Hybrid's virtues bring back fond memories

DOUGLAS C. THOMAS

Doug Thomas was one of the first people in the Charleston area to buy a Honda Insight in 2000.

America's first-ever hybrid for sale, the Honda Insight, made its debut in late 1999 when regular gas cost closer to $1 a gallon than $4.

Just 13,500 of the plodding two-seaters were sold in the United States, and its manufacturer pulled the plug two years ago even as the Toyota Prius and other gas-electric cars became hot items.

Yet for those hardy Insight owners over the years, including a handful in the Charleston area, the compact has proven eminently road worthy. They cite its 60-miles-per-gallon city and 66-mpg highway fuel numbers that remain tops to this day, and a dependable, even enjoyable, driving experience.

The Post and Courier in late July solicited Insight owners or former owners to send photos and comments pro or con about the pioneering hybrid. A half-dozen or so motorists responded, generally with favorable remarks.

Charleston resident Ted Floore said he grew up in the 1960s when gas was 23 cents a gallon. He describes himself as a "proud" owner of one of those rare Insights poking around town, purchasing a 2000 model after seeing it for sale in the Rock Hill area while on a trip. "I bought it that night," paying $7,000, he said. "It's a conversation starter," Floore said.

Doug Thomas believes he bought the second Insight in Charleston eight years ago: a Hendrick Honda salesman told him the first buyer was "a 19-year-old kid (who) traded in a Camaro." Thomas said, "I had been waiting two long years for it to make it over from Japan while my 1973 Mercedes 280 was falling apart beneath me."

His silver two-door has amassed 112,978 miles. Other than routine maintenance, the primary work done on the car is having the batteries and related parts replaced under warranty at more than 80,000 miles, Thomas said. He's logged lifetime fuel efficiency of 67.9 mpg, best between fill-ups of 81.3 mpg and current average of 64 mpg.

To Insight drivers, fuel economy figures are as exciting as the gaudy horsepower to a Corvette owner.

"In 2005, I had a 70-mile commute from Summerville to Manning," Insight owner Lonnie Russell said. "I was driving a 1996 Acura and was spending $15 to $20 a day for gas. I purchased a used 2001 Honda Insight and was able to almost get to work on 1 gallon.

"Some of the local rednecks at work would tease me," he said, "but shortly after that gas shot up to over $3 a gallon and their teasing turned into questions about how much mileage I was getting."

Floore said, "I'm not a hypermiler," drivers who try to attain the highest fuel efficiency through careful attention to speed, braking and other skills. "But on a run to Walterboro, I got 80 mpg."

The best that Steve Morosi recorded was 72 mpg, "doing 55 mph on I-95, hard to do." Still, "It was nice to drive two weeks before having to fill up with about 8-9 gallons," he said.

Despite their praise of the Insight's fuel economy, owners had some criticisms.

The compact's 73-horsepower engine lacked for power. "Fastest I have driven (the) car, 90 mph. Scary at that speed," Morosi said.

With the car weighing less than 2,000 pounds, it was a good idea to keep a grip on the wheel during high winds or when a semi-trailer whizzed by, Russell said. "The vehicle was designed strictly for mileage. It was a little loud inside, and the stereo was terrible," he said.

The Insight had almost no frills. "You could get a CD player," Floore said, noting that even air conditioning was an option on the early models. His is a five-speed manual. "First and second can beat anything," he said. "After that, it drags."

Even the hybrid technology has its flaws.

Russell said he mastered driving the vehicle so he could extend the battery life and get better mileage, including coasting to conserve power. "If someone did not change their driving habits, they could drain the battery in just a few miles in the city."

Yet all the owners saw more pluses than minuses.

"Like most Hondas, it was fun to drive," Russell said. The vehicle was spacious inside for a two-seater, with lots of instrumentation to show how the vehicle was performing. Russell said he sold the Insight last year in part because he got a job close to home.

He racked up 50,000 miles in two years. "Of course, gas has shot up exponentially since we sold it."

Morosi, who bought a 2001 Insight new, traded the car four years later with 75,000 miles on it for a Mazda 3 hatchback. The reasons? "Lack of parts and fear of the cost to replace the hybrid battery since it was only warranted for 80,000 miles at that time. Hindsight is 20/20, I should have kept it," he said.

Thomas, who is well-versed on hybrid capabilities, said the Insight's technology makes it a long-lasting car.

The 1.0 liter, three-cylinder "internal combustion" engine gets assisted by an electric motor only when it needs additional horsepower delivered. The electric engine is fed from a battery pack. Batteries recharge when the car slows down. Moreover, the Insight sports an "auto idle" feature that turns off the gas engine when it rolls to a stop.

But to Thomas, the "real genius" is instantaneous fuel-efficiency monitoring, which is trackable on dashboard gauges. "At first, it was like a video game, to see how high and for how long I could drive above, say 100 mpg. I found out where all the sweet spots were in the engine," Thomas said. "To say that driving an Insight is a Zen experience may sound hokey, but I've spoken to other Insight owners who have claimed the same."

Strangely, the moribund Insight might have new life. Online sites note that Honda may come out with another super fuel-efficient car, or the Insight name might be resurrected. Local owners believe the car could have survived had it made it to 2008.

"It's just a shame that Honda never seriously marketed the car and closed down production in 2006," Thomas said. The Insight, said Floore, would be a big seller today. "If they made it now, they couldn't keep them," he said.

Whether owners used to drive Insights or still do, they speak fondly of the quirky little car.

"I miss the strange looks and conversations that resulted from driving this car," Russell said. "It was a good vehicle for its purpose, and I would drive one later on when my kids get older," he said.

"The Insight," said Morosi, "has more power than a Mercedes Smart car and is more versatile. Easy to drive, very easy to shift, and loved the engine shutting down when the car is stopped," he said.

Tom Baker, who lives on Charlotte Street downtown, said his 2000 Insight "is one of my favorite cars, and I've owned cars since 1954. It cost $20,000 new and is worth every penny. I find the car a perfect setup for me: two seats and a hatchback. My wife would rather the seating were not so sports-car like. It's hard for her to get in and out of," he acknowledged. Still, he said, "I would buy a new one if they were still in production. Honda, at a guess, found the car uneconomical to build and sell. It was before its time."

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542.