Honda Insight CVT
Honda's fuel-pincher Insight goes shiftless. But is that enough to win over the greenies?
BY LARRY WEBSTER
February 2002

It's public knowledge that as lovers of speed, handling, and horsepower, we're not necessarily fond of slow cars. There are exceptions—Ford's Focus comes to mind—but in general, show us a slug, and we'll show you a pouting editor.

But then along came the fuel-miserly electric/gas hybrid Honda Insight, a car that garnered high praise even though it was slower to 60 mph than a Kia Rio. Even with a 13-hp electric motor assisting the puny three-cylinder 67-hp, 1.0-liter gas engine, the Insight still needed 10.6 seconds to reach 60 mph, 0.3 second slower than the Kia. Speed, however, was never part of the Insight's mission. It's a fuel-economy special with skinny, low-rolling-resistance tires, a small, lightweight aluminum body, and room for only two.

Some of us found a certain joy in the Insight's intricate computer jiggery that controlled the two motors and constantly switched between them to save fuel. Others didn't see the difference between having to assiduously plan a simple passing maneuver in the Insight or the Rio—both were tiresome.

But the Honda's EPA fuel-economy rating of 61 mpg in the city and 68 on the highway made it the most fuel-efficient vehicle sold in the U.S. We thought that trait alone would make the Insight a Sierra Clubber's dream machine. We were mistaken.

Despite a clever ad campaign that challenged VW-bus-driving hippies—a.k.a. greenies—to put their wallets where their bumper stickers were, Honda sold only 4165 Insights through the first 10 months of 2001. (Kia, on the other hand, moved 44,260 Rios in that same period!)

The low sales were due to the very compromises—such as the small two-place body and five-speed manual transmission—that make the Insight such a talented fuel sipper. Toyota's hybrid Prius got poorer fuel economy (52/45) but seated five and had an automatic transmission. It outsold the Insight three to one. However, that ratio may dip a bit more this year in the Honda's favor with the addition of a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) for the Insight.

Like most other CVTs in production today, this one uses two adjustable pulleys and a push belt to vary gear ratios seamlessly without driver input—in essence, a "gearless" transmission. The CVT has a ratio spread factor of 5.98 compared with the five-speed's 4.87.

Nestled on the transmission's output shaft is a computer-controlled wet multiplate clutch, similar to the ones used on motorcycles. Although fuel economy falls to 57/56, the CVT model earns the stricter Super Ultra Low-Emission Vehicle rating. The five-speed car is still an Ultra Low-Emission Vehicle.

As slick as the CVT is, it can't match the five-speed manually shifted car at the drag strip. That car is half a second quicker to 60 mph and clears the quarter-mile in 18.0 seconds, 0.3 second quicker than the CVT model.

The CVT goes about its work seamlessly, but we did find one curious trait. When you floor the throttle, the revs jump to 4300 rpm and then slowly creep to the power peak of 5700 rpm. Physics suggests that the Insight CVT would be faster if flooring the throttle brought the revs immediately to the power peak. Otherwise, there's little to fault here. The engine computer transparently combines the two power mills without any jerky transitions, and if it weren't for the gauges that tell you when the electric-assist motor is kicking in, you'd never know it was working.

The Insight doesn't have the typical Honda chassis liveliness when cornering. It resolutely understeers as the thin P165/65SR-14 tires hold the pavement with 0.76 g of grip. And those tires, when pumped to the recommended inflation pressure of 38 psi front and 35 in the rear have a tendency to bang over expansion joints.

Those faults are the price of the miserly fuel consumption. And now even those who can't drive a stick can sign up for the most environmentally friendly car sold today.

The CVT costs $1000 but comes packaged with air conditioning, which adds another $1200 to the $19,520 base price. The shiftless Insight is only part of the Honda 2002 hybrid plan. Early next spring, a hybrid Civic debuts. No definitive word yet on price or fuel economy, but since it's a larger car, we don't expect it will take the fuel-economy crown from the Insight.

Honda Insight CVT

Vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 3-door coupe
Price as tested: $21,720 (base price: $19,520)
Engine type: SOHC 12-valve 1.0-liter 3-in-line, 67 hp, 66 lb-ft; with auxiliary DC electric motor, 13 hp, 13 lb-ft
Transmission continuously variable automatic
Wheelbase 94.5 in
Length 155.1 in
Curb weight 1982 lb
Zero to 60 mph 11.1 sec
Zero to 90 mph 26.8 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph 11.8 sec
Standing 1/4-mile 18.3 sec @ 77 mph
Top speed (drag limited) 103 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph 188 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad 0.76 g
EPA fuel economy, city driving 57 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy 55 mpg