prides itself on engineering the way that Honda does. Leave it to, say, General Motors (which is re-marketing its mild hybrid technology as eAssist).

We also find those fuel economy ratings of 40 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway for a combined 41 mpg to be highly optimistic. During our week-long test of the Insight, the car registered 37.2 mpg running in normal mode without the Eco Assist feature activated, despite a driving mix of two parts highway to one part city.

That said, we much prefer driving the Honda Insight over the Toyota Prius. The Honda is more nimble, more engaging, and more satisfying to the senses. Despite the smaller cabin, we find it more comfortable (in front, anyway) and both visually and tactilely pleasing. The Insight feels solid and refined, like a quality piece of machinery. Plus, there’s no arguing with spending $19,000 and getting a dependable, safe, and practical car that effortlessly achieves 40 mpg on the highway.

Now that Honda has made stability control standard on all Insight models and added a new lower-priced base model to the mix, we like this car even more. The elephant in the room, however, is Honda’s increasingly antiquated Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid technology. As a mild hybrid, the Insight cannot power itself on the battery alone. The gasoline engine is a requirement to accelerate. With the Ford Fusion Hybrid able to get up to 47 mph on pure electricity and the new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Kia Optima Hybrid claiming a 62-mph top speed running solely on the batteries, the Insight’s IMA is outclassed and outdated. We like the Insight. Really, we do. We just wish it was as technologically advanced as the original.

By Christian Wardlaw