The Prius and Insight Face Off
The realease of the Insight has ruffled a few feathers due to its price tag.The Insight is much cheaper than the Prius by a few grand. The Insight is now the least expensive hybrid out on the market in the U.S.
The Eco Assist feature will improve fuel economy be making sure that the driver does not accelerate too much and therefore waste gas. It improves performance through the ECON™ button, which controls certain functions of the car, and gives feedback through an ECO scoring system that lets you monitor driving performance as well as gives more incentive to drive green.An electric motor gives the engine a nice boost, this system is called the integrated motor assist or IMA. This system in the next generation hybrids from Honda are greatly improved and result in reduced weight, cost savings, and greater cabin space. The Honda sports a VTEC motor that is connected to an automatic transmission.The Insight has some great accessories that can be added onto the base model such as: a Blue Tooth six-speaker sound system, rims, vehicle control assist, F-1 inspired paddle shifters, and a navigation system. The Toyota has been the reigning king of the hybrid market for years now, but with the low price of the Insight, Honda is aiming to take away that title.
Toyota's answer to the Insight is the Prius with a 160hp 1.8 liter engine uses 3 modes of operation. Those include ECO mode, which allows more of less pedal responsiveness for fuel economy, the EV mode that allows the vehicle to run only on battery power for ½ mile, and the Power Mode which increases pedal sensitivity for more responsive driving.An accessory on the Prius that is aimed at driver safety is called the precollision system.Just set the PCS and the Prius will slow down by itself if the car ahead of you suddenly hits his brakes. Toyota has added some buttons to the wheel to make the driving experience a bit more safe.
When it comes to price the Insight is hands down the winner, but the gas mileage rating is another story altogether.Right now the MPG ratings for the new Insight are at 40 MPG in the city and 43 MPG on the highway, and the Prius comes in at 48 MPG city and 45 MPG on the highway.If you drive over 20,000 miles in a year (with gas costing .50 a gallon), the Toyota would only cost just over 00 every year and the Honda would come in 0 more. At this rate it would take over 25 years to recover the cost you spent on a Prius where yearly gas savings are concerned.Yes the Prius gets much better fuel economy, but the low starting price of the Insight more than makes up for that difference!
Buy a Hybrid in Southern California, or buy a New Toyota Hybrid. See great deals on the New toyota Prius in Northern California.