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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Let the Games begin! (businessweek.com/autos/autobeat/archives/2009/03/insight_versus.html)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2010_Honda_Insight-II_-_Video_Launch.jpgDavid Welch – BusinessWeek (businessweek.com) – Mar. 19, 2009

2010 Honda Insight-II – Starts at $19,800 (not incl. dest.) and earns 41 mpgUS combined on the 08 EPA.

No two ways about it, it really does depend on price. -- Ed.

In this corner, the challenger, weighing 2,700 pounds, the Honda Insight. Honda is taking aim at Toyota’s hybrid crown with its new Insight, a five-passenger gasoline-electric hybrid that will get more than 40 miles per gallon. That a shout less than the 50 mpg Toyota’s new Prius can get. But Honda’s boast is that the Insight will be far cheaper. You can get the joy of hybrid technology for under $20,000.

Well barely under $20,000. The Insight starts at $19,800 and tops out at $23,100. By comparison, the Prius starts around $23,000 and touring model can sell for more than $25,000...

Honda will find buyers even with gasoline selling for less than $2 a gallon. But good luck unseating the Prius...

The other problem is that the Insight actually looks like a Prius. To get the aerodynamics needed to boost fuel economy, Honda created the same silhouette. So basically, it’s a budget Prius. Honda will have to sell it on price. That, too, has a booby trap. If Toyota wants to take aim at Honda, they could slap a $1,000 or $2,000 rebate on the Prius and the difference in the monthly payment would be negligible to all but the most thrifty buyers… http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat/archives/2009/03/insight_versus.html

Wayne,

On the topic... I think Toyota just sent out more Prius III info in the link below.

http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/document/2010_Prius_Product_Info_FINAL.pdf?link_page_rss=85626&siteid=DMG_rss_200903_RLA_explan_toynew_Toyota+Vehicles%3A+2010+Prius+Product+Information

Not sure if this if this is news to you, but it's here...

Matt

Hi Matt:

___I posted most of the final details in the 2010 Toyota Prius-III Specifications (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20038) and the 2010 Toyota Prius-III -- Leading the pack in more ways than one (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20059) write-ups last month. There are some other items that I still have to put up that are not in Toytoa's final spec sheet and will for the Impression Preview write-up on the 25th.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Where does the author get that the Insight looks like the Prius? There are a few similarities, but that's like saying all airplanes look alike.

Where does the author get that the Insight looks like the Prius? There are a few similarities, but that's like saying all airplanes look alike.
Judging from the last sentence in the article, the author probably isn't a big fan of hybrids and so enjoys taking potshots at them.

There is some basic similarity in shape between the Prius II/III and the Insight II, but one could say the same thing for a lot of 4-door sedans these days. It's very noticeable on the highway. Different shape from the Prius II/III and Insight II, but similar to other 4-door sedans.

Has pricing for the Prius III even been announced yet? And if so does it really top out at $25,000MSRP? I thought there were some pricey options that could push it higher??

If I was in the market for a car, it would have to fit my needs (able to haul 3 people and/or fishing equipment up to 8' long).

If both of these managed to fit my needs, the Prius would win (though the Ford Fusion may still be in the running, but I haven't looked all that closely yet). Yeah, ~$3K price difference pays for a lot of gas, but that's not the only reason for going for high FE.

Now if Honda brought back the original Insight........

Personally, I think the Inssight-II looks more like an Entry-level Clarity than a Prius.

I'd consider getting an Insight-II next time around. I've read several articles that had real-world drivers managing to eeke out 60 MPG out of this car.

Now if Honda brought back the original Insight........
... you wouldn't buy it due to it's not satisfying your "3 people" requirement?

... you wouldn't buy it due to it's not satisfying your "3 people" requirement?

It would still work for me if I could fit the 8' fishing poles in it. (and/or)

I "can" fit 3 people in my Ranger, but it definately ain't comfy. The 8' poles "almost" fit in the bed (4" stick out).

I haven't seen one up close, so I can't say for sure whether the original Insight would work (or either of the ones in question). It's not that they really take up all that much space in cubic footage, it's just the length.

And yes, they are two piece rods. Each piece is 8' long.

Just for you I went out to the garage with my tape measure. Between the passenger seat and the door with the measure up against the bottom of the dash and pushed all the way to the footwell, a slight bend allowed it to clear the ledge of the cargo bay and come down to the passenger side rear corner of the car. It measured at 8' 1.5".

As long as those poles aren't too thick and you can deflect them (measured from baseline of the tips to the apex of the curve) by about 5", they should fit. Your passenger would have to get in first and then you could pass the poles underneath the seatbelt after it had been fastened.

I did this sort of thing last winter when I was carting around my wife to hockey games. Her bag fit behind the seats with room to spare and her stick fit down along the side of her seat. She's short enough that the top of the handle ended up along the top edge of the back window when I put the "paddle" edge against the floor. In her case, the corner cut off the door entry by the stick was easy enough to climb over.

The car is much more flexible than many people give it credit for. ;)

I used to haul this stuff around in a '88 Nissan Pulsar.

With the back seat down the poles (all 4 of them) went from very back at the license plate and tickled the base of the gear shift.

Unfortunately, I don't think yours would work. The base section of these poles are about as limber as a broom stick.

I can understand that... but I just had to go take another look. ;)

Are those 4 complete poles or 4 halves of 2 poles?

I used the tape measure again and if you move to the center of the vehicle you can run from just under the dash against the footwell on the passenger side, past the gearshift and continue on to the glass of the hatch... no deflection and a total length of 8' 2.5". :)

You'll probably never get the chance to see if it would work, but it would be fun to attempt to stuff 'em in there.

Are those 4 complete poles or 4 halves of 2 poles?

Umm... Well... It's 4 halves of two poles, and then 2 more poles that are one piece at 8', and 6 more poles that vary from 5 to 7'.

That's about half of them, the rest usually stay at home. :o

Yeah... I almost have enough fishing equipment (you can never have too much).

Yikes!! That's a lot of... well, whatever they are made of!

It might be doable but I'd bet you'd only do it once. :o