2010 Toyota Prius vs. 2010 Honda Insight: The Commute

Last week, we ran our latest Mileage Challenge featuring four ultra-fuel-efficient cars, and before that we rounded up six fuel-sippers to see which one was the best daily driver. But none of these reports put a brutal, real-life morning and evening commute to the test.

That’s exactly what I did in the new 2010 Honda Insight and 2010 Toyota Prius, the two most affordable hybrids on the road. We hear a lot of car shoppers say they buy hybrids to help save on their gas costs and cut down on emissions during their commute. But how did the two do in terms of fuel efficiency, comfort and entertainment for my often 90-minute morning commute and 45-minute afternoon commute? Let’s find out.

Mileage Challenge 5.5: Final Thoughts

Beyond the numbers that we so diligently broke down yesterday, driving four different cars for six hours can be telling in many more ways than just fuel economy. Our editors share their thoughts on the cars and pick which car they’d log another six-hour trip in.

Mileage Challenge 5.4: The Results

Our latest mileage challenge had editors logging more than 300 miles each in three hybrids and a diesel: the 2010 Honda Insight, 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid, 2010 Toyota Prius and 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. We tallied up all the numbers and corrected for a brief photography stint between Legs 2 and 3. (Angling cars around for the camera — complete with rapid stops, starts and idling — has a way of dinging your mileage, and it’s not representative of real-world driving.)

The results were striking.

Mileage Challenge 5.3: Dizzying Displays

Most people think all of the advanced technology in today’s hybrid cars is under the hood. While automakers continue to enhance new engines, batteries and drivetrains, they’re also working on ways to wrangle the one factor they can’t control — the driver.

To gain maximum efficiency in a hybrid, a driver must be taught to drive properly so fill-ups are few and far between. In the crop of cars we tested on our mileage drive, there were a dazzling array of displays to teach people to drive as green as possible.

Mileage Challenge 5.2: Avenues and Interstates

Our latest mileage challenge took three hybrids — the Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid and Toyota Prius — and one diesel, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, from Chicago to Fond du Lac, Wis., and back. The total distance came to just over 300 miles: The first 38 miles were in urban gridlock, the next 230 miles or so consisted of relatively open highway driving and the final 35 miles took place in afternoon interstate traffic.

As in our other mileage challenges, the ground rules remained largely the same: Four editors filled the tires to their recommended pressure, kept windows and sunroofs closed, drove as we normally would and switched cars at each leg to control for driving habits. But this being a challenge with hybrids there were some added things to look out for that could sway the results.

Mileage Challenge 5.1: Hybrid vs. Diesel

Despite gas prices averaging below $2.50 a gallon nationwide, hybrids and alternative-fuel vehicles are as popular as ever. The redesigned Toyota Prius is one of the country’s best-sellers, and Volkswagen’s TDI diesel was in short supply after it debuted at dealers earlier this year. With interest in these types of vehicles still high, we held another mileage challenge with the most popular of these cars and included both hybrids and VW’s most efficient diesel.

Reader Review of the Week: 2010 Honda Insight

“Asad” from Los Angeles was having trouble deciding between the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight; the two hybrids get the highest fuel economy ratings around. He finally ended up taking the Insight because it cost less, but he was pleasantly surprised to discover he was getting better-than-advertised mpgs. Read Asad’s full review of the 2010 Insight, and then post a review of your own vehicle here.

Houston Man Wins New Insight at Lollapalooza

One day you’re heading from Houston to Chicago to watch some music and sweat your face off at Lollapalooza, and the next you’re driving around in your free 2010 Honda Insight.

At least that’s what happened to Richard Hasenmeyer of Houston, who won the Insight after attending the Chicago music festival this summer and participating in Honda’s “Rock & Recycle” program.

The program was a collaboration between Honda and the Lolla promoter C3 and included integrated green activities and a hybrid vehicle display. The big piece of the puzzle, however, was the giveaway of the brand-new 2010 Insight, which — despite how awfully hot it was during the festival — likely made the trip well worth it for Hasenmeyer.

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2010 Honda Insight: She Said, She Said

The new Honda Insight has gotten a lot of negative buzz lately despite being a capable hybrid. Part of the problem is comparisons to the Toyota Prius. Here are two more voices weighing in on the little hybrid from Honda and whether or not it holds up to life in the big city.

Beth: The best way to describe the Honda Insight’s looks is to say it’s a mini-Prius, which is also a pretty apt description of the car itself. It’s like the Prius, just less so — less efficient, less refined, less money (it costs about $2,000 less than Toyota’s signature hybrid). I averaged about 44 mpg in my time with the Insight, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it felt hard-earned to me.

Honda Insight, Kia Soul, Toyota Prius Earn Top Safety Award

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released its latest crash-test ratings, and the 2010 Honda Insight, Kia Soul and Toyota Prius all earned the group’s Top Safety Pick award. The title goes to any model that scores the top rating of Good in front, side and rear crash tests. The cars also must be equipped with electronic stability control. All three of these cars come with that safety feature standard, although the Insight features it standard only in the top EX trim level.

IIHS considers all three small cars, though the Prius’ interior volume rates it as a midsize in EPA designations. The three join seven other small cars that have earned the Top Safety Pick award, but of those only the Scion xB, Subaru Impreza and VW Rabbit feature stability control standard. The Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer and Toyota Corolla offer it as an option.

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