2010 Honda Insight

Although the model name is familiar, the 2010 Honda Insight is a five-door 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. Car and Driver's Patrick Bedard says Honda's new hybrid car is about "bringing down the price of hybrid benefits more than pushing out the technical frontier." But reviewers warn that the base Honda Insight LX (*Est. $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 (*Est. $21,300). The Insight hybrid competes head to head with the Toyota Prius and even looks similar, which many reviewers find disappointing. 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, they admit, is that everyone knows right away that the Insight is hybrid-only, not just a model variant like the Honda Civic Hybrid (*Est. $23,650). 

Reviewers are quick to compare the Honda Insight to the Toyota Prius, which has undergone a full redesign for 2010. In comparison tests against the 2009 Toyota Prius (*Est. $22,000 to $24,270), most critics say the Insight is the superior hybrid car thanks to its lower price, better handling and similar fuel efficiency. But in tests against the substantially improved 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid (*Est. $22,000 to $27,270), the Honda Insight faces a more formidable challenge, and most critics prefer the new, redesigned Prius, even if its price is a bit higher. After pitting the Insight against the 2010 Prius, Popular Mechanics editors say, "Sure, the Toyota costs more, but it's also worth the money." Drawbacks to the Honda Insight include its smaller size, slower acceleration, lower fuel economy and noisier cabin, according to reviewers. The nonhybrid 2009 Honda Fit hatchback (*Est. $14,750 to $18,960) 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 2010 Honda Insight is powered by an 88-horsepower, 1.3-liter, four-cylinder gas 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. Some reviewers like the fact that the Insight hybrid sounds and runs more like a conventional car, but others would prefer it ran silently on battery power at times like the Prius. Despite the Insight's mild-hybrid configuration, fuel economy is high, with an Environmental Protection Agency estimate of 40 mpg city and 43 mpg highway. Test drivers say these figures seem to be accurate and note that conservative driving can easily result in even higher mileage. However, the Toyota Prius still has a fuel-efficiency advantage: the outgoing 2009 model is rated at 48 city and 45 highway mpg and the improved 2010 Prius hybrid is rated at 51 city and 48 highway mpg. The Honda Insight won't set anyone's hair on fire with its acceleration (Car and Driver says zero-60 mph takes 10.6 seconds), but its lively feeling engine and precise handling make Honda's new hybrid car fun to drive, according to reviewers like Bedard, who writes, "the Insight drives like a Honda, with tight suspension motions, a firm ride, well-connected steering and a no-fat musculature."