Honda Insight: America's Cheapest Hybrid

What’s New:

The Honda Insight, which is a hybrid-based vehicle, has been redesigned to compete head-to-head with Toyota’s popular Prius. The space aged exterior design looks similar to the previous generation Prius.

Must Have Goodies:

If you’re investing in the redesigned Insight, two trim levels are available: the base LX and the fully-equipped EX. While the LX include power windows, power locks with remote entry, a tilt and telescopic steering column, the EX include an electronic stability system known as VSA, a six-speaker audio system and alloy wheels. And if you need a navigational system, you can step up to the EX with the navigational system, with the voice recognition and Bluetooth connectivity.

What We Like:

The Eco Assist feature, which is designed to help the drivers achieve maximum fuel economy, changes color on the instrument panel to reflect how efficiently the driver is accelerating and braking. Unfortunately, we struggled to achieve maximum fuel efficiency in Georgia’s summer heat when the a/c was in use. Conversely, we like the fact that we can buy a hybrid for around $20,000. Unlike most hybrids, this vehicle is in reach of the average consumer, shopping for a new ride. As of now, this is the most affordable hybrid on the road today. And, while this vehicle is classified as a compact, the Insight provides additional utility with the seats folded down.

What We Dislike:

While the Insight was designed to go after the Prius, we found a few design flaws with the vehicle. For one, the rear sloping two-sectional review glass window obstructed our view. Furthermore, it was impossible for our eyes to align with the instrument panel because of the positioning of the driver’s seat. Often we had to slouch down to view the gauges on the instrument panel. Moreover, the rear sloping bubble shaped rear roofline made it impossible to seat average size adults in the rear.

Any Juice:

While we realize this is a hybrid, the vehicle seemed unpowered when driving on the highway and in city traffic, with the 98 horses underneath the hood, especially when carrying passengers and using the a/c.

The Verdict:

For those looking to get into a no frills hybrid, the Honda Insight could be the perfect vehicle for you. Because of our led foot and Georgia’s summer heat, maybe this is why we were unable to achieve the 40 miles per gallon suggested by Honda’s engineers. While we appreciate the Asian automaker introducing an economical hybrid, Honda’s popular Civic, gas powered or hybrid, could be a better fit for most consumers. In fact, a base Civic hybrid can be purchased for the same price as a loaded up Insight EX, with the navigational system. Added to that, purchasing a base Civic hybrid will provide you more room and horses underneath the hood.

Moreover, the compact size Insight doesn’t have the high-tech gadgets offered on most hybrids, which helps to keep the price competitive. Pricing for the base LX starts at $20,510 and barely climbs to $23,810, when equipped with every feature available on the Insight.

Competition: Ford Fusion (hybrid), Honda Civic hybrid and Mercury Milan hybrid, Toyota Prius

Visit our New-Vehicle Pricing Guide to configure an Insight or another model.