2003 Honda Insight

DX (A/C) 5MT Hatchback

1.0L

Manual

JHMZE13533T000162

Clear

Gasoline

- The following car is for auction - 2003 Honda Insight Hybrid Only 94,000 Miles!! Air Conditioning Silverstone Metallic Manual Transmission Fresh Battery - Detailed information is below for those unfamiliar with this make and model of car - - The cliff notes are in red bold below - - Following the description are over 100 pictures! - - Purchase Information is at the end of the listing - You can get up to FOUR NEW Bridgestone Potenza RE92 Tires with this car absolutely FREE! For details and conditions, see the terms of the offer at the end of the listing. ALL ABOUT THIS 2003 HONDA INSIGHT with A/C TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY The first generation Honda Insight is extremely lightweight and aerodynamic. These properties, combined with an innovation powertrain made it truly ahead of its time in terms of efficiency. The Insight is propelled by a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain which combines a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder gas engine and a 10kW electric motor. Honda's hybrid technology is known Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). The IMA provides additional torque/horsepower when accelerating, thus, functioning in the same manner as KERS in Formula 1. Under deceleration the 144-Volt Nickel-Metal Hydride battery auto-regens. A 5-speed manual transmission transfers power to the rear wheels. The gears are widely spaced with short first and second gear ratios for acceleration and tall upper gears for efficient cruising at highway speeds. Unlike other cars with small displacement engines that rev at 3000rpm or over at 75mph, the Insights 1L engine is only spinning at 2600rpm. With the electric motor aiding acceleration, the car can accelerate as good as or better from a stoplight than most vehicles. While sitting at a stoplight, stop-start technology is employed so no gas is wasted idling. The high voltage electrical system starts the engine instantly when the car is shifted into gear. Aircraft grade aluminum and composites were used extensively on the Insight’s chassis and body. Other innovative features, such as low rolling resistance tires, undertrays, aluminum wheels and air dams combined with a sleek body profile with a drag coefficient of only .25 all add up to truly excellent fuel economy and performance. With the EPA’s new fuel economy drivecycle, the 2003 Honda Insight is rated at 53mpg combined fuel economy. This is the exact fuel economy I get with this car (in summer). Some quick stats: 53mpg Combined * 10.6gal Fuel Tank = 560mi Fuel Range!! $2.50/gal * 10.6gal Fuel Tank = $26.50 to Fill the Tank!! How much did your last fillup cost? $2.50/gal / 53mpg = 4.7cents/mi for Gasoline. Almost impossible to do better than that. And you don’t have to deal with electrical charging infrastructure. Besides great fuel economy and thus low CO2 emissions, CARB (California Air Resources Board) certified the Honda Insight as Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV). Thus you can feel good about keeping your city smog free and your children healthy. In some states, the Insight may be eligible to drive alone in the HOV carpool lanes without a passenger, exempt from annual emissions inspections, or get free or reduced parking rates at downtown or airport parking lots, etc. Check your state or local government for more details. MECHANICAL RELIABILITY AND MAINTENANCE This car run and drives excellent. The engine runs great and exhibits strong acceleration. It drives dead nuts straight with your hands off the wheel and has no shakes or rattles of any kind at any speed. The brakes are super sound with a firm, progressive feel on the pedal. The clutch actuates perfectly and the transmission shifts smoothly. These car are known to 3-2 downshift grind and this car has none of that. All the undertrays/panels are in place on this car. Many of these cars you will find have one or more panels missing. But this car has them all intact which is key to fuel economy! One of the biggest questions when buying any used car is how expensive it will be to maintain as the miles continue to accumulate. The Insight matches its low emissions with low maintenance costs. Below are some important points:1. The engine has a timing chain. So the expense to change a timing belt as 100,000mi intervals does not exist.2. The Iridium tipped spark plugs have a 105,000mi service interval. And when you drive this car for another 105,000mi you can be happy that there are only three plugs.3. Oil capacity is 2.6L. Mobil 1 oil changes with a Fram filter are $254. The car has a maintenance required indicator so you know exactly when to complete service instead of guessing.5. The body is aluminum and the undertrays protect many components from salt splash. 6. Honda Powertrains have industry best reliability. This is based on hard evidence collected by the automotive industry.7. The car has only a 2000lb curb weight so wear on brake components is far less than your average vehicle. The brakes on this car are strong. The pedal is firm and wear on the pads and rotors is minimal.8. The car is currently free of any mechanical issues and operates perfectly. It has been serviced and the battery pack is charged. It is ready for you to drive it cross-country.9. The car starts great in any weather hot or cold. BATTERY PACK/ELECTRICAL RELIABILITY AND MAINTANENCE The number one concern not only for consumers buying a used hybrid car but the electrical vehicle industry in general, is the reliability of the battery pack. This car’s battery pack is nearly new. It was replaced by Coggin Honda in Florida 11/2012 at 80,000 miles. Fortunately, the engineers at Honda did it right when it came to the battery. Unlike other architectures, an operational high-voltage battery is not required to drive the car. Thus, if in the rare event, an Insight does experience battery issues, a thorough diagnose and economical repair can be sought. For this there are many options. There are now various aftermarket companies selling complete battery packs. These are far cheaper than a pack sourced at a Honda dealer. However, this measure is a last resort. Typically, only individual cells go bad and those are easily replaced by a qualified individual. After purchasing the car, I installed a Hybrid Automotive grid charger harness (an $800 value for the labor and harness). Following a reconditioning process, performance of the battery went from good to great! Some I would expect this battery pack to last a long time into the future. INTERIOR Surprisingly, for a compact car, the interior of the insight is extremely roomy for driver and passenger. There is sufficient legroom, headroom and luggage space. The digital speedometer on the electroluminescent style instrument cluster is a great feature. The display also provides vital and interesting fuel economy information. There are three trip meters that each calculate gas mileage, an instantaneous gas mileage display and a lifetime gas mileage display. The fabric on the seats is really quite different from other cars. It breathes quite well and is comfortable.The climate control system is advanced with Economy A/C mode, keeping you comfortable while keeping fuel efficiency high. Some Insights came with A/C, some didn’t. This one has A/C and it blows cold!! The heat works great as well. The car smells great. No sign of smokers Behind the seats is a surprisingly roomy cargo area and under a lifetable lid is a concealed storage area. A cargo net is included which keeps belongings from sliding around. EXTERIOR The body on this Insight is dent free and being Aluminum, it is rust free!! There are few minor blemishes with the paint, mainly on the hood. There is a bit of rash on the right side of the front bumper in front of the passenger tire. There is also a bit of rash on the rear bumper. Overall, the car looks good from a distance [20 feet] or up close [5 feet]. If you start trying to pick out the blemishes you find them but the average passer-by will not notice. I have document in the pictures there is a small chuck out of the drivers door seal, a small hole in the left inner front fender [see picture at bottom] and the passenger door trim has a small crack. See pictures for further detail. Be sure to see how clean the car is under the hood. The tires are ok. See pictures for tread wear description. I would recommend buying the car for the buy it now price and getting yourself new rubber on me. The rims are in good shape and free of any rash or scratching. The coating, common with Honda factory rims, has worn away some. Reference pictures. FEATURES SUMMARIZED 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 5-speed manual transmission Air conditioning with electronic climate control and cabin air filter Power windows with drivers express down Power door locks Remote keyless entry Reclining bucket seats Two-tone Sport cloth interior Passenger seatback storage pocket 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 Clear lens headlights with jewel effect reflectors Intermittent Front wipers [Brand new Bosch wipers] Rear window wiper and washer [Also a brand new Bosch wiper] 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 Locking glovebox Carpeted and embroidered floor mats Behind the seats storage pocket net Cargo area light Cargo net tie-downs Cargo Net Child seat strap anchor Rear window defroster Rear mini spoiler Electrically assisted rack and pinion power steering 4 wheel anti-lock brakes Hybrid Automotive Grid charger harness installed (Grid charger not included)Spare Tire and Jack Owner’s Manual There are over 100 photos ahead. If you don’t have a high speed internet connection and have trouble viewing be sure to contact me for a link to see the pictures individually. TO PURCHASE AUCTION TERMS I plan to sell this car. As such, there is no reserve price. If you have no intent to pay, please to not bid. I will not accept bids from buyers with no eBay history. The car is advertised locally and I reserve the right to cancel the auction at any time (unless the auction ends early with BUY IT NOW). Please do not hesitate to call me at any time to discuss the car. My name is William and my phone number is 715-316-3438. Email is wskewer@gmail.com The car is sold as is. Buyer is welcome to inspect the car BEFORE the end of the action or have it looked at on your behalf. Whoever is checking the car out must provide me with a copy of the results. To the best of my ability, I have accurately described the condition of the vehicle. However, please understand this is used car being described with pictorial and verbal descriptions and it is impossible to include every small detail. PAYMENT The non-refundable deposit is due within three days of the end of the auction. The final balance is due in cash on pick-up or certified funds. This is due no later than seven days after the close of the auction without prior agreement. If paying balance with funds other than cash, buyer to fax copy of monetary instrument no less than 24 hours before picking up vehicle. PICKUP I am a private seller, not a dealer. I am a vehicle enthusiast and have traveled coast to coast to buy cars. Therefore, I know what goes into an adventure like this and will make it as easy for you as possible. Rest assured the car will be ready to drive anywhere. If you choose to pick the car up in person, I can pick you up at Milwaukee Mitchell, Chicago O’Hare or Madison airports or drop the car off to you at any of those airports as well. Please note, I can only do this in the afternoon/evening following work or on the weekend. If you choose to have the car shipped, I will be happy to be the local contact for the shipper and sign the Bill of Laden when the shipper picks up the car. Please Note, it is the final responsibility of the seller to pickup the car. FINAL NOTESTIRE BONUS As mentioned, if the Buy It Now price is payed, I will include a four new Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires. Upon pickup of the vehicle, when the full payment is made, I will have the tires shipped to you via TireRack. GRID CHARGER For an additional $300 you can purchase the Hybrid Automotive Grid Charger and Battery Reconditioning system that I have for this car from me. FINAL NOTE In summary, buy this car from me and start helping to save the Polar Bears! You will not be disappointed in this Insight. Thank you.