First off, let us all recognize the 2800 pound, leaf-eating pachyderm in the room. Though the 2009 Insight is Honda's latest hybrid, it looks suspiciously like the Toyota Prius.

It's not hard to understand why. The Prius has been a massive hit for Toyota in sales and image greenification. It's won car of the year awards in Japan, Europe, and North America, as well as our own COTY award back in 2004. It's the world's number-one-selling hybrid vehicle, but more important is who's bought them. Early adopters included such Hollywood royalty as Cameron Diaz, Leonardo di Caprio, Susan Sarandon, Sting, and Billy Crystal. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what this celebrity buzz did for sales, but you know it had to be mahvelous.

Naturally, Honda spinmeisters strenuously reject the notion that they're merely aping the world's first million-selling hybrid vehicle (why would they, right?) and offer the following facts as evidence:

Exhibit A: The Insight was America's first and best hybrid. It's easy to forget that the tadpole-shaped, first-generation Insight came to America in Y2K. Though Toyota's first-gen Prius was the first hybrid ever sold (Japan only, beginning 1997), it didn't make it here until 2001. The Insight's feathery weight, slippery aerodynamics, and abstemious Integrated Motor Assist system helped it return a whopping 70 mpg on the highway, a feat other hybrids have yet to equal. So why didn't it sell? Its two-seat configuration certainly didn't help, but the real issue was that, back then, gas prices hovered around $1.15/gallon nationwide, making Insight the answer to a question no one was asking-yet.

Exhibit B: The new Insight is smaller. While the Prius qualifies as a midsize car, the 2009 Insight is a compact: shorter by 2.7 inches overall and 5.9 inches between the wheels. The Insight is also 1.2 inches narrower, with a roof height 2.5 inches lower, which is why Honda tells you its Prius-fighter is the more similarly sized Civic Hybrid.

Exhibit C: The Insight will be cheaper. While pricing has not been set, the Insight will most certainly be less expensive than the $22,720 base MSRP of a Prius.

But the real reason Honda would like to quash the inevitable comparison with the Toyota is the one it's loath to discuss. You could call it Exhibit mpg: The Prius gets better fuel economy. According to the EPA, the 2009 Insight returns a 40/43 mpg on its city/highway fuel-economy cycle. Not bad, but significantly off the Prius's 48/45 numbers. When the next-gen Prius drops next year, you can bet that difference will be greater still.

Article key :  Honda Insight, Honda, Insight, Hatchbacks, New Car, 2009, 2010