Insight Sales Down 25% Since 2010 Prius Release

Having test driven both, I wouldn't say the new Insight is a horrible car, just the lesser. I would prefer a '10 Insight over the previous gen Prius however. But the '10 Prius is the better overall car. It'd be nice to see both cars succeed with consumers though.

 

Yea, it is a bummer that it the Insight is seeing a sales slump, even if the 2010 Prius is the better car on paper (haven't compared them in person). The more hybrids that sell, the better.

 

Toyota's very competitive Prius Gen III pricing, proven incumbent status, more space and comfort and more amenities/dollar have put a hurt on the Insight. But the biggest factor for me personally was the relatively underwhelming MPG for the Insight. The Prius at 50mpg and the Insight at 41mpg ended my interest in the Insight despite my admiration for Honda (I've owned 4 Honda's and 2 Toyota's). As we saw in the recent poll, MPG is the #1 reason people buy Prius and presumably hybrids. Unless gas goes to $4/gal (and it won't in the next year at least), Honda is in for some real tough sledding with the Insight.

 

1. The Prius is a full 2 or 3 levels better than the Insight.
2. Its not THAT much more expensive until you get to loaded IV/V models
3. The Insight looks like the old Prius
4. The Insight MPG is worse than the old Prius and no better than the Civic Hybrid

Honda rested on laurels and decided to have marketing sell the car to their usual sheep. Its not working as well as planned.

One thing to think. WIth gas prices dropping, the Prius STILL is a fantastic CAR, not just a hybrid. The insight is a cheap econobox worse than the Fit when u get past the bandaid hybrid system.

 

IMHO, there is a need for a $14,999 hybrid with adequate MPG. It needs to be cheap enough to be a graduation present and small enough to really be near the bottom of comfort. IMHO, a goin' to college car that has four seats but the rear passengers have to fold their legs, the front passengers scoot forward, and just enough space for dorm room stuff. Acceleration should be modest, safety should be max, but otherwise, a pretty utilitarian car ... not a chick magnet.

I'm thinkin' GEO Metro hybrid ... below the Insight.

Bob Wilson

 

Yes, a $15k 45mpg+ combined vehicle would be great little commuter car.

You'd have to start with one of these cars:

Hyundai Accent
Nissan Versa
Chevy Aveo
Smart four two
Toyota Yaris
Suzuki SX4
Kia Ria, Soul or Spectra

 

Before the details were announced we expected (ok, maybe it was just me) the Insight to have an improved version of the IMA and slightly better MPG. I was expecting near gen2 Prius mpg. The price was just a little higher then expected, the performance a little lower.

There were very high expectations for the gen3 Prius as well but Toyota did improve HSD and as a surprise to most they lowered the price. Unless you are a real Honda fan or you just cannot scrape together an extra $2000 the Insight is a yawn. I expect Honda to start using incentives if the price of gas does not go over $3.50 a gallon.

Honda, its time to upgrade IMA.

 

I haven't driven the new Insight, just the old one. It's a kick. Do any of you that have driven the new one feel it was thrown together too quickly? ... after all, Honda does make some real good transportation. From comparison reports, it seems as if Honda simply wanted to have SOMETHING on par w/ the Prius, and thus put it together asap. You know what we say where I work? You want it bad, you'll get it bad ... the worse you want it, the worse you get it.

 

My folks were shopping for a new car and my mom had her sights on the Accord Coupe (she is stubborn and won't consider a hybrid). Anyway, while I was in the showroom looking around I saw the Insight and decided to sit in it. First off, I can't believe anyone says it is a solid car. The doors feel paper thin!!!! I closed the door like I do on my Prius and it felt very cheap. The interior is full of cheap plastic and it is a tight fit for anyone who is tall (I'm 5'9" and felt cramped). Not to knock Honda because I think in some respects their cars are better than Toyota but they did not do their homework well will this one. And to copy the Prius styling almost exactly means that they have no creativity whatsoever.

 

The immediate success of the Prius over the Insight shouldn't come as any real shock. Even though the Prius is somewhat more expensive, the EPA rating difference of 50mpg for the Prius vs. 41mpg for the Insight - a 9mpg advantage equating to a 22% increase - is what excites those of us who like getting the best mileage. Plus you have to factor in the fact that the Prius is larger, more powerful, is getting better reviews, and has a more advanced hybrid system.

 

I have to disagree here. For years the hybrid naysayers have been foaming at the mouth about how the only reason Priuses sell so well compared to other hybrids is because they look weird, and people only buy hybrids to be noticed. IMHO Honda seems to have played that exact card. They thought they could make a car that looked just like a Prius, throw a few new gadgets in it, lower the price a bit to make up for its (relatively) weak fuel efficiency, and people would go gaga for it. Once again, as in the case of Accord Hybrid they read the market pretty badly. The FFH drives another nail in the coffin of this myth. Build a normal looking car with a good hybrid system and impressive mileage and people will buy it.

I hope this sends a very strong message to the carmakers; weak hybrid = weak sales, strong hybrid = strong sales. Hopefully they finally get it, its not about the looks, its about whats under the hood. In the long run I think this is very good for hybrids. I do agree that competition is key, and that the Insight threat lit a fire under Toyota. Hopefully Honda and everyone else steps up there game and starts putting up some serious competition. Then everybody wins.

 

As usual, Prius sales are decimating Insight sales.

American Honda Reports September Sales
Toyota Reports September 2009 Sales

What happened to the HCH? It either really got creamed or there was REALLY limited supply. They only sold 152 in the US last month vs. 2020 in the same period last year. I wonder if Honda's going to kill the HCH like they did the HAH.

 

Recently, I have been seeing A LOT more 2010 Priuses on the streets. Today, I saw about seven or eight. Yep. I work in Aliso Viejo now, so no more driving up to Fullerton everyday. And, even without the 40 minute (traffic) drive each day, I still saw about 7-8 today!

 

Yeah, sometimes I feel like I'm seeing more Gen3s on the road than Gen2s around here, which is amazing. I think overall they've still got them outnumbers by at least 3-4x, but for a brand-new model year, compared to one that's been selling for 5, it's pretty impressive how many they've been moving.

Very rarely see any Insights on the road, but there's a decent number of HCHs on the road.

 

Its not just us. If you read the European reviews, they rag on the Insight as well. It is just a horrid effort