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Gen 2 Insight VS Gen 2 Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Integraoligist, Oct 9, 2013.

  1. Integraoligist

    Integraoligist Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Hey all, I'm in the market for an excellent mpg car and have been studying up on both of these... but had a few questions regarding them...

    Here is some background, it will be driven about 26k miles a year, 80% highway around 73mph about an hour south of Chicago all year around... about a 70 mile trip back and forth daily.

    I had an '97 Integra GSR for 12 years that got 30 mph and I did all the maintenance and work myself... if you are unfamiliar with them, they are basically the civic so they are super easy to work on and very cheap replacement parts with lots of aftermarket items. However, I had to sell the Integra because the wife can not drive (nor wants to learn how) to drive a stick...

    Anyway, my questions are:
    I know a lot of you have or have had both Hybrids... are they both super easy to work on and the common issues that you have with them, are the parts cheap and easy to replace?

    I've been looking for aftermarket parts for the Insight, there does not seem to be that many where as the Prius has a good amount... correct?

    I've read that the most common problems with both cars is the Hybrid battery and are quite expensive to replace (1500-2500 new) but the batteries last anywhere from 70k to 300k miles. So it's a crap shoot... but the added MPG makes up for the $$ of the battery in no time. However I see all of the Insight guys using the grid chargers to prolong the life of the battery... i do not see them for Priuses though... also the main thing that erks me about the Prius is this Gas Bladder system they have instead of a regular gas tank. Cant figure out what function it does but I know you can never calculate your MPG by gallons in vs. miles because the fill-ups are different every time due to the "Bladder".

    Essentially, which vehicle is less prone to problems? and the problems that due occur, am I able to fix them or is it a dealer thing? I've never been to the dealer once in the 12 years I've had my Integra... I bought an Envoy, and it was at the dealer(s) with engine trouble 80% of the year that I owned it before I got rid of it...

    I think I covered everything... thanks all for the help!!
     
    #1 Integraoligist, Oct 9, 2013
  2. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I am not an Insight expert but it has not been as successful car as Prius. Therefore go with the Prius AFAIK.
    The gas tank bladder system in Gen2 serves to reduce hydrocarbon emissions when you refill the tank. Don't worry about it except as you say there is some variation in fill-ups and you get less gas in there in the winter.
     
    #2 wjtracy, Oct 9, 2013
  3. Integraoligist

    Integraoligist Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Model:
    II
    Most of the Prius I've seen in the $9k range have around 70-100k miles on them... is there anything specific I should be checking for when I test drive these?
    I notice the shifter is in the dash and has a B on it... i assume thats how you make it run on the battery and stop the engine?
    I also see that the engines in these are super small compared to a regular gas engine... or maybe they are just covered up with plastic? So the wear and tear should be far from that of a regular gas engine? Same with the transmission, I've read somewhere that Hybrids do not have a normal tranny and will almost never go out... then I read somewhere else that they are the same as a regular gas car... so I dont know what to believe here.

    Sorry for the newbie questions, but I am completely ignorant to the whole Hybrid seen.
     
    #3 Integraoligist, Oct 9, 2013
  4. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

    Joined:
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    N/A
    B is "engine breaking" like a downshift for going down a hill...rarely use it. Do not worry about it. You drive this car like any car transparent to user. The huge number of miles you drive is where you need a Prius for fuel savings. Used car has risks that the first guy did good maintenance etc. Your hybrid battery will be going off warranty at 100000 miles or 8 years (since the windy city is not in a CARB state), it might be nice to get one that had 80000 miles and a year remaining on warranty to make sure you do have immediate issue. This site has many technical discussions of potential problem areas so if you have the energy to read this site you will find everything you need to know. One reason to get Prius is simply this site has so much help.
     
    #4 wjtracy, Oct 9, 2013
  5. HaroldW

    HaroldW Active Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Grand Forks BC Canada
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Very few folks have had to change a pack on their Prius. My 2006 HCH2 has 130,000 kilometers on it and the pack recalibrate every day. It is on its way out! Saying that I still really like this auto and it gives good fe. I am not sure if the 2014 Insights are equipped with the new ion packs or not. If Honda is still using the metelhydrate I would stay clear. I would go by the #,s. Sold. I believe there are 5 million Pius's out there!!! H
     
    #5 HaroldW, Oct 9, 2013
  6. Integraoligist

    Integraoligist Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
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    If you have ever been on to team-integra dot net I am use to that type of forum which I received much of the repair and modification information from... they have a large amount of articles with plenty of photos. I do see a decent amount of activity on this forum but have not found any articles, are there any?
     
    #6 Integraoligist, Oct 9, 2013
  7. Kurzweil

    Kurzweil Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    My first hybrid was a Gen 1 Insight and I loved it. My avatar shows it with my CURRENT hybrid, the Prius. A three cylinder engine optimized for emissions and fuel economy. The Gen 2 Insight is similar but has four cylinders. If you like to work on your own car, you find far more that is familiar. Honda uses a CVT transmission and the hybird system is basically an add-on for additional power during acceleration. Insight's engine runs all the time the car is under power but shuts down for stops, like Prius. Prius can move on battery alone and is compelled to do so in reverse. Insight is called a mild hybrid and Prius a full hybrid. The difference is apparent in the fuel economy. That's comparing Gen 2 to Gen 2. The Gen 1 Insight could readily sustain 75 MPG, but you drove a tiny, noisy, light weight car with a five speed, exactly everything your wife would hate. I recommend Prius. It is everything the Gen 2 Insight wants to be. I believe that the significant amount of additional complexity (in Prius) is sufficiently offset by their extreme reliability. Mine at 230K operates flawlessly, as it has since I bought it almost 40K ago. My Insight, with similar care, was preparing last rights for the battery at similar mileage. I am told that Prius could also benefit from a grid charger but know of no one using one.
     
    #7 Kurzweil, Oct 9, 2013
    HaroldW likes this.
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