Sure has aged well.

Here it is, my 7th Honda and my first hybrid – the 2011 Insight EX.
I wasn’t a big fan of hybrids nor am I a greenie by any means but with the gas prices these days, why not. I said well.., I’d give it a try. So here it is, the 7th on the list of Hondas that I’ve owned that goes something like this:

1985 CRX
1991 Prelude Si
1994 Integra LS
1998 CR-V EX
2001 S2000
1987 CRX Si (current)
2011 Insight EX (current)

Surprisingly, this bargain basement hybrid comes with some features you normally wouldn’t expect in this price range such as; traction control (not sure why you’d need it), tire pressure monitor, paddle shifter (even though it’s simulated shifting), outside mirror heater, auto climate control, speed sensing wipers, tilt & telescope steering. Personally, I don’t really care about the features. I just like how the Insight looks – like a mini FCX Clarity.

I thought it was generally known that Subarus are relatively reliable vehicles. Well, mine must’ve been a lemon or something. My 2005 Outback went through:

- brand new set of tires all around (twice)
- right front wheel bearing (twice)
- front cv joint axle
- ignition coil
- 4 pairs of headlight bulbs (pairs!)
- check engine light whenever it rains or humid like clockwork
- 2 sets of brand new brake rotors and pads
- intermittent shuddering, loss of power regardless of weather
- malfunctioning driver-side heater vents
- exhaust gas leak into the cabin
- a self-developed tear in rear door window molding

All this in less than 5 years and under 67,000 miles.

It almost seems that this car was cursed. I know it’s not my lousy driving that ate through the tires and brakes. Tires and brakes on my CRX is more than 4 years old, and I drive that thing 10 times harder than the Subaru. I’ve owned Integra and Prelude for 5 ~ 6 years close to 100k miles without spending a dime on repairs.

They say ‘Love is what makes a Subaru a Subaru.’ Well…, yes, you really need to have lot of love to tolerate a piece of shit like that. But that’s something I could not do. I’m just glad the Outback is now gone! See Ya! I’m going back to all Honda.

My only gripe is the car has developed series of nasty rust spots. First, by the left rear wheel well, now on the A-pillar and all over the damn sunroof…

A note to the thief: Thief, if you needed a plain ‘ol CD player, good for you. Otherwise, good luck selling it. That thing is worth less than the bunch of quarters in the coin tray that you forgot to take. Not to mention there was an iPod in the glove compartment that you also forgot to take. Was it too dark to see? Forgot the flashlight? Were in a hurry? Of course you were.

Anyway, thanks for taking the cheapest possible item in the whole car. Btw, there was a slim credit card Kenwood remote on the passenger seat that you also forgot to take. Oh, I understand. You couldn’t see it because it was buried under all those pieces of glass you broke. What a shame! You could have made about $12 on eBay with that remote which is about more than twice what the radio is worth.

Oh, there also was a Rockford Fosgate amp in the back. I guess you missed that, too. Also, thanks for kindly unplugging my Kenwood-to-iPod connector instead of cutting it like the rest of the wires including the RCAs. You know, the RCA cables do come off really easily. And lastly, thanks for making my car lighter. It’s faster now!

(p.s. Rockford Fosgate? it’s no longer there. I decided to make my car even lighter while I’m at it.)

The needle quickly hit 120 mph but wouldn’t move any further because at the bottom of the speedometer, there is a knob that resets the trip counter. The needle kept bobbing up and down resting on this knob. So I really don’t know how fast my CRX was doing beyond 120 mph.
Surprisingly, it was very stable and controllable even at that speed. There were no unwanted vibrations or twitching of any kind. It felt very well planted. Fyi, I have all-season tires, and stock suspension set-up. Only thing non-stock is the Energy Suspension Polyurethane bushing set.

I remember I wasn’t as comfortable even in my S2000 doing about 130 mph. Largely because the noise from the roof was unbearably loud. The roof on the S2000 starts to flap uncontrollably at about 120 mph. The noise and the vibration in the cabin is enough to make your head hurt after few minutes. Anyway, man, this little CRX is such a joy to drive. I couldn’t ask for anything more from this car.

This 23 year old CRX of mine can put the new CR-Z to shame any day whether it be performance or frugality. It can occasionally hit 40+ mpg if driven gently. It has no problem hitting 37+ mpg even when I drive like I just robbed a bank. All this with 0-60 mph in 6 seconds flat. The 113 horsepower from a naturally aspirated dohc 1.6 really does wonders for this 1900 or so pound shell. All this with a trunk that can swallow 90% of the stuff you can buy at Ikea. How cool is that?