I'm a long time reader first time poster. are there plans or rumors of future hybrids? I like the insight, but I can't seem to get myself to admire it b/c even though it's a mileage king, most of it is due to its small size. I heard rumors crx may return in 2007. does anyone know if this has any implications on insights?

also, why can't honda just shove a civic 2006 hybrid engine inside one of these guys and make a new insight?

 

The Ford Fusion Hybrid might be more to your liking. It's coming out in 2008. It will be a midsize family sedan and will probably use Ford's version of HSD.

 

I've heard all kinds of speculation about the Insight.

It was the motivation for the poll In 2008, the MPG Champ Will Be....

Honda is just not very talkative about the Insight or any possible successors. They have said it will be built for 2006, however I think the Acura NSX super sportscar is built at that plant (I think) and it's about to be discontinued. Both the NSX and Insight use aluminum bodies.

The newest Prius and 2006 hybrid Civic have very similar performance to the CVT Insight - I'd only consider the 5-speed Insight as it gets signficantly better fuel economy.

You may heard of the Honda IMAS ("Insight II" See this) back in 2003. Honda has not said if they will use any of this concept in a production car.

The sole purpose of making the Insight now could be to boast it's the most fuel efficient gas powered engine yet built. Six years after it was introduced, it seems it could be easily upgraded with suggestions like the 2006 hybrid Civic engine downsized to 1,000cc to 800cc.

From a business standpoint, an aluminum hybrid Civic or reintroduced CRX as a hybrid might make more sense.

Not many answers, lots of speculation....

 

After a little Googling, it sounds like Honda will introduce a 200 horsepower CRX (read: the old CRX Si with double the power). Many GreenHybrid members would also love to see the hypermiling CRX HF version, but no mention of hybrids.

http://www.honda-crx.com/2007-honda-crx.html

 

I read somewhere ford is going to (or already has) stop using prius engines. Is this true? if so, is this a good thing or not.

i owned a taurus 1980 and it was crap. but still, kudos for ford for doing what the other two "big" mock.

edit: is there a reason honda isn't just shoving the civic hybrid 2006 engine inside an insight which saves R&D costs? just not profitable? or it's not that simple. I thought insights do well in japan, so shouldn't that motivate honda to continue expanding at least over there?

 

I'm sure the Insight is on its way out. I've heard some Honda dealers don't even acknowledge it exists. For me it's not a small car at all, quite large actually compared to what I usually drive. The hatchback area is huge and tons of room and 90% of the time I'm the only passengers so why carry around more seats. I'm glad I got mine before they're all gone. I hate big 4-door cars. As for looks, it's subjective as I can name quite a few cars I think are much uglier than the Insight (whose looks I like just fine - just an enlongated CRX). Driving 90 mile round-trip commutes makes me not miss as much my sporty convertibles that I used to drive (which were all smaller than the Insight). It's harder and harder to find nice small, fun, sporty cars w/o spending $50K+ on Porsche, BMW.

It looks like though future hybrids are all big cars so you'll have more choices soon. I'll keep driving small, not want to be one of the masses out there with same-old box.

 

There should not be a problem with Ford making Prius engines as the hybrid component of the Ford Escape engine is made by Volvo.

 

They barely did 3 years ago.

That's why I still have my Civic Del Sol. Where else can you find something that's that
much fun to drive and gets 40 MPG? (The Prius only beats it by a few MPG, and only then because we drive the Prius as if its accelerator pedal were made of eggshells).

The gas Del Sol was enormously popular when it was in production. When they axed the Del Sol it, the "replacement" was the Honda 2000, at 3x the price and about 1.5x the gas consumption. They haven't sold many of those -- who'd pay BMW prices for a Honda?

The removable roof configuration on the Del Sol was brilliant, providing good aerodynamics
in either configuration, without the maintenance headaches of a convertable. The need to store the roof forced them to have a reasonable-sized trunk.

Let's see a hybrid version of the Del Sol!

 

Actually the S2000 isn’t that much more then what a fully loaded Prelude used to go for, it’s about 4-5K more. And if you actually drive one you would realize why it has amazing reviews and the most fun car to drive even when compared to a Porsche. Not to mention it’s the closest thing to an NSX for about have the price. You’d also “pay BMW prices for a Honda” if you want something that is reliable a well engineered. It’s my opinion that you DON’T get what you pay for in a BMW, and I’ve owned six Hondas and one 1998 M3 (p.s. the M3 was an awesome car though).