Today Consumer Reports came out with their picks and the Honda Insight was 21 out of the 22 cars. The 22nd car in the rating was a Dodge Caliber.

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewConte...05052327&EDATE=

I have to admit some of the points in the article make perfect sense but then others seems kind of a stretch.

Having seen what the Japanese version gets as far an amenities, it is no wonder Honda got slapped!!

I personally don't have a problem with the car right now. It seems to work fine and it gets the recorded/listed MPG if not better every week.

I would seriously hope that Honda looks at this list and make changes to the next model (2011) before it comes out next year.

Adding a backup camera to the car would be a good start.

Honda needs to learn that people who are shopping for a Hybrid want features that suit them. They should feel pigeon hold into a base model car for the price of a nicely equipped car.

Take a note from Toyota, even they have a luxo hybrid coming out for Lexus.

 

Spinner,

Check out the Honda Insight in Japan and Europe. They have soo much more stuff installed, it would totally kill anything Toyota had up its sleeves with the new Prius.

Also doing the conversion rate, their's comes out cheaper or equal.

I hope Honda decides to bring those options here.

 

Lexus offerings are expensive. The gen 3 Prius is not obscenely expensive. The 2010 Insight LX is really stripped down. At the price of the EX w/o nav, I'd rather spend a little more for a gen 3 Prius model II (http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/t...010-89249.aspx) since it has more power, is faster, is roomier, is quieter and has better fuel economy. Admittedly, if one wants nav, the gen 3 Prius w/nav is quite spendy vs. the Insight w/nav.

As for scoring, well, CR recommended the Fit. It didn't score too low to recommend. In the small wagon and hatchback comparo, the car the scored above the Insight was the Scion xD w/60, which also was recommended.

As for your other complaints about little cars w/poor handling vs. slushy minivans. Well, the Fit is a little car, not a minivan. The minivan isn't a little car. They're not in the same class nor do they have remotely similar handling characteristics. CR shouldn't by default not recommend all non-sports cars and non-little cars because their handling is inferior.

Most sports cars have harsh rides. The same argument could apply too about the ride of say a luxury car vs. a sports car.

 

CR automobile testing is mostly subjective. Time will tell, after a few years, what the rates of repair and reliability are like.
I have an Insight EX w Nav that has not had any problems. I'm averaging 50 MPG combined city/hwy and enjoying the ride.
Does it ride like any BMW, Audi, or VW that I have owned in recent years? No.
Have I had to visit a Honda service Department? No.
Is this the best built in Nav of the four? Yes.
Is this the best built in Blue Tooth? Yes
How are the cup holders? They suck ***.

 

Better values? No way. Both get inferior mileage while being even slower than the already slow previous gen Prius. When I was in the market for my Prius, the HCH had virtually no advantage at all other than handling. It was inferior in just about every other category from mileage to acceleration to cargo versatility and had no price advantage. That did shift a little when Toyota/Lexus tax credits hit $0 and Honda still had theirs.

I think Prius vs. HCH sales figures speak for themselves. The Prius outsold the HCH in the US by over 5:1 last year.
http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/4898
http://www.automotive.com/auto-news/02/40776/index.html

As for missing door pockets, I didn't notice that originally when I saw the 2010 but yes, some have complained about that being a step back from the previous gen. Per http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-...tml#post865557, the chief engineer said "they used the space to increase the sound insulation so that road noise could be diminished". (I was also at the Detroit 2010 Prius unveiling event that a_priori attended in January 2009.)

As for interior, I don't like the Civic's interior in general. It's very strange.

As for comparing the Prius to a Yaris, well, the Yaris has a lousy interior and has did too poorly in CR's testing to recommend.

When I saw the 04 Prius after it was introduced, I was actually very impressed for a car that Toyota was selling for a loss, at the time. It was a HUGE improvement over the not very good interior of the 1st gen.

I will admit that the Prius on the outside is a funny looking car.

FWIW, I dug http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/h...-analysis.aspx last night.

 

As for crash test results, I picked up my 06 Prius in January 06 after putting myself on a wait list >1 month earlier. NHTSA crash tests results for the generation that covers the 06 Civic didn't get released until March 1, 2006 (http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nht...earSelect=2006).

Your last statement is spoken like a true fanboy. Sigh...

The speedo is shifted slightly to the right on the 2010 Prius but is still in front. Side/side curtain airbags became standard in 07 (see https://priuschat.com/forums/knowled...countries.html). The interior styling of the Civic is just bizarro, esp. w/the large tach in the middle and the split design. I'll admit the Priuses interior design is also unconventional.

As for HCH's interior being roomy and comfortable, so is the Prius'. The Prius is roomier (5 more cubic ft of passenger volume and 6 more of luggage volume per http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm) if you compare the 06 version of each. The Prius is a midsize car per the EPA vs. a compact for he HCH.

I guess you can say that Honda's skimping on airbags now since the Insight has no knee airbag.

The 2010 Prius model II is only $700 more than the Insight EX. With it, you get better mileage, much better acceleration due to having 36 more hp, no belts to replace, smart key system, 4 wheel disc brakes (instead of rear drums), touch tracer display, more power modes (4 in total including an EV mode button), a knee air bag, a roomier, quieter car midsize car (vs. a compact) that also puts out fewer greenhouse gases (3.7 tons/year vs. 4.5) and slightly lower emissions (http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-...i-wrx-sti.html).

"Smug zealots" and without thinking? Thanks for the labeling. Good lord.

Some of us on Priuschat have wondered out loud whether we should thank Honda for the low 2010 Prius pricing. I think we should. If the Insight weren't there w/its low price point, the 3rd gen Prius might be more expensive (since they released prices well after Honda).

 

Gee, it sure sounds like Honda better stop selling cars, they are defeated, put a fork in it
There are many factors that go into purchasing an automobile. Ride, appearance, price, dealer, service, comfort, mileage, convenience and more.You like your Prius, I like my Insight.
The local Toyota dealer is run like a meat house. When I walk in the door, I'm an "up" to be slammed. The local Honda dealer is client oriented, I'm greeted with a smile. That makes a huge difference.

 

That depends on where you go. If Toyota Sunnyvale, you'll see highly professional salespeople and be treated with great respect. Other Toyota dealers have sharks swimming around.

About the 2010 Prius, Insight and HCH from a tall dude (6'2" here)...

One more thing .... I bought a 2009 Prius last year, but actually would not have done so again (if do-overs were possible). I ended up buying a used Prius driver's seat and doing a difficult re-weld on the mounts to move it back 2.5" .... last year a Mazda3 hatch would have served very well for now.

anyrate ...

the Insight backseat head and legroom is small for me. Sitting back there, I must tilt my head to the side. With driver's seat all way back/down, the foot, legroom in backseat is also just about terrible. The Insight is smaller, lighter, smaller tires, 36 less HP than a 2010 Prius.

The Prius has really good front/rear room now, and the front seats are first class now. I can move up 2 clicks from max back in the Pri for great driver room, jump in the seat behind, legroom is pretty decent even for me and headroom is 'just enough'.

It's hard to say the Insight even compares to a 2010 Prius - the Insight is definitely a small car. '10 Prius is a small-midsize car.

I agree the HCH is a nice looking car. It also doesn't really compare to a Prius. It's a small sedan. It is not a hatchback. There is no comparison between cargo room of a HCH and '10 Prius or Gen2 Pri. Yes, they're both hybrids, but not comparable IMO.

I would imagine the Honda's can cut a rug better on twisty tarmac, but how much does that matter when clogged in the daily grind of traffic?

I see quite a few HCH's around the SF Bay Area. I see tons of Gen2 Pri's around.

Took 4 weeks since they landed, but I've seen 5 all-new Pri's in 1 week. I'm pretty sure I've seen only about 5 all-new Insights since their release in March. The economy is still horrible now, and I don't see many new cars on the road.

Couple years from now, we'll see some HCH's and Insights out there. But don't get repulsed over the sight of Gen3 Pri's or else you'll be hurling every couple minutes.

 

+1 It's all YMMV. There are good and bad dealers for all brands.

I too bought my Prius from Toyota Sunnyvale and have no hesitation in going there again if I'm in the market for another Toyota.

I've had at bad experience at Kirkland Honda in Kirkland, WA when I was market for a car back in 01. Others have reported similar experiences about that dealer to me. A friend of mine had a bad experience at Larry Hopkins Honda in Sunnyvale, CA.

I haven't been to a really bad Toyota dealer yet, but I've definitely heard of some. And yes, I've seen ratings showing the buying at experience at Toyota dealers is ranked pretty poorly, unfortunately.

 

say again? the hch-II gets beaten badly by the Prius only in the city. On the free range of a highway a Prius is no competition even if the EPA says they should be bout the same. The new Insight is no competition for the HCH but neither is the old Prius. I am waiting for those who drive all three to say which is the top dog overall. None can topple the prius in the city but we will see if the new Prius can grab the title away from the HCH-2.