Honda Insight - I'd shoot myself!

Tiny engine.

 

Yep. 30-40 fewer horses. I test drove one before getting the Prius. It struggled a bit - NOISILY - to get up to highway speeds.

 

So technically it is a mild hybrid right?

 

Very mild, yes. Only planetary gear set based hybrids are full hybrids. Toyota HSD and clones, GM Two Mode... Full hybrid would allow ICE only, MG only, and any combination in between.

 

What clones are there?

 

Ford, Nissan, and Hyundai, and Kia license Toyota HSD I believe.

 

Correction: Hyundai does not license the HSD. Here is a video of them dissing the PSD.

 

I drove one a few months back and whilst not as good as a Prius, it wasn't half bad either. The performance wasn't bad considering it's a 1.3 engine and the ride was typical Honda and thus a little harsher than the Prius, but still inline with many European cars.

Considering how much less money the Insight used to be compared to the Prius, I don't think it's a bad buy. But lately the price new has drifted upwards closing the cap with the Prius. As a low mileage used car it'll be a bargain.

 

I was amused when he said it smoked the competition (for mileage) on the highway...

 

I was wondering if the FE swings as much on the Insight as the Prius does in winter, i.e. the average FE over a year might well be closer to the Prius than the quoted figures suggest.

 

And how the PSD has a clutch (it doesn't!) and that they have more trunk space (not at all!). And as for cutting costs, why is the hybrid Sonata still more expensive than a Prius?

But as for being able to drive at up to 70 MPH in EV mode, make it a PHEV with decent EV range and it could be a winner.