Honda Insight (00-05) - Review

Review by Parkers on
The pioneering Insight was Honda's first petrol-electric engine 'hybrid' - a car with both a petrol engine and electric motor. It may be quirky to look at, and it only seats two, but there's strong demand among buyers for it and as a result used values remain surprisingly high. That is in part because it's so cheap to run. Cars registered after March 2001 are exempt from road tax, it has a 100 per cent discount from the London Congestion Charge and is capable of up to 83mpg, making it one of the thriftiest cars on the road.
3.5 out of 5

Other Honda reviews

4 out of 5

Safety

Although Insight hasn’t been Euro NCAP safety rated, Honda claim that the aluminium body can absorb up to 50% more than a traditional steel structure. Specially located crumple zones on the front and rear of the vehicle are designed to concertina in collisions, protecting occupants from injury by absorbing the force in the event of a crash, while two reinforced bars lie parallel across the side sills and B-pillar to shield passengers from side impacts. Insight also comes with an anti-theft immobiliser as standard, though thieves shouldn’t particularly target this car.

NCAP Test

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4.5 out of 5

Reliability

Honda is renowned for producing dependable cars, and the 1.0-litre Insight shouldn’t cause too many headaches either. Despite the added level of complexity brought by the hybrid design, few Insights have had major faults, highlighting Honda’s bulletproof build quality and attention to detail.

Car check problem points

Body

No problems reported.

Engine/Gearbox

No problems reported.

Other

No problems reported.