Archives

Do you prefer the Prius styling or the Insight?

Prius
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/Spy_Shot_-_Prius-III_Profile.jpg

Insight
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/Insight-II_Collage03.jpg

Well aren't those just pictures of the insight concept? The prius one looks more like a production model. Right now the insight looks better.

I like the Insight better myself, especially from the front. Even without the LEDs that may or may not make it to production. I especially do not like the rounded hood bulge extending backwards from the badge in the center of the Prius' grill. But then again, I'm a Honda guy and probably biased.

Same here. I prefer the Insight II due to it's clean style. I hate the hood bulge with the Prius III. It's pointless, messy, should have died along with Prius I, and hurts FE.

I voted for the Insight. To quote the movie "Airplane", it "looks like a big Tylenol". The Prius III seems to be saying "My mommy is an armadillo and my daddy is a post-war Studebaker Champion coupe".

But with that being said, "looks aren't everything". Availability (is there one in stock I can go and buy when I want to buy one), highest FE and lowest sticker price will certainly cast the deciding votes in the showroom.

The Prius III seems to be saying "My mommy is an armadillo

Exactly! I hate that weird ardvark-esque hood/nose bulge thing that it has. It looks like a horrible defect. Yuck!

But with that being said, "looks aren't everything".

True, true. It's all about the FE, and MSRP. However, I doubt Prius III could beat Insight II on the high way according to everyone here .

I like the Prius on the outside and the insights interior, but what will matter most to me is the MPG'S and the cost of the car that will make up my mind..:)

Hate the Prius grille. About it. Otherwise very much so so.

Insight is so so as well, except from the rear which I really like.

I have a hard time deciding between them, honestly. I voted Prius because I don't really like the Insight's Ford/VW hybrid grille. But run another poll when we can see both cars' interior clearly. I care more about the inside than the outside and Honda has yet to disappoint me in that department.

Solely based on the exterior styling I would pick the Insight.

I like the look of the Insight much better, but another good question is how cheaply made the inside of the cars are. I test drove a Prius II (just to say that I have drove one) a few months ago and was a little shocked when I noticed that they used bits of self adhesive foam to stop rattles in the glovebox, center counsil and door panels (on a NEW car!!!). Call me fickle, but I value quality, appearance, and style with the now standard FE and green impact. Maybe I just found the one Prius that missed quality inspection at the factory and the dealership is making up for it, I don't know. It is the only Prius I have ever been in. I know I would feel much better if the Prius owners on here told me that there cars dont have the foam pieces and dont rattle.

My suggestion to Toyota is avoid a "nose" for the hood ornament to improve the styling.

The side mirrors on the Insight II won it for me. Yep, it was that close.

Toyota corporate nose bump = fail.

Wonder if it's possible Toyota might have a chance to make styling changes at this point?

The link here has images of the post-war Studebakers that had the same styling detail on their hood - http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=studebaker+starlight
With the public consensus that Toyota vehicles are bland in the styling department, Toyota is responding by trying to define a styling detail that can unite their various product lines and make them appear more stylish. Since no other cars have the Schnozz, Toyota is giving that a try. If enough people ridicule it, the car will end up with a nose job on the mid-cycle refresh.

Yuck. I hope to goodness you're right. That schnozz needs to die, now.

I voted Insight. Rear did it for me to. H

The cars look like clones to me. But their look is irrelevant as long as it has enough passenger room, comes with a MT and allows the best FE possible :)

M/T Your dreamen Auston! Get with the new technologie, it makes driving much more enjoyable? <grin> H

M/T Your dreamen Auston! Get with the new technologie, it makes driving much more enjoyable? <grin> H

CVT =/= fuel economy. Any manual version of a car can kick the heck out of a comparable vehicle equipped with the CVT (just look at the manual Insight vs. Cvt, or perhaps the HCH). It all plays into the typical American consumer who's too damned lazy to even shift his own vehicle's gears (look at the prevalence of automatics here vs. anywhere else in the world... the idea that people can simply sit back, drive, and then be free to engage in nine million other tasks.)

The original Insight transmission comparison isn't completely fair since the CVT version didn't have lean burn.

I hear most versions of the HCH-I with CVT had lean burn so that one is a decent comparison.

If you use FAS with P&G the difference between MT and CVT shows up pretty quickly. If you leave out P&G but still use FAS you get much closer results as the drivetrain losses are compensated for in part by the better "selection" of gear for most circumstances.

Unfortunately, for the two vehicles under consideration the argument is largely academic. IIRC though, the Prius ECVT is less "lossy" than the physical belt driven system Honda uses. I expect that it is also more durable in the long run (which seems to have been born out by evidence in previous vehicles). Should that prevent you from choosing the Honda? Not really -- it is a less complex vehicle overall and that has value.

I've a slight leaning to the new Honda in terms of styling (though I'd really like to see the production interior rather than what we see now -- I believe it is a bit flashier than what we'll see at dealerships this Spring), but this will really come down to (FE) performance and capabilities for me... with price as a heavy moderator.

M/T are on there way out, sorry to say! H

??? Is this true? Why? I always thought there were consumers who would prefer MTs and such.

??? Is this true? Why? I always thought there were consumers who would prefer MTs and such.I would not take every opinion here at face value - even mine.

Standards made a comeback in the 1970's and would not be suprized if they comeback somewhat again. I had a 1974 1.8 liter Opel Manta with a slushbox, but the 1974 Civic's 4-speed got better FE and acceleration even with a 1.2 liter engine.

I know automatics have advanced, but I'd take a 5-speed anytime it's an option.

The things going against standards is fewer people know how to use them, full-hybrids archtecture can't use them, and too many drivers feel entitled to use their free hand on a phone.

Depends on what kind of full hybrid we're talking about now, the IMA is a full hybrid and can run on electric only, and if they ever add a clutch between the engine and motor, they can even do it without dragging the engine along for the ride.

In theory can the "Two-Mode" system work with a standard transmission?

KC a clutch would seem the way to go but I find on a long hill with full SOC ,that little engine is not holding the car back that I can notice! The only way to slow down is to apply the brakes. H

That's the same thing that I found too, but then you shift to netural and shut the engine off and you can tell the difference. Assuming you are talking about going downhill.

I wasn't even thinking about that situation, I was thinking about stop and go type driving, if you could do some creeping about until say half a gauge might be cool if applied in the right situations or if you wanted to add a bigger battery. We also don't seem to have too much trouble with rev limits on the motor thanks to where its mounted.

The things going against standards is fewer people know how to use them, full-hybrids archtecture can't use them, and too many drivers feel entitled to use their free hand on a phone.

I am going to bet the last one accounts for 90% of why there aren't more MT's out there.

After seeing the spy pics of the "production" insight posted elsewhere, I must say that while it's not quite as sexy as the concept, I still like it much better (and at a lower price!). Hence, my deposit is already on the Insight for April delivery.

On an unrelated note, with the delay int he Mississippi Prius plant, will both of these vehicles be built overseas? Honda has no plans for the Insight at the new Indiana plant, do they?

The cars look like clones to me. But their look is irrelevant as long as it has enough passenger room, comes with a MT and allows the best FE possible :)

MT trannys would be nice, but how can you talk on the cell, hold a Starbucks and yell at the kids in back simultaneously like I see so many people attempting on a regular basis around here?

If I absolutely had to choose one by styling, it would be the Insight.

Otherwise, I'll still choose the Insight since they seem to get better fe.

Otherwise, I'll still choose the Insight since they seem to get better fe.Well, we speculate the Insight will get better FE. We don't really know that yet, though.

Well, we speculate the Insight will get better FE. We don't really know that yet, though.

I should say that history shows the Insight doing better than the Prius. The trend there should continue.

As far as I have been able to piece together here the Insight also seems to respond better to hypermiling techniques than the Prius (higher % increases shown on this site).

That reminds me... is it possible to search the mileage logs by % of EPA? That would be a very interesting statistic to search by.

I should say that history shows the Insight doing better than the Prius. The trend there should continue.

As far as I have been able to piece together here the Insight also seems to respond better to hypermiling techniques than the Prius (higher % increases shown on this site).

While true, the new Insight has a lot more in common with the Civic Hybrid than the original Insight. It is much heavier, does not employ lean burn, and is not available with a manual transmission. There could be some surprises in store for us but don't expect anything comparable to what the original is capable of -- it was (is) an all out technological tour de force. ;)

That reminds me... is it possible to search the mileage logs by % of EPA? That would be a very interesting statistic to search by.

Not yet...

While true, the new Insight has a lot more in common with the Civic Hybrid than the original Insight. It is much heavier, does not employ lean burn, and is not available with a manual transmission. There could be some surprises in store for us but don't expect anything comparable to what the original is capable of -- it was (is) an all out technological tour de force. ;)


The training materials (Honda Facts Book for the Civic Hybrid 2009) shows the HCHII as having Lean-Burn.

THAT I'd not heard before?? Are you sure it isn't a hold over of some sort from the first gen?

I was pretty sure that was one of the huge differences between the first and second gen HCH -- no lean burn...

I'll see if I can't grab a high-res picture of that page (none of the scanners at work are setup)