Wife's new ride............

[Cazzie]

It's a sweetheart alright but does take some getting use to. It is not as sporty as my Honda Fit, nor is it meant to be. If and when I trade up, I'd still go with another Fit, because it's storage suits my needs better than the Insight. The Insight has more storage in length with the rear seats folded, but it lies very high up and getting my bike inside is a feat of Japanese body arrangement. Slipping my bike in the Fit is a simple affair. I would have to say that overall considering the height of the Fit's storage space, it will hold more gear. And the new 2009 Fit is larger in space than my 2007 version. What would be nice would be a Hybrid Honda Fit Sport with perhaps the same drive train as the Insight, a 98-hp 4-cylinder engine and a 10-hp electric motor for assist. That is my one complaint about the Fit, its 10.0-gal. gas tank just does not have the mileage between tankfuls, even at 33 mpg. Yesterday and the day before on a trip of 250 miles on my wife's Insight settling up affairs, I averaged 42.8 mpg. With its 10.6-gal gas tank, one would get between 460-500 mile between tankfuls. Friends, that's what I get on my Chrysler Town & Country, but it has a 25-gallon gas tank! Wife and oldest son love the Insight. I love the driving after getting used to the CVT transmission. But I still love the sporty nature of my Fit Sport and if when I upgrade, I will have to seriously consider a newer Honda Fit Sport. I do not need that navigation model! Save a couple thou too.

Caz

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/insight_3.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/insight_2.jpg

[Lionheart]

Nice looking hybrid Caz! Sharp sharp... The new Honda's are incredible. Hard to imagine they can improve their already excellent line of cars by such a drastic amount.


Any pics of the 'instrument panel'?



Bill

[JAMIE]

Ahhh the new car smell. Nice color:applause:

[Navy Chief]

I don't own a Honda now, but used to. Had a 1983 Accord that served me well until I sold it in '97. Hondas.....great cars. I only wish the hybrids were more affordable.

NC

[OBIO]

I only wish the hybrids made noise. I was nearly run over by a hybrid in the hospital parking lot. I was removing my wife's wheel chair from the trunk of my car, stepped back to set it down (as I heard no car running and getting closer) and the hybrid just missed clipping my legs. Too darn quiet.

OBIO

[Matt Wynn]

nice car but i'll stick to my Bike, can hear that coming a fair distance away.... no room for pax either, panels simple enough though :icon_lol: anyone could understand it....
http://image.automotive.com/f/images/9653573+pheader/122_0804_23_z+2008_triumph_street_triple+dash_pod_ view.jpg

back to hybrid, i've not seen one in the UK yet, only thing i've seen are them stupid Gee-Whizz things in london... what were they designed for? window shopping? open your window grab something, go to the cashier pay and drive away, next thing you know we'll have drive thru clothes shops..... anyways sorry about that, whats the range you get on one of these Prius things?

[hey_moe]

Nice Caz :ernae: ........it looks sweet...how does da wife like it...Mike

[Lionheart]

I only wish the hybrids made noise. I was nearly run over by a hybrid in the hospital parking lot. I was removing my wife's wheel chair from the trunk of my car, stepped back to set it down (as I heard no car running and getting closer) and the hybrid just missed clipping my legs. Too darn quiet.

OBIO


Yes.. Its like that with kids in streets with electric cars also. They need to make a electric Whir or turbine Whir of some kind to let you know, lol.. I like em..

Quiet like a glider....


Bill

[Cazzie]

You'll hear the Honda, it runs mainly off of the gas engine with the electric cutting in when accelerating and going up steep hills. The electric will only power the drive when coasting in final OD (7th gear on the automatic). The electric engine will spin the motor in neutral when parked at a light with one's foot on the brake. When your foot is lifted, the gas engine is engaged.

It's is not as economical, nor as large as the Prius. but it beats the Tom Petty ugly Prius hand's down in style. And the cheapest Prius my wife and I saw was $27,400.00. Uh-uh, we'll get another van before that.

Today is the first day she has driven it to work Mike. I had to take it to Greensboro to finalize things and get some floor mats yesterday. Performance Bikes had a 15% sale also and it was one hop off the path, so I got some new tires for my mt. bike by the time I returned, so new bike gloves (old one are getting ratty), new GIRO helmet (see gloves), an extra pair of bike shorts, and an Allen wrench repair kit to replace the one I lost while stupidly riding with the tool bag open!

She did drive it from Greensboro Thursday after I go her out of the city limits, she is a woman with directions; you know, no street names, highways etc; you tell her to turn at the red barn, take a left at the nursery, go to the next turn after Hardees, LOL! Sorry C9D, not all women are that way, but all I have come in contact with are! :icon_lol:

But with that mileage, if it's half as reliable as my Fit has been or her old Escort was, she'll be happy. Here wallet has an umbilical attached to her navel. She is Scotch through and through! :icon_lol::monkies:

Caz

[Cazzie]

I don't own a Honda now, but used to. Had a 1983 Accord that served me well until I sold it in '97. Hondas.....great cars. I only wish the hybrids were more affordable.

NC


They're getting there Chief.

I am more sold on the hydrogen fuel-cell/electric engine technology. There pretty unique and one can design a fuel-cell chassis with electric motors on all wheels that can be fitted with many various style bodies. IMHO it is the future of non-organic fuel technology. And who can argue with a propulsion system whose by product is water. Norway is already using the technology on a 400 plus mile stretch of highway from Oslo to Stravenger.

The real problem with battery-powered electric is the weight of the batteries and the limitation of the trip distance per charge.

Honda already sells a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FSX Clarity. In fact, the Insight's body is based on the Clarity. but the Clarity is rediculously costly at the moment. Its fuel-cell powers a 183-hp electric motor positioned as a normal gas engine would be in the front. Trip distance between fills is equivilent to 60 mph on a gas engine, about 600 miles between fills. that's serious good.

I think a Fit Hybrid would be a good base-level Hybrid, starting at about $18,000.00. I'm game, like I said, the Fit suits the storage of my stuff better than the Insight. And anyone that has ever driven one with the paddle shifters can tell you, they are a hoot to drive. More like a two-seat sports car than an econo-box. The Fit and the Insight need disks brakes on the rear, Honda needs a rethink here.

Anyone seen a Mugen Fit?

http://www.tuningnews.net/news/071023/mugen_honda_fit-01.jpg

[Railrunner130]

Geez. And I thought this was going to be a joke. I was expecting to see a photo of a broom!

[kilo delta]

A new Honda Civic Hybrid sells for the equivilant of ~$38k over here