LA Times - how Insight sales are doing against Prius

I've probably seen about 5 times as many 2010 Priuses than Insights on the road, so the sales numbers seem about right to me.

 

It's sad, I mean everybody knows Honda is better than Toyota and yet this farce goes on and on.

Just kidding by the way.

 

I support and want to support hybrids as a whole. But Honda has to commit and admit. IMO IMA is just inferior as hybrid system in comparison to HSD.

Good sales in Japan, and I think a good initial interest level in the US should give Honda something to think about. But imo, The Insight always seemed like a reaction. I think Honda saw the huge waiting lists, and the dominating Prius sales a year or so ago when gas prices sky rocketed and the Civic Hybrid just couldn't compete with the "family" market. So they rushed a vehicle out, designed almost specificly to be family possible and compete with The Prius.

But again, imo, Honda just has failed. When you come out with something "new" it better be "new" and at least have some improvement. The Insight is built in the same plant as the Civic Hybrid, and is basicly the same technology only watered down to make production costs less. For most people in the market for a new hybrid, the price point between The Insight and The Prius is not drastic enough to influence purchase. Infact for most, comparison sells The Prius even at a slightly higher buy in. Bottom line, you need a better product. Honda took a step backwards, with a technology "IMA" that already is inferior. The Insight release would be like Toyota releasing the 3rd Generation Prius but announcing that the "new" generation now has worse gas mileage and a cheaper HSD system. Why do that? Toyota was at least smart enough to realize that if you release a redesigned or new product it better at least attempt to be an improvement.

For Honda, it's the old cliche, it's not who's first, it's who's best. Unfortunately Honda had a chance to reload and try again but decided being cheaper would be better than attempting to be the best. Build the better product or at least one that can compete on all levels, not one that is "close" but beaten on almost all levels.

What do you think would happen to Honda Accord sales if Honda announced they were building a new Accord to compete with Camry but that new Accord got worse gas mileage, was smaller, had a weaker engine and overall power but it was "maybe" 1000-2000 dollars cheaper ? Sales would be dismal. Honda can now proclaim The Insight was never meant as a direct competitor to Prius but that's ridiculous. How do you release a weak clone of a competitors automobile, at least from the external standpoint, then stand back and go, what compete with The Prius?

If Honda really wants to compete they need something new. They need to really commit to hybrid technology, not keep along with a system that just doesn't match up to HSD. Honda is a good automobile company, infact I'm currently driving Honda and it's been a great car but it say's something that even thought I've been very happy with my Honda, I would not even really consider the new Insight over The Prius.

 

It is interesting to reflect on the changes over the past three months:

• 90 days ago - PriusChat was thick with Jetta TDI advocates and a few Honda Insight supporters and ads on media.
• 60 days ago - the 2010 Prius were showing up in user hands
• 30 days ago - the VW "Varoom, Varoom" commercial was still being shown as was the Honda Insight commercial
• now - the VW and Honda ads seem rare and PriusChat has returned to normal

Bob Wilson

 

I'm a Honda guy, always have been and though I've strayed some here and there, I have owned 4 Honda's over the last 16 years which have always been great....

Still, I won't ever own a second gen Insight. A CR-Z, hell yeah! A first gen Insight, maybe if things were right for it.

My point is Honda seriously overestimated how well it would do, how well people would adopt the car and how the base's price point would help sales and it's disappointing to Honda faithfulls but life goes on.

 

Pardon me if this has been mentioned earlier, but I drove Honda/Acura products almost exclusively for 25 years before getting my Prius. I read the Consumer Reports review of the new Insight and was stunned to see: "Reliability is likely to be very good, but it scored too low in our tests for us to recommend it".

Has there ever before been a Honda that Consumer Reports could not recommend?

 

They have rested on laurels and are basically a brand for loyal fans.

 

As reported in other theads, in the US for July 2009:
Toyota sold 19,173 Priuses
Honda sold 2,295 Insights and 969 HCHs

Toyota Reports July Sales
American Honda July Sales Top 114,000 - Honda - Press Releases - Selected Story

 

The Insight is the poor man's Prius, literally.

 

Yeah that's absolutely right.

 

Sadly, yes if you go with the base model.

If you go up to the EX, which is the only way to get Navi and other desirable options it costs you a LOT more.

I think the Insight might also be the I-want-it-right-now mans hybrid.

 

The Insight is a fine car for less overweight and more 'standard size' folks. I'm thinking an Insight would be a fine graduation gift vehicle but not for a football or basketball athlete.

Bob Wilson

 

Ouch! HCHs were selling 1/4th of the Prius numbers until the 2010 Insight and 2010 Prius came out.

Now HCH is selling 1/10th of the Prius. I can draw three possibilities:

1) 2010 Prius is much better than HCH
2) 2010 Insight strategy backfired. Insight stole sales from HCH and many now see IMA as inferior and bought the Prius.
3) Combination of 1 and 2.

 

HCH looks to be odd man out...looking at raw hybrid sales, the Prius went up slightly, Honda with combined HCH, HIH sales, stayed about the same

 

When I visited a Honda dealership in search of a new hybrid car (before visiting Toyota), I made up my mind that if I were to buy at Honda, I would go with the Insight over the HCH. However, I went into the dealership thinking I wanted the HCH. Several things changed my mind:

1. The acceleration and performance of the Insight seemed marginally better than the HCH.

2. The price is cheaper.

3. The rear seats go down which leaves much more room for both cargo and my dog.

Now, having said all of that... Obviously I eventually bought the Prius. The Prius had better performance, many more standard features, larger area inside, and more comfortable seats. Really, complainers about the Prius seats ought to try to sit in the middle on the Inisght. I felt like I was sitting on a wooden board.

 

Exactly and it seems no one wants to have that image looking at sales.

 

Just wanted to add an opinion to this thread. I've been on this board looking into the 2010 Prius for my parents who are not internet savvy.
Anyway, I have a *gasp* Honda Insight. Here was my purchasing train of thought. I wanted a small commuter car with good gas mileage. I had been considering between the Yaris or the Fit. I had planned to get a top of the line Fit (wanted stability control), but then the Insight came out. For a little bit more, I could have a hybrid. I figured well, why not give that money to a car company working on fuel efficient vehicles rather than give it to the gas pump?
Never once considered the Prius, as that would be jumping somewhere around $4,000 from my price point, rather than $2,000.
Anyway, my point is that it's possible the Honda could appeal to people who were never even considering a hybrid. That's a win/win for everyone.

 

Did you get the Insight EX? The base Insight doesn't come with stability control.

 

Yeah, I have an EX.

 

I'm new here, and have been reading this thread with some interest since I spend some time in an Insight (about a month). Honestly, I liked it but there was one thing about that drive me crazy: noise. The ride can get choppy on rough roads, and the IMA can be quirky, but it does work well. I averaged about 46MPG over the month. But the noise is just too much. On rough roads, like roads scraped for paving, it drowned out the radio it was so loud. I can't understand Honda; this is a problem common to many Hondas. Why?

Other than that, the features of the car were really nice. Good radion with iPod interface, good climate control, comfortable front seats, and good utility. The stock tires were crap, though, and were "interesting" in the rain...

Overall, Honda's biggest mistake was making it look like a Prius and inviting comparisons with the Prius. It's not in the same class, really. Now if I could just find a way to get the iPod interface into the Prius...