Car and Driver: 2010 Honda Insight vs. 2010 Toyota Prius, 1998 Chevy Metro

1998 Chevy Metro?!? Why not a reeaaal car, 1982 Pontiac Acadian!

The two latest mileage maestros—and the, uh, old Chevy Metro—will knock you stiff via tranquility, especially if you drive there.
BY JOHN PHILLIPS, PHOTOGRAPHY BY J.G. RUSSELL July 2009

What we have here is an official C/D comparison test in which the photo vehicle, a Honda Pilot, proved far quicker than any of our contestants. These cars make you feel guilty about eating red meat. Convicted road ragers should be forced to do time in any of these three.

Both hybrids here are brand-new, if not all-new. The Honda Insight, which made its debut in 1999, has undergone the most radical transformation, gaining one cylinder, 25 horsepower, a back seat, and a shape that no longer resembles a tadpole in a spandex body wrap. In fact, what the Insight looks like is the Prius but with a smiling-fish grille instead of the Toyota’s frowning-fish grille.

We drove these mileage maestros on a 600-mile odyssey—a mix of interstates, country two-lanes, urban loops, and hilly whirligigs. The route led us from Ann Arbor through Columbus and ultimately to the southern Ohio towns of Knockemstiff and Tranquility via a side trip to Serpent Mound, a six-foot-tall earthen replica of a huge snake that was either produced by Native Americans 1000 years ago or by a ’50s-era farmer with a strong John Deere and an even stronger sense of humor.

There were no driving rules. Eco mode was not mandated. Using the air conditioner was legal. So were jack-rabbit starts and dangerous cornering speeds, neither of which we were able to accomplish. In short, we drove as we always do, trying to eke out some fun, and our observed fuel-economy figures reflect that. Indeed, that was the whole point of this test—to drive these things the way we’d drive regular cars. The regular-car control group was represented here by a 1998 Chevrolet Metro, and it was exceedingly regular. Funny that both hybrids’ consumption computers were optimistic—the Prius’s by 4 mpg, the Insight’s by 3 mpg. Final note: Knockemstiff didn’t. Tranquility was.

click on the appropriate link to find out the results:
Third: 1998 Chevrolet Metro

Second: 2010 Toyota Prius

First: 2010 Honda Insight

Source;
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison_test/hatchbacks/2010_honda_insight_vs_2010_toyota_prius_1998_chevy_metro_comparison_test

CanadianDriver sets Honda Insight trip record

Montreal, Quebec - Honda’s cross-country “Insight Into Canada” tour, where journalists drive two dozen separate legs over the course of a month in a 2010 Honda Insight, has entered the last third of the journey. CanadianDriver.com’s Senior Editor Paul Williams has set a record of 3.8 L/100 km from Ottawa to Montreal.

The Insight, the first one registered in Canada, began its journey on April 21, departing from the Trans-Canada Highway Mile Marker Zero in Victoria. The journalists report on the trip and on environmental initiatives through a “narrative” by the car, at InsightIntoCanada.

The trip is scheduled to end on May 22 at the Trans-Canada Highway Mile Marker Zero in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Williams achieved his 3.8 L/100 km (74 mpg Imp) with a full tank of fuel. Transport Canada’s fuel economy ratings for the vehicle are 4.5 L/100 km on the highway, and 4.8 L/100 km in the city. ”I drove at or near the speed limit, but looked for every opportunity to cruise with power from the electric battery only and the gasoline engine off,” Williams said. “The car’s Eco Assist system was very helpful in optimizing fuel economy.”

The Insight went on sale on April 22, with a starting price of $23,900.


Source;
http://www.canadiandriver.com/2009/05/12/canadiandriver-sets-honda-insight-trip-record.htm

UK Honda Insight 'a hit'

The Honda Insight is outselling its competitors in the green car market, according to its makers.

The vehicle went on sale earlier this month and has shifted 229 units in Britain.

Meanwhile, in the same time, Toyota has sold 198 of its Prius models, while Honda’s Civic Hybrid has been snapped up by 79 buyers.

John Kingston, the company’s environmental and government affairs manager, comments that the car is "a hit with cost-savvy consumers looking for a cleaner car that’s more affordable".

He adds: "More and more people want a car that makes sound financial sense, especially in the current economic climate, and the Insight offers numerous running cost savings."

Mr Kingston explains that these benefits include reduced road tax and greater fuel economy.

Source;
http://www.eta.co.uk/node/12061

Honda's hybrid selling well

The Insight starts at 1.89 million yen (S$29,500) in Japan and will sell for under US$20,000 (S$30,800) in the US, the cheapest hybrid on the commercial market. -- PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

TOKYO - ORDERS for the hybrid Insight have totalled 18,000 since it hit the Japanese auto market about a month ago, outpacing Honda's target and underlining the success of the new affordable and ecological vehicle, the company said on Tuesday.

The brisk demand for the gas-electric hybrid is a rare piece of good news for Honda Motor Co. as the auto industry grapples with plunging global demand. Honda, Japan's second biggest automaker, was hoping for the Insight's monthly sales to reach 5,000 vehicles.

The Insight starts at 1.89 million yen (S$29,500) in Japan and will sell for under US$20,000 (S$30,800) in the US, the cheapest hybrid on the commercial market. The Insight goes on sale in April in the US, and March in Europe.

Oil prices have tumbled from their peak last July, detracting from the possible appeal of gas-sipping hybrids. But the Insight is drawing a wide-range of buyers to the showroom, according to Tokyo-based Honda The Insight was the top-selling hybrid for February in the ranking of new vehicle registrations in Japan, totaling 4,906, or No. 10 among all hybrid and regular models, even though it wasn't on sale for the full month.

That outpaced the Prius hybrid from Toyota Motor Corp, at No. 12, with 4,524 registered for the month, and cumulatively the best-selling hybrid model.

Details of the Insight's overseas pricing are still being finalised. But it's cheaper than the Prius, at US$22,000 in the US and 2.3 million yen in Japan.

Toyota, which sold 285,700 Prius cars worldwide last year, is introducing a remodelled Prius in May, which is bigger and has a more powerful engine than the current Prius, and likely to be more expensive.

Japanese media have speculated that Toyota may continue selling the old Prius even after the remodeled version goes on sale - an unusual move for an automaker - to compete against the cheaper Insight.

Toyota has refused to comment on the report. But it is almost certain that the competition among hybrid offerings will intensify this year.

Last month, Honda chose a new president and chief executive Takanobu Ito, who has a career in engineering, to press ahead with innovations and prepare for long-term growth. -- AP

Source;

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Tech+and+Science/Story/STIStory_348242.html