Around the City in the Honda Insight 2021

I recently spent a week test driving the Honda Insight 2021 hybrid car around the city while I was out and about trying some new dishes and coffees at restaurants and cafes in and around Vancouver.

I drove downtown to visit 1931 Gallery Bistro to indulge in their Whiskey Bacon Pull Apart French Toast, a delicious creation by Chef Gleb Podshibyakin and his team. It’s a pull apart French Toast with a home-made brioche, maple syrup, smoked bacon, fresh berries, orange zest, crème anglaise and whiskey. A beautifully plated delectable combination of sweet and savoury to enjoy on their outside patio.

One of my favourite spots for gelato is on Commercial Drive at Dolce Amore Gelato which I visited for their Lemon Meringue gelato.

One thing I loved with this car was it’s excellent fuel economy; the Honda Insight Hybrid car battery charges itself while you are driving which truly economizes on the gas consumption.  This hybrid sedan falls between their civic and accord models, but it takes full advantage of the battery pack to increase its fuel mileage.

Another great feature is the three selectable drive modes, and the driver can choose with a push of a button located on the centre console. The Normal, Econ and Sport settings allow for varying customization between efficiency and performance.  these are the three drivetrain operations. In EV Drive, power comes solely by its electric drive motor, drawing power from the battery. In Hybrid Drive the gasoline engine drives a generator motor to supply electrical power to the drive motor. Engine Drive operation connects the gasoline engine directly to the drive wheels.

Another day, I visited Hugo’s Churros and Tacos in Richmond for lunch on the patio enjoying some delicious tacos, Mexican salad and Guac and chips.

Nelson The Seagull is one of my long time favourite cafes in the Gastown neighbourhood, visited to get one of their delicious Sunshine Buns for takeout; before heading over to the South Granville neighborhood.

A new café had recently opened in the South Granville neighbourhood called Marche Mon Pitou, here I had a Cortado and picked up one of their luscious Lemon Cake slices as well as a Chocolate Chunk Cookie to go.

I drove out to Steveston to get takeout from Anar Persian Cuisine , this restaurant looks like an old house on the outside yet has the full restaurant seating set-up on the inside. I had one of my favourite Persian dishes on the menu the Fesenjoon Stew made with chicken, walnut and pomegranate served with rice.

Over in the Olympic Village neighbourhood you will find Solly’s Bagelry, this is their largest of the 3 bakeshops. I visited to try their French Toast Sundae Supreme, made with Solly’s Delicious Honey Sweetened Challah French Toast, Fried Crispy in Pure Butter, Served with Whipped Cream, Strawberries, Banana, a Drizzle of Chocolate Sauce and (of course!) a Cherry on top.

The Insight feels a bit more upscale than the closely related Civic, and it measures up well to other hybrid competitors. The rear seats have plenty of room for two adults. The Insight’s battery pack is located under the rear seat, so it doesn’t infringe on cargo capacity at all; the rear seats still fold mostly flat to accommodate larger items. The Insight is a conventional sedan with a separate trunk, which means they can hold more stuff and their large cargo areas are easier to load.

The next day I had dinner on the patio at Little Mexico Cantina in Steveston. On the table were the delicious Birria Tacos (order of 3) braised beef with onion, cilantro and a beef jus for dipping; the Gobernado Tostada with prawns, peppers, onions, pickled cabbage, chipotle mayo, cilantro; and some of their Fish tacos, Tinga de Pollo and Chorizo tacos.

I took in a glorious sunset at Garry Point park after dinner before heading back home.

I really enjoyed the Honda Insight it was a great car to drive in and around Vancouver in the to try some great eateries.

By: Richard Wolak

Disclosure: Honda Canada provided me with the 2021 Honda Insight for a week to test drive, and photograph.

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