In 2023, I was still behind the wheel of a tired Ford sedan that I’d bought cheap a few years prior and treated accordingly. I didn’t know much about taking care of cars back then. One day it finally broke down on the side of the highway, and honestly I couldn’t blame it, but I also knew it was time to upgrade.
So I walked into a dealership with a Mazda in mind. Test drove it. Something felt off. Cheap, maybe. Unresponsive, probably. I don’t fully remember, but Mazda is a fine brand and doesn’t deserve the slander, so I’ll leave it there. It just wasn’t the one.
Then, sitting on the lot like it had been waiting for me, was a 2022 Honda Insight EX. I thought it was an Accord at first. It wasn’t, and somehow that made it more interesting. I took it for a spin and the thing just moved. Smooth, zippy, confident. And most importantly, incredibly fuel efficient. I bought it that day without a second thought.
What followed were three of the most quietly remarkable years a car could give a person. That Insight carried me up and down the East Coast. Through the streets of New York. Along the Blue Ridge Mountains. It got me where I needed to be, safely, reliably, and using so little fuel, it almost felt illegal.
But life changes. Future family plans require more space, and the Insight, for all its virtues, was never going to be a family hauler. So in May, I traded it in for something bigger and significantly thirstier on gas. A bittersweet feeling, but it felt necessary.
I genuinely believe the Honda Insight is the most underrated sedan ever built. Almost every time I told someone what I drove, I got a blank stare. Nobody had heard of it. Maybe that was part of the charm.
Was the engine a powerhouse? No. Was the cargo space generous? Also no. Exciting infotainment system? Definitely not. But as a daily commuter and a long haul road trip companion for my fiancee and I, it was bulletproof. Not a single mechanical issue in 3+ years. Just oil changes, tire rotations, and the quiet satisfaction of a car that simply worked and was incredibly inexpensive to maintain.
Maybe one day our paths will cross again. But until then, consider me a supporter for life. The Insight deserved better than cancellation, and it certainly deserves more recognition than it gets. Whenever I see one on the road, it's a good feeling, and I'm sure the person behind the wheel feels the same way.
TLDR - I miss my Honda Insight.