Honda Insight Panned

For your lunchtime reading enjoyment, how about a snarky review of Honda's newest hybrid?

Much has been written about the Insight, Honda’s new low-priced hybrid. We’ve been told how much carbon dioxide it produces, how its dashboard encourages frugal driving by glowing green when you’re easy on the throttle and how it is the dawn of all things. The beginning of days.

So far, though, you have not been told what it’s like as a car; as a tool for moving you, your friends and your things from place to place.

So here goes. It’s terrible. Biblically terrible. Possibly the worst new car money can buy. It’s the first car I’ve ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose, so I didn’t have to drive it any more.

It gets better. Some of the comments are good too.

Thanks to alexthechick.

Incidentally: I have nothing against hybrids so long as they work well. And aren't subsidized out the wazoo. And aren't driving like grandma in front of me all the damn time. Also, hybrid drivers appear to be much more prone to putting retarded stickers all over the back.

But I don't have anything against hybrids. In fact, if I could afford the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, I'd get one. (I have a thing for SUVs since one saved my life once.) Since I can barely afford my monthly metro pass, however, I'll just admire from a distance.

And in related news: Obama will announce new emissions standards for cars tomorrow. The new standards will "harmonize" (read: replace?) CAFE standards with the EPA's greenhouse gas standards. Or something. The Governator will be on hand for the announcement, hopefully while weeping over the failure of his budget props out here.

While I'm thinking about the props: Someone asked me how I planned to vote. There are no difficult choices here:

• Prop 1A -- State Budget. Changes California Budget Process. Limits State Spending. -- No; it requires a tax increase.
• Prop 1B -- Education Funding. Payment Plan. -- No; requires increased spending.
• Prop 1C -- Lottery Modernization Act. -- Yes; I have nothing against idiots buying more lottery tickets and no problem dedicating that money to paying down debt rather than schools.
• Prop 1D -- Protects Children's Services Funding. -- Yes; this is simply moving money around, but will help balance the budget (this year) without a tax increase.
• Prop 1E -- Mental Health Services Funding. Temporary Reallocation. -- Same.
• Prop 1F -- Elected Officials' Salaries. -- Very very yes; prevents salary increases for certain elected officials when there is a budget deficit.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 12:39 PM

| Access Comments