Prius or Insight

talkingdog

Hi all.

I am currently looking at the the new Prius T3 basic model in UK (not on sale here) for £22,000 stg, and the new Honda Insight for £19,000 stg.

The VRT is only €1,200 approx on either car.

Irish times did a nice review on both during the week

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/1104/1224258021905.html


Any got any opinions. I really like the Insight from the front, not sure about the rear though. The Toyota is pretty too.

JHMEG

Be prepared to be inundated with people who have no experience telling you to buy a diesel!

I think I'm the only poster on here who actually owns a hybrid... a Civic IMA, which has a similar setup to the Insight. Indeed a lot of the components are shared. Getting over 70mpg has become relatively easy, and around town I don't drop below 50mpg. The long term Insight at Autocar is doing similarly, although going over 80mpg doesn't seem to be that hard in the Insight.

I would say it comes down firstly to budget, and secondly preference. If you can afford to consider the new Prius you should. Then test drive both. They should both achieve similar economy, but the Prius now has a (remarkable) 1.8L petrol engine so it would have quite an advantage over the Insight in power terms.

busman

talkingdog wrote: »

Hi all.

I am currently looking at the the new Prius T3 basic model in UK (not on sale here) for £22,000 stg, and the new Honda Insight for £19,000 stg.

The VRT is only €1,200 approx on either car.

Irish times did a nice review on both during the week

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/1104/1224258021905.html


Any got any opinions. I really like the Insight from the front, not sure about the rear though. The Toyota is pretty too.

Don't forget that if it is a new car the revenue will also charge you VAT!
http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/vrt1.html#section13

talkingdog

JHMEG wrote: »

Be prepared to be inundated with people who have no experience telling you to buy a diesel!

I think I'm the only poster on here who actually owns a hybrid... a Civic IMA, which has a similar setup to the Insight. Indeed a lot of the components are shared. Getting over 70mpg has become relatively easy, and around town I don't drop below 50mpg. The long term Insight at Autocar is doing similarly, although going over 80mpg doesn't seem to be that hard in the Insight.

I would say it comes down firstly to budget, and secondly preference. If you can afford to consider the new Prius you should. Then test drive both. They should both achieve similar economy, but the Prius now has a (remarkable) 1.8L petrol engine so it would have quite an advantage over the Insight in power terms.

I would have bought the Civic if if was the nicer shaped one. I had look at it last year in Honda beside the Phoenix park. I will be in London next week so I will try both. A honda dealer in Dublin has an Insight but they are charging about 4grand too much.

i have a diesel car now 1.4, 70mpg, and a 520d. The time has come to convert the 2 cars into 1 cheaper one.

the vat is only an extra 6.5% of the UK price so I'm not worried about that

PADRAIC.M

I would buy the prius myself, as with honda toyota sold them the 2nd generation prius technology which honda are using now so I would really only compare the insight to the last model prius but both nice looking cars.

Cosmo K

PADRAIC.M wrote: »

as with honda toyota sold them the 2nd generation prius technology which honda are using now compare the insight to

Are you sure about this? Link?

I worked with a chap a year or two back who had a Prius, he regretted not buying a diesel.

JHMEG

PADRAIC.M wrote: »

I would buy the prius myself, as with honda toyota sold them the 2nd generation prius technology which honda are using now so I would really only compare the insight to the last model prius but both nice looking cars.

Honda are not using 2nd generation Toyota tech. Both systems are quite different.

JHMEG

talkingdog wrote: »

i have a diesel car now 1.4, 70mpg, and a 520d.

Since you already have a 70mpg car why don't you keep it and just sell the 520?

Saab Ed

Like an earlier poster said be prepared for people telling you to buy a diesel

http://www.renault.ie/vehicles/meganehatch/meganehatch_technical_specs.asp



Just one example of why no matter how much the manufactures pipe on about hybrid tech , back in the real world a good diesel still make far more sense. Hybrid driven easy = 75mpg , Megane driven easy = 65mpg ...In all other conditions Hybrid = 35mpg , Megane = 55mpg. Hybrids are for yanks because yanks wont buy Diesel. The official stats will always make the hybrid look better but back in the real world with 2 kids, a boot full of gear, a 300 mile holiday drive and a stop off at the in-laws ( somewhere in suburbia ) on the way , any good diesel still has the edge IMO.

PS- The bit I forgot . New Megane Diesels can be bought for around €17,500 on the road at the moment, met paint , 3 year warranty , the lot.

JHMEG

Saab Ed wrote: »

In all other conditions Hybrid = 35mpg , Megane = 55mpg.

Diesel Megane costs over 20k, does 51mpg urban. Prius does 61mpg urban.

Megane does 0-60 in almost 13 seconds, Prius is 9.8 seconds.

The two cars aren't really comparable. The performance of the Prius is far superior.

Seweryn

Saab Ed wrote: »

Just one example of why no matter how much the manufactures pipe on about hybrid tech , back in the real world a good diesel still make far more sense. Hybrid driven easy = 75mpg , Megane driven easy = 65mpg ...In all other conditions Hybrid = 35mpg , Megane = 55mpg.

That is correct and if you take a hybid for bit harder use, then you can forget about all the economy. Some interesting example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKTOyiKLARk

Saab Ed

JHMEG wrote: »

Diesel Megane costs over 20k, does 51mpg urban. Prius does 61mpg urban.

Nah not at the moment, Renault have a bit of an offer going and you can buy one for 17 and a half all in. And as I said about the fuel consumption figures , I cant dispute what goes down on paper and a Prius will always win that battle. But we dont all live in a laboratory, the quoted Prius figures are next to imposible to get in the real world. You'd have to drive like a saint to get thoses figures all the time and once you load the car up or drive on a little then the Prius looses badly ,heaven forbid you drive hard enough to totally drain the batteries and end up carrying around all that dead weight increasing fuel consumption even more.

colm_mcm

I'd get a Civic IMA over an Insight. Not sure whether I'd get a Prius or a Civic though.

The Insight is made from toilet roll inserts and tinfoil.

JHMEG

Saab Ed wrote: »

the quoted Prius figures are next to imposible to get in the real world.

You must be doing something wrong? Speaking from my own personal experience I have no problem surpassing the quoted figures.

But, drive like a cnut in any car and you'll get shíte economy. Hybrids are no different.

colm_mcm wrote:

The Insight is made from toilet roll inserts and tinfoil.

It is built to a budget alright, and apparently Honda's margin on it is a decent as it is on the Jazz. Otoh, the Prius apparently has a tiny margin, and there was talk Toyota were/are considering selling the older model at a loss so that they would have something in the same market space as the Insight. The Insight's 16" alloys are very nice I have to say but they officially cost ~4mpg in lost economy!:eek:

colm_mcm wrote:

Not sure whether I'd get a Prius or a Civic though.

All things being equal I'd go for the Prius as it's more "modder"-friendly. First thing I'd do is upgrade the battery back and stick solar panels on the roof.

talkingdog

Ok so everyone is saying the NEW Prius. I was in touch with a dealer in Galway who has a demo. At least I can drive both here. I was also thinking about an 08 520d for the same price now as a new Prius, and get rid of my 05. Whats an 05 520d worth now?

colm_mcm wrote: »

I'd get a Civic IMA over an Insight. Not sure whether I'd get a Prius or a Civic though.

If it was the nice looking Civic, hybrid looks poxy to me.

colm_mcm wrote: »

The Insight is made from toilet roll inserts and tinfoil.

LOL

Saab Ed wrote: »

Nah not at the moment, Renault have a bit of an offer going and you can buy one for 17 and a half all in.

I never thought about that, I do a lot of 35 mile motorway journeys, and very little town driving. That megane is lovely. You work in the game, are you selling renaults?