Used 2021 Honda Insight

The Honda Insight is a compact hybrid sedan based on the chassis of the best-selling Civic. We like it because it drives just like a regular car but gets 55 mpg in daily city driving. And there’s no need to ever plug it in because the onboard battery is charged in regular everyday driving.

This Honda hybrid is an attractive compact sedan, a bit smaller than an Accord and far more mainstream than any other car ever to wear an Insight badge. It also looks good. Not all hybrids have to look like a Toyota Prius. In fact, the Insight’s main competitor is the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, which also has traditional styling. And later in 2020, a new Hyundai Elantra Hybrid enters the fray, another compact sedan with conventional styling.

A quiet cabin, tidy handling and a refined ride make the Honda Insight a great car for commuting, but we have no issues with taking this compact hybrid sedan on longer drives. Getting up to freeway speeds is a snap, even if the engine gets a little vocal when the Insight is asked to accelerate hard.

Hybrid cars have regenerative brakes that capture kinetic energy and store it as electricity. In many hybrid cars, the regen brakes feel a bit strange and take some getting used to. In the Insight, however, the stopping experience is perfectly smooth and predictable.

What’s more, the whole hybrid interplay of the gasoline engine and electric motor is impressively refined, and various drive modes allow the driver to emphasize fuel economy (Econ) or sharpen throttle response (Sport). Shift paddles on the back of the Insight’s steering wheel let the driver to adjust the amount of energy going back into the battery during deceleration. All told, driving the Honda Insight is an extremely easy affair.

Because the Insight is based on the Civic platform, it enjoys a useful amount of passenger space for a compact car. Placing the battery pack beneath the rear seats not only keeps the car’s center of gravity low (an asset for handling), it also enables them to split and fold (in EX and Touring trims). This brings extra cargo-carrying flexibility that’s already impressive thanks to a roomy trunk measuring 15.1 cubic feet. That’s as good as some midsize sedans.

The 2021 Insight moves above the Civic with its active noise cancellation and extra sound deadening, making the cabin noticeably quieter than its non-hybrid stablemate. The Touring trim is even classier, thanks to perforated leather seating surfaces.

Insight owners will appreciate the large infotainment display in the EX and Touring, plus the handy spot for a smartphone in the center console right next to a USB port.

Here’s some aesthetic justification for why Honda didn’t call this car the “Civic Hybrid.” The Insight has its own styling, sharing only the roof and rear panels with the Civic. Everything else is Insight-specific.

Having said that, the 2021 Honda Insight doesn’t push any design envelopes, and no one would guess this was a hybrid without reading the understated badges. The Insight comes across as a mainstream sedan, one that’s easy on the eye. There are some premium touches, though, like LED headlights and taillights and 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.

WALK AWAY AUTO LOCK
With this system (on the EX and Touring), the driver can park, shut the door, and then just walk away from the Insight, which will lock itself automatically if the key fob is on that person.

8-INCH INFOTAINMENT SCREEN
Standard in the EX and Touring, the 8-inch infotainment screen brings with it Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Navigating the menus is simple and intuitive.

Even the Insight LX, the least-expensive model, has adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high beams. Other LX equipment includes dual-zone automatic climate control, LED ambient console lighting, and a smallish 5-inch infotainment display.

The Insight EX brings many more standard features. These include an upgraded audio system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert. If you want a leather interior, heated seats and onboard Wi-Fi, they’re standard on the 2021 Honda Insight Touring.

The EX continues to be our recommended choice in the Insight lineup. Options on the Insight EX include 17-inch alloy wheels, an interior illumination package, and another package featuring several blacked-out styling elements. Options on the Insight Touring include dark-finish 17-inch alloy wheels and a chrome exterior accent package.

The 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine in the 2021 Honda Insight uses the Atkinson cycle, which prioritizes efficiency over power and is common in other hybrid vehicles. The electric motor draws current from a lithium-ion battery and the whole system makes 151 horsepower. This energy goes to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Honda has a fine reputation for engineering excellence, and this also applies to the Insight’s hybrid system. When the engine kicks in or shuts off is virtually imperceptible. The Insight also features an EV mode where, under certain conditions, the car can travel up to one mile on battery power alone.

1.5-liter inline-4/electric motor
107 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
99 lb-ft of torque @5,000 rpm
129-horsepower electric motor
Total system output: 151 horsepower
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 55/49 mpg (LX/EX), 51/45 mpg (Touring)