To get to my house, you have to drive 1/2 mile on an unmaintained dirt road in various condition depending on weather. Will a Honda Insight handle this kind of road with grace and longevity?
I think the main concern is ground clearance. The Insight has a ground clearance of 5.9"; the Ridgeline has a ground clearance of 8.2". If the road is not well maintained, ruts can cause your car to bottom out a lot more often, damaging the underside. Take a walk along the road and see what the maximum rut height is. You might find that a truck is better for you. Or park the Insight at the end of the half mile dirt road and get an ATV to go the rest of the way.
Thanks, JT. I believe that clearance is not a big issue but I will certainly review this. I do own a truck. I am looking to preserve it for hauling my horses and return to daily use of a higher mileage vehicle for errands into town and travel.
I would think it would be fine, so long as you avoid driving on that road at high speeds.
Since you have the truck, you already have the components for Plan B. Enjoy your new Honda.
Why not ameliorate the situation with occasional grooming of the “unmaintained dirt road”? Some road rock and skillful grading might be beneficial.
Rock just disappears into the dirt in a fairly short time. Sometimes my neighbor borrows a tractor to grade the road. I have no such access. Thanks for all your comments.
"Rock just disappears into the dirt"
That’s probably because the road is a low spot, and erosion is delivering dirt to it. You probably don’t want to work on it, but some professional drainage improvements on the road might make a big difference for the longevity of your road. In the long run, that might be money well spent if you plan to live there a long time. Maybe find a way to share cost with all users of the road? Unpaved roads, like automobiles, do need regular maintenance.