-J-P-L-

First, I'll say that I like the Insight and it's existence is welcome because I believe there should be as many purchase options as possible.

That said, I think Honda's marketing is a bit screwed up in this case (particularly the lack there-of concerning it's Civic Hybrid). They are way to similar to each other that it just doesn't make much economic sense. The Civic Hybrid already does the job that the Insight set out to do other than undercut the price by about $2K (base to base). I think it would have been just as easy for Honda to lower the price of the Civic Hybrid than spend $100's of millions developing a 2nd Hybrid that is almost identical spec for spec. I think Honda dropped the ball when marketing the Civic Hybrid. It's every bit the hyped up hybrid that the Insight is, even more so. Let's take a closer look.

(using Insight EX which is and insignificant $1,500 more than the base model. I think most will opt for the EX)

Price:......................Insight EX...Civic Hybrid (base)
MSRP:.....................$21,300......$23,650
National True Market Value (TMV®) Price
(average price paid)...$21,970......$21,402

OK, so the Civic Hybrid is actually selling for $568 LESS than the Insight EX and the Civic is the better car!

OK, now for the all important EPA mileage specs:

Civic H gets 40/45. The Insight falls short with 40/43. What's the deal with that???

Size? There's only a 5" length difference (Civic is bigger)..172.3 in./177.3 in.
The interiors match up closely with the Civic providing a bit more room. The Insight however, does provide more luggage space with it's hatch configuration.

HP: The Civic has 110 compared to the Insight's 98. Yet the Civic is more efficient.

As if the cars don't share enough similarities, the interiors are very similar with the Insight borrowing many of the Civics parts/themes.

Exterior styling? Civic all the way and it doesn't scream "hybrid"! The Insight assumes the famous controversial hybrid shape without actually gaining any efficiency benefits over the Civic.

Features: Again, the list is very similar between the two. The base Insight takes a lot of it away however. That's why the EX is clearly a better value if you can swing the few extra dollars each month.

So I ask Honda, what exactly is the point of the Insight when you already had an Insight in the lineup? It just happens to be called the Civic Hybrid.

All this hype about the "hybrid for everybody". Psss...it only cost 5% less the the Civic and Prius. And the Prius gets 50 mpg!! Sorry, but I don't buy the justification for it.

What would have justified the Insight? One thing. 50 mpg. You don't engineer a dedicated hybrid model and fall short of your own 4 year old existing non dedicated hybrid.

mmarshall

I have driven and reviewed both the Insight and the Civic Hybrid. The Insight, IMO, is better for classic big-city stop-and-go traffic if, for no other reason, because it doesn't have the tendency to jump forward a little when you take your foot off the brake at a stop, before your foot reaches the gas pedal, like the Civic Hybrid does. That can be unnerving if you are stuck close behind somebody at a stoplight. The Insight, despite having a rather unrefined and sometimes jerky IMA Hybrid sysyem, at least is smoother starting off from a stop, though the Insight's CVT transmission, typical of some CVTs, lurches and surges a little until it picks up some speed. The Insight is noticeably smaller than the Civic Hybrid, and, while this makes for a very tight rear seat and low roofline, also makes its low-speed city manuverability and ease of parking better than the Civic Hybrid's.

I dont particularly like the split-level dash in either one, but both, in the design of the dash and controls, are better than the geeky 2009 Prius....I will withold comment on the 2010 Prius until I review it.

FKL

Agree with the OP 100%. Also consider the Insight has one of the most deplorable interiors on the market at any price, much worse that of the Civic.

Nextourer

The Insight would be Honda's first and only hybrid with folding rear seats so the cargo carrying capabilities factor in. Not only that, there's the "I'm a hybrid" exterior design and an updated IMA system. And yes there's the price. If you're going to go with the Insight, stay el cheapo and go with the LX. Otherwise, as you've pointed out, I'd much rather go all out and spring for the HCH. The backseat is a much more comfortable place in the Civic.

JLSC... try doing that comparison in Canada lol. Your eyes will go through the roof of your head. The LX starts at $23,900 and the EX goes for $27,500 (and includes nav. We don't have an EX without nav). So basically if you want the safety of VSA you gotta get the nav. As a comparison, the HCH is $27,350 (used to be $25,800 in 2006) and the 2009 Prius is $27,710. (Up from $27,400 a few months ago). The HCH has no navigation or bluetooth in its price.

If Toyota Canada lowers its 2010 Prius price just slightly, it'll cannabalize HCH sales.

-J-P-L-

Yes, the fact that one is a hatch and the other a sedan is really the only major relevant difference.

Again, I'll stress: I'm glad Honda has expanded their line and offered another fuel efficient option. But the option needs to distinguish itself spec wise with the existing Civic H. They basically took the same car and reshaped it into a hybrid styled hatch while cheapening it $2K.

LexFather

The insight is like most of their products. Resting on laurels. Do know how long people have waited and bragged how the new Insight would kick the Priuses *** and what do we get?
A car that should have debuted 6 years ago. One that gets worse MPG than the Prius. That looks like the old Prius. That has an interior that resembles a 10 year old Pontiac. Then as the OP stated, their own Civic Hybrid seems to be the better buy here (though many carmakers are able to sell different cars at similar price points)

The only reason to get it over the Civic is you want to look like you own a Prius and you want a folding backseat and you want the "H" Badge. Honda marketing has fooled people with this half *** effort by saying "oh its the cheap Hybrid".

Yes, its great we have another fuel efficient car but I was expecting so much more from Honda here.

I hope the rumored CR-Z sports hybrid does better.

superchan7

Magazine tests have shown that the Insight smokes the Civic-H in acceleration, 0-60 difference of about 2 seconds by Edmunds and others too if I remember correctly.. Also, Civic-H loses on cargo flexibility because of the Insight's hatchback design and folding rear bench.

I won't argue with the interior quality, though! Insight's interior materials definitely scream budget.

-J-P-L-

Agreed.

And anyone who chooses a $20K Insight (41 mpg) over a $22K Prius (50 mpg) is either making an uneducated buy or they simply prefer Honda over Toyota. Look what that $2K buys you! Aside from the FE, just look at the interior of the new Prius - it's damn near Lexus-like dear I say compared to the econo-Insight.

-J-P-L-

Just fixed the TMV (true market value) prices in my OP. Turns out that the Insight EX is costing people $568.00 more than the average purchase price for the base Civic Hybrid (base simply means no leather and Nav). For the record, the stripped down Insight LX's TMV is $20,470. Just a $1,000 less than the Civic H's TMV.

superchan7

One thing about the Civic Hybrid...someone needs to switch out those nerd wheels, or offer the option of upgraded wheels. They almost look like they're there to compensate for the Civic's conventional shape by screaming "HYBRID RIGHT HERE!!"

I'm sure the Insight's drivetrain is more advanced, streamlined and/or efficient than that of the Civic-H. I was actually feeling that the Civic Hybrid's time has come and gone, given that the Insight is now here and seems to be faster and has more storage. Not sure why it doesn't register significantly higher MPG than the Civic.

OT, but I was checking out my colleague's first-gen Insight. The tire size is 165...is that even any wider than a compact spare?

-J-P-L-

I to have always had a problem with the Civic H's ugly wheels. And guaranteed they do very little in the way of enhancing efficiency.

The Insight is about 1 second quicker to 60 (10.3 vs 11.3 for the Civic). It's a trade off I guess. Do you want more passenger room or slightly better acceleration? As for the Insight's drivetrain being more refined and advanced? I just don't see it considering the Civic accomplishes better FE while also being bigger and heavier.

-J-P-L-

Even though this thread focuses on the Civic and Insight, here's the Insight stacked up against the new Prius in a nice Motor Trend comparo...

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O87UmsDvHBU

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gncw4V91D4U

They are clearly two very different cars in similar shells.

My determination: I want a new Prius!!!

Every time I see that interior, I just want one so badly! It's brilliant.

nthach

Honda's smoking major stuff on the Insight, they proudly boast the fact it gets 43mpg, the current Prius beats this. The interior is cheap, and an eyesore as well - it even makes the Dodge Caliber or Ford Focus look better. The Prius is a Lexus in hippie clothing, while the Insight is Honda's red-headed stepchild with interior quality reminiscent of tacky and cheap Detroit or Korean interiors(less so with Hyundai or Kia these days, execution is much better but still kind of cheap plastics wise).

A lot of the Insight comes from the Fit, while the drivetrain is from the Civic Hybrid with a smaller battery pack and a newer-gen electric motor with a new winding scheme.

mmarshall

Yes, to some extent. But that is how Honda is able to offer a hybrid at that price ($19,800) to start with. And, like on the new Subaru Impreza, the Insight's almost all-hard-plastic interior is assembled extremely well, with extraordinary precision. The Impreza, though, seems to beat it somewhat on the quality and thickness of the plastic.

The Insight's price, BTW, is low enough that it is putting pressure on Toyota to drop the Prius pricing as well, though there is little argument (and here, I agree with 1SICKLEX) that Toyota has better and more sophisticated hybrid powertrains than Honda.

FKL

This is a cop out. Not only are the two disjoint from each other in practice, but it's not even the case. The Insight has terrible interior quality, there is no way around that. All this hoopla about some imaginary "precision quality" is just that - hoopla. So what, a Mercedes doesn't have "extraordinary precision" because the reliability ratings are lower? Because, that is, after all, where all this "precision quality" stuff is coming from - durability ratings. This doesn't make any sense, sorry to say.