mmarshall

Not really. The Insight, IMO, does have better build materials and road manners than the 3Gen Prius. What the Insight does NOT have is a decent back seat or as refined/efficient a drivetrain.

Of course, with small hybrids, gas mileage is usually the name of the game, so, in that sense, yes, they did miss at least one major point.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

that's like saying lexus builds a car for exotic market (lfa), which has great build quality but performance far behind the competitors. yes, that's missing the point completely. by then, no one cares how good the car is built. having better materials is good, but getting the fundamentals right is the very first step

LexFather

I can't agree the Insight has better materials than the Prius. The Insight feels downright cheap and nasty inside compared to the Prius and the Prius isn't by any means luxurious.

Again I (and others) fully expected the current Insight to kick the Prius in the head. Honda had ten years to get it together in regards to hybrids. I honestly thought a Honda hybrid would be BETTER than a Toyota one.

Instead Honda gives us a Fit based Insight that looks like a Prius and gets Lexus HS MPG and pawns it off as some "hybrid for everyone" crap like a Prius was not affordable or something.

I am going to compile all the crap Honda/Acura has spouted off and make a thread. SHould be funny

wmb0000

I think the Honda Insight in a way help consumer. I believe because of the Insight, Toyota release a cheaper Prius to compete. No?

Nextourer

The $21,000 Prius I is intended for fleet buyers only. The Prius II is still the entry-level consumer-offered Prius.

Honda better aim high (and I don't mean 51mpg combined). Toyota isn't standing still with the Prius.... I'm just saying...

STIG

I am surprised that you said that. I've been in both and I found 3Gen Prius has superior build quality over the Insight.

I feel bad for Honda. They used to be one of my favorite manufactures back in 2000s. S2000, NSX, Prelude, and Type R. They have turned everything around and now they are just a complete joke.

wmb0000

By a complete joke you meant "fun-to-drive" car, correct?

LexFather

Complete joke as in:
-yapping their mouths telling us what is coming and nothing of interest comes
-canceling all sports cars
-no true hybrid technology (IMA is ASSIST hell it says ASSIST)
-vehicles are ugly as sin
-old engines from the 1930s
-no technology (Buick and Ford are laughing)
-5 speed automatics
-Hyundai has V8s before them
-Ridgeline is a joke
-offering Crossturds as X6 knockoffs
-CEO disses the LFA V-10 yet they had a V-10 mule as well
-the insight failed miserably
-they went from leaders to not even being good followers
-they used to do more with less, now they do less with more
-abandoning all us fans of them in the 80s/90s for oversize Pilots
-can't even make sales gains on all the bad Toyota news
-Honda owns Acura and Acura is an even uglier, bigger joke

STIG

Fun to drive?! Which ones in current their line up are fun to drive? Impress me.

If your definition of "fun" is having a pleasure from scaring the bejesus out of other motorists every time they see your car, then sure.

wmb0000

I think you misunderstood me. When you said it was a joke I was wondering if you meant their handling since you list like NSX S2000 Type R. But by all and all .. I think the Accord/Camry is a good competitor to each other same with Civic/Corrolla, Highland/pilot, crv/rav4,odyssey/sienna, fit/yaris .. odd ball for honda are element/ridgeline. The venza sure kill the crosstour and of course prius kill insight so ... but I don't think Honda is a joke .. they are like toyota in term that they produce cars that take you from point a to b without much soul in them ... also when I talk about Honda I would not include in acura since I look at them as separate division.

Also speaking in term of look for Honda here not Acura .. is definitely unimpressive, but beside the Venza I do think any Toyota as a looker either .. so they both about the same to me in term of look.

mmarshall

I did a full review on both cars, and found the 3Gen Prius quite lacking in sheet metal and interior-trim solidness, especially compared the 2Gen model it replaced. On the other hand, the Prius, however, both 2Gen and 3Gen, clearly outdoes the Insight in back-seat room and powertrain engineering/refinement. My opinion stands on both issues, but I welcome other opinions, too....you are free to disagree with it.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Oh hai guys!!!

IS-SV

As said by Stig: "I've been in both and I found 3Gen Prius has superior build quality over the Insight."

Same here, and I've done plenty of seat time in my friend's new Prius, it's no surprise to me why it's by far the best selling hybrid.

The solidness is sound and competitive for cars in this price range, interior is ok too. None of us have any way to measure sheet metal thickness, so I won't waste time on such a meaningless subjective observation.

The 3rd gen Prius is a huge improvement and the people that actually buy this kind of car know it.

mmarshall

Neither car is particularly impressive inside. But most of the Insight's plastics felt more solid, to me at least, as did its sheet metal (that's something we may just end up disageeing on). The Prius's pull-cargo cover felt paper-thin, and ready to rip apart, whan I tried it. The Prius also has that large, awkward hole under the console, with the rocker-switches for the heated seats down on the floor.

Of course, to be fair (and objective), interior quality is not necessarily with you buy a small hybrid for, but mileage and drivetrain engineering. And, there, it is no comparison. You won't hear any arguements from me on that one.....the Prius drivetrain kicks the Insight's butt....and so does is rear seat.

mmarshall

True, but you can often gauge (no pun intended) its solidness by how easy it bends. And, there, I was defnitely not impressed.