Prius versus Insight: A commuter's mileage challenge
The hybrid commute according to Kicking TiresFor many urban commuters, hybrid cars provide an excellent tool for saving money at the gas pump. So, Kicking Tires decided to test the Toyota Prius versus the Honda Insight on the same urban commute.
On a 23 mile commute in traffic, the 2010 Toyota Prius averaged more than 58 mpg.
On the same commute, the 2010 Honda Insight averaged 44 mpg.
Labels: fuel economy, honda insight hybrid, Hybrid Vehicles, toyota prius
posted by Dahcredyns at
8:34 AM
7 Comments:
Wow!!!! That's quite a difference between the Prius and the Insight's mileage. I'd like to see more real world objective comparisions before making a final judgement though. This does not bode well for Honda if the difference is indeed that dramatic. It would appear that Honda has missed the mark with the Insight. I wonder if the same will hold true for the CR-Z. On another subject, the Honda commercials of late that "boast" of a 31 mpg for the Accord are, in my opinion, abysmal. I mean, come on, is 31 mpg really that great?
The huuuge problem of all such tests is that the distance is too short: how much was the battery charged before and how much charge is remained after? A lot of other factors also apply.
PS: so the results is probably bullshit.
From my experiences in similar commutes these results are very believable.
In my world, congestion is the norm. It doesn't matter the day, or the time - of course it gets worse at some times - but congestion is simply a fact of life.
For those of us that commute in such conditions, this kind of fuel economy in a prius is very achievable.
Regardless, relatively speaking, this says a lot about these two cars in such conditions.
Indigo Incarnates
Mileage can vary wildly. On my Scion, I can often get 42 MPG. But when my partner drives it, he gets 27 MPG. I believe the car is rated for 31.
It doesn't make sense that these cars with such low drag coefficients have so much wind noise....thin glass or not.
Hondas are generally a bit on the noisy side due to less noise dampening material though.
Even as a Honda Civic driver, I find these numbers very believable.
The Honda is a mild hybrid. The 10KW electric motor is only capable of assisting the IC engine.
The Prius meanwhile has a 60 KW motor that is capable of driving the vehicle up to 35 mph.
In my Honda it takes a conscious effort to get mileage in the 40's. If I drive my Civic however I please, the mileage dips into the 30's.
My buddy in his Prius can get mileage in the 40's without even trying, and in the 50's if he drives consciously.
The Prius has a higher price tag, but you get what you pay for....
Indigo Incarnates
Of course, there's also the "Prius Tax" to consider. I am pretty sure I could buy an Insight-II for the actual $20k price tag. Walking into a Toyota dealership invariably ends with the dealer stating that there is a $3k-$5k additional markup for the Prius.
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