Mother Proof's view

Honda says the 2010 Insight is the “hybrid for everyone,” but trying to appeal to everyone is a bit too high a mark for this car. For 2010, Honda reintroduced the Insight, a designated hybrid hatchback, which has only the name in common with that of its predecessor, the first hybrid in the U.S.

To keep the Insight within a certain price range, Honda uses a small battery pack and an electric motor to supplement the Insight’s gas engine. The result is less fuel economy than one might expect from a Prius-shaped hybrid, with 40/43 mpg city/highway. Of course, that’s nothing to sneeze at and is the second most fuel-efficient car on sale today. However, if you don’t expect tons of luxury features and 50 mpg that you get with the Toyota Prius, the Insight isn’t half-bad.

The Insight starts at $19,800, which is $1,200 less than the Prius’ starting price. Honestly though, $1,200 doesn’t seem like enough of a price cut to give up the extra 10 mpg plus all of the added features you won’t find in the Insight.

The Insight is small but fits four comfortably. The ride is fairly smooth, if a bit on the sporty side. Accelerating in the Insight isn’t that different from accelerating with a traditional gas-powered car. However, it was a bit jerky, and I had a hard time finding the “right” foot pressure. Still, the Insight is kind of fun to drive, especially with the paddle shifters that come with the EX trim level. I could pretend I was a racecar driver.

Exterior

The Insight is a sleek, wedge-shaped hatchback. My test car was a Smurfy blue, aka Clear Sky Blue, which got looks and comments everywhere I went. I liked it, but it seemed to be one of those polarizing colors.

From the front, the Insight looks like it’s all grille. The silver grille and alloy wheels also add a bit of polish to the car. The headlights are pushed out to the very corners of the car and seem small in comparison to the gaping intake vent. The wipers sit recessed behind the hood, which is both nice-looking and more aerodynamic. The mirrors are body-colored, and in the EX, they have integrated turn signals.

The Insight’s profile is smooth-looking, with an unbroken line from the tip of the grille all the way to the rear spoiler. It’s designed that way to minimize wind resistance, but it also presents a clean, simple look. The reason it looks so much like a Prius is for the vaunted aerodynamics, not for any green-cred styling. The door handles are body-colored and sit along an angled crease that runs from the front to the rear of the car. Large windows provide a lot of light and offer good visibility.

In the rear, the split rear window is darker along the bottom and looks almost black against the brightly colored body and taillights. A narrow strip of brake lights runs across the Insight’s rear.

Getting in and out was easy for the kids, but less so for me. It felt like I had to haul myself up and out of the Insight because it sits pretty low to the ground. The car’s doors open easily, but they don’t open so wide that my 6-year-old couldn’t pull them shut when sitting in his booster seat. Accessing the cargo area was no problem; the hatch opens easily and almost raises itself.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Some

Interior

The interior of the Insight is functional and clean, which is nice since space is at something of a premium. Two large people (and I’m not saying we’re large) would be bumping elbows in the front seats, and the backseat only seats three in a pinch. The interior’s trim is piano black with faux metal accents, which adds to the Insight’s sporty feel. However, it also collects dust like my family room. I was forever trying to clean it off with baby wipes, which left streaks.

The cloth seats are comfortable. It’d be nice to have a leather seating option in this car, especially if there were little ones making messes in the backseat. The driver’s seat adjusts manually in six directions, and the passenger seat is in four. I found my ideal driving position immediately and had no complaints. The instruments are well placed and easy to use, with everything within reach. Several cubbies and bins contained my clutter admirably, but my larger cell phone – an iPhone – wouldn’t fit in its designated cubby.

In the backseat, my boys were pretty comfortable. My son’s booster seat fit snugly against the rear of the seat, and the seatbelt buckle receptors sit nice and high, making bucking up easy for little hands. There are two cupholders that pop out of the rear of the center console, and they were within reach for my school-age boys. The placement, however, would just be frustrating for smaller kids who are strapped into child-safety seats. There are also bottleholders in all four doors. Seatback pockets on both seats also provide some storage in the rear. Legroom is fine for little ones, but when I sat back there my knees were up against the front seat.

There’s plenty of cargo space in the Insight. Costco runs, dogs, even bikes were no problem for this little hybrid. For even more cargo room, the backseat is split 60/40; the seats fold down easily and lay completely flat. There’s no under-floor storage, but there is a cargo cover that keeps cargo out of the sun and out of sight.

The uplevel EX trim has an optional navigation system ($1,800), which my test car had. I loved its simplicity and voice-activation feature. I also loved that it includes a backup camera. However, I didn’t love the stereo system that’s part of the navigation package. It comes with an MP3 jack and an iPod USB port, but the sound quality is pretty bad. I’m not a stereo snob and I don’t blast my music, but when I got in the mood to turn it up, I turned the stereo down again pretty quickly. My music sounded like it was playing inside a tin can. Boo.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

Safety

The Insight has been named a Top Safety Pick for 2009 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It received the top score – Good – in front, side and rear crash tests, and it has optional stability control, which is a must to receive this award.

The Insight comes with six airbags, including front- and side-impact airbags for the front row and side curtain airbags for both rows. It also has antilock brakes with brake assist, which means the Insight brakes hard when you really need it to. The Insight also has optional traction control, which is standard on the EX model.

Another great feature is Honda’s ACE body structure that manages impact force from a variety of vehicles, so if the Insight has a collision with a big SUV, the car is designed to handle it.

The Latch connectors are hidden behind slits in the upholstery, but they’re not hard to reach. Parents with infants will want to install their rear-facing infant-safety seats into the Insight when they test drive it to make sure there’s enough room for the car seat and person sitting in front of it.

FAMILY LIFESTAGE

In Diapers: Rear-facing infant-safety seats might be a tight squeeze, so be sure to test them before you buy.

In School: Firm seat belt receptacles and easy entry are great for school-age kids.

Teens: It’s got plenty of safety features to keep teen drivers safe.