Toyota recently released their new price for the 2010 Prius. With a MSRP of ,500 on the Prius is a few thousand dollars more expensive than its main competitor; the Honda Insight, which has a MSRP of ,800. The Insight is now the least expensive hybrid out on the market in the U.S.
A great feature on the new Insight is an ECO assist that will help educate the driver to become more efficient.The ECON setting can be switched off so that the insight will produce more HP, or when left on the car will help you drive more efficiently.An electric motor gives the engine a nice boost, this system is called the integrated motor assist or IMA. This new technology further reduces weight, saves on manufacturering costs, and adds to the overall cabin space. The Insight makes good use of Honda’s Intelligent V-TEC engine technology.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 goal of Honda is to make the Insight the top dog in the hybrid market, and this would entail selling more cars then the ever populat Prius.
On the other side of the coin, the Toyota Prius has a 160 horsepower 1.8L engine and features three different driving modes. 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. The Prius also has a PCS, Pre- Collision System, available.Adaptive Cruise Control uses a laser to keep the same distance between your car and the car infront of you, and the Prius will automatically apply brakes if needed. The touch sensor system relocates certain buttons onto the steering wheel to lessen driver distraction.
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.Traveling more than 20,000 miles in only 365 days (when gas is .50 a gallon), owning the Honda would cost 19 in gas per year and owning a Prius would cost 86 per year. By owning a Prius, you would save about 53 Gallons of gas and 3 per year, but to break even, it would take over 27 years to break even. So although the Prius gets better gas mileage; the Insight overcomes that hurdle by having such a low MSPR!
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