A Little ‘Insight’ On Honda’s Newest Green Vehicle

Not long after I wrote the Misfits article about the first generation Insight, Honda released the 2019 Insight to dealers everywhere.

I was astounded when the first one should up here, because for one: it looked nothing like its older generations, and for two: that’s a good thing.

 

 

The newest Insight sits on the Civic platform, with a few minor changes. Its updated front and rear fascia more closely follow Honda’s design language. Sensing is standard across all trims. And it has one of the highest rated MPGs of Honda’s “Green Lineup” at 51 mpg. It has the same inline-four cylinder/Atkinson Cycle powertrain, it puts out roughly 151hp through the front wheels, as per the usual with Honda.

 

The way it looks is unrivaled, though many say it looks like a Civic Hybrid. In my opinion, you wouldn’t be able to tell its a hybrid until you got close enough to see the “Hybrid” badging. And that’s the best thing about it. The fact that it drives like a hybrid, but looks like a different kind of Civic gives Honda the advantage in the eco-friendly playing field. Majority of its competition have quirky styling (looking at you, Prius), so to see an eco-friendly car actually have good styling is refreshing.

 

Another major buying factor of this car is it’s price. At its base trim, the Insight starts at roughly $22,000. And with that, you get Honda’s Sensing suite, push-button transmission, and 51 mpg. At the top end, the Insight Touring runs about $28,000, which gets you heated leather seats, a sunroof, and an updated LCD touch screen infotainment system available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

 

The Insight isn’t exactly a head-turner, but it’s perfect for the every day commuter looking for something a little different.

 

If you’ve enjoyed this review and want me to review another Honda, just let me know!

By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius

The post A Little ‘Insight’ On Honda’s Newest Green Vehicle appeared first on Honda World Blog.

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Honda’s Automotive Misfits: The Crosstour

Ahh yes, the Crosstour. The spiritual successor the Element, the ugly duckling, one of Honda’s more controversially-designed cars. And, one of my favorites.

 

The Crosstour started off production in 2010 as the “Accord Crosstour,” built on the Accord platform and slotted just below the Pilot in Honda’s lineup. It was classified as a hatchback/wagon, was available with a 3.5-liter V6 engine and all-wheel drive. In the two-wheel drive models, it came with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. It was originally marketed as a more off-road and outdoors based car, competing with the likes of the cladded wagons of the time; i.e., Volvo’s and Subaru’s. Unfortunately, it never really caught on with the camping crowded, and thus was killed off in 2016 due to a lack of sales.

 

For me, it’s hard to see why it was discontinued. Sure, it’s styling was a bit of an acquired taste, but with the V6 engine (which nearly every Honda owner complained about missing when the 2018 Accord was released) and all-wheel drive, it made for a fun drive that was different than every other crossover of that era. Had the trend of camping and outdoorsmanship been more prevalent in the early 2010’s, the Crosstour would’ve been out there on the trails and campgrounds.

 

And that’s what I love about it. Not to sound like a hipster, but the Crosstour was before it’s time, in my opinion. It had the soul of an off-roader, but the ride of a luxury wagon, but never got the chance to really prove itself. With the market moving to the great outdoors, shouldn’t we have cars to emulate that?

 

If you have any ideas of what Honda Misfit I should spotlight next, or if you have one you’d like to see featured, let me know!

 

By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius

The post Honda’s Automotive Misfits: The Crosstour appeared first on Honda World Blog.

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Honda’s Automotive Misfits: The Element

This week’s Misfit is one of my personal favorites; one I came close to buying: the Element. Honda’s quirky and rugged “off-roader” that sparked a lot of mixed opinions.

 

The Basics:

The element started production in 2003 based on the same platform as the CR-V. It was available with front-wheel-drive or Honda’s “Real-Time” all-wheel-drive. Under the hood was a 2.4L inline four-cylinder engine mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic.

With 166hp and 160lb-ft of torque you could only haul up to 1500lbs, but with 74 cubic feet of cargo space, who really cared how much you could tow? Fun fact: the Element had so much cargo volume for an SUV of its time, it won Dogcars.com’s “Dog Car of the Year” in 2007 for is cargo space, easily cleanable floors, and its 4-wheel-drive system. In later models, Honda added a navigation system and a few other creature comforts.

 

 

The Legacy:

It was one of the most versatile cars of its time, yet in 2011 it was killed off. Why? Because consumers no longer had a need for such a niche-market car, as its appeal was mainly for the hikers and the dog-lovers. Most consumers who wanted a smaller Honda SUV in the mid-2000s all bought CR-Vs.

As quirky and niche as the Element was back in its day, it’s still one of the coolest cars produced, in my opinion. Now that camping and overland-ing have grown in popularity, we’re starting to see a rise of off-road related 4×4 vehicles; and in some cases, even a return, like the FJ Cruiser for example. It’s the same case for the Element, it’s practically made for camping in.

Before Honda ended the production of the Element in 2011, it released a “performance” edition, dubbed the “SC,” comparable to the Accord’s “Sport” badge. The “SC” badge added no real performance upgrades, although it did come with more street looks and a manual transmission, as a last attempt to snag the young buyers.

 

 

Verdict:

The Element was before it’s time. It was made for a young active buyer who loves dogs and the outdoors. Unfortunately, the market at the time didn’t agree, forcing Honda to discontinue it, but luckily the market is now swinging towards the young active buyers again, so maybe we’ll see familiarity in the Element’s spiritual successor, whatever form it takes.

In my opinion, you could start calling the Element a “future classic” and I predict we’ll see more of them on the road and at the campgrounds.

 

 

 

I’d love to hear your opinion on the Element, and if you’ve got a Honda you consider a misfit, send it my way!

By Christian Olsson

The post Honda’s Automotive Misfits: The Element appeared first on Honda World Blog.

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Honda’s Automotive Misfits : Introduction

Honda is known for making reliable, affordable, and good looking cars. But over the years, they’ve also produced some brow-raisers. These cars, whether or not you liked them, deserve recognition. That’s what this blog series is going to be about: shining a spotlight on Hondas that were brushed under the rug.

We’re going to start off this series with a car I’ve always wondered about as a kid:

The First Generation Insight 

The Insight, introduced in 1999, was a 3-door, 2-seater hybrid electric hatchback. It only produced 67hp, but its EPA numbers were breaching 60mpg, which made it one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the U.S. at the time of its production. It was available with a manual transmission, and no air conditioning.

 

 

 

Its looks were very quirky; the arch cover over the rear wheels turned some heads and turned some people off. Its 67hp came from a 1.0 three-cylinder engine, as well as the first iteration of Honda’s Intelligent Motor Assist (IMA), an electric motor that attributes to regenerative braking.

 

 

Mix that all together and you get a seemingly average hybrid car, right? Most of the time, you’d be correct; but with the Insight’s manual transmission option, you actually get a pretty decent race car, as it turns out. I’m not kidding. In 2006, an Insight won the Formula 1000 Rally Class A Championship in the U.K and in 2011 was asked to step down because it dominated the first three rallies of the Formula 1000.

 

Top-mark fuel efficiency, decent looks, and a manual transmission should usually make for a good-selling car, but unfortunately, Honda ended production of the quirky little Insight in 2006, only to be revamped in 2008 as just another Prius look-alike. Maybe the 2019 Insight will be just as interesting as the first.

By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius

The post Honda’s Automotive Misfits : Introduction appeared first on Honda World Blog.

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Dream Car Garage Essentials

With Honda’s Dream Garage Sales Event going on, we wanted to ask you guys what kind of cars would you put in your Dream Garage?

And if you’re having trouble thinking of some, here are the essentials (some of these are optional of course, and are all Hondas):

1. Daily Driver
The daily driver is one of the most important cars you could have in your garage. It’s the one you put miles on, your grocery-getter, the one that gets you from A to B (in a hurry if you choose right), the one that gets you to work on time.

Our pick: 2018 Civic Hatchback, I personally recommend EX-L or above, or the 2018 Accord.

 

 

2. Classic (optional)
From weekend cruisers to show cars that collect dust in a museum, a classic car is always a good investment. Sure they can be unreliable, stripped out or basic. But that also holds a certain kind of novelty in its own right, sometimes that’s all you need.

Our pick: 1965 Honda S600. In Phoenix Yellow.

 

3. Project Car (optional)
Project cars are always a love/hate relationship. You hate the problems they come with and the money you put into them, but you love the reward of driving them when it’s all said and done.

Our pick: 1980’s Honda CR-X, or a Prelude.

 

 

4. SUV/Truck
Everybody needs a utility vehicle too. Something to haul friends, family, and firewood. Something big enough to survive winter months and the trails, with enough space to fit all your gear.

Our pick: 2019 Pilot or 2018 Ridgeline.

 

 

5. Track Car (optional)
The track car can technically be any of the above if you’re brave enough. But a track car is more often than not a bare-bones, all-out crazy machine you take out every so often.

Our pick: 2018 Honda Civic Type-R, or the S2000.

 

 

BONUS

Supercar (optional, of course)
They’re expensive. By no means practical. Not in the least bit versatile. They can’t fit more than 2 people. And they’re overpowered for most laws. But they’re fun, so it’s justifiable.

Our pick: 2017 Acura NSX.

 

 

If there were any you think we missed, let us know! Tell us your picks for your own dream garage (they don’t have to be Hondas). For more cool content, check out our Instagram page @louisville_honda_world and to see what cool cars might fit in your dream garage, visit https://ift.tt/2DHs4la to see our inventory!

By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius

The post Dream Car Garage Essentials appeared first on Honda World Blog.

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Top 5 Things We Want From Honda

So recently I sent out a feeler on our social media channels, asking you guys what you would like to see Honda change or improve upon in the future and you guys really delivered. A lot of the responses were great ideas, in my opinion, and hopefully, Honda would agree.

Here are the top 5 things we as consumers would love to see from Honda in the coming years:

1. Older Models Making a Comeback
Cars like the old Prelude and the S2000 were heavy hitters back in the day when Honda made performance affordable, so a modernized version of those two would be unbelievably popular now.

 

 

2. Updated HR-V

The HR-V is marketed now as an entry-level Honda, but we feel that with a few updates, it could turn into a serious contender in the crossover SUV market. For starters, the new 1.5L turbocharged engine would fit in perfectly for the HR-V and give it that extra kick it’s missing.

 

3. An “Offroad” Trim/Package 
The HR-V, the CR-V, Pilot, and especially the Ridgeline are all worthy of an offroad trim level, similar to Toyota’s TRD Offroad. A more rugged Ridgeline or CR-V would open the door for adventurers everywhere.

 

4. A Premium Sound System 
With the new Accord dipping its toe in the luxury market, we feel that it’s deserving, especially on the Touring trim, of a premium sound; one to give Harmon Kardon a run for its money.

 

5. All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) sedans
Why should the SUV’s have all the fun? An AWD Accord or an AWD Type-R would give Honda that extra step into the world of luxury and performance. Combine that with the usability of the Civic Hatchback, and you’ve got yourself the perfect daily driver, for any time of year.

 

BONUS:
An Accord Estate (Station Wagon)
The market for station wagons isn’t exactly booming in the U.S., but it is on the rise again, and the perfect contender for a wagon variant would be the new Accord, with its redesigned body lines. Not to mention it’ll give Honda owners another option, for those who want the dashing looks of the Accord and the cargo capacity of the CR-V. Mix that in with all-wheel-drive and you’ve got the next biggest trend in the car industry.

 

 

If there was anything you think we missed, let us know!

By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius

The post Top 5 Things We Want From Honda appeared first on Honda World Blog.

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UPDATE: 600,000 Mile Man

Bill Diehl recently gave me some background and some stories along the way on his journey to 600,000 miles. To read his full story, click here: http://ift.tt/2Bl4Fa8

One of the stories Bill recounted to me starts with Dale Greathouse, our Service Director, recommending to Bill to put oil in his car every 1000 miles or so since he’s nearing the 500,000 mark. After four quarts of oil while stuck in the mountains, Bill high-tailed it back to the dealership only to find out he had been putting the oil in the transmission fluid reservoir. 150,000 miles later and the car’s still running great, original engine and all.

Thanks for the stories Bill, keep it up!

By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius 

The post UPDATE: 600,000 Mile Man appeared first on Honda World Blog.

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