The 2022 Honda Insight is a hybrid-powered, 5-passenger compact sedan based on the popular Civic. Easy to drive and nimble in tight spaces, the Insight’s best selling point is its ability to return up to 55 mpg during highway driving.
That pits this fuel-sipping hybrid against rivals like the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, Kia Niro, and Hyundai Ioniq.
However, unlike some of its key competitors, the Insight is not offered as a plug-in hybrid or a full electric. That’s fine for car shoppers who want a relatively inexpensive sedan that’s nicely equipped, easy to maintain, and never requires a plug and outlet.
It doesn’t hurt that the Insight has a handsome exterior that doesn’t shout “hybrid.” This Honda is very incognito.
The 2022 Insight rolls into another model year relatively unchanged, except for Honda having dropped the entry-level LX trim. This means the starting price of the Insight is now about $2,000 higher than before.
On the plus side, the base 2022 Insight is better equipped than before and still packs value.
Available in EX and Touring trim, let’s take a look at what each version offers to sedan shoppers with an aversion to refueling.
2022 Honda Insight EX (starting at $26,205)
As the new entry point to Insight ownership, the EX comes equipped with many comfort, tech, and safety features we’d have recommended adding anyhow. While the entry price to the Insight is higher than before, it’s no great loss to see the LX trim dropped for the 2022 model year.
So what do you get for just over $26,000 in this compact hybrid sedan with room for five?
To start, you get a reasonable amount of room for those five folks in the first and second rows. You also get a trunk that measures 15.1 cubic feet in capacity.
Powering the Insight is a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder gas engine paired with an electric motor. A total of 151 horsepower and 99 lb-ft of torque is sent to the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). In a recent review, we complimented the Insight for its smooth powertrain — even if overall performance is modest, and highway passing can take (lots of) time.
The Insight focuses on strong fuel economy, not straight-line speed. The Insight EX records an impressive 55 mpg city, 49 mpg highway, and 52 mpg combined in testing conducted by the EPA. This allows the 2022 Insight EX to run neck and neck against the Toyota Prius in terms of mileage. Keep in mind, the better-equipped, but heavier Touring trim isn’t quite as efficient.
Starting with the basics, the Insight EX is equipped with a tilting-and-telescoping steering wheel, walk-away automatic door locks, push-button start, cloth seating, a 60/40 split-folding rear seatback, and remote start.
Turning to tech and audio items, the Insight EX is fitted with an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 8-speaker stereo, HD radio, satellite radio, two USB ports, and HondaLink smartphone connectivity.
Among several tasks, HondaLink will send alerts if the car’s security system has gone off, record your car’s current mechanical status and upcoming maintenance needs, send recall notifications, or help find your car in a large parking lot.
Additionally, this compact sedan comes with a list of standard safety features to raise the envy of many luxury cars.
The features make up the Honda Sensing suite of active safety, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, multi-angle rearview camera, adaptive cruise control, road departure mitigation, traffic-sign recognition, and driver-drowsiness monitor. The only optional safety features on the EX or Touring trim are front and rear parking sensors, which cost a little more than $500.
Finally, while we mentioned the Insight has a conservative but handsome exterior, we didn’t discuss the details. The Insight EX is offered with six exterior color choices, and only one of them, Platinum White Pearl ($395), is available with a choice of black or ivory cloth interior. Every other color choice comes only with the black cloth/black plastic cabin.
The Insight has LED headlights and taillights, and it rides on 16-inch alloy wheels. A set of 17-inch alloy wheels are available, though they’re a pricey proposition at more than $2,000. We say, stick with the base wheels and save that money for a nice vacation… you’ve earned it!
Option packages consist mainly of tweaking the exterior or protecting the cabin from mud, snow, or rain. There are option groupings to add gloss black or chrome exterior accents, small mud flaps and more durable floor mats, or extra illuminated sections throughout the cabin.
If you’re feeling racy with 151 horsepower at your disposal, there’s an optional rear wing that’ll set you back $417 bucks.
Kept at its base price with a $995 destination fee included, a Honda EX financed for 60 months at a 3% interest rate with zero cash down would cost approximately $450 per month. See the 2022 Honda Insight EX models for sale
2022 Honda Insight EX includes:
- Infotainment system – 8-inch touchscreen with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
- Honda Sensing – A wide range of active safety features that add extra peace of mind.
- HondaLink – Includes remote start via smartphone, vehicle tracking if stolen, maintenance updates, recall reports, and a record of driving behavior.
2022 Honda Insight Touring (starting at $30,235)
The Honda Insight Touring is like the EX trim with added frosting.
In this case, those tasty added features include leather seating, a power-operated moonroof, heated front seats, power-adjustable front seats, automatic dimming rearview mirror, dual-zone climate control, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
While it shares the same basic infotainment system with the EX, the Touring adds a Wi-Fi hot spot and navigation, too. It has the same exterior and interior color choices as the EX but rides on 17-inch alloy wheels. A set of dark chrome-finished versions are available for about $1,500.
And finally, for those times when Mother Nature gets grumpy, the Insight Touring battles back with LED fog lights and rain-sensing wipers.
Option packages are identical to the EX, with the choice to add gloss black or chrome trim or all-season trim to keep your Insight looking spiffy.
Since they’re mechanically identical, the choice comes down to whether or not you want extra comfort and tech touches on your Insight. One thing to point out, because it’s slightly heavier, the Insight Touring is EPA-rated at 51 mpg city/45 mpg highway/48 mpg combined. That makes it generally 4 mpg shy of the EX’s best.
Using the base price as our guideline, a Honda Insight Touring shopper looking to finance for 60 months at 3% interest with zero down at signing would pay $519 per month. That’s roughly $70 more than a base EX model. See the 2022 Honda Insight Touring models for sale
2022 Honda Insight Touring includes:
- Upgraded cabin — Leather seating, power moonroof, heated front seats.
- More tech features – Onboard Wi-Fi hot spot and navigation.
- Rain friendly – Rain-sensing wipers and LED fog lights.
