Posts tagged: civic

The Prius and Insight Face Off

By , December 12, 2009

Toyota recently released their new price for the 2010 Prius.The base model Insight is priced almost 00 below the base price of the Prius. The cheap base price give the Insight the title of most affordable hybrid in the U.S. 

The Insight offers an ECO Assist system which enhances fuel economy further by controlling acceleration rates and helping the driver drive learn how to drive more economically.The ECO socring helps the drive to have a system that allows for the best fuel economy, which is related back to the operator in the form of a miles per gallon readout.An electric motor gives the engine a nice boost, this system is called the integrated motor assist or IMA. Th IMA system is cheaper to manufacture, lighter than the original, and adds to the overall interior space. The Insight also has an i-VTEC® engine equipped with a CVT (continuously variable transmission).For about the price of a base mopdel Prius, you can get a nicely equipt Insight that comes with: rims, USB integraded stereo, navigaion with voice recognition, and steering wheel mounted shifter. The Insight and the Prius are clear competitors but Honda is determined to knock Toyota out of the competitive market to become the hybrid leader. 

On the other side of the coin, the Toyota Prius has a 160 horsepower 1.8 liter motor has three sttings for operation. The EV mode allows the Prius to run on battery power alone, the ECO mode’s responsibility is to ensure the optimum gas mileage is obtained, and then the Power Mode give more power and throttle response.Toyota has a new Smart Collision system called the PCS which is available on the new Prius.A laser is used to keep the same amount of distance as the car ahead of you in order to prevent any accidents. Toyota has a new system of buttons on the steering wheel that will help keep the driver safe.

Yes the Insight is much cheaper than the Prius, but the Prius does get much better fuel economy.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.If you drive over 20,000 miles in a year (with gas costing .50 a gallon), owning the Honda would cost 19 in gas per year and owning a Prius would cost 86 per year. At this rate it would take over 25 years to recover the cost you spent on a Prius where yearly gas savings are concerned.  So although the Prius gets better gas mileage; the Insight overcomes that hurdle by having such a low MSPR!

Certified Hybrid in Southern California, or buy a New Toyota Hybrid.  See great deals on the New toyota Prius in Northern California.

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