I'm having a heck of a time deciding on whether to purchase a Prius C or INSiGHT. Everyday I change my mind.
Anyway, on the Prius forum, there is plenty of discussion on using dedicated snow tires in the winter as an absolute must. I don't see any discussion about snow tires here. I'm assuming it is not an issue???
I want the INSiGHT EX w/o nav.
I want to stream Pandora off my iphone via Bluetooth.
Is that possible? easy?
I hear where you're coming from. I just purchased an insight last week and we were going back and forth between a new C and a used insight. In the end, the ~$5000 price difference plus the little more room in the insight won out. But I have a used '10 LX. If you're looking new the price is probably a heck of a lot closer. Plus the gas mileage in the C is a little better.
Live in Florida and drive an LX so can't really help with the snow tires or the bluetoothe question... good luck!
The C is definitely more fuel efficient in heavy city traffic. And a bit on the highway, but not much to make a difference. It probably also handles better but the Insight is probably more comfortable (soft suspension). If you live in a big city with lots of slow stop and go traffic the C is a better choice, though $$$-wise it still might not be justifiable unless you put a LOT of miles on it. For suburban commute or highway, it's a toss-up, if you ask me...
I don't think an Insight will stream music through bluetooth. There is a usb connector in the center console though. New EXs come with bluetooth phone connection for calls. My wife isn't here right now, she is the primary driver of the Insight and uses Pandora a lot. I find the Insight handles my iphone ipod functions quite well using the usb.
Ive driven the insight in 3 inches of snow, ice, sleet, etc. As long as you replace the crappy dunlop tires it comes with you can tackle anything mother nature throws your way.
What got me was the way it handles and the fact if there is a hybrid problem it drives like a regular car.
Back when I was thinking about buying my Insight, I put together a little calculator to see how many miles I'd have to drive to justify buying a more expensive, but more fuel efficient car.
I cleaned it up and made it public. Hopefully someone finds it helpful. (You guys will have to take turns if more than one person has it open)
When I was in the market three months ago, I had the same dilemma. Insight '10 or Prius '10 or a new prius C. I never test drove the Prius C but of all the research I did, the Honda won. The extra mpg of the prius or prius C didnt justify paying the extra $$$$. The Insight being a compact is more closely comparable to the Prius C and if so, the Insight looks more premium than the (what I think) cheaper looking Prius C.
If you go with the Insight, I would suggest getting one with traction control (I believe the LX or base model do not have traction control, I may be wrong but I saw this mentioned on consumer reports youtube review of the Insight).
Cant comment on snow, live in So. Cal.
Not sure if you can stream iphone thru bluetooth; you could always install an aftermarket navi. that has bluetooth, pandora and other features like back up camera and the sort. There are posts in this forum discussing this.
If you are wondering, Yes, I purchased a 2010 Honda Insight w/ Navi. three months ago. Unfortunately was in a four car pileup (a BMW rammed into us on the freeway) and the car was totaled. Here was another chance for me to reconsider a different car. Guess what, I have a 2012 Honda Insight w/ Navi. sitting in my driveway as of this evening.
As far as Prius c vs. Insight, yes the Insight seems more upscale, has more room, and is a better value up front.
Prius gets the tip of the hat for having a more proven battery/battery management system which is known to last.
Toyotas also have more options if the owner is considering PHEV upgrades.
__________________ Silver 2001 Insight 5spd - #0160
264+K miles
(Has some bruises, needs some stuff...but I still love it.) Citrus w/ A/C - #2083
270+K miles
(Still needs some stuff...but I already love it.)
Tweak the numbers to match your experience... (numbers in the blue and yellow boxes) I just put the base model MSRP for both, but the Prius C is pretty much not to be had there. Also: if you're paying cash up front, just set the loan interest to 0 and it comes out the same.
Depreciation is a killer, and I'm pretty sure the Prius C will have a higher resale value.
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Can't decide INSiGHT or Prius C
