2022 Honda Insight: Hybrids were once all about announcing their eco-status through radical styling and bright colors. But these days most of them go about their fuel-efficient business without garnering a second look. Case in point: the 2022 Honda Insight.
About the same size as the all-new 2022 Honda Civic, the Insight and its staid styling don’t really hint at its impressive EPA-estimated 52 mpg (in combined city/highway driving). Instead, the Insight looks like any other small sedan and offers many of the same features at a competitive price.
ENGINE AND IMPLEMENTATION
The 2022 Honda Insight does a better job than most hybrids of balancing spry acceleration with miserly fuel economy. It’s about as quick as many conventionally powered compact cars—and way quicker than the hybrid competitors we’ve tested.
Its combination of a gas engine and electric motors provides a combined 151 horsepower, which motivates the Insight from zero to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds.
2022 Honda Insight can run on electric motor alone for roughly one mile at lower speeds but request brisk acceleration and the gasoline engine will kick-in seamlessly.
You might notice the engine getting loud under hard acceleration, but the Insight’s powertrain is otherwise quiet and refined. The Insight is an exceedingly pleasant vehicle to drive. It is quiet, comfortable, and refined, and it handles confidently.
That’s no wonder, considering it’s in many ways mechanically similar to the Civic sedan, which shares those attributes. Although it’s not overtly sporty, the Insight has a nicely controlled ride and solid handling. Its supple suspension soaks up bumps well, and its quick steering helps it change direction responsively.
The predictable and progressive brake pedal in the Insight suffers from little of the clunkiness that plagues the brakes of other hybrids. The Insight’s brakes feel just as confident as a traditional, gas-powered vehicle’s.
ENERGY AND REAL-WORLD MPG
Honda provides two EPA ratings for the Insight: 55 mpg city and 49 highway for the lighter EX trim and 51 cities and 45 highway for the Insight Touring, which is better equipped and comes with larger wheels and tires.
All three Insight models fall a few miles per gallon short of the Toyota Prius and the Hyundai Ioniq’s EPA ratings. But the Insight Touring achieved 47 mpg on our real-world highway test, 2 mpg better than its EPA rating.
Drivers who spend more time in stop-and-go driving can expect even better results; hybrids typically are more efficient in city driving conditions than on the highway. For more information about the 2022 Honda Insight’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
INTERIOR, CONVENIENCE, AND BOOTH
A well-thought-out center console is the centerpiece of the in-cabin storage. The space is deep and provides outstanding volume. You also get a removable and sliding insert and divider system.
A handy rubberized pad on the console is ideal for a phone. For child duty, the 2022 Honda Insight has car seat anchors in the back that are easy to access under fabric fastener flaps, and there’s ample space for car seats.
Several of the Honda’s competitors are hatchbacks—the Insight is a conventional sedan with a separate trunk—which means they can hold more stuff and their large cargo areas are easier to load. The Insight does have a very useful and configurable center console that can hold tons of personal items. There are also a few bins in the cargo area.
IN-VEHICLE INFOTAINMENT AND INTERCONNECTIONS
Honda’s infotainment screen is quick, sharp, and easy to use. The physical shortcut buttons on the screen’s left side are also useful. It makes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration (standard on EX trim and up) less of a priority, though Honda’s integration with both is excellent.
Honda’s advanced driver aids continue to lag the competition because they’re rather conservatively tuned. The brake alert comes up a bit too readily in routine city driving, but it’s not as intrusive during the initial warning phase as some other systems. The adaptive cruise system is OK, but other systems are more natural in their operation.
PROTECTION AND DRIVER-ASSISTANCE ASPECTS
The 2022 Honda Insight earned a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and it was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
All Insights come with a comprehensive package of driver assists called Honda Sensing. Blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert come standard on EX and Touring models.
PHOTOS
