Honda Insight LX vs EX

1. Overview

The 2011 Honda Insight is a 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback that is elevated as the world's most cheap hybrid car. Its aim is accurate but possibly narrow. Despite a thorough rework just last year, the Insight is dated, achieving with very much the equal formula Honda took in producing the first-generation model that was also roustabouts to the Toyota Prius. The Insight is smaller, cheaper, and at least as thrifty on fuel, but it isn't as spacious or versatile as the latest Prius, and it's entirely not as satisfying to drive. Both the Insight and the Insight LX have front side airbags, aspect curtain airbags, knee airbags for the driver and an anti-lock braking mechanism. Stability and grip control are not included, though. Front side seating belts on both models function programmed pressure limiters and load limiters. The relatively costly EX is the one to get, as its improved trim pieces, driver seat armrest, and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters make for an extra pleasant living. It also adds options for leather upholstery, heated front side seats, and a navigation system. During the EX with Navigation, Bluetooth and hands-free voice recognition are covered. This year, the Insight gets a small cost rise, and the former top of the range EX with Navigation has been discontinued. Note that there's no traditional Insight crossbreed to be had at any price; the present Insight is the definition for 2011.

1.1. Honda Insight LX

Honda Insight LX is the entry level trim for the Honda Insight, which was introduced in 2010. When compared to the higher trim, Honda Insight EX, LX has some advantages and disadvantages. Honda Insight LX comes with some standard features which are offered to Honda Insight EX. This includes keyless entry, 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, height-adjustable driver's seat, 60/40 split folding rear seats, and a two-speaker audio system which is equipped with a CD/MP3 stereo and an auxiliary audio jack. Another additional feature for 2012 LX is steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a USB iPod interface. In terms of overall price and fuel efficiency, Honda Insight LX is the cheapest hybrid car with an MSRP of $18,200. It would be a good option for those who want to go green on a very tight budget. Despite being the cheapest hybrid, it leads to another advantage in terms of fuel efficiency. With the same IMA hybrid system, Honda Insight LX is able to achieve 41 mpg city and 44 highway. In the city, it is more fuel-efficient compared to EX, with the figures of 40/43 mpg. This could be the best offer for a low-budget vehicle with a high fuel rate nowadays. Additionally, with the same engine power and weight, this car is able to reach a high top speed with smooth torque delivered. The engine is designed to switch between the main engine and the electric battery power mode, for the optimum MPG, with an automatic idle engine stop when the car is at a stop, and has an ECON button which could offer the driver an improved fuel efficiency mode. The car handling is also good in terms of drivability. The light weight and size make it very nippy for the city drive and with good ride comfort. But then again, it has disadvantages, where the features offered are unmatched with the EX model. Lacks so many safety features and does not come with the added benefits of a higher trim level such as alloy wheels and climate control. In other words, Honda Insight LX is catered to those who are more after the fuel efficiency and low maintenance cost but come at a compromise of lack of comfort and luxury.

1.2. Honda Insight EX

The EX is the upper range model and by paying more for it, you're rewarded with quite a bit extra. The EX has interior features such as a console with armrest and lid, a security system, map lights, and a 6-speaker stereo system with a 6-disc CD changer. The changer is still MP3/WMA compatible and the system still has the same auxiliary jack to connect iPods, etc., that the LX has. Honda hasn't specified that the above systems are illuminated with blue ambient lighting like the steering wheel controls, and it's not possible to clarify from the pictures provided if there are map or ambient lights. The seats are nicer and more comfortable as they are covered in upgraded fabric while maintaining the same passenger room and still having driver seat power height adjustment. At the back of the inside of the vehicle, the rear seats are 60/40 split and fold down, there's a rear armrest, and the sheer amount of cabin storage is increased with the addition of rear storage. For practicality and luxury, it's definitely worth getting the EX to get the most out of the interior. The EX has a few extra exterior bits including 16" alloy wheels, body-colored door handles, and heated side mirrors, but there is not a huge amount of difference between the LX and EX exteriors. The alloy wheels could be seen as an important feature for a lot of new car buyers over steel wheels, but it's not worth getting into the habit of paying a lot extra just for a change of rims.

2. Exterior Features

The 2019 Honda Insight LX and EX are available in a variety of different colors to choose from, depending on your style and preference. All available colors are up for grabs no matter which trim you decide to settle on. The comfortable and stylish Insight LX is available in the colorful Crystal Black Pearl, modern Cosmic Blue Metallic, vibrant Crimson Pearl, and the elegant Silver Metallic. And if you seek a color not available in the base model, you can upgrade to the Honda Insight EX which offers the same additional amount of colors as well as the available Platinum White Pearl. The Insight EX model allows you to sport 16-inch alloy wheels, a sleek rear spoiler and LED fog lights. And if you're interested in purchasing a car with an attractive set of wheels, both the LX and EX offer purchasable 17-inch black and diamond cut alloy wheels that add a modern and stylish appearance to your vehicle. Both trim levels also sport a small side underbody spoiler kit that adds sportiness. LED Daytime running lights and LED headlights with Auto-On/Off are both standard throughout the 2019 Honda Insight lineup. Lastly, the Insight LX and EX offer heated body-colored power side mirrors with integrated turn indicators as well as variable intermittent windshield wipers; the convenience of these features cannot be overstated.

2.1. Honda Insight LX

The light in the Insight has used projector-beam headlights that are integrated with turn signals. However, for Insight LX, it maximizes the use of halogen headlights. The difference also seems in the rear lights, although both types have used brake lights fissure to the sides, turn signal lights, and taillights. But the LED taillights are only possessed by the Insight EX.

The exterior of the 2012 Honda Insight is inspired by a concept of a car for tomorrow. Cars that are environmentally friendly and have aerodynamic performance. The exterior is designed to reduce air resistance when the car is running. In addition, Insight was designed with a short nose, wide windshield, narrow windows, long roofline, and a tailgate with a mounted lamp. This design is made to reduce blind spots and improve driver's visibility. The exterior of the 2012 Honda Insight can be seen on the front grille design. Insight has chrome grilles surround, while Insight LX only has a black color.

Honda Insight LX is an affordable, refined, and well-packaged hybrid. Its price can start from $20,000. This hybrid car comes with some features that support driving comfort.

2.2. Honda Insight EX

Honda has hit their target market dead on with these two vehicles and albeit the EX model has a lot more features than its stripped-down brother, the LX, each vehicle is sure to attract interested buyers. The only drawback is that both of these vehicles are 5-speed manual transmissions only, with no option to upgrade to an automatic. This might knock off a large amount of potential customers who may have seen the continuously variable transmission in other hybrid vehicles.

The steering of the EX model has a tilting/telescoping feature, which allows the steering wheel to move either closer or further away from the driver to allow for an optimal driving position. This is a feature that is hardly ever seen in a car of this price and may be a feature that sells the EX over the LX for some people. The body-colored door handles of the EX give a feel of elegance and the map lights, when compared to the dome light of the LX, are a fancier way to illuminate the interior of the vehicle. This may seem like a minor detail, but when in the market, a consumer is going to choose the vehicle with more features, especially if they don't cost much more.

The Insight EX has 15" alloy wheels when compared to the 14" steel wheels of the LX. This will give the EX a more sporty look than the LX. The EX has a rear wiper that has a water repellent glass. The rear wiper is a basic thing that is good to have especially for places that rain a lot. The door mirrors of the EX have a heat feature to them. This can be useful for people living in cold climates like the steel wheels. This is tied in with safety, which can be assumed that people who are looking into buying a brand new car are very concerned with safety features.

2.3. Comparison

EX trims certainly add a more refined style with alloy wheels, which are 15-inch or an upgrade to 16-inch, possibilities depend on which packages chosen. There are heated mirrors for better driving vision in harsh weathers, some do say others refute that it is an aggressive insight from the reflection angle. It has variable intermittent windshield wipers and has security with its body color roof moldings, rear roof line spoiler, and rear window defroster and wiper. It helps the driver get a clearer rear view from the rearview mirror.

Honda Insight LX features some flexibly grounded exterior. One of the few notable body features for Insight LX is its projector halogen headlights. It does somewhat enhance its look but does not totally provide extra visibility for the driver. The body color door handles and power door mirrors are good for a less maintenance for those who do wash their cars regularly and it also gives extra convenience to the driver. It has 15-inch wheels with full covers, which is considered to be below par for the tire size, but it is a trade-off between performance and fuel efficiency. It has foldable power mirrors for tight parking spaces and it does have a rear window intermittent wipe/wash, rear window defroster, and it does have 2-speed intermittent windshield wipers.

3. Interior Features

The Honda Insight LX does come with great features such as power windows, auto up/down driver's window, power door locks, cruise control, a tilt and telescopic steering column, automatic climate control, a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with two speakers and a subwoofer, and good seat fabric. The automatic climate control is a nice feature as the air conditioner and heater can be preset to come on at a certain temperature and fan setting. This is something that is not offered on the Insight EX which I found disappointing. Overall the LX has everything you need plus more. For the price I feel it is a much better value than the Insight EX. Moving up to the Honda Insight EX you do lose out on a few features that the LX had, but the Insight EX adds many more features which equate to a better car. An improvement over the LX, features for the Insight EX include steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters, a six speaker audio system, 60/40 split rear seatbacks, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and an armrest console. Overall the interior of the Honda Insight is quite nice and comfortable. The front seats are well designed and should accommodate drivers and passengers of all sizes. The rear seats offer a fair amount of legroom and should provide comfort for two adults. The seat fabric design is quite interesting, and is meant to signify thought to efficiency being that it produces a low environmental impact by reducing damage to the environment through the reduction of waste, energy and the emissions of harmful substances. This is done by circular knitting which reduces 97% waste. Although the rear retractable parcel shelf for attaching grocery bags is a very cool idea, I believe that the Insight would have been better served with a rear hatch window and windshield wiper, something which neither model offers. This would have made the rear parcel shelf a much more practical and useful feature.

3.1. Honda Insight LX

The LX includes automatic climate control so you can set the temperature in the vehicle and not have to touch the dials again. The EX includes a more advanced climate control system with a user-friendly interface which allows passengers to set the temperature of their own seat. The LX has an audio system with 160 watts and 4 speakers. The EX includes an audio system with 6 speakers and a 6-disc CD changer. Both models have an MP3 auxiliary input jack. The LX doesn't include alloy wheels, which may affect ride comfort when driving over potholes and bumps in the road. Alloy wheels are included with the EX. Both models provide a 60/40 split rear seat and center armrest with storage. The LX offers only a rear window wiper, while the EX has an improved system with a rear window wiper and washer. Finally, the EX has several features designed to improve driver comfort, including a driver's seat with manual height adjustment, ambient console lighting, and an additional 12-volt power outlet.

3.2. Honda Insight EX

The differences between the LX and EX really start to show when the interior features are examined. The EX seems to suggest "luxury", and it remains very comparable to the LX of the Accord. The steering wheel is leather-wrapped and better-looking; more volume, menu, and phone controls are included too. The EX also features a leather-wrapped shifter and home link. During the night, the blue illuminated gauges make the interior more visible. Overhead, the Insight EX has a "hidden" storage bin and a map light. The map lights have individual controls and are also included in the LX too as a small change to 2011 in the trim level. Both of these features are not available with the LX. The visors in the EX will feature extenders and there are also two vanity mirrors. All of these features are not available with the LX trim. The automatic climate control is more user-friendly and best of all, the EX will also include the Honda Satellite Linked Navigation System with voice recognition. This Navigation System is very different from the traditional aftermarket GPS device and is worth the extra money. It has a 6.5-inch screen which displays the navigation system. The system includes 16 GB of flash memory and provides a database consisting of about 7 million points of interest. The new feature is the FM Traffic which is lifetime free of charge, and the voice recognition; this allows you to not have to deal with touching the screen or pushing buttons while driving. The controls on the screen are very similar to computer icons, and the system also includes Bluetooth audio and hands-free. The screen is also used to display the rearview camera. The camera will have guidelines and the ability to measure distance. Any of these systems are found in the LX trim level.

3.3. Comparison

3.3.1. Comfort and convenience 3.3.1.1. LX The LX goes for simple elegance in its interior with an impressively comfortable cloth upholstery, driver-side height adjustment, and a tilt/telescopic steering wheel. The cabin temperature is automatically maintained by an air conditioning with an air-filtration system and the driver is equipped with a power window with auto-up/down. Utilizing a walk away door lock feature, drivers can lock and unlock doors without ever taking their key out of their pocket. A 160-watt audio system with MP3/WMA playback capability and 4 speakers comes with the ease of control with illuminated steering wheel-mounted audio controls. The LX is also Bluetooth capable. This vehicle also comes with a number of 12-volt power outlets and overhead storage compartments. 3.3.1.2. EX The EX is very similar to the LX in the sense of the comfort and convenience, but has made some positive alterations. The EX comes with a more ambient and elegant looking fabric and leather combination with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The steering wheel-mounted audio controls are now illuminated and the driver and passenger have the ease of access with the driver and passenger's side vanity mirrors. This vehicle has a push-start button feature, along with a smart entry system adding the potential to further increase the luxury of the vehicle. The EX now has a retractable cargo area cover and an additional 12-volt power outlet. The shining feature of the LX would be the 180-watt audio system with 6 speakers and a 7-inch display audio with high resolution electrostatic touch-screen and customizable feature settings. This vehicle is also Sirius XM and HD radio capable.

4. Performance and Efficiency

The Honda Insight LX is designed to be economic when it comes to performance. As such, it does not do so well when acceleration is the subject. Its 1.3 litre engine may be eclipsed by the Toyota Prius' 1.5 litre, yet the Insight manages to match the Prius' mpg. The Continuous Variable Transmission, when applied to city driving, proves to be quite an efficient unit the way it changes gears ever so subtly in order to keep the engine at its most efficient. It could however be a different story when tackling hills, where it is noted that the CVT can keep the engine's rpm at high levels and lead to an increase in fuel consumption. The increase in fuel consumption while the engine attempts to generate enough power can be said the same for cruising at higher speeds. It is noted that anything over 60mph will lead to the engine using more power than is necessary, ultimately resulting in a decrease in the vehicle's mpg. Step inside an Insight and you'll notice it has quite a good throttle response considering the type of engine, this can sometimes go against it when trying to drive in an economical fashion as the sensitive throttle can mean that more gas is being used. Overall the LX is an efficient performer when it comes to city driving, however it isn't quite the same story in other conditions.

4.1. Honda Insight LX

In order to appeal to a broader market, Honda has decided to offer quite a bit of variety between the different Insight trim levels, especially in regards to performance and efficiency. The LX is considered to be the base model of the Insight, yet is still stylish and packed with features that one would only come to expect from an entry level trim. The Insight LX and any other Insight model comes with an Integrated Motor Assist system which teams an internal combustion engine with an electric motor, providing fuel efficiency competitive with today's smaller hybrid vehicles. The Insight LX has a 98-horsepower 1.0 liter single overhead cam (SOHC) 12-valve i-VTEC 3-cylinder engine which boasts very impressive fuel economy and reduced emissions. The i-VTEC engine technology within the Insight is known as the most powerful and fuel efficient in the brand's history. With an EPA estimated city/highway fuel economy of 61/66 miles per gallon and a potential driving range over 600 miles, the Insight LX can handle a variety of different driving conditions and maintain fuel efficiency. The Insight engine is built with a drive-by-wire throttle system for smooth and efficient operation.

4.2. Honda Insight EX

One performance-enhancing feature of the CVT is its ability to keep the engine in the most efficient part of its power band, which means better fuel usage and acceleration than a conventional automatic transmission or manual transmission. The CVT also helps the Insight EX to receive a SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) rating, whereas the Insight LX only achieves a ULEV-2 (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) rating. This is due to relatively lower emissions produced by a vehicle using a CVT compared to other automatic transmission vehicles. The drawback to all of this is although the EX has better performance and gas mileage compared to the LX, its ability to tow really heavy loads is less than the LX due to the CVT not having fixed gears.

Both the LX and EX versions of the Insight are powered by the same 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder, VTEC-E engine, which operates on the Atkinson Cycle and uses Honda's IMA hybrid system. The engine in both cars is capable of producing a maximum 67 bhp (50 kW/68 PS) at 5700 rpm, but the similarities end here. The Insight EX features Honda's Continuously Variable Transmission, whereas the LX has a standard 5-speed manual transmission. There are several benefits found in the CVT which give the Insight EX better performance than the LX.

4.3. Comparison

However, the LX does have one notable performance improvement over the EX. That would be the optional addition of Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control. Cost-effective with or without an available automatic transmission, adding VSA to the LX is a mere $250 compared to the $750 for the alloy wheels and $500 for the CVT on the EX. This makes the LX with VSA and the EX with the CVT comparable in price with the VSA system having potentially greater benefits for safety. The LX also has advantages for replacing certain parts critical to engine performance that the EX does not have. An LX specific intake manifold, for instance, is much cheaper to replace than the EX's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) and is one of many factors that brings down the cost of maintenance for any Insight.

The two trims of the Honda Insight have a number of differences that directly affect their performance and efficiency. The EX boasts some technological advantages and mainly consists of elements that are optional to the LX. The main technological advantages consist of the Audio and Connectivity packages which included a 6 speaker sound system with more wattage, a USB input and MP3/Windows Media Audio playback. This comes in addition to the availability of Honda's Satellite-Linked Navigation system. Also optional are features that affect the Insight's fuel economy such as 15-inch alloy wheels as opposed to 15-inch steel wheels, and an available CVT transmission. Though not part of the Audio and Connectivity packages, they're most cost-effective when combined with said packages at the time of purchase.