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 5.1: 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.

Toyota Prius Plug-In Concept at Frankfurt Motor Show

• Looks like: The 2010 Toyota Prius we see in extravagant TV commercials
• Defining characteristics: Plug-in capability
• Ridiculous features: Can only go 12 miles on electric power
• Chance of being mass-produced: Starts testing next year, so chances are good

Plug-in hybrids will go on sale at a real dealership near you in the next few years. That fact seems inevitable now. We don’t doubt Chevy will start actually selling the Volt plug-in late next year, or Ford will sell its electric Focus after that. But now that Toyota has officially joined the game with its Prius Plug-In concept, the electric era seems inevitable.

It’s only called a concept here because Toyota is not putting it into full production. Otherwise, what you see here is fully operational and will go into testing in 2010. 

500 test vehicles will roll out worldwide next year to see what the user experience is really like. The hybrid powertrain is identical to the new Prius, except for the batteries. The plug-in will have lithium-ion batteries while the standard Prius still packs nickel hydride.

This Prius can be plugged into a normal household outlet and recharge in just one and a half hours. Its maximum range on purely electric power is just 12 miles, after that it will run on gasoline just like any traditional hybrid. That’s far less than the Volt’s claims of a 40 mile range on just electric power. However, the Prius’ hybrid system allows for average fuel economy of 50 mpg, while the Volt will likely be less, perhaps under 40 mpg. Top speed is also limited to 62 mph in electric mode.

Toyota says these test vehicles need to complete an evaluation period before they’re considered for commercial release, but we highly doubt Toyota is going to wait for that before readying a more capable version for sale to compete with the Volt. A few more images are below.

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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2010 Toyota Prius Priced $1,000 Less Than Outgoing Model

When I reviewed the new 2010 Toyota Prius back in February, I marveled at all the terrific features it packed and guessed it would have to cost more than the outgoing model, but that it would be worth the extra cost. Today, Toyota has announced pricing of the new hybrid, which goes on sale next month, and it’s going to be at least $1,000 less than the current version.

The Prius will start at $21,000, before a $750 destination charge. This price is for a base model that the company hasn’t yet introduced, called the Prius I. The Prius II through Prius V, which we’ve already detailed in depth and which go on sale in late May, will also start at cheaper prices than the 2009.

The Prius II will start at $22,000 before destination, compared to the 2009’s $23,375 starting price. The top-of-the-line Prius V, however, gets costly, starting at $27,270. There are also new options, like a Solar Roof Package, that have also been priced. You can find all the pricing details below.

Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Toyota Prius

Interested in getting 50 mpg? Want a car that fits five people comfortably and is loaded with tech? Then have I got the hybrid for you: the 2010 Toyota Prius. After a thorough test of the new-generation Prius in Napa Valley — where the current-generation car is more plentiful than wineries — I came away more than impressed with the utility and interior refinement of the car.

The fact that it was nearly impossible to get under 50 mpg didn’t hurt, either. Oh, I did have a gripe or two. Check out the full review and ask any additional questions you may have in the comments below.

2010 Toyota Prius Review

Toyota Developing Rival for Honda Insight

Now here’s an escalation in hostilities the world can definitely use.

Mere days after Honda announced pricing for its 2010 Insight — billing it as the first hybrid on the market to come in below $20,000 — a Japanese business daily is reporting Toyota will fire back by developing its own cheap hybrid.

Toyota’s goals for the vehicle are to keep the price 20% to 30% cheaper than the Prius, and to get the car to market by 2011. Toyota presumably wants the vehicle to come in below $19,800, which is the price of Honda’s hybrid.

No one’s talking about expected mileage yet, but for comparison’s sake the EPA rates the Insight at an impressive 40/43 mpg city/highway, while the 2010 Prius tops that with 51/48 mpg city/highway. We’d expect Toyota’s new model to fall short of the Prius but stay competitive with the Insight.

Toyota Has Plans for a Cheaper Hybrid (Wheels)

2010 Toyota Prius Trim Levels Will Be Confusing

As I sat in my cubicle poring over data about the 2010 Toyota Prius for an upcoming review, I got to the meaty part of the research where I look into the trim levels that people will be able to buy when the car finally goes on sale in a few months. There was one problem: There were no trim levels listed, just equipment groups with a string of numbers, not names.

Not to worry, Toyota’s diligent PR department told me. There are trim level names to help consumers decide which Prius is right for them, they’re just not the same as the previous generation’s Standard, Base and Touring designations. Nor do they follow the naming conventions of other Toyotas, with trims like LE, SE and XLE. Nope. They use Roman numerals.