Car buying update

In my last post, I compared test drives of the 2010 Honda Insight and the 2010 Toyota Prius, and I came away liking the Insight better than the Prius, which was somewhat of a surprise. However, I also said I wanted to drive the Insight again, in better conditions and on the highway too, so I could be completely sure of how I felt about the car and how it handled.

I got that opportunity Tuesday night. I actually went to another dealer, as a part of the ‘shopping around’ process. (I didn’t say I had been anywhere else or already driven the car.)

I got to take the car (another Insight EX) out on the highway almost right away. It was a good test of the car’s acceleration capabilities, since anyone who has driven on PA highways knows that most of the on-ramps are woefully short. So when there’s an opening to get on the highway, you need to be able to do so at as high of a speed as possible, since you don’t have time to build up speed on the ramp.

I didn’t notice any problems with the car’s acceleration as I entered the on-ramp to the highway. My car before my Cobalt was a1995 Dodge Neon, and often when I prepared to get on the highway, I would turn off the air conditioner so I would have more power. I didn’t feel the need to do that in the Insight. Of course, I only tested one entry onto the highway, but the length of the ramp and the traffic conditions were pretty typical of what I’d normally experience.

On this drive, as opposed to last time, I did remember to listen for road noise. I mentioned to the sales agent that I’d read that the Insight had some road noise issues, but I didn’t seem to be noticing it. I said – actually half-joking – that maybe it was because my current car was also considered ‘noisy,’ so I was used to it. I was a little surprised when he agreed that was probably the case. I actually never thought of my Cobalt as noisy, but I guess if I would compare it to a higher-end car, I would probably notice a difference. At any rate, neither my Cobalt nor the Insight seem noisy to me, and since I usually have music playing anyway, I really don’t consider it to be an issue.

After I left the highway, I drove on some back roads and side streets with curves and hills. I drove on some similar roads on Friday, but that was in the rain, so it was good to see how the car handled on dry roads. As I expected, it handled just fine. At one point during the drive, I paused for a moment and exclaimed, “I just remembered that this is a hybrid!” Even though it was my second time in the car, I was still surprised at how smoothly the car transitioned between the battery power and the gas engine, even when going up rather steep hills or starting up again after stopping at a stop sign.(The Insight engine does actually shut off - sort of- when you stop at a stop sign or in backed-up traffic,to conserve energy. But it starts up again amazingly fast!)

In conclusion, when the test drive was over, I was more convinced than ever that I liked the Insight and wanted it to be my next car. So I went into the office with the sales agent, and he gave me the price I could pay for the car at their dealership. I gave the excuse that I’d have to talk to my husband first (who was conveniently absent from this test drive), so of course that was accepted.

On Wednesday night, I went back to the first dealer to find out how quickly they’d be able to get me the car. They said they should be able to get one from another dealership by the beginning of the week at the latest. (Nobody in the immediate area has an Insight EX in Clear Blue Sky Metallic.) That fit in with my timeline of wanting to get the car by the end of the months, so I asked the big question – how much would they charge me.

Of course the sales agent had to go talk to the manager to get the numbers, and when he came back and brought up the figure on the computer, the number displayed was only a little bit more than what the other dealer had offered. I decided to go with this dealer because they’re more conveniently located, and I would rather buy my car at the same place I’ll end up getting it serviced. Plus, the sales agent did agree to give me floor mats (which aren’t included with the car), and those are listed at about $100.

So—I’M GETTING AN INSIGHT! I’m still not sure when – I’m anxiously awaiting the call that will tell me they’ve made a swap with another dealer. But I’m confident I’ll hear from them soon!

Of course, as soon as I get the car, I’ll be taking pictures of it and posting some here. So stay tuned!