2002 Honda Insight

CVT Automatic Hatchback

1.0L 3 cylinder VTEC-E

Automatic

JHMZE14732T001309

Clear

Hybrid-Electric

This auction is for a 2002 Honda Insight Hybrid finished in Sebring Silver Metallic with the two-tone gray and black interior. If you are already familiar with the Insight, you may want to skip over the next few paragraphs that give a comprehensive and detailed overview of the car, and go straight to the pictures and description. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE HONDA INSIGHT A hybrid powertrain combines the best features of two different propulsion systems into one integrated seamless powerplant. An internal combustion engine produces little power and torque at idle and low engine speeds but greater power as the RPMs increase. An electric motor on the other hand puts out its maximum torque at ZERO rpm. What that means is you can utilize the maximum torque output of the electric motor when accelerating from a stop, and the greater power output of the gas engine at higher RPMs for cruising at highway speeds, or any combination of both at speeds in between, to optimize both acceleration and fuel economy. Additional benefits of this system are regenerative braking that makes use of energy that other cars waste while braking and coasting by recharging the battery pack, and engine cut-off at stop lights when other cars are wasting gas idling. The Insight is powered by a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain (hence the name Hybrid) consisting of an all aluminum 1.0 liter 3 cylinder VTEC-E engine coupled to a battery powered electric motor known as the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). Its basic layout consists of a 10-killowatt 22-pound thin electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission to boost the Insight’s performance when needed. During coasting and braking the motor also serves as a generator (a.k.a. regenerative braking) to recharge a 144 volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack located behind the seats. Think of this IMA system as a supercharger that provides additional performance without using much energy, and in fact, because it recovers the Insight’s momentum to recharge the battery pack, it’s more efficient than any supercharger could ever be. The engine doesn’t have an alternator. The IMA keeps the high voltage battery pack charged and an inverter powers most 12 volt electricals including keeping the 12V battery charged, which itself is mainly used just to power up the IMA control modules when you first turn the key. The other key component of this Insight Hybrid’s powertrain is the optional automatic transmission. It uses a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) that eliminates conventional shifts to provide silky smooth seamless acceleration that no other transmission, either manual or conventional automatic, can match, without any of the power loss of a conventional automatic and nearly identical fuel economy as a manual transmission model. Instead of having individual gears, it has a steel belt between two variable diameter pulleys to transfer torque through a wide range of “gear” ratios. The CVT has a low starting “gear” ratio that provides brisk acceleration from a stoplight, while a high top “gear” ratio allows for effortless highway cruising and excellent fuel economy. In fact, at 60 mph, the engine is only turning at 2,200 rpm, which is very low for such a small engine and which contributes to the excellent gas mileage. The Insight Hybrid has a few other tweaks to save fuel including an extensive use of composite and aluminum body panels and inner structural components, aerodynemic rear wheel fender skirts, smooth profile and light weight aluminum wheels, special tires that reduce rolling resistance, a mini front air dam and rear spoiler along with numerous underbody panels which give the car a drag coefficient of just 0.25 (one of the lowest of any production car), electrically assisted power steering that reduces parasitic losses on the engine, and probably the best feature, an idle shutoff mode called Auto Stop that turns off the engine as you come to a stop and provides you with an eerie silence at most every traffic light. Quite soothing after a long day at the office. The IMA automatically restarts the engine the instant you take your foot off the brake. The IMA starts the engine most of the time, and in fact, you may go for years without ever using the conventional 12 volt starter. About the only time the 12V starter is used is if the IMA battery is discharged from the car sitting a few months. When you combine all these features with a low curb weight of under 2,000 pounds, the Insight CVT earns an EPA mileage rating of 57/56 MPG city/highway. The highest of any automatic transmission car out there. And those numbers are obtained in a lab under simulated driving conditions. You can do a bit better with just a minor adjustment to your driving style. I have gotten 67 mpg over a 200 mile trip without any special driving maneuvers. And if you practice any hypermiling techniques, you can get even higher figures, with some owners reporting breaking the 80 mpg mark. (Disclaimer: YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY.) Combined with the Insight’s 10.6 gallon fuel tank, it’s hard not to get at least 500 miles between fill-ups. Not only is the Insight economical to drive, it’s also economical to maintain. Most systems have low or reduced maintenance components. For example, instead of a timing belt that needs periodic replacement, the Insight engine uses a steel timing chain that should last the life of the car. It uses iridium tipped spark plugs with 105,000 mile service intervals, extended life coolant with a 120,000 mile service interval, and a fuel filter that never needs servicing. And the Insight has a Maintenance Minder system that calculates the optimum service intervals based on how the car is driven. A car driven primarily on the highway requires less maintenance than one subject to city use with constant stopping and starting. While the Insight doesn’t cost much to drive or maintain, it’s also well built and very reliable. It’s not unusual to see these cars going strong with mileages over 300,000 miles. There are a few dozen that have topped 400K miles, a handful that hit the half million mile mark and there is reportedly an owner that uses the car in his courier business that has over 600,000 miles. The biggest concern to many new Insight buyers is the battery pack. In reality, there is little reason to worry too much about the battery pack wearing out on an Insight. First of all, unlike other Hybrids like Toyota’s Prius where the battery is integral to the powertrain, such that if it quits the car is undriveable, on the Insight, that is not an issue. The Insight battery pack can be disconnected and the car driven indefinitely in that condition. Remember, the Integrated Motor Assist is just an assist, like a supercharger. In steady highway driving and other driving situations that don’t require lots of power, you would be hard pressed to tell that there was anything unusual if the battery was disconnected, and the gas mileage would be nearly identical as with the battery connected. The only situation where mileage might drop is in city driving where the Auto Stop feature would be disabled, and even then, the reduction in mileage would be minimal. After all, it’s still a 1.0 liter powered sub 2,000 pound aerodynamic car. In fact, it’s quite common for owners of Insights in less than nice condition where it’s not worth spending much money on, i.e., with body damage or other mechanical issues, that have a bad battery pack to just disconnect it instead of spending the money on a new battery pack, and keep driving it like always. For those that do want to replace the battery pack, there are far better aftermarket replacements available that cost much less than a Honda pack. In addition, since it’s not the ENTIRE battery pack that goes bad but individual cells within the pack, you can replace just those bad cells. And this car is equipped with a grid charger port, details of which are mentioned further in the description, which extends battery pack life considerably. As to the battery pack in this car, I have no information whether or not it has ever been replaced, either with a Honda battery pack or aftermarket. The first generation Insight was a radical new design for Honda, and one that turns heads going down the road and prompts many questions from passersby at the mall or in the supermarket parking lot. If you’re the least bit shy, you may want to shop for a different car. It’s still a fresh design for most people since few have even seen it close up. With only about 4,000 sold the first year (which is about how many Civics are sold in just one week), and a total of 17,000 made for the entire seven year production run from 2000 to 2006, it’s a rare car to see on the road. If you’re tired of driving the same boring cookie cutter designed car that everyone else is driving, this car may be for you. If you are into being green, then besides getting great gas mileage, the Insight is one of the few cars certified by CARB (California Air Resources Board) to be a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV). And you don’t give up anything in comfort and room with the Insight. Headroom and legroom is plenty for all but the tallest basketball players and there is no claustrophobic feeling like you get in some other small cars. Driving it is also no different as it accelerates and merges into traffic with ease and keeps up with 75-80 mph highway speeds without breaking a sweat. In many states, the Insight may be eligible for numerous perks such as being able to drive alone in the HOV carpool lanes without a passenger, being exempt from annual emissions inspections, free or reduced parking rates at downtown or airport parking lots, etc. Check your state or local government for more details. Its exterior style is very unique, combining sleek form with aerodynamic function. From its stylish lines and sweeping curves, it incorporates numerous design elements to create a look that is like no other car on the road. From the slightly bulging headlights up front, to the bright finish aerodynamic profile wheels and fender skirts on the sides, to a roof mounted euro style shorty antenna up top and to a two window rear hatch in the back, it looks futuristic from any angle without being flashy. But if you like high tech design, you will really like the interior. Observe the electroluminescent style instrument cluster with displays for instant, average and long term fuel mileage. Touch the small diameter dimpled grip steering wheel that fits your hands perfectly and has control buttons for the transmission DRIVE and SPORT modes. Admire the two-tone sport weave fabric on the seats and door panels. Try the buttons and switches and notice the precise soft-touch feel as they are engaged. Not only are the colors elegant but all the textures have a rich feel and look. From the perforations on the steering wheel, the graining pattern on the dash and door panels, or the layout of knobs and switches on the dash, everything looks and feels like it came from a more expensive car. This Insight is fully equipped with all the desirable safety, comfort and convenience features and equipment including: 1.0 liter 3 cylinder VTEC-E gas engine with Auto Stop mode Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) electric motor CVT automatic transmission Air conditioning with electronic climate control and cabin air filter Power windows with drivers express down Power door locks Factory AM/FM/CD stereo with eurostyle roof mounted shorty antenna XM Satellite radio antenna on roof with receiver wiring connectors under dash Remote keyless entry Integrated switchblade style flip key remotes Reclining bucket seats Two-tone Sport cloth interior Seatback storage pocket Steering wheel mounted transmission DRIVE and SPORT mode switches Electroluminescent style instrument cluster with tachometer, digital speedometer, and multi-function displays for instant and average fuel mileage, two trip odometers, etc. Front center console with two cup holders Rear console with storage bin 12V power outlet Tinted glass Clear lens headlights with jewel effect reflectors Intermittent wipers Rear window wiper and washer Dome light with driver and passenger map lights Dual power body color outside rear view mirrors Body color door handles Visor vanity mirror Remote fuel door release Engine immobilizer theft deterrent system Aerodynamic and light weight bright finish aluminum wheels Matching set of four original replacement Bridgestone Potenza low-rolling resistance tires Locking glovebox Behind the seats storage pocket Cargo area light Cargo net tie-downs Rear window defroster Rear mini spoiler Electrically assisted rack and pinion power steering 4 wheel anti-lock brakes Genesis One grid charger harness with extension harness and convenient connection port And many more items too numerous to mention. There are over 130 photos ahead and if you don’t have a high speed internet connection and get an “X” where a picture should be you may need to hit the Refresh button a few times. If that still doesn’t work, CLICK HERE to see the pictures individually. CLEAR LENS HEADLIGHTS WITH JEWEL EFFECT REFLECTORS: BODY COLOR MIRRORS AND DOOR HANDLES: ROOF MOUNTED EUROSTYLE SHORTY AND XM SATELLITE RADIO ANTENNAS : AUTO STOP INDICATOR LIGHT: 67 MPG ON A 200 MILE HIGHWAY TRIP: BEHIND THE SEAT STORAGE ROOM: MAP STORAGE POCKET: SEATBACK STORAGE POCKET: REAR CARGO NET TIE DOWNS: CHILD SEAT TETHER POINT: REAR STORAGE COMPARTMENT UNDER LOAD FLOOR: JACK AND ALL THE TOOLS: The car is in great condition inside and out. It has a nice dent-free body with just the normal minor nicks, dings and touched up scratches you would expect on a car of this age and mileage. The only blemishes of note are a few scratches on top of the front bumper at the middle below the hood, a few scratches on the rear bumper in the right corner, and a single dime size ding on the drivers door. The paint itself is beautiful and shiny and this shade of metallic silver just about glows in the sunlight. It has been cleaned with Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay System, polished with Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze cleaner polish and topped off with Meguiar’s Ultimate Synthetic Wax for a high gloss shine. The headlights were detailed with the 3M headlight polishing system for a crystal clear look. All the glass, moldings, trim and emblems are excellent. I checked the car out top to bottom and found no evidence that is was ever wrecked or that it even has had any previous paint or bodywork done to it. In fact, it still has the original VIN stickers on all body panels. Remember, it’s hard enough to find a three year old or 30,000 mile vehicle that hasn’t had at least a fender-bender requiring a bumper, hood or fender to be replaced or repaired, let alone a 10+ year old car with over 100,000 miles on it. Front bumper: Hood: Left fender: Right fender: Left door: Right door: Left quarter panel: Right quarter panel: Rear hatch: Rear bumper: In addition, this Insight has all it’s underbody panels installed. If a mechanic forgets to replace a panel after an oil change or you run over a curb and break one off, your gas mileage may suffer as the aerodynamics under a car are just as important as above it. If you are looking at other Insights for sale as well, check underneath and make sure all the following panels are still intact as they are not cheap to replace. Front underbody panels: Rear underbody panels: The interior is in great condition as well. It has excellent upholstery, carpet, dashboard and door panels with no cracks, rips or tears or any significant signs of wear. The car doesn‘t appear to have been smoked in. In fact, it’s not even equipped with a lighter. The cargo area is nice and the engine compartment has been fully detailed and is clean enough to eat off of. Mechanically it runs and drives excellent. The engine runs strong and feels smooth while accelerating and throughout the cruising range and it starts instantly whether hot or cold. The steering wheel is on dead center going down the road with no shakes or vibrations at speed, the brakes are firm with no pedal pulsations or pulling to one side when stopping and the suspension is tight. It has an occasional squeak or rattle like any 10+ year old car may. The A/C blows ice cold. The battery pack is very healthy and I have no information whether or not it has ever been replaced, either with a Honda battery pack or aftermarket, but as mentioned in the overview, the battery pack in the Insight isn’t as much of an issue as in some other hybrid cars. It has a set of four identical original equipment low rolling resistance Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires. If you are looking at other Insights for sale as well, make sure they also have these same tires, as any other brand will reduce your gas mileage. The front ones are excellent and the rears are fair to good but should go for another 20,000 to 25,000 miles. They have been balanced with weights mounted on the inside of the wheel for a super clean look. The wheels have some clearcoat peeling and the two worse ones are mounted in the back so they are not as visible behind the fender skirts. The spare tire doesn’t look like it has even been used. The car has been fully checked out and serviced with nearly $2,400 worth of new or recent parts, maintenance and repairs with original Honda or other name brand parts so that only your enjoyment rather than your immediate attention will be required on delivery. Some of the items checked or serviced include: New Honda 0W-20 synthetic oil change New Honda oil filter New Honda air filter New TYC cabin air filter New throttle body cleaning Recent Honda PCV valve New Honda NGK “B” stamped iridium spark plugs to match B cylinder head New valve adjustment New Honda valve cover gasket New Honda Long Life Type 2 (blue) coolant flush and change Recent front brake pads Recent front brake rotors Recent rear brake shoes Recent rear brake drums New parking brake adjustment New Castrol Dot 4 Synthetic brake fluid flush and change New Honda CVT transmission fluid change New Beck Arnley primary transmission filter New Honda secondary transmission filter New Honda transmission pan gasket Recent two front Bridgestone Potenza RE92 original equipment low rolling resistance tires New Honda rear wiper blade Photos of some of the parts replaced, checked or serviced: Parts replaced: Oil change: Oil filter: Air filter: Cabin air filter: Throttle body cleaning: PCV valve: Spark plugs with the proper amount of anti-seize on the threads: B stamped plugs to match B cylinder head: Valve adjustment: Valve cover gasket: Engine SUPER CLEAN internally: Coolant flushed until water is clear from the radiator: As well as the engine block drain plug: Front brake pads: Front brake rotors, 17 mm in new, 15 mm is the minimum thickness: Rear brake shoes: Brake hardware and spring kit: Rear brake drums: Parking brake adjustment: Brake fluid flush and change: Rear hub and bearings: Transmission fluid drain: Transmission filters, pan gasket and seals: Transmission with pan off, super clean internally: Transmission fluid change: Other than routine oil and filter changes, with all the above mentioned servicing the car has recently received, you should be good to go for another 100,000 miles before requiring major maintenance. Overall this is a super sharp car that looks fantastic in the Sebring Silver Metallic color. This Insight is a mid production 2002 model and it wasn’t sold until December 2002, so it’s only a little more than 10 years old. Also, it’s been a southern car, titled in Virginia most of its life, which probably explains why it’s so clean. Plus it has a clean and clear Carfax. The car comes with the owners manual: Two switchblade style remote flip keys and a third spare key: XM Satellite radio wiring connectors for your receiver: A front license plate bracket if you need it: And a conveniently located grid charger port (charger NOT included): A grid charger is a device similar to conventional battery charger that can greatly extend the life of a battery pack in a hybrid vehicle. The battery pack consists of 120 individual 1.2 volt D cell size nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Over time, the voltage and capacity of the individual batteries will begin to vary and cause an imbalance that reduces the overall performance of the entire pack. A grid charger can restore the balance by discharging the pack uniformly and then charging it back to it’s maximum potential. And this isn’t something you have to do every day either, it’s like a maintenance item that you can perform every two or three months and can be done overnight. In addition to the grid charger itself, the car needs a harness to connect it to the battery pack. This car has a Genesis One grid charger harness as well as an extension harness that places the plug-in port at a convenient location at the back of the cargo area. (Grid charger itself not included.) The harness with the extension and the labor to install it, which requires the removal of the battery pack, would cost close to $500. While the harness was made for a Genesis One charger, the manufacturer of the Genesis One sells an adaptor cable so you can connect most any brand of grid charger, even a homebuilt model, to the car. Genesis One extension harness: Genesis One harness and fan circuit board: Control board: Battery pack and modules: It’s no secret that Honda lost money on every one of the early Insight models it sold but that was the price to pay for cutting your teeth on the new technology that wouldn’t pay off for years to come. Some have speculated that it cost Honda upwards of $50,000 to build each Insight, while Honda insiders put that figure at under $30K. Regardless, the price new of this Honda Insight CVT was nearly $22,000! CLICK HERE to see the original pricing (2003 shown but identical to 2002), but because the CVT was a hot model, most dealers were adding additional market adjustment markups (read rip off), so with tax, title and tags, you were lucky if you got ANY change back from your $25,000 bill! The CVT wasn’t available until later in the 2001 model year which makes the early CVT’s even harder to find. If you are serious about buying an Insight in general, and a CVT model specifically, this is about as low as they go in this condition. Remember, you can get a great deal on Ebay with prices sometimes way below retail, but no bidder is going to “steal” a vehicle and no seller is going to give one away either. Also when comparing prices to the other Insights listed for sale, remember the things that you won’t have to spend money on, soon after getting it home. With this car you won’t have to spend $400 for a new set of tires, you won’t have to spend $300 on a complete front brake service, you won’t have to spend $300 on a complete rear brake service, you won’t have to spend $300 on a coolant and brake flush, you won’t have to spend $300 on a valve adjustment, tune-up and filters service and you won’t have to spend $300 on any upcoming scheduled maintenance. With many of the other listings on Ebay, Craigslist or on dealers lots, you’re lucky if they even check the oil before delivery. When comparing this car to the others, also keep in mind that this car was never in an accident or has any paintwork, has a clean Carfax, runs excellent, is fully serviced, hasn’t been smoked in and is clean inside and out. If you are looking for a nice Insight in excellent condition at a good price, then this car is hard to beat. Also remember that we don’t charge dealer processing fees or document fees that many other listings have for $200 or more and bury in their fine print. And don’t be fooled by some other auctions that are advertised as NO RESERVE and start at $100 or some other low price. Since no dealer is going to risk loosing thousands of dollars if their auction doesn’t bring enough money, you can be pretty sure he has some “people” bidding on it for him. Especially those auctions that are private listings where it says “User ID kept private.” Gas prices are already back over $4 a gallon in some parts of the country and analysts predict it won’t be long before we see $5 a gallon in California, possibly by later this summer. When that happens, the demand for these cars will skyrocket along with their prices. This is in addition to the usual upward rise in car prices during the summer. So if you’ve been putting off a car purchase waiting for a better deal to come along, don’t wait much longer as prices won’t be any cheaper than they are right now for these cars if gas prices rise much higher. TERMS OF THE AUCTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: Since this car may be advertised locally, auction can be canceled at any time (unless auction ended early with BUY IT NOW) due to prior sale without liability to any bidder. A down payment of $500 (plus any additional delivery charge) is required within 3 days of the close of the auction, balance due in cash on delivery or certified funds on delivery if I deliver it or you pick it up, or before it’s dropped off at the transporter if a shipping company is transporting it, but no later than 7 days after the close of the auction without prior agreement. I accept bank or certified checks, money orders, credit cards through PayPal (accepted for down payment only). If paying balance with funds other than cash, buyer to fax copy of monetary instrument no less than 24 hours before picking up vehicle. The car is sold as is. Buyer is welcome to inspect car BEFORE the end of the auction or to have someone check it out on your behalf provided you authorize whoever is checking the car to provide me with a copy of the results. I have tried to accurately describe this car, both mechanically and cosmetically but you can expect a certain amount of minor flaws on ANY used car including squeaks, rattles, drips, nicks, chips, scratches, blemishes and any other marks that are consistent with the age and mileage of the vehicle. There is no possible way to include all minute details and imperfections, however, I believe my listing accurately depicts this vehicle and if there are any issues they are noted in the description. Also remember that a vehicle is made up of thousands of mechanical parts and components and in an older or higher mileage used vehicle a part that is working fine now may go bad the next day, in a week, or a month from now. It’s nearly impossible to tell when a particular part or component will fail as most don’t exhibit prior symptoms, however, proper preventative maintenance as this car has received, can prevent most problems or breakdowns from happening. In fairness to all bidders the reserve price will not be disclosed so please don’t even ask. Buyer responsible for transportation and car must be paid for in full before it can be released. May deliver. Email or call for delivery quote or for any other questions. atikovi@email.com Maryland and District of Columbia dealer. Phone 202-246-5201. Please do not bid if you don’t intend to buy. FREE DELIVERY TERMS: Free delivery within 500 miles of the Washington DC area if bidder purchases vehicle with Buy It Now. (35 cents per mile for additional miles as shown in MapQuest.com from zip code 20001 to your address.) That is still the same rate as when I started on Ebay 13 years ago even with more than double the gas prices. Remember, the Buy It Now option disappears once the reserve price is met. The Buy It Now price is $6,995. AUCTION ENDS: 10:00pm sharp, EASTERN TIME Monday August 5th unless Buy It Now is used. SPECIAL OFFER FOR QUICK SALE: DOUBLE THE FREE DELIVERY RANGE: Use Buy It Now before the halfway point in the auction, 10:00pm EASTERN TIME Wednesday July 31st and I will double the free delivery miles to 1,000 miles total.