The 2010 Honda Insight is marketed as a sporty, budget-priced take on the Prius, but the overall package just doesn't work.
See more photos of the Insight below the article in today's slideshow.
The Toyota Prius is the ubiquitous hybrid car. It’s instantly recognizable and it can deliver impressive gas mileage while functioning easily as an acceptable daily-use car.
However, the Prius has been only acceptable in most ways by the standards of today’s economy cars. Most notably, its tires are designed for maximizing gas mileage over all else, hurting ride and handling, and it costs more than any other mainstream compact car, thousands more than a comparable Corolla.
Honda has tried to capitalize on the Prius’s shortcomings with gas-electric hybrid versions of its Civic sedan, as the Civic is more comfortable and more of a driver’s car than the Prius. But unique wheels and a little “hybrid” badge never gave it a distinctive visual appeal. So Honda has tried again.
The first generation Insight, the first hybrid car sold in the U.S., got excellent gas mileage but offered space for only two passengers for its price tag of nearly $20,000. The new 2010 model abandons that model, instead aiming directly at the five-door five-seat Prius. The two cars’ outlines are now nearly identical, each aimed at minimizing air resistance without giving up too much interior space.
With the Insight, Honda now has a hybrid that’s both easily recognizable as a hybrid and has a rear seat. The Insight’s base price of $19,800 undercuts that of the Prius – which starts at $22,000 – and Honda promised it would be a hybrid for people who want to feel more connected the road rather than just their fuel economy, as well as a budget hybrid for those who aren’t going to step up to the extra cost of the Prius or other pricey hybrids.
Unfortunately, the details knock down the Insight as a major threat to the Prius’s dominance in this class.
The first key issue is the hybrid system: the Insight’s just doesn’t work well. The Honda’s electric motor has 13 horsepower to the Prius’s 67, meaning it’s much easier to have the Toyota running gas-free with only the motor moving the car. The Insight is a “mild hybrid” that uses its electric motor more as a supplement than a replacement for the gasoline engine. The Insight’s engine does shut off seamlessly when you’ve stopped but reawakens with a jerk when it’s time to go again.
The 2009 Prius also manages to beat the Insight’s EPA mileage ratings of 40 city / 43 highway by 5 miles per gallon or more than 12%. And a redesigned 2010 Prius that’s just now going on sale further blows it away, averaging 50 miles per gallon in mixed driving instead of the Honda’s 41.
It’s worth noting that careful driving has netted very impressive mileage for the Insight, but the Prius’s design gives it an inherent advantage using the same methods, as its electric battery can do much more.
Another issue is interior space. Since 2004, the Prius has been able to somewhat justify its price premium over other compact cars by offering more room, slotting in somewhere between Toyota's Corolla and Camry. However, Honda went the opposite direction with the new Insight; the sloping roofline cuts off rear-seat headroom and leaves passengers with less space than Honda’s cheaper Civic sedan and Fit hatchback. The front seats are similar to those in the Civic: firm, well-shaped, and comfortable. There’s sufficient space for front-seat occupants, but no more than in other compact cars. Like the Prius, the Insight is a hatchback, which gives it good cargo versatility. Also like the Prius, however, the aerodynamic shape cuts into cargo volume.
Another issue is the refinement. The interior looks and feels much more basic than a $20,000 car should, and the ride is stiff and quite noisy. The Insight jostles passengers over bumps and there’s lots of road noise. The 1.3-liter gasoline engine doesn’t sound pleasant and, as noted, doesn’t kick in smoothly when after the Insight is idling electric-only.
The Insight also doesn’t do much in the way of connecting the driver to the road, without the level of agility and steering feel of even a Civic. The Prius may be further away still, but the Insight’s stiff ride, like the Prius’s, is clearly to benefit gas mileage rather than crisp handling. Also, like the Prius and other modern hybrids, the Insight offers no manual transmission, though you can select shift points with the continuously variable automatic in the upper-level Insight EX model. (The original Insight had a standard stickshift.)
And lastly, the Insight doesn’t compete so well on price either. The $19,800 LX model – the car driven for this review – is less expensive than the cheapest Prius, but it gives up features like cruise control, alloy wheels, and electronic stability control. For those things, step up to the Insight EX – which at $21,300 is hardly a killer deal compared to a comparably-equipped $22,000 Prius.
I test drove the Insight for this review three weeks ago today, and as of this writing that same car remains on the lot at Sheehy Honda in Alexandria, Va., a local indicator of why Honda has backed way off its sales target of 90,000 Insights per year.
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Sheehy’s internet sales department marks the Insight LX’s sticker price down from $20,470 (the base price plus destination charge) to $19,495. EXs go down from $22,010 to $20,995. New Priuses are going for their sticker price at Fitzgerald Auto Malls, but if you do decide on a hybrid, it’s worth a bit of extra money. The Prius will give you more space, more refinement, and, most importantly for a hybrid, more miles per gallon than the Insight.
Besides, if saving money is your primary focus, don’t buy either hybrid. Just buy a nice inexpensive and fuel-efficient compact or subcompact car. A Honda Fit, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Versa, or Toyota Corolla offers all the benefits of an Insight or a Prius but the gee-whiz technology and the higher-than-high gas mileage. (For even greater savings, you could consider a used car instead of a new one.)
The ultra-high gas mileage won’t likely cover the extra cost of a hybrid; the EPA estimates you’ll spend $1,219 a year to gas up a Corolla versus about $732 for a Prius. There’s no guarantee either car will last long enough to make back the extra $7,000 or more you’d spend on the hybrid.
That’s not to say there’s no reason to buy a Prius. You can treat it as an economy-maximization toy that also saves you some money, and it’s convenient to minimize gas station visits if cost isn’t a priority to you.
But with lower gas mileage than the Prius, less hybrid finesse than the Prius, less space than the Prius, nearly the same price tag as a comparable Prius, and none of the promised handling sharpness, there really is no reason to buy an Insight if you do go the hybrid route.
Vehicle tested: 2010 Honda Insight
Vehicle base price (MSRP): $19,800
Version tested: LX
Version base price (MSRP): $19,800
Vehicle price as tested (MSRP): $20,470
Estimated transaction price as tested: $19,495
Test vehicles provided by: Sheehy Honda of Alexandria, Va
Key specifications:
Length: 172.3 inches
Width: 66.7 inches
Height: 56.2 inches
Wheelbase: 100.4 inches
Weight: 2,723 pounds
Trunk room: 15.9 cubic feet
Turning circle: 36.2 feet
Engine: 1.3-liter I4 with 88 horsepower + 13-hp electric motor
Transmission: continuously variable automatic
EPA city mileage: 40 miles per gallon
EPA highway mileage: 43 miles per gallon
EPA mixed driving: 41 miles per gallon
http://automobiles.honda.com/insight-hybrid/
Comments
Great review, thanks Brady.
Nice review. My only disagreement is with your conclusion "if saving money is your primary focus, don’t buy either hybrid." Here are some additional factors to consider.
1) Hybrids cost more, but they also have higher resale value.
2) You based your statement on the cost of gasoline today, but it's unreasonable to assume prices won't rise when the recession ends.
3) There are financial incentives for buying hybrids. Some models qualify for federal tax credits, and dozens of states offer incentives. For example, they're exempt from sales tax in Washington state. They qualify for free parking in some cities, and they allow you to drive in HOV lanes in some places (which won't save you money but will save you time).
Most hybrids do have high resale value, for now, but so do many regular gas-powered cars. The Toyota Corolla is fuel-efficient and inexpensive, yet has the highest resale rating from the Automotive Lease Guide. Also, the Corolla -- unlike most hybrids -- is often sold nicely discounted from the sticker price, which normally hurts the "resale" rating which is based on the MSRP, so discounts you get as the new-car buyer are counted as "lost value."
Also, while it is possible for hybrids to make more financial sense if gas prices soar, you still face diminishing returns compared to cars that already don't use very much gas. You're just not using so many gallons of gas at a car that's rated for 30 miles per gallon. And there are no tax credits for the main hybrid producers: Toyota, Honda, or Ford. Hadn't heard about any sales tax exemptions, but I guess they're localized in WA.
Basically, as I said, there are good reasons for buying a hybrid, but minimum cost probably isn't one of t
A balance review. The tonneau cover is an accessory for the Insight. If you add that in the difference is only $500.
It would be great to note that 2010 Prius' traction motor is 80 hp, designed for Plug-in in mind. Prius' HV battery pack is also much larger than the Insight and it can absorb 4x the rate of the regen-braking. Smartkey with push start button is also standard in the 2010 Prius but it is not an option for the Insight.
Would be better if you focus more on the hybrid EXCLUSIVE premium features not available on the single engine compact/sub-compact cars. Super Ultra Low Emission, EV mode, engine shutdown quietness, jet-smooth acceleration, brake pads wears twice as slow and fast cabin warmth (with exhaust heat recovery).
With a full hybrid like the Prius, you not only save gas but you also get hybrid exclusive premium features.
Having owned a Prius for four years now I've experienced every foible the design carries - but it remains a serviceable, comfortable car. I've also read countless reviews of same. Your review - like nearly EVERY review I've seen - focuses mostly on the benefit of gas mileage and money comparisons. Your failing is the fact that there are actually people who buy a Prius to experience those savings but also to make it possible for you and others to breathe cleaner air. To that comparison with a Corolla or a Fit or an Elantra there is no equal.
There definitely is more to a hybrid than just the dollars. Otherwise, I would have concluded "don't buy a hybrid" rather than "don't buy a hybrid just thinking you'll necessarily recoup your investment."
"There’s no guarantee either car will last long enough to make back the extra $7,000 or more you’d spend on the hybrid."
"Extra" indicates you are looking at two comparably equipped cars. A stripped down compact/sub-compact non-hybrid is not comparable to a well-equipped mid-size Prius. Without mentioning the premium features exclusive to hybrids (or what you are not getting with econoboxes), that statement is very misleading because it leads the readers to believe that they will be paying extra for nothing; getting ripped off.
There were zero mention about the emission as well. Do you expect readers to automatically know all these already?
This was not an insight review. It was a prius review. I own an insight and although I can agree on some of it's shortcomings, this review makes almost no mention of any inovations unique to Honda. I regularly get 53 mpg in town (stop lights, speed bumps et all).
The 2010 Honda Insight is way better than the 2010 Toyota Prius. I know because I own and drive one every day. Unlike the writer who wrote this article.
Not only does it look better and is cheaper. It's also more fun to drive because it handles better. If you do mostly highway driving, the miles per gallon is about the same for both cars. I am getting about 50 MPG after driving the car for 4500 miles.
In addition, Car and Driver rated the 2010 Honda Insight higher than the 2010 Toyota Prius and Motor Trend also gave the Insight very good reviews. I trust them more than this guy, who probably doesn't even know anything about cars except putting gas in it. Not that I am pro-Honda, because I also own a 1996 Toyota Highlander and like that car also.
Oohh, I almost forgot to mentioned that usbseawolf2000 is wrong about the Insight only being a $500 price difference than the Prius after you add in the tonneau cover. Yes it's an added accessory, but the MSRP is only $195. That would still make the Insight LX $2000 cheaper than the base model Prius. I bought this accessory from eBay, which is even cheaper than MSRP and it's so easy to install. Just snap it in.
Russ,
I can't say I would agree with you that owning one car makes you the best judge of how it compares to a car you chose not to buy. And I certainly wouldn't agree that you would need to own a car and drive it every day to be qualified to give an opinion.
On another note, Toyota introduced the Highlander in 2000 as a 2001 model. I'd be very interested to see your 1996 Highlander.
My bad... I really have a 2006 Toyota Highlander. Just the base model and not the hybrid version. Although I wish I could have afforded it at the time I bought it. I test drove the Toyota Prius (2nd Generation) a few months ago. I heard the 2010 hasn't changed much, except for better gas mileage and additional features. Some of them I like (solar powered climate control system), but I certainly could can do without the instrumentation in the middle of the dashboard, which hasn't changed with the new model. That's what turned me off about the Prius. Also, I didn't like the wallowy handling or weird feeling regenerative braking. That's why I bought the Insight instead almost two months ago.
Don't take my word for it. Take a look at the video from edmonds.com on YouTube. They test drove both cars and the Prius didn't get much better mileage than the Insight, 54.4 mpg for Prius vs. 51.5 mpg for Insight.
Russ,
Insight LX makes the 2010 Prius II looks like a luxury car. They are not comparably sized nor equipped. As for MPG, there is no doubt the Insight may hang with the Prius in ideal weather conditions and driving conditions. Wait until it gets very hot or very cold. Insight lacks technologies to combat them. Insight does not recover the exhaust heat and it has gasoline powered A/C.
I hope you live in Hawaii or your year-round MPG will dip.
Russ,
I was saying the Insight EX + tonneau cover is only $500 less than the Prius II.
Have you driven 2010 Prius to compare the handling? Check out the Prius V with 17" wheels if you are into handling. Car and Driver only reviewed 2010 Prius with 15" wheels even though they are car magazine for drivers; go figured!
usbseawolf2000, you're comparing the Honda Insight EX + tonneau cover, which is not the base model, to the Prius II that is a base model. That’s an unfair comparison.
But how much is that Prius really going to cost you? Destination charge is $40 more for the Prius than the Insight. Also, you're more than likely to pay ADM (Added Dealer Markup) for the Prius. But like the editor mentioned in this article, you can buy an Insight for less than MSRP now. Better hurry up and get that Prius before the "Cash For Clunkers" program starts, because the ADM is going to be more.
I ran the climate control system in my Honda Insight today for my most of my 90+ mile trip to work and back home in Connecticut. But I still managed to get 51.5 mpg. Your prediction is wrong!
Also the 2010 Prius is not much faster than the Insight with all that additional horsepower, that’s because it weighs over 400 pounds more than the Insight and the new Prius II has less torque.
usbseawolf2000, I should also point out, which I briefly mentioned before, the 2010 Honda Insight beat the 2010 Toyota Prius in comparison tests, administered by Motor Trend and Edmunds Inside Line.
In the July 2009 issue of Car and Driver, the Honda Insight came in first place against the Toyota Prius, and a 1999 Geo Metro, which is not a hybrid.
Who has more experience test driving new cars? the car magazines or the editor of this article? But he only gave his opinion after test driving the Insight for who knows how long?
Russ,
Have you look at what comes with the Prius II? The base Prius II has every major features the Insight EX has plus more. A fully loaded Insight is a joke because you can only load the Navi option; wow! Where are the sunroof, solar panel, LED headlight, Parking Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Laser guided Cruise Control, 17" wheels, Smartkey System, SOS(OnStar-like),etc...?
It is not fair to compare Insight to Prius because they are in totally different classes. Do you expect the mid-size Accord to cost the same as the compact Civic? No, the Accord costs about $5k more than the Civic. Going along with that logic, Prius should cost $5k more than the Insight but it costs about the same if equipped similarly.
Prius gives you much more bang for the buck because the Insight will NOT pay you back for driving a lower class car with saving in gas; the Civic WILL against the Accord.
In summary, Insight is priced too high for it's class and it costs more to operate than a higher class
Russ,
The 2010 Prius has a more powerful electric motor with 80hp (09 is rated at 67hp). The new motor has less torque but revs higher. Toyota use a torque multiplier to achieve more overall torque while making it lighter and smaller. The new MG2 torque with torque multiplier makes about 350 lbs-ft vs 295 lbs-ft.
With the more powerful gas engine and traction motor, the 2010 Prius has about 20% more torque at the wheels.
BTW, what speed do you drive to get 51.5 MPG? I would guess you drive at 65 MPH. 2010 Prius can go 75 MPH to get that kind of MPG. Your 90+ mile trip will have less affected by the weather so you made a pretty good choice.
In 4 months Toyota will offer a Prius III for $1k LESS than now....slightly less options...for me there is NO question that the Prius is THE car to get, and the Honda a good 'wannabe' partial hybrid. Its all good as any competition is great way to lower all dealers prices for the public...
I agree with Editor just wait 10 months and get either a slightly used nicely equipped Prius III or a new cheaper 2010 Hybrid like Honda FIT - all priced for less than current inflated prices.....2010 is the 'magic year' for Hybrid competition and pricing!
But you add all the extra options and suddenly that Prius is really expensive. It may have a more powerful electric motor and bigger battery, but it doesn't handle as well as the Insight. Also, braking feels weird with the Prius. The Insight does not. The Insight also looks better.
You can get many extra accesories with Insight also. I have a navigation system and other accessories in my car.
I was going about the speed limit on mostly highways and I had the climate control set to 68 degrees. It was low to mid seventies outside, but humid. I doubt you could get 51 mpg going 75 mph on the highway. Do you actually own a 2010 Prius or even an older Prius? I would like to hear you give a real world example based on your driving experiences. I gave you mine.
Russ,
I have a 2006 Prius. You can google my name for more info. Check out my videos on YouTube and Google Video. You can also check out my posts on PriusChat.com.
My commute is mostly on the highway. I drive most of my miles in the HOV lane between 65-70 MPH, and I get about 53 MPG. The slow and congested sections on the highway brings the average speed to about 45 MPH.
If I drive speed limit and avoid the HOV lane, I can get 65-85 MPG as shown in several of my videos.
Please justify technically your opinion:
"The first key issue is the hybrid system: the Insight’s just doesn’t work well". Are you sure that full-hybrid is absolutely better than mild-hybrid? Can you explain why other car manufacturers are working on mild-hybrid instead of full (see Subaru i.e.)?
Insight system works. May be the Prius system works even better, in some circumstances, but it is heavier too.
Automakers that are trying to catch up quickly are going with mild hybrids because they're easier, not because they're better. The Insight and other mild hybrids can't do what a Prius can do to maximize your gas mileage; it's much more like a conventional car that costs more rather than something special that costs more.
But even as a mild hybrid the Insight simply fails to operate smoothly, as the review noted. The Prius operates seamlessly; the Insight clunks and jerks as the engine turns back on.
Sorry, this is not a technical reply.
"But even as a mild hybrid the Insight simply fails to operate smoothly, as the review noted. The Prius operates seamlessly; the Insight clunks and jerks as the engine turns back on."
I'm amazed. I think that you drove a car with some problems. I'm driving an Insight from July 2009 (in Europe) and it works very smoothly (and yes, I drove also a Prius II). I cannot detect the engine turning on or off when the system changes from electric mode to thermal and vice-versa. May be different attitudes or traffic conditions. Note that in Europe the price difference is very high: Insight is about 5000 Euro (7500 $) cheaper than Prius III. There is no breakeven.
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