2010 Honda Insight

Honda Insight: A city car for eco-barkoisie with smallish dogs only

Sat, May 30th 2009

“Are you driving that pod this week?” my neighbors asked.

The Honda Insight does bear a resemblance to a Star Trek shuttle craft. It could be called space age, with its digital displays and fuel economy, but dog-friendly it’s not.

I wanted to like this gasoline-electric hybrid. Good mileage is important to me, and the Insight pays off in that respect. I returned it with more than a quarter tank of gas, while the other cars I’ve reviewed have been closer to empty.

The hatchback opens to a small cargo area with no tiedowns, power supply or storage space.

My two crates—one medium-size, one small—barely fit into it, and with the hatch closed the crate doors were smack up against it. If the car were hit from behind, my dogs would surely be injured. If you have only a front-seat passenger, the rear passenger seats fold down easily, although not entirely flat, allowing the crates to be moved farther back. But there’s still no good way to secure them. The large rear window extends up to the roof line, which is attractive, but crates would heat up quickly with all that sunlight shining on them.

Car seats or a small crate or two can be placed in the backseat if you don’t need space for more than one passenger. This option also allows crates to be secured through the handle with a seat belt for greater safety. Medium-size dogs could also ride in the backseat if restrained by a dog seat belt. These options free up the cargo area for any dog gear, pet supplies or other items you might be carrying.

From a driving point of view, the Insight made me feel as if I were caught in a tractor beam. It wagged and wiggled all over the road, and not in a good way. Acceleration seemed sluggish, although my husband noted that I passed him easily when we were both getting onto the freeway. That’s because I was flooring it. That said, one doesn’t expect a hybrid to drive like a sports car. Keep that in mind and you won’t be disappointed.

I loved the digital displays with one exception. It took me forever to find the speedometer, which was hiding behind the top of the steering wheel. That placement is supposed to put it in the driver’s line of sight, but some of us are height-challenged. I tried to fix the problem by raising the seat — the ability to do that was one of the features I liked — but that didn’t help. Lowering the steering wheel did, but I preferred its original positioning.

The Insight can be purchased with GPS, but even that won’t provide enough guidance to make this a true DogCar.

-- Kim Campbell Thornton

Carguy Comments: The new Honda Insight comes in two trim lines, the LX and the EX. Both have identical engines featuring a continuously Variable Transmission that produces 98 horsepower. Cargo volume is 31.5 cubic feet with the second row seats folded down. The MSRP of the base LX is $19,800 while the EX with navigation is $23,100.

-- Keith Turner Green Family Car

Barking Lot Banter: A city car for eco-barkoisie with smallish dogs only.