Honda Insight Doomed From Starthttp://wardsauto.com/blog/honda-insight-doomed-start
"The Insight was too small when it needed to be big, too fuel-efficient when it wasn't necessary, not around when people cared about fuel economy and not fuel-efficient enough when they sort of did."
"The Insight, famously, was the first gas-electric hybrid sold in the U.S., arriving in December 1999, seven months ahead of Toyota’s first-generation Prius.
While the car boasted eye-popping fuel economy, 70 mpg (3.4 L/100 km) highway – an all-time record for certification from the EPA – the price of regular unleaded in the U.S. that month was only $1.25-$1.26, equivalent to $1.76-$1.77 today.
Cargo-carrying ability also was woefully lacking, and in its first year only a manual transmission was offered, because Americans love to row their own gears – not.
Honda finally pulled the plug on the car in 2006, announcing a second-generation model would arrive…in 2009.
Yes, it was a ridiculously long wait, and Honda missed a golden opportunity to market the hybrid to Americans in the summer of 2008, when an historic gas-price spike saw regular unleaded soar to $4 per gallon."
Insightful Comments
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- Master Standardshifter
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Insightful Comments
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
- theholycow
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Re: Insightful Comments
It is unfortunate that the era of the cheapest fuel ever was also the era of the most efficient cars ever, dooming those cars. At least we're catching up to those efficiency levels now, though overall efficiency is probably down due to the continued popularity of oversized vehicles...
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT
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Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
Put your car in your sig!
Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
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- Master Standardshifter
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Re: Insightful Comments
theholycow wrote:It is unfortunate that the era of the cheapest fuel ever was also the era of the most efficient cars ever, dooming those cars. At least we're catching up to those efficiency levels now, though overall efficiency is probably down due to the continued popularity of oversized vehicles...
'When the moon is in the seventh house (fuel prices skyrocket)
and Jupiter aligns with Mars (buyers are in the market)
Then peace will guide the planets (consumers will consider the EPA labels)
and love will steer the stars (purchasing vehicles that suit their needs, but use little fuel)
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, Age of Aquarius, Aquarius" (hybrid cars)
Let the sun shine (solar-powered SRT Vipers?)
Let the sun shine in,
the sun shine in
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"