Most fuel-efficient hybrid car 2011 Toyota Prius *Est. $21650
Best hybrid family sedan 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid *Est. $28600

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2010 Honda Insight

Base MSRP: $19,800-$21,300

Reviewed

April 2010

Pros

Reasonable base price
Excellent fuel economy
Hatchback utility
Folding rear seat

Cons

Noisy, coarse ride
Weak acceleration
Prius-like styling
Can't run on pure electric power
No stability control on base model
Our Analysis

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Our Analysis

Although the model name is familiar, the 2010 Honda Insight is a five-door, five-passenger hatchback, unlike the previous two-door, two-passenger hybrid car sold from 2000 to 2006. The new Insight is Honda's attempt to sell more hybrid cars to more people by offering a lower base price, but reviewers warn that the base Honda Insight LX (*Est. Base MSRP: $19,800) is missing a few desirable features, such as electronic stability control and cruise control, which are standard in the more expensive Honda Insight EX (Base MSRP: $21,300). The Insight hybrid competes head-to-head with the Toyota Prius and even looks similar; as CNET's Antuan Goodwin laments, "The Insight's 'me-too' styling too closely apes the Toyota Prius." Of course, the advantage to the Prius-like styling, critics admit, is that everyone knows right away that the Insight is a hybrid, unlike the 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid (Base MSRP: $23,800), which looks just like a regular sedan.

Reviewers are quick to compare the Honda Insight to the Toyota Prius. At first, critics liked the Insight better -- back when it was competing against the 2009 Prius. They said the Insight cost less, handled better and delivered similar fuel economy. But in tests against the substantially improved 2010 Toyota Prius (Base MSRP: $21,400 to $28,070), the Honda Insight faces a more formidable challenge, and most critics prefer the new, redesigned Prius, even if its price is a bit higher. "Sure, the Toyota costs more, but it's also worth the money," Popular Mechanics editors say. Drawbacks to the Honda Insight (versus the Prius) include its smaller size, slower acceleration, lower fuel economy and noisier cabin, according to reviewers. The nonhybrid 2010 Honda Fit hatchback (Base MSRP: $14,900 to $16,410) is a fuel-efficient economy car that will certainly be shopped against the Insight. Critics mention the Fit's practical, versatile interior and much lower base price as key advantages.

The front-wheel-drive Honda Insight is powered by an 88-horsepower, 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine that works in conjunction with a 13-horsepower electric motor, producing a peak combined output of 98 horsepower. Fundamentally different from Toyota's full-hybrid powertrain, the Honda Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system's electric motor cannot propel the car from a stop without the gas engine. This proves to be a problem in Motor Trend's long-term test, as the Insight shudders annoyingly in stop-and-go traffic. "Every time traffic inched forward, the engine would kick back on and then turn back off seconds later once traffic stopped moving again," editor Kirill Ougarov reports. "Rinse, repeat several dozen times."

Fuel economy is high, with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate of 40 mpg city/43 mpg highway/41 mpg combined. Test drivers say these figures seem to be accurate and note that conservative driving can easily result in even higher mileage. However, the Prius beats the Insight in test after test, with its estimated 51 mpg city/48 mpg highway/50 mpg combined.

Standard safety features include antilock brakes and front, side and curtain airbags. The Insight performs well in crash tests, earning the highest rating of "Good" in front-, side- and rear-crash tests at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a perfect 5-star government rating for protecting the driver in front and side crashes, with 4 stars for passenger protection and rollover resistance.

The 2010 Honda Insight hybrid carries a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty, with five years/60,000 miles for the powertrain and eight years/80,000 miles for hybrid components. Honda hybrids are no longer eligible for any federal tax credits.

We found numerous comparison tests of the 2010 Honda Insight and its top hybrid-car rival, the Toyota Prius, including those at Edmunds Inside Line, Car and Driver, Popular Mechanics, Cars.com and Motor Trend, plus a long-term test of the Insight at Motor Trend. In-depth reviews at TheTruthAboutCars.com and CNET also draw comparisons with the Prius. ConsumerReports.org subjects the Insight to its usual thorough testing. Both the IIHS and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash test the Insight, and the EPA and Department of Energy rate its fuel economy against other hybrids.

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Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

ConsumerReports.org judges the Honda Insight against other small cars (bigger hybrids such as the Toyota Prius are in the separate Sedan section). Editors rank the cars from best to worst based on performance, comfort, real-world fuel economy, safety and predicted reliability.

Review: Small Cars, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

2. Edmunds Inside Line

Inside Line editors use a comprehensive test procedure to pit the 2010 Honda Insight against the 2010 Toyota Prius. Both hybrid cars achieve almost the same mileage in a highway-biased test route: 51.2 mpg for the Insight, 52.2 mpg for the Prius. Test drivers find driving the Insight more enjoyable, but they say the Prius offers a smoother ride, quieter cabin and better performance. Overall, the Prius narrowly wins this comparison.

Review: Comparison Test: 2010 Honda Insight vs. 2010 Toyota Prius, Erin Riches, March 25, 2009

3. Motor Trend Details/Subscribe

In this head-to-head comparison test between the 2010 Honda Insight and the 2010 Toyota Prius, Motor Trend's Kim Reynolds provides an excellent discussion of the hybrid cars' technology, comfort and drivability. The Insight wins the test despite drawbacks such as a coarse, noisy ride and slightly lower fuel economy. Reynolds feels that the Honda Insight's more reasonable price and excellent mileage make for a more appealing package overall.

Review: Comparison: 2010 Honda Insight vs. 2010 Toyota Prius, Kim Reynolds, March 2009

4. Motor Trend Details/Subscribe

Disagreeing with his colleague (above), Motor Trend editor Arthur St. Antoine argues that the 2010 Toyota Prius is a much better car than the Honda Insight -- so much that he buys a Prius for himself.

Review: Honda Insight Versus Toyota Prius: There's No Comparison, Arthur St. Antoine, Nov. 20, 2009

5. Motor Trend Details/Subscribe

Flaws begin to surface in the Honda Insight in Motor Trend's long-term test. While the car is fun at first, its inability to start smoothly at traffic lights, "twitchy" freeway ride and general lack of attention to detail eventually irritate testers.

Review: Long Term Update 3: 2010 Honda Insight, Ron Kiino, February 2010

6. The Truth About Cars

The Honda Insight lacks any sort of traditional driving thrill, Michael Martineck says. But it's very good at today's different kind of thrill -- maximizing fuel economy. Despite the flaws he turns up in this thorough review, Martineck awards the Insight 4 stars out of 5.

Review: Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX, Michael Martineck, April 12, 2009

7. The Truth About Cars

Michael Karesh opposes his colleague Michael Martineck (above), giving the Honda Insight only 2 stars out of 5. He finds many of the same flaws Martineck does, but he gives the Insight fewer points for fuel economy since it drinks more gas than the faster, more comfortable Toyota Prius.

Review: Review: 2010 Honda Insight Take Two, Michael Karesh, May 19, 2009

Reviewer Ben Stewart takes five high-efficiency cars -- including the hybrid Honda Insight, Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion -- on a week-long mileage test. He likes the Insight's reliable feel, but the Prius delivers the best gas mileage. The Honda Insight trails the Prius by 7 mpg in the city and 3 mpg on the highway.

Review: PM's Ultimate 5 Car MPG Comparison Test, Ben Stewart, November 2009

While much of this comparison test is focused on the fuel mileage of the two contenders, the 2010 Honda Insight and the 2010 Toyota Prius, Popular Mechanics editors also discuss the driving characteristics, styling and interior features. Over an identical driving route, the Honda Insight returns 40.9 mpg while the Prius achieves 45.8 mpg. Editors choose the Prius as the better hybrid car.

Review: 2010 Toyota Prius vs. 2010 Honda Insight Comparison Test Drive: Battle of the Fuel Sippers -- The Rematch, Larry Webster, March 25, 2009

10. Car and Driver Details/Subscribe

The Honda Insight wins this face-off. Testers judge it "more visceral, connected, and agile than the Prius," although Car and Driver notes that the accompanying photographer's Honda Pilot beat them all for speed.

Review: 2010 Honda Insight vs. 2010 Toyota Prius, 1998 Chevy Metro -- Comparison Tests, John Phillips, July 2009

11. CNET

CNET does an excellent job with car reviews, providing good general impressions with extra attention to the technological features. Writer Antuan Goodwin praises the Insight's fun-to-drive nature, its "good torque and throttle response" and excellent fuel economy, averaging 43.2 mpg during the test drive. Dislikes include its Prius-clone styling.

Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX, Antuan Goodwin, Feb. 11, 2009

12. Cars.com

Cars.com testers manage a better-than-expected 53.7 mpg with the Honda Insight in this comparison test with the 2010 Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Still, although the Insight has a tempting price, editors say so does the more spacious, fuel-efficient Prius -- and the Jetta TDI is a lot more fun to drive than either one.

Review: Faceoff: Green Cars, Joe Bruzek, Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays and Joe Wiesenfelder, Nov. 2, 2009

13. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The 2010 Honda Insight earns the highest rating of "Good" in front-, side- and rear-crash tests here. However, it has not yet been tested for rollover roof strength -- a prerequisite for a Top Safety Pick.

Review: Small Cars, Editors of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

14. SaferCar.gov

The 2010 Honda Insight earns a perfect 5-star rating for protecting the driver in front and side crashes, with 4 stars for passenger protection and rollover resistance. These are good scores, but some hybrids do even better in government crash tests.

Review: 5-Star Safety Ratings, Editors of SaferCar.gov

15. FuelEconomy.gov

This chart lists fuel-economy ratings for 2010 hybrid vehicles, including the Honda Insight, which gets ratings of 40 mpg city, 43 mpg highway and 41 mpg combined, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy.

Review: 2010 Hybrid Vehicles, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov

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