2011 Honda Insight Trims and Specs

Probably the biggest change to the Honda Insight in 2011 is the addition of the third, Base, trim, designed for the shopper who wants a hybrid at a non-hybrid price. Starting at an MSRP of $18,200, the Insight Base five-door hatchback uses the same engine system as the higher trims. The Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system runs on a 1.3-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine, assisted by a 10-kilowatt electric engine running on a rechargeable Ni-MH battery. The engine, combined with the car’s continuously variable transmission, makes excellent fuel economy numbers, with EPA estimates of 40 mpg city and 43 highway, but the numbers fall short of other hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius. All Insights offer Eco Assist, giving the driver feedback to improve fuel efficiency, as well as the ability to run the Insight in an ECON mode, saving fuel through a number of the vehicle’s systems.

The Insight Base comes equipped with automatic climate control and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel with mounted controls for the multi-information display. The audio system comes with a 160-watt AM/FM/CD, pumping tunes through only 2 speakers (higher trims add additional speakers). An MP3 auxiliary jack is standard.

The Base seats five, with manual height adjustment for the driver’s seat. Although the front is generally comfortable, the hatchback’s sloping roofline cramps headroom in the rear.

The 2011 Insight Base adds a new standard safety feature with vehicle stability control with brake assist and traction control. Six airbags, antilock brakes and tire pressure monitoring combine with Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, designed to protect the cabin in a frontal crash.

Last year, the Honda Insight LX was the lower trim level for the compact five-door hybrid. 2011 promotes the LX to the hatchback’s midrange trim, with the addition of the Base trim to the Insight's roster.

Like all 2011 Insights, the LX adds vehicle stability assist (VSA) with traction control and brake assist as a standard safety feature. VSA joins the list of standard safety items across Insight trims, including 6 airbags, antilock brakes, tire pressure monitoring and Honda’s Advance Compatibility Engineering body structure, designed to protect the driver and passengers in a frontal collision.

The LX trim differs only slightly from the Base, using the same continuously variable transmission and engine to generate the vehicle’s 98 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque and estimated fuel economy numbers of 40 mpg city/43 highway. The Integrated Motor Assist system provides an electric motor (powered by a rechargeable Ni-MH battery) to assist the 1.3-liter i-VTEC gasoline-powered engine.

Inside, the LX shares many of the Base trim’s features, including automatic climate control and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. A multi-information display on the instrument panel gives the driver feedback about fuel efficiency. The 160-watt stereo with AM/FM/CD, MP3/WMA playback and MP3 auxiliary jack gets a boost, however, with four speakers (instead of 2) and a new USB audio interface. Other features found in the LX (and not in the Base) include standard cruise control, a security system, floormats and a center console armrest with storage.

The 2011 Honda Insight EX returns as the lineup’s high-end trim. This year, the EX offers standard steering-wheel-mounted audio controls—a feature previously available only when the EX was equipped with the Honda Satellite Navigation System (a feature available only for the EX trim). When equipped with navigation, the Insight EX is accompanied by voice recognition and controls for audio, cruise control and Bluetooth hands-free phone. The standard audio system found at all trim levels (a 160-watt AM/FM/CD) comes equipped with an auxiliary jack for MP3 playback, as well as a USB audio interface and 6 speakers in the EX.

Other EX-exclusive features include 15-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals and interior map lights. The continuously variable transmission found at all trim levels comes equipped with paddle shifters in the EX for manual shifting.

But despite these EX-specific features, there is a great deal of overlap between the EX and lower Insight trims. Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist system gives the 1.3-liter i-VTEC gasoline-powered engine assistance from a rechargeable battery-powered electric engine. The standard Eco Assist system gives drivers feedback to improve fuel-efficient driving habits, helping many owners to report fuel economy numbers that exceed the EPA estimated 40 mpg city/43 mpg highway.

Safety features in the EX mirror lower trim levels, as well. The vehicle stability assist, previously exclusive to the EX, is now a standard feature in all trims. Other safety features also appear at all trim levels, including 6 airbags, traction control, antilock brakes and the Advanced Compatibility Engineering body, which is designed to distribute the force of a frontal collision, adding protection to the interior of the cabin.