Video showdown: Honda Insight vs Toyota Prius
Some comparisons seem inevitable. Coke vs. Pepsi, Mac vs. Windows, and now, Insight vs. Prius.
Toyota’s Prius has become synonymous with “hybrid.” Even though the first Honda Insight and various Civic hybrids went on sale nearly a decade ago, the Prius remains the first hybrid that comes to mind for many buyers.
Capitalizing on the Prius’s not-exactly-low base price, Honda markets its less expensive (and rather similar looking) Insight as the hybrid “for everyone.” Honda’s Web site makes a lot of marketing hay about price, promoting their “Eco Assist” display/driving mode, “fun” paddle shifters, and the fact that you can buy an Insight EX with navigation for less than a Prius III with navigation.
Toyota’s Prius has become synonymous with “hybrid.” Even though the first Honda Insight and various Civic hybrids went on sale nearly a decade ago, the Prius remains the first hybrid that comes to mind for many buyers.
Capitalizing on the Prius’s not-exactly-low base price, Honda markets its less expensive (and rather similar looking) Insight as the hybrid “for everyone.” Honda’s Web site makes a lot of marketing hay about price, promoting their “Eco Assist” display/driving mode, “fun” paddle shifters, and the fact that you can buy an Insight EX with navigation for less than a Prius III with navigation.
But focusing on price or a few isolated features certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, as our video shows.
See the full Honda Insight and Toyota Prius road tests, along with ratings, in their model overviews (available to online subscribers.)
—Tom Mutchler
Previous
Posted by: Michael E. | Oct 8, 2009 11:36:59 AM
Had to chuckle at the end of that! But in all seriousness I think it actually does mirror the feelings of many buyers--many people may theoretically want to buy a fuel-efficient car but don't really feel like they can give up size or power.
Posted by: david | Oct 8, 2009 12:37:45 PM
Great video. Will CR be doing it for types of cars?
Suggestions for future ones:
- Audi A6 vs MB E350
- Infiniti G37 sedan vs BMW 3 series
- Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry
You guys I am sure get the idea.
Was that Yellow Corvette a ZR1? Is CR testing it?
Posted by: Tom Mutchler | Oct 8, 2009 3:49:18 PM
David, it is a ZR1. It made a brief visit here at the track - we're not buying one to test.
Posted by: Paul Rivers | Oct 8, 2009 5:40:01 PM
Aaaah, yes. Remember - you can pick and pick about fuel economy and which is the most efficient, but at the end of it all you will end up in a gas hog, which is what you really wanted all along.
:-(
Posted by: coolcar | Oct 18, 2009 12:29:19 AM
Awesome video! It's really helpful, and I hope to see more like this in the future, in addition to the individual vehicle reviews.
Posted by: Mike Chartrand | Oct 21, 2009 10:00:04 PM
In the recent tests CR did on the 2010 Toyota Prius, the published city mpg was 38. My spouse purchased the new Prius II base model and averages 46 mpg or better in city driving where the posted speed limits do not exceed 35 mph in stop and go traffic. I find it hard to believe that CR only achieved 38 mpg city. Either the drivers testing the vehicle, do not know how to drive a hybrid, or they were intentionally trying to achieve the lowest possible fuel mileage. The point of the hybrid is to use the electric power as much as possible and not force the gas engine to prematurely start through rapid acceleration. If people want jack rabbit starts using maximum power, they wouldn't choose to buy a Prius or any other hybrid.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Chartrand