The 2020 Honda Insight, a popular hybrid vehicle, comes equipped with LED reflector headlights across all trim levels. Understanding headlight performance is crucial for driver safety, especially in varying driving conditions. This review delves into the specifics of the Honda Insight 2020’s headlight capabilities, providing a detailed analysis based on standardized testing criteria.
Overall Headlight Rating
The Honda Insight 2020 headlight system received an overall rating of “Good” (G). This rating applies to all trim levels of the 2019-22 models, indicating consistent headlight performance across the model years. While a “Good” rating is positive, it’s important to examine the individual aspects of low beam and high beam performance to gain a comprehensive understanding.
Low Beam Performance
The low beam headlights on the Honda Insight 2020 offer a mixed performance depending on the driving scenario.
On straight roads, visibility is rated as good on the right side of the road, which is critical for seeing road edges and potential hazards. However, the visibility on the left side of the straightaway is only fair.
When navigating curves, the performance varies. For right curves, visibility remains good, ensuring adequate illumination around bends. In contrast, left curves present more of a challenge. Visibility is fair on sharp left curves and unfortunately, inadequate on gradual left curves. This suggests that drivers may experience reduced visibility when turning left, particularly on more sweeping curves.
Importantly, the low beams were tested and confirmed to never exceed glare limits, ensuring they do not pose a hazard to oncoming drivers.
High Beam Performance
The high beam headlights of the Honda Insight 2020 provide a similar pattern of performance to the low beams, with variations based on road geometry.
On straightaways, high beam visibility is good on the right side and fair on the left side of the road, mirroring the low beam performance.
Curve performance again shows differentiation between right and left turns. For gradual right curves, visibility is good, while sharp right curves and gradual left curves are rated as fair. The most significant limitation is on sharp left curves, where high beam visibility is inadequate.
The Honda Insight 2020 is equipped with high-beam assist. This feature is designed to automatically switch between high and low beams based on the presence of other vehicles. The high-beam assist system is credited with compensating for some of the low beam limitations, particularly on straightaways, both left curves, and sharp right curves. This suggests the automatic system can improve overall nighttime visibility by utilizing high beams when appropriate.
Detailed Measurement Data
For a more granular understanding of headlight performance, technical measurements provide specific data points. The following tables detail the average minimum useful illumination distance (at least 5 lux) for both low and high beams in various driving scenarios.
Low Beams
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 107.0 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 53.1 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 73.9 m |
| 250m radius left curve, right edge | 52.4 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 59.8 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 49.1 m |
HIGH Beams
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 165.9 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 139.6 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 80.2 m |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 67.3 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 62.8 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 54.5 m |
These measurements quantify the visibility distances in meters, providing a clear picture of the headlight’s reach in different conditions. The data reinforces the qualitative ratings, showing longer illumination distances for high beams and variations based on curve direction and radius.
Conclusion
The 2020 Honda Insight’s LED reflector headlights achieve an overall “Good” rating. While offering good visibility in many situations, particularly on straight roads and right curves, there are areas for potential improvement, especially concerning left curve visibility with both low and high beams. The inclusion of high-beam assist is a positive feature that helps to mitigate some of these limitations. Prospective buyers and current owners can use this detailed headlight performance analysis to better understand the capabilities and potential limitations of the Honda Insight 2020’s lighting system.
