Honda Hybrids Exceeding Everyone’s Expectations

The original gasoline-electric hybrid car, the Honda Insight, is about to have a major moment that could show us what the future holds for the fleet of hybrids that followed the revolutionary little car on the road. When the Insight went on sale eight years ago as a 2000 model, Honda said the expensive, complicated battery pack and electric motor would last as long as the car.

Honda’s sporty two-seat hatchback wowed people when it debuted in 1999 with claims of 61 mpg city and 70 mpg highway. The Insight’s star faded when Toyota introduced the more practical four-door Prius a year later, but the Honda has plenty of devoted owners who put in a lot of miles.

One customer, Jesse Deeter’s Insight, has about 100,000 miles on it. Honda replaced its battery pack because it was not recharging properly. Honda paid for the replacement batteries and the company has been very vigilant, Deeter said.

Honda doesn’t say how many batteries it has replaced on the 13,886 Insights it sold, but it calls it a small number. Honda paid for the replacements through warranties, spokesman Chuck Schifsky said. Readers of Consumer Reports magazine rave about the Insights and older Prius models, said David Champion, the magazine’s director of automotive testing.

The resale value has held up well so far, but beyond this point no one can guess. How much will a person be willing to spend if the cost of repairs is very high and the value of the car is quite low? With so many unanswered questions, how long will consumer interest in this new generation remain?