# Honda Insight as Donor car?



## Jens Rekker (Oct 26, 2007)

Hi

I would be really tempted to get the Insight and decide your build based on a survey of its condition. The only potential drawback of the Insight is that it might not have a good weight profile to allow a lead-acid based battery pack should you decide to go EV.

The MIMA looks very interesting but be very careful in approaching it. You don't know how reliable and robust it would be long-term. The Internet can make all sorts of things appear very attractive, but remember you are shelling out hard cash to someone in another country with little redress to consumer law if the deal / gear does not live up to your expectations.

The hybrid / plug-in hybrid options are really exciting though. The Insight has an excellent reputation as highly efficient hybrid and makes few compromises on the way to claiming very impressive fuel eficiency (whether miles per gallon or watts per mile).


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## Hemon Dey (Jul 31, 2008)

I called up clean green cars in Auckland about a Honda Insight. They have stopped selling them because of reliability issues, in particular regard to the CVT. I think it hurt them because of their warranty for each car they sell ... 

Hasn't put me off the idea of owning one though, they are the most fuel efficient commercial car available on the market and a lot of fine engineering has gone into it.

Regards,
Hemon


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## dinther (Oct 25, 2007)

The Green Clean Car Company told me the same. Yet, I have had real trouble to find a single reference to problems with the CVT on a Honda Insight. Maybe they happened to have two cases where the CVT was a problem.

I take it on board though. The Green Clean Car Company recommended me to to a firm acceleration to see if there are shudder problems which are indicative of a problem with the CVT. They say a new CVT costs $2000

The Green Clean Car Company also said that the Honda Insight was a very popular vehicle and people that own them don't tend to sell them. This raises the buy price and leaves less margin when you take them to the NZ market. This would also be a very valid reason not to bring them in but saying "I can't
put a big fat margin on the car" doesn't sound so good. Just a theory of course.


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## dinther (Oct 25, 2007)

Well, I did it. Yesterday I bought a 1999 Honda Insight. This car is awesome. A light two seater. Shorter and narrower than average cars and with a curb weight of 800kg easy to drive. But... it won't become an EV.

I got the car cheap because the NiMH pack needs replacing so I had to drive the car 500Km back to Auckland on the ICE only. On a small 1000 cc engine it still climbed mountains without effort while the chase car (A 1600cc toyota corolla) failed to keep up the pace.

Over the 500 Km the car averages 22.2 km/l or 4.5 liter per 100 Km.

Cost per Km (Using $2.03 per liter I paid on the day) 9.1 cents per KM
Once electric assist is back on-line consumption will drop down further.

In pure energy cost an EV is cheaper to drive and you get the satisfaction that you break the oil addiction. You open up possibility to use alternative energy to charge the car and so on.

But on pure cost this little Honda insight is hard to beat so I decided I keep this baby and sell the stupid Holden Vectra which I hated since I got it.

So once the dust settled I'll be looking for a suitable conversion vehicle again.


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## Hemon Dey (Jul 31, 2008)

Good on you Dinther - I wish I had one too, I'm quite jealous. Let me know if you come across another one that somebody is keen to sell.

Regards,
Hemon


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