We were in the same exact boat as you a month or so ago. On paper the Prius absolutely dominates - bigger, more powerful and better mpg. We test drove both back to back before making our decision. Here were the thoughte we had immediately after the test drives..
Toyota Prius
The one on the lot was a Prius III. it is identical to the Prius II we would want except it has a nicer stereo.
Interior impressions.
The Good: The overall layout is as nice as it looked in pictures. Spacious in both the front and rear seats. Visibility out of the car was good with little blind spots. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes and the seat adjusts in a variety of ways (including height0 so driving position was comfortable. the cargo space was large.
The Bad: The materials seemed cheep. Hard plastics and rough edges were everywhere. The steering wheel had plastic overlays that you could move with your finger, the glovebox flopped open with a thud. The dash was HUGE and extended for what seemed like four feet in front of you. this was a demo car with very low miles but there were scratches and scuffs all over the place. The interior would look like hell in no time. The upholestry was very weak feeling. it looked like it would show wear
Toyota seems to have gone out of its way to make this car different for the sake of being different. A push button start, non intuitive displays and controls and a center mounted display that I don't think I could live with.
Exterior Impressions.
The Good: The blockier and wedgier design really looks nice. The angular head and tail lamps look sporty. Overall a handsome car.
The Bad: The "rims" are plastic snap ons over some sort of lower quality rim. bad form.
Driving Impressions
The Good: It was quiet. Visibility was good.
The Bad: Odd start up and weird joystick like shift lever. I had it set in the default mode and acceleration was horrible. even getting going from a stop on flat pavement felt like a big effort for the car. Typical 'floaty" Toyota suspension. Wallowed in corners. it didn't really feel like a "real car".
Overall Impressions.
The Good: Spacious, nice looking exterior
The Bad: Just about everything else.
Honda Insight
Interior Impressions.
The Good: The materials were of high quality. The upholestry was durable, the dash and control stack was made of softer touch plastics, the glovebox opened in a smooth way. Controls were intuitive. The Info feature on the instrument gauge was full of nice features showcasing the IMA Hybrid drivetrain. Comfortable seats with plenty of legroom in front and adequate legroom in back. nice storage area.
The Bad: Slightly small back seat. Smaller storage area than the Prius
Exterior Impressions:
The Good:REALLY sharp. handsome grill with projector headlamps, LED tail lights, mirror mounted turn signals, nice rims.
The Bad: slightly "Priusy"
Driving Impressions
The Good: Felt like a Honda, tight suspension, sharp handling, excellent visibility. Our trip (about 7 miles) averaged 47.7 mpg. The green/blue display by the speedometer really is an effective way to help aid in high mileage driving.
The Bad: Obviously it's not super peppy but despite it's large horsepower gap below the Prius it felt MUCH sportier.
We both are excited about the Insight. I bet we will be ordering one within a month. There is about a 3 month wait to actually get one in. We will probably be getting an EX without Navi with a black exterior and the blue interior. That sounds ugly but it's what the demo model was and it was beautiful.
Overall Impressions
The Good: The "fun to drive Hybrid" label that it has been given by car magazines is very true. it felt not just like a real car but a fun to drive real car.
The Bad: I don't want to wait three months!
We got our Insight EX (without navi) in much less time than they first predicted. They were able to trade with another dealership and got ours in in 6 days. We have about 1100 miles on the odometer and LOVE it. Everything that we liked about it during the test drive still applies and we have been pleasantly surprised by the mileage we are getting. In town we easily achieve 55-60 mpg (using air, listening to the radio and not driving like a hypermiler). On the highway we are averaging a touch over 45 mpg. Our current cumulative average after 1100 miles is 45.8 and climbing.
|
