2020 Honda Insight Review

　　

2020 Honda Insight Review

byWill KaufmanSenior Editor and Content Strategist, CarMax

　　Will Kaufman has worked in the automotive industry since 2017. He has written hundreds of car-related articles and reviews over the course of his career. Will is a senior editor and content strategist for CarMax at zzdcar. Will has been featured in the Associated Press and a number of major outlets on the topics of infotainment and vehicle data, vehicle subscription services and autonomous vehicles. Will started his career in online publishing by writing and editing standardized test guides, but he has a lot more fun writing about cars.

　　Part of the Toyota Prius' original appeal has been its distinctive styling. Whatever you might think of it, at least everyone knows what it is. It's built-in advertising for the hybrid lifestyle, sort of like bringing your lunch to work in a Whole Foods tote bag. But if you prefer driving a little more anonymously, Honda would undoubtedly like you to check out its 2020 Insight.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2020 Honda Insight LX 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$73/mo  for Insight LX

　　Insight LX

　　LX 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) - $22,930 MSRPEX 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) (Most Popular) - $24,310 MSRPTouring 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) - $28,340 MSRP

　　vs

　　$164/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　Honda's Insight favors more subdued styling. Most people won't guess it's anything but a regular car unless they happen to catch sight of the rather small "Hybrid" badges. This more traditional approach can be found inside, too. The Insight's cabin is familiar and comfortable, and the driving experience is more refined and satisfying than what you typically get from other mainstream hybrids. Because the Insight is a sedan, you give up a bit of cargo-carrying versatility compared to a hatchback, but the Insight compensates with excellent small-item storage.

　　The main drawback is the Insight's somewhat noisy operation. There can be significant engine vibration at idle when the car needs to charge the battery, for instance. But this is a minor gripe considering everything else and the EPA-estimated 52 mpg. Taken on the whole, the Insight is an excellent sedan that makes the fuel-sipping hybrid lifestyle more appealing. It might even give Prius die-hards a reason to switch.

　　Notably, the 2020 Honda Insight is a featured vehicle in our Cheapest New Cars article and we picked the 2020 Honda Insight as one of zzdcar' Cheapest New Cars for 2020.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.1

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.5/10

　　How does the Insight drive? The Insight leans more toward sobriety than spirit, but it's livelier and more refined than a Prius. The electric motor feels torquey around town and makes for seamless and responsive acceleration. It's not fast, but at 8.1 seconds to cover 0-60 mph, it's quick among hybrids. The steering is precise, and the Insight is tidy around corners and willing to change directions.

　　Our tester stopped from 60 mph in 123 feet, which is decent for the class. The braking is predictable and easy to modulate, but the pedal feels a bit disonnected during hard braking. We were also bothered that, in normal driving mode, the adjustable regenerative braking system kept resetting itself.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the Insight? Honda has gotten most of the fundamentals right. The seats are comfortable, with medium-firm foam and enough contouring to provide support over long drives, although some drivers may miss adjustable lumbar. There's some bounciness when driving over humps in the road, but single-wheel impacts and smaller road textures are snubbed deftly.

　　The climate system has big and clearly marked physical controls, and the vents provide good coverage. The main downside is noise. The gas engine can idle loudly and create vibrations when the battery needs charging, and it makes more noise at freeway speeds than some competitors. Wind noise is well-suppressed, but there's also noticeable road noise at speed.

　　

Interior

8.5/10

　　How’s the interior? Larger on the inside than the exterior suggests, this cabin typifies Honda's mastery of space utilization. There's plenty of headroom and elbow room for front passengers. Drivers of various proportions should be able to find an agreeable seating position, although we wish there was a hair more range on the telescoping steering wheel. In the back, headroom is snug for taller adults, but there's good toe room.

　　The Insight is functional and well-designed, with obvious and well-labeled controls. Using the transmission selector buttons is a bit more distracting than moving a traditional gear lever, but you'll get used to them. Visibility is good out of the front, though the wide rear roof pillars and tall rear deck create some rear blind spots.

　　

Technology

8.0/10

　　How’s the tech? Honda's infotainment screen is quick, sharp and easy to use. The physical shortcut buttons on the screen's left side are also useful. It makes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (standard on EX trim and up) less of a priority, though Honda's integration with both is excellent.

　　Honda's advanced driver aids continue to lag the competition, as they're rather conservatively tuned. The brake alert comes up a bit too readily in routine city driving, but it's not as intrusive during the initial warning phase as some other systems. The adaptive cruise system is OK, but other systems are more natural in their operation.

　　

Storage

8.0/10

　　How’s the storage? The Insight isn't quite as cargo-friendly as the Prius, but it's still quite useful. The reasonably deep cargo hold has about 15 cubic feet of capacity, and the 60/40-split rear bench can be folded down via levers in the trunk. The hybrid batteries are situated under the back seat and do not impede on cargo volume.

　　A well-thought-out center console is the centerpiece of the in-cabin storage. The space is deep and provides outstanding volume. You also get a removable and sliding insert and divider system. A handy rubberized pad on the console is ideal for a phone. For child duty, the Insight has car seat anchors in the back that are easy to access under fabric fastener flaps, and there's ample space for car seats.

　　

Fuel Economy

9.0/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates the Insight gets 48 to 52 mpg in combined driving. That's among the highest fuel economy of any car you can buy. Encouragingly, we observed 50.5 mpg on our 115-mile evaluation route, which consists of mixed driving conditions.

　　

Value

8.5/10

　　Is the Insight a good value? The Insight is a sensible and well-built sedan that punches above its price point. The well-screwed-together cabin has a pleasing design and plenty of soft touchpoints at every trim level. This is typical Honda cabin construction, which is no bad thing. It's also a great value, and it feels and drives like a more expensive vehicle.

　　Warranty coverage is on par with Toyota, but it significantly trails Hyundai and Kia. While the Insight shouldn't be an expensive car to own or operate, some competitors offer perks such as free maintenance that aren't standard-issue for Honda.

　　

Wildcard

8.0/10

　　The execution of the Insight is a subtle but significant step forward for inexpensive hybrids. It has shown the genre evolving beyond the nerdy awkwardness of adolescence and into a more confident phase. It doesn't need to broadcast its green cred, and that's a breath of fresh air. This car exudes a level of sophistication that surpasses its price point.

　　

Which Insight does zzdcar recommend?

We like the EX for its added standard features. These include useful extras such as folding rear seats that improve cargo flexibility and an upgraded infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The EX also returns better fuel economy than the top-tier Touring, which trades a little efficiency for more luxuries.

　　

2020 Honda Insight models

The 2020 Honda Insight is a five-passenger hybrid sedan that comes in three trim levels: LX, EX and Touring. All are driven by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that primarily acts as a generator to supply power to an electric motor that drives the front wheels (and takes over powering the wheels at freeway speeds). Combined system output is 151 horsepower.

　　The base LX offers the same quality and driving experience as higher trims but is missing some desirable features such as the improved infotainment system with smartphone integration. You do get Bluetooth connectivity and a basic 5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, along with LED headlights, push-button ignition and a rearview camera. All Insight trims also come standard with a suite of active safety features and driver aids (Honda Sensing) that include adaptive cruise control.

　　The EX adds an 8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an eight-speaker stereo and a split-folding rear seat, among other upgrades. It also gets Honda's LaneWatch camera, which displays a view of the driver's right-side blind spot. (A traditional blind-spot monitoring system isn't offered.) In general, though, the EX's upgrades overall make the Insight easier to live with.

　　The range-topping Touring trim gives up a few mpg of efficiency (and a tiny bit of trunk space) but adds a lot of extra luxury items. Highlights include a sunroof, leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable seats, a navigation system, onboard Wi-Fi, and a 10-speaker premium sound system.

　　

2020 Insight Highlights

Trim: LXEXTouringLX

　　

Base MSRP	$22,930
Engine Type	Hybrid
Combined MPG	52 MPG
Cost to Drive	$73/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	15.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles