Topic: Is Honda Canada removing the Insight and Civic Hybrid from stores?

[airbalancer]

http://monvolant.cyberpresse.ca/dossiers/dossier-auto-ecolo/201008/20/01-4308342-honda-delaisse-la-vente-des-civic-et-insight-hybrides.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B2_automobile_508450_accueil_POS1

At first, according to a dealer who prefers to remain anonymous, Honda had decided to remove completely the sale of the Insight and Civic Hybrid, leaving only the new model this year, the CR-Z coupe only hybrid.

[Guy]

The article says that Honda sold only 175 Insight in Quebec YTD. At first Honda had decided to stop selling the Insight and Civic hybrid completely but has now confirmed that customers will still be able to order these 2 models. They won't be stock on dealer lots but still available for order.

It's not clear if that concerns only Quebec or Canada.

[KEC]

Civic Hybrid is really really really overpriced.  $23,800 in the states and $27,350 here. Insight concept had potential but who would want to be seen in that with so little effficiency gains in return?

[Ontariodriver]

Hybrids sales are declining apparently

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704868604575433491885339452.html?mod=WSJ_Autos_LS_Autos_4 

[wing]

Rumour is officially squashed by Honda Canada I got the email this evening

[johngenx]

The problem with hybrids is the price premium over compact cars that are significantly less money and have a minimal fuel economy penalty.  When the economy was strong, people didn't object to paying more, ignoring the long payback, instead paying for the lower emissions and novelty of the hybrid.

[Julie]

I'm surprised how sensitive these hybrid sales are to gas prices.  It seems to me that, everytime gas prices go up, people start looking for small cars, used cars, hybrids....  even losing money to get them.

And then when they fall back down, people ditch these and start buying SUVs again, albeit maybe smaller SUVs...

I dunno, is it just my impression, or do others see this too?

[rrocket]

Definitely happens!!

Watch and see if Israel and Iran have a dust-up in November or so.  Gas prices should go crazy....

[Julie]

Definitely happens!!

Watch and see if Israel and Iran have a dust-up in November or so.  Gas prices should go crazy....

And another thing I was wondering about......  if the Insight's sales number trends mirror that of the Prius, or if the Prius has gotten such a reputation now that it just sells because of what it is and not because of its fuel economy attributes?  Shouldn't the Insight and the Prius be kinda equivalent in fuel savings?  (I don't know much about these two cars...)

[rrocket]

Prius is superior in every aspect to the Insight.  It gets significantly better fuel economy too.

Prius

4.6 city, 4.9 HWY, 4.7 combined

Insight

5.9 city, 5.5 HWY, 5.7 combined


The Insight also feels much cheaper on the inside than the Prius.

[Arthur Dent]

The Insight doesn't have the best reputation among even hybrid lovers and given Canada's potiental to have very cold weather in most of country its not a huge surprise they don't sell well. The high price is just the finishing touch for fugal Canadian car buyers.

[Leviathan]

This can't be helping:

Fix for Civic hybrids' dying batteries may hurt gas mileage, acceleration

When Honda Motor Co. rolled out its latest-generation Civic hybrid, it was sold as the automaker's green car of the future.

But five years into production, Honda has discovered that its high-tech batteries can die years early, a potentially expensive flaw that the automaker has been addressing with a software update that many owners claim has made the car less environmentally friendly.
<snip>
Those worries were heightened in recent weeks when the Japanese automaker mailed a letter to more than 100,000 owners of 2006, 2007 and 2008 Civics in the U.S. and Canada warning that their batteries "may deteriorate and eventually fail" earlier than expected. The letter said a software patch would fix the problem.

[airbalancer]

In Prius you can put a 6 ft ladder inside and still have someone in the front seat, you can not do that with a Escape

At over 6 ft I can have someone seat behind me and I do not have move the seat

Trip into TO, with wife and granddaughter about 150km, avg speed about 91 km/hr AC on
I got 3.9 l/100km

Trip to Dartmouth and back 3600 km round trip, avg speed was about 115
4 adults, the back was filled you could not fit anything else in, avg was 5.4 L/100km
each leg of trip was done in one day, no one complain about room or seats

Driving the 400 series hiway, the only diffenerce between the BMW & Prius is we can drop the top on the BMW and in the Prius we use 1/2 the gas
If you on a twisty road there is a handling difference

[wing]

Honda's hybrid tech is not as advanced and only shuts the engine off at full stop instead of while cruising.

[conwelpic]

According to Honda Canada they have not plans to discontinue these models

http://www.canadiandriver.com/2010/08/25/honda-hybrids-arent-endangered-honda-canada.htm

[Julie]

Honda's hybrid tech is not as advanced and only shuts the engine off at full stop instead of while cruising.

Gotcha.  Thanks for the info guys.

Okay,no wonder their sales suck.

[Zoo]

In Prius you can put a 6 ft ladder inside and still have someone in the front seat, you can not do that with a Escape

At over 6 ft I can have someone seat behind me and I do not have move the seat

Trip into TO, with wife and granddaughter about 150km, avg speed about 91 km/hr AC on
I got 3.9 l/100km

Trip to Dartmouth and back 3600 km round trip, avg speed was about 115
4 adults, the back was filled you could not fit anything else in, avg was 5.4 L/100km
each leg of trip was done in one day, no one complain about room or seats

Driving the 400 series hiway, the only diffenerce between the BMW & Prius is we can drop the top on the BMW and in the Prius we use 1/2 the gas
If you on a twisty road there is a handling difference

That's simply incredible. Such a large and practical car and other than the driving differences/quicks with the regenerative braking there are not too many compromiises with this car. Pretty cool!