2022 Honda Insight

Being eco-friendly is becoming easier, cheaper, and more stylish by the year, and the Honda Insight is an excellent example of this. Based on the handsome Honda Civic, the compact sedan veers away from the quirky design philosophy that so many electrified vehicles seem magnetically drawn to. Three years after its full overhaul in 2019, the Insight is still up-to-date and the powertrain remains unchanged, which isn't a bad thing. The gas engine, coupled with the electric motors, develops a combined 151.5 horsepower, and the nimble handling of the sedan gives it more personality than the gawky Toyota Prius. More orthodox styling, plenty of passenger and cargo space, and a decent list of driver-assistance features under the Honda Sensing umbrella make the Insight a top pick for those who want a hybrid sedan without all the pretense.

Slotted between the Civic and the Accord, the Honda Insight bears a striking family resemblance, but it gets its own grille and rear light designs. And while it may be a hybrid, it doesn't look as awkward as some of the competition. The EX rides on 16-inch alloys and the Touring on 17-inches, and the four-door sedan comes outfitted with automatic LED head- and taillights. Reserved for the top-tier Touring are LED fog lights and a power moonroof, along with exterior chrome accents.

With an overall length of 183.6 inches, the Insight is large enough to comfortably seat all its occupants, even though it gets the same 106.3-inch wheelbase as the previous-generation Civic, which had smaller dimensions. It's no taller than any other sedan, standing 55.6 inches tall, but its width of just 71.6 inches means that it can fit into relatively small spots without too much fuss. The EX weighs in at exactly 3,000 lbs, while the Touring maxes out at 3,078 lbs.

A total of six paint colors make up the palette for the Insight. Both models get access to all six colors and the standard no-cost hues are Crystal Black Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, and Modern Steel Metallic. For $395 extra, you can choose from Platinum White Pearl, Radiant Red Metallic, and Cosmic Blue Metallic.

The gasoline engine at the heart of the Insight certainly doesn't impress on its own, with only 107 hp and 99 lb-ft, but the twin electric motors improve the overall output figures to 151 hp and 197 lb-ft. This is more than enough to give the sedan a swift kick in the pants. It won't be beating any land-speed records, but the Insight can make the 0-60 mph sprint in around eight seconds, according to independent tests. This gives the Honda a slight edge over its key rival, the Toyota Prius, which isn't quite as spirited on the road. However, the Insight is restricted to front-wheel drive, so it isn't as capable on slippery roads as the competition.

Under the hood of the Honda Insight is an Atkinson-cycle 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that develops a modest 107 hp and 99 lb-ft. The majority of the power comes from the pair of electric motors, which develop their own 129 hp and 197 lb-ft. Working in unison, these two generators give the sedan a combined 151 hp to work with. Most of the heavy lifting is done by the stronger motors, with the gasoline engine providing an electric charge.

The power is regulated by a CVT transmission, which directs all force towards the front wheels only. While the Insight won't wow with its acceleration, it still impresses when compared to similar hybrids. Passing on the highway doesn't require much fuss, either, but the gas engine can get a bit noisy. Still, a lively hybrid is nothing to sniff at, and this is just one of the reasons that the Honda Insight stands out from the crowd.

While it may be a hybrid, the Honda Insight neither looks nor feels the part. With precise, responsive steering, there's little doubt that the Insight is closely related to the nimble Civic. That's not to say the sedan is sporty by any stretch of the imagination, but it can definitely feel that way compared to clunkier hybrids. Several drive modes, including Normal, Sport, Econ, and EV, allow for a variety of driving dynamics.

But, while Econ may deliver the best fuel economy, it may make you feel like you're pedaling a 1.5-ton bicycle. EV is equally as pointless, with the small battery only storing enough charge to power the sedan for a mile or so. So we'd suggest sticking to Normal for most day-to-day driving. But if you want a little bit of fun, the Insight is ready to deliver it in Sport mode. A bit more feedback and surprisingly sharp steering make the compact quite engaging around town.

The Honda also rides quite well for an affordable hybrid sedan. Sure, some larger bumps will cause it to bounce around a little, but, for the most part, it sticks to the road quite well and never feels particularly floaty. Naturally, the brakes come with a regenerative function, which can actually bring the sedan to a stop without even touching the pedal, if you set them high enough. Wind and road noise is well-managed, for the most part, but the whine of the engine when pushed to its limits can be quite annoying.

The Honda Insight is a close competitor to the ever-popular Toyota Prius in terms of fuel economy, especially in its non-Touring guise. The base EX boasts outstanding gas mileage, achieving 55/49/52 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles in EPA testing. The Prius gets the same 52 mpg in the combined cycle. Slightly less impressive, at least in terms of gas consumption, the Touring still gets a decent 51/45/48 mpg. Each model comes equipped with a 10.6-gallon fuel tank which is more than happy to take regular unleaded-type gas. In its most efficient guise, the sedan is able to cover up to 551 miles between gas station visits.

While not the largest sedan on the market, the Honda Insight is still pretty spacious. Similarly, the interior isn't all that lavish, but it's well-built and comfortable. There are some hard plastics, but they are kept out of immediate view, and the upper trims do an even better job of covering them up with more high-quality materials. Across the range, the controls are laid out for ease of use, and include features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic climate control, and LED ambient lighting. You may have to pay a bit extra, but the leather-appointed power front seats on the Touring make the Insight feel more premium than the price tag.

Within the surprisingly spacious cabin of the sedan, there is room for five passengers. Although, while there is never any real lack of legroom, the rear seats aren't quite as generous in the headroom department. Regardless of trim level, the sedan has comfortable seating, but you'll need to spring for the top-tier Touring to get power-adjustable front seats. On the plus side, this also sees the front seats heated, and every seat wrapped in leather. Thanks to the wide-opening doors, getting in or out is easy enough. However, visibility is more of a mixed bag. You can see just fine over the dash, but rearward visibility is hindered by the broad rear pillars. The Insight makes up for this with standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

While there isn't much choice when it comes to color, the interior of the Insight is still well-appointed. The EX gets cloth upholstery in either Black or Ivory, assuming you choose a corresponding exterior color - although you have a choice of either when opting for the Platinum White Pearl paint. The interior becomes quite a bit plusher when you upgrade to the Touring, thanks to the genuine leather-appointed seats. Just like the EX, though, the color choices remain either Black or Ivory. In typical Honda fashion, the interior is durable and well-constructed - definitely built to last.

As we've come to expect from Honda, the Insight offers a pretty impressive amount of cargo space for a relatively small sedan. Naturally, the battery under the rear seats means that it can't match the trunk size on a similar, regular sedan. However, 15.1 cubic feet is nothing to sneeze at, although the Touring sacrifices a little space, offering 14.7 cubic feet. Regardless, the Insight has everything you need for daily usage. A week's worth of groceries will easily fit in the trunk. Alternatively, you could stow several suitcases, assuming they aren't overly large. If you need a bit more space, the rear seats can be folded down in a 60/40-split.

There's a fair amount of small-item storage around the cabin, too. The center console comes standard with a well-sized storage cubby, as well as built-in cupholders. There's also a standard glove compartment, and all four doors supply ample food pockets. The top-of-the-range Touring further adds a seatback pocket on the passenger's side.

While the EX may be the base model, it actually gets a decent list of standard features. Alongside the rearview camera, it gets the Honda Sensing suite, comprising pre-collision avoidance with braking, traffic sign detection, road departure mitigation, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. At this level, the automatic climate control is single-zone only, while other comforts and conveniences include push-button start, a 12-volt power outlet, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, remote engine start, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and split-folding rear seats. Leather replaces the standard cloth on the Touring, and both front seats get heating and power-adjustability. Dual-zone climate control becomes the standard, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and auto-dimming rearview mirror are added. Regardless of the trim level, every Insight gets a seven-inch digital instrument cluster.

Along with an eight-inch touchscreen interface, the EX also gets Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth streaming, SiriusXM, and HD Radio, while the 180-watt audio system has eight speakers and speed-sensitive volume compensation. There is also a 2.5-amp USB audio/smartphone interface with two ports. To get navigation and Wi-Fi access, you'll need to upgrade to the Touring. This also sees the installation of a 450-watt, ten-speaker premium sound system. The infotainment system itself isn't the most intuitive, however, but it is functional.

The Insight earns a relatively average dependability score of 78 out of 100 from J.D. Power, which corresponds with its hit-and-miss track record. There were two recalls in its debut year of 2019, but these problems were cleared up and both 2020 and 2021 saw a single recall, last year's for a possible loss of power while driving. At this early stage of the 2022 model year's availability, there have been no recalls. Honda covers the Insight with a standard 36,000-mile/36-month limited warranty. The powertrain gets a slightly longer warranty of 60,000 miles/60 months. In terms of hybrid components, the battery is covered for 100,000 miles/96 months.

The NHTSA has conducted a review of the Insight for the 2022 model and it comfortably earned five stars overall. The IIHS is equally impressed with the Honda, awarding it top scores of Good across the board as well the Top Safety Pick+ award for 2020 and 2021, with top scores so far for all the 2022 tests as well.

The Insight benefits from the Honda Sensing safety suite, which comprises forward collision warning, collision mitigation braking, lane keep assist, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high-beam assist, ABS, EBD, stability and traction control, and six airbags: dual front, front side, and side curtain.

Sticking with what works, Honda has made very few changes over the 2021 Honda Insight for the 2022 model year, and we certainly aren't complaining. The Insight hybrid still impresses with excellent fuel economy, bested only by a select few like the Hyundai Elantra Blue. The Insight gets bonus points for stylish design and a spacious, well-appointed cabin. Its near-athletic driving dynamics don't hurt its score, either.

Every model comes equipped with Honda Sensing and a full suite of driver-assistance features. The infotainment suite is responsive and easy to use, too. Add to this the Insight's competitive trunk space and appealing price tag, and Honda's award-winning subcompact is still earning high marks in our books.

The 2022 Honda Insight remains a relatively affordable sedan, even with last year's LX base-level car's discontinuation. The EX is for sale at a starting MSRP of $25,210 and the Touring adds $4,030 to the base price at $29,240. These prices exclude tax, registration, licensing, and the manufacturer's $1,015 handling fee, which is $60 up from last year.

With the discontinuation of last year's LX entry-level trim, there are only two trims left in the 2022 Honda Insight lineup: EX and Touring. Both share an identical drivetrain, comprising a 1.5-liter inline-four gas engine paired with two electric motors for a combined system output of 151.5 hp. A CVT automatic transmission is the only one on offer.

The EX runs on 16-inch alloy wheels and comes as standard with automatic LED headlights with high-beam assist, single-zone automatic climate control, cloth upholstery, a five-inch driver-information display, 60/40 split/folding rear seats, and push-button start. The infotainment touchscreen measures eight inches and includes Bluetooth streaming, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD Radio, SiriusXM, and an eight-speaker audio system. On the safety front, six airbags are fitted, along with the entire Honda Sensing driver-assistance suite that includes frontal collision warning and braking, lane assist, traffic-sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring.

The Touring trim is the flagship and adds to these features 17-inch alloy wheels, a power moonroof, and LED fog lights. Inside, the seats and steering wheel are trimmed in leather and the front seats are heated and electrically adjustable. Dual-zone climate control and an auto-dimming rearview mirror are standard too and the infotainment system gains navigation and Wi-Fi functionality, while an upgraded ten-speaker audio system is fitted.

While there are a fair number of packages available to the Insight, they are almost exclusively cosmetic add-ons. The Illumination Package adds interior illumination, an illuminated door sill, door panel illumination, and a welcome light. The Premium Chrome Accent Package is the glitzier option, giving the trunk trim, front bumper, and door trim a chrome makeover. It also adds 17-inch dark chrome finish alloy wheels. If you want to take a slightly subtler approach, the Sport Black Styling Package equips the Insight with underbody spoilers on the front, side, and rear, and gives the front grille a black accent. Every trim can add parking sensors.

Since the optional packages don't really offer much value, it all comes down to which trim has the best list of standard features. With the base trim now being the EX, it's no longer a bit bare-bones like last year's LX. Priced well below $30k, the Insight EX doesn't get the heated power front seats or leather upholstery that the Touring gets, but it does get the same eight-inch infotainment touchscreen, smartphone integration, improved driver-assistance features, and a decent enough sound system. It also gets better fuel efficiency than the Touring.

Larger than the Insight, the Honda Accord Hybrid gets all the benefits that come from adding a few inches here and there. This means it has even more passenger space, as well as a generous 16.7-cubic-foot trunk. Naturally, the bigger sedan needs a bit more oomph to get it moving with the same degree of quickness, which it gets from the 212-hp powertrain. The Accord comes well-appointed, too, with Honda Sensing and all the basic comforts you'd expect from a modestly priced sedan. If money isn't quite so tight, the upper trim levels of the Accord border on the premium level, and the available features can make the smaller sedan look a bit basic. With competitive gas mileage and better driving dynamics, the Accord is the slightly better choice.

The go-to name in small hybrids, the Toyota Prius is still extremely popular. It definitely flaunts its hybrid status a bit more than the toned-down Insight, thanks to its eccentric styling. And, while this may appeal to some, those who don't find it endearing will see the Honda Insight as a breath of fresh air. Powered by a less impressive four-cylinder engine paired with a single electric motor, the Prius can only put out a combined 121 hp, and it doesn't have the almost 200 lb-ft of torque available to the Honda, either. However, it does get access to AWD, which recommends it to buyers living in areas that are prone to poor weather. But, thanks to its updates in both looks and technology, the Honda Insight just feels like the better pick, and you no longer have to sacrifice fuel economy in the process.