2010 Prius or Insight II?

Good God, is this for real? Really? You're trying to compare the CR-Z to the Prius?

For starters, the CR-Z has no back seats. None. Zippo. It's a two seater.

Next up is MPGs. Typical Honda to try to compromise on the hybrid concept, and manage to get it wrong - again, and again. There's simply NO comparison.

By the way, the CR-Z is NO sports car. Yes, zippier than the prius, but not so much so...it's just made to look like it's a lot faster...but it ain't.

Need I go on?

 

The $10k price premium on the prius vs the insight would have sealed the deal for me.

If anyone came to me and said "heres a prius" or "here's an insight with 10,000 dollars in a bag on the passenger seat" I'd take the insight without hesitation

 

We have both. I like my Prius. My wife likes her Insight. The Insight is slightly smaller, handles better, is slightly noisier. The Prius gets about 10% better gas mileage, but costs about 25% more. You can still get an Insight here for about $18.5K. Can't beat that for a car that gets 40-45mpg in town or on the highway.

 

Yep, as I've been saying, price point in this segment of the market is critical.

That said, it's interesting that there's a $10K difference "down under". Certainly no where near that here in the States.

 

To be clear, are you comparing this to the G3? If so, I would take issue with:

(1) Relative MPGs: Insight is 41 combined. G3 is 50MPG combined. That's more than 20% increase...and not 10% as you stated.

(2) Roominess. Back seat of the insight is a joke (both leg and head-room). Way too small for the average adult male. I test drove, and I couldn't wait to get out of the back seat.

...also, look around. You can get a base G3 for right around $20K+. If your Insight is $18.5K, that about 10% difference...not 25%.

If the Insight was such a good deal, how come it lags the Prius in sales by about 10-to-1? Sorry, but Honda missed the hybrid mark - again. Seems to me that Toyota is about the only one that gets the whole concept of WHY hybrid. It's about MPGs, plain and simple.

 

It's the same here - Honda Insight £14,995 (US$23,700) Honda Insight | Book Test Drive | Specification, Finance & Information

Whereas the Prius is £20,265 (US$32,033) Toyota UK - New cars, Used cars, Reviews and Test Drives

Making a difference of almost $10,000 US. The above UK prices including sales tax (VAT) at 17.5%.

 

That's very interesting that the difference is so large where you folks live. Here, it's nominally about $2K difference.

 

You really can't go by published EPA ratings. My brother has an Insight and he gets 50+ mpg consistently with it. In fact, his highway mileage actually is about the same or better then mine. I do beat him in city mileage, but that's the way the different Hybrid Systems are set up. He does mostly highway driving, so for him, the Insight was the better choice. For me, all my driving is city, so the Prius was the best choice. I still get to gloat that my city mileage beats his best highway mileage though...

 

Baloney.

In fact, I contend that's about the ONLY metric you can (objectively) compare. Everything else is antidotal.

Fact: I have been getting 60-63 MPG on my G3 all Summer.

Fact: There are many folks on this web site that get over 75 MPG on their G3.

What does that mean when comparing one vehicle to the next? It means jack.

The only objective comparison, that uses the same methodology for all cars, is the EPA.

Does it mean that's what you will get? Of course not. But it's a fair, objective bench mark when comparing vehicles.

 

Do you know this to be fact?

I certainly know that there are varitions from country/region...but the removal of back seats, and required safety belts, etc..would seem to be a major design and assembly line difference.

Color difference, leather, no leather, some accessories, no accessories....I can believe. But back seats, no back seats? Mmmm....I'd like to see that.

But hey, anything is possible. When I first went to look at them, it was my wife who pointed out there were no back seats...a deal breaker. Not for me, but for my son. Until then, my son was lovin' the CR-Z.

 

Check out the UK website link;

Honda CR-Z Hybrid | Book Test Drive | Specification, Finance & Information

The Top Features section draws attention to the 2+2 seating layout and if you look at the gallery you will notice a picture of the boot/trunk showing the rear seats folded flat. They're not particularly clear, but it does show the 2+2 layout.

 

Thanks, Grumpy. I looked at the interior gallery, and the only one that shows anything from the back seat, is with the seats folded flat. But that looks exactly like what the US version looks like...so I really can't tell anything from that? Is there someplace in the brochure where it spells it out? Thanks

 

Is this option available in Canada? If so, Wth?

Why not here in the States?? Stupid Honda!!

 

There is a section in the brochure where you can view a 360 degree interior view. Again, it doesn't show much of the rear seats, but you can see the seat back and rear seat belts in situ.

CR-Z brochure

The rear seats are rather small and I wonder if they don't meet certain US safety requirements - or maybe they're just too small for certain, erm, larger members of the population - the ones with a fuller figure.

 

Thank you... You just helped prove my point! EPA says 51 City/48 Hwy, you're getting 60 mpg, others have topped 70 mpg, I get about 57 mpg! I had a GMC Sierra pick-up, EPA said 15 City 22 Hwy, I never got more than 19 Hwy, but could consistently get 16 mpg city! I've never owned a car that got what the EPA said it should get, some were worse, most were better, but the point is, NONE ever got the posted EPA rating, so how can that be "the only objective bench mark?" Your mileage may vary...

 

Again, baloney. If you think I helped prove your point, you are delusional, or don't understand the point I am making. In fact, I proved just the opposite....I showed that you can't compare antidotal information. Why? because there's no common methodology. Ergo, the EPA numbers help bring some common methodology (standard) to the comparisons.

Your point was that you can't use the EPA number for relative comparisons. That statement of your's would be incorrect.

However, what you can't assume, is that the EPA numbers are absolute. They are not absolute. They simply serve as a number to help consumers make relative comparisons from one car, to the next. That's it.

If the EPA data made no sense, or had no value to consumers in helping to make objective comparisons between cars, then why is this data on every car? ''

Keep trying.

 

All rather odd, if you ask me. Even most, if not all of Porche's spoirts cars throw in, albeit, token, back seats.