2010 Honda Insight Twelve Month Test - Introduction

The Great Downsizing Experiment

I have long been a proponent of downsizing -- buying a smaller car than you think you need. Smaller cars are cheaper to buy and use less fuel, and most of us don't actually need as much space in our cars as we think we do. So when my wife Robin and I began to seriously think about replacing our aging mid-size Honda Accord wagon, I realized this would be an excellent opportunity to put my money where my mouth is. I contacted my friends at Honda and asked if we could borrow a 2010 Honda Insight hybrid -- not just for the usual week, but for a year.
Why a Honda Insight?
Granted, going from a mid-size car like an Accord to a subcompact like an Insight is a bit extreme -- but I figured if we were going to do this, we should do it all the way. And the Insight made sense: Its hatchback body style should, in theory, let us get the most from the car's small footprint, and the fact that it's a hybrid would let us do our part in reducing pollution and our nation's reliance on oil. And it's also a realistic choice -- the Insight's price tag ($20,510 for starters, $23,914 for the EX Navi model we'd be driving) puts it well inside our (theoretical) budget.
That said, we knew we'd be making some compromises by driving an Insight. We spend lots of time hauling cargo and kids -- the former including Robin's bulky massage table and the latter including our 13-year-old son Robert, who is 5'10" and growing rapidly. Neither would fit as easily into the Insight as the Accord. And Robin -- who would be doing the bulk of the driving -- likes to go fast. At 145 horsepower, our Accord isn't exactly a muscle car, but it sure seems like one compared to the 98 hp Insight.
"It's Up To You"
Robin and I discussed the pros and the cons, and in the end I left the decision up to her, since she'd be the one putting most of the miles on the Insight.
Her decision? "Let's go for it. If it goes badly, I can always start driving the wagon again."
And so we begin our twelve months with the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Among the things I hope to learn:
• Can a family of four make do with a small car? Especially onethis small?
• Are new Hondas as trouble-free as people say?
• Which will win the fuel-economy battle -- the Insight's frugal hybrid drivetrain or Robin's merciless lead foot?
And most importantly...
• Will Robin take to the shiny new Insight, or will she forsake it for her ratty old Accord?
I'll be bringing you monthly updates, along with periodic updates on the About.com Cars blog. Stay tuned!
Next: October 2009: The Insight goes to work