2000 Honda Insight

Coupe

Manual

Gasoline

Power Windows

It has come time to part with one of my Honda Insights from my collection. And yes, this Insight does have a new NiMH hybrid battery installed by Honda. Read below for more details.. If you're looking for a Gen1 Insight, then you probably know what this car is all about. It's a two seater with almost no utility (leave the kids at home!). It's of an all aluminum construction and is a true halo car--a science experiment on wheels! This was the first hybrid sold in the United States and it was not sold to make a profit--not even close, this futuristic, hand built car cost in excess of $50,000 to make! To date, it remains our nation's most fuel efficient production vehicle ever, and with only 18,000 made world wide it's a rare find even for the niche hypermiller market! I could go on and on about these, heck--I own over 20 of these and am absurdly biased--but if you're considering one of these gems then you likely don't need to hear me go on and on about how great an aluminum car, with a .25 cD, weighing under 1900 lbs, and with an original EPA hwy MPG rating of 70 can be. So here's the specifics on this particular Insight that I am regrettably selling: This Insight is a southern car (Spent most of its life in Arkansas). It has had a VERY colorful history to say the least. This Insight is a late 2000 model (the in-service date was April 28th of 2001!). It is among one of the last 2000 Honda Insights produced. It started its life in Ohio, until the original owner decided that the car was a lemon after owning it for merely a year. Under Ohio's lemon law it was purchased back from Honda, the title was branded with the "buy back" brand, and by 2002, with about 20,000 miles, it was sent south where Honda auctioned it off (after fully repairing it of course). The second owner kept the vehicle in Arkansas for most of its life until they hit a guard rail and traded it in to a local car dealer who auctioned it off. At this point this Insight made its way to me; I retrieved the car myself from southern Missouri, preformed the necessary repairs, returned the car back to Ohio, and have driven it since. There is no corrosion anywhere. Presently it has nearly 141,000 miles--all of which are believed to be accurate. The odometer discrepancy noted on Autocheck was an error by the Missouri car dealer typing in an extra 1000 miles at one point. This car does not show its miles and is a great example of a rare and incredibly fuel efficient car. Here are the details: -5 speed manual transmission -Factory installed ice cold AC -Bone Stock, right down to the original floor mats and old Honda radio / cassette player Maintenance: -OEM Honda 0W 20 non-sythetic for the first 100k or so -Mobil1 Fully Synthetic OW-20 Fuel Economy blend for the latter part of 2nd ownership -Mobil1 Fully Synthetic OW-20 Fuel Economy blend continued under my ownership (While I generally disapprove of aftermarket products, I approve of this oil for the Gen1 Insight) -Oil changed routinely every 3k - 5k miles. -OEM Honda 80-90 Gear lube -Tires last replaced 40,000 miles ago. Only the proper LRR (Low Rolling Resistance) Bridgestone RE92 Potenza tires have been installed and used. These are kept at 45 psi and really do help the fuel economy. 40 - 60 percent tread left -And more... this Insight has very been well maintained. ...and most importantly: NEW Hybrid battery last August! The main NiMH hybrid battery was replaced under warranty by Honda on August 28th, 2009 at 137,382 miles! Additionally both the MCM (motor control module) and BCM (battery control module) were replaced! In total, that's a $4500 repair--all under warranty! The hybrid battery replacement warranty is 3 years / 36,000 miles. So the hybrid battery will remain under warranty until August 28th 2012 or until 173,382 miles. Don't worry about any hybrid problems with this Insight; the electric assist is as strong as it comes and everything is covered until late 2012. The authorized Honda dealer that did all the warranty work in regards to the hybrid battery is Floyd Traylor Honda in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Their address is 9000 Hwy. 271 South, Fort Smith, AR 72908 and their telephone number is 479 646 7344. If you have any questions about the hybrid battery warranty work feel free to give them a call! They can fax any hybrid repair documents directly to you. And yes, what all this means is that this Insight really comes equipped with a hybrid battery that has less than 4,000 miles on it! Mechanically, this car is fantastic. Obviously, the IMA battery is strong. It has full assist and I have never seen a recalibration, before or after the replacement. Under light and careful driving this car really does exceed 70 mpg--even in the city when the AC is off. It runs and drives nicely. There are NO check engine lights. There are no emissions problems. The O2 sensors have already been replaced by the previous owner. There are no leaks anywhere. The transmission down shifts and upshifts through all gears effortlessly without a grind. That means that the common 3rd to 2nd downshift grind is NOT present. This Insight has a good manual transmission. There are some cosmetic issues on the exterior. These include some scratches on the rear bumper cover, there are some scratches on the passenger side rear corner near the wheel skirt, there is some damage to the mirror housing, there is a dent above the driver side door handle, the headlight bracket / core support area around the driver side headlight has several dents which are only visible when the hood is opened, and there are two dents on the top of the hood near the wipers. The windshield will need replacement, there is a 3 inch crack, which is hidden by the rear view mirror, and I had difficulty catching it on camera. Overall, the body is in pretty good shape, and the pictures--which were just taken on 5/3/2010--clearly show that. The interior is borderline immaculate save some scratches on the dash normal wear on the seats. This car has no signs of any pet use and it is a smoke free car. I have the title in hand and the car is ready for a new owner. For serious inquiries, please email me through eBay and or call me at 614 949 0529. Legal details: Please do not bid unless you are SURE you want to purchase this Honda Insight. By bidding you are entering a legal contract with me. You are not bidding to test drive and you are not bidding to kick tires. If you want to do either of these things, call me, and kick tires or test the Insight as much as you like. You just must do this BEFORE bidding. The only reason to bid is to buy. It costs me nearly $150 to list this car--as well as a week of my time--so non-paying bidders will be held responsible for these costs. Thanks for reading! Pictures are attached below: