Great to see all this news from the West coast but now it's time for the high density East coast New Jersey Drivers. I picked up 653 at Madison Honda on April 17, 2000 and am still enthralled 1,500 miles later. I have been a GM and AMC Jeep dealer in one of my past lives and have always loved cars. It is amazing to me that I am so crazy about a car after spending 20 years in the auto business. My other 5 speed is my 1958 Jag 150 roadster.
Even on sunny days I seem to be preferring The Insight. Everything on this site is great and covers most of the high points (there are so many). One thing that I find great is the way this car can coast (low friction tires and very little drag) for long distances. Though the battery may not be charged in this mode, it has improved my gas mileage when driving local streets.
[Congratulations! It's great to hear from a long-time car buff in the Garden State and to hear that the Insight is the pick of your impressive automotive stable. Regarding the Jag, some cars can be excused for not being hybrids, I guess. Regarding the coasting, if you let your battery pack get much lower than half its full charge, the Insight will start siphoning off a little power (and fuel economy) while you're just cruising along. If that never happens, then there's no reason not to coast to your heart's delight--InsightMan.]