November 1, 2019
Price of $22,930 2020 Honda Insight
Supremely efficient, the 2020 Honda Insight also has an upscale interior, is spacious in all the right places, comes with generous standard equipment and even looks like a normal car.
THE BAD
This machine's powertrain is unexpectedly annoying for something built by Honda, plus its front seats are soggy and the available LaneWatch system's camera is disappointingly low-res.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Honda Insight is a high-quality small sedan that feels premium and returns crazy fuel-economy numbers without even trying.
The 2020 Honda Insight makes hypermiling an effortless endeavor. Drive one of these cars and you no longer have to overinflate the tires, refuse any passengers or cargo, tailgate tractor-trailers or squander a single brain synapse contemplating the pulse-and-glide acceleration technique. Honda has made it so ridiculously easy to get superb fuel economy you almost won't believe it.
Absolutely without trying, I managed to average better than 44 miles per gallon during my week-long stint in an Insight Touring, the range-topping model. Admittedly, that figure is fractions of an mpg less than the car's combined rating, but what makes this impressive is that it delivered said fuel economy when I drove it more aggressively than any typical owner would. I subjected the car to plenty of wide-open-throttle blasts and a large amount of high-speed interstate driving. Operate it more conservatively or predominantly in an urban setting and you should expect far greater efficiency.
Absolutely without trying, I managed to average better than 44 miles per gallon during my week-long stint in an Insight Touring, the range-topping model. Admittedly, that figure is fractions of an mpg less than the car's combined rating, but what makes this impressive is that it delivered said fuel economy when I drove it more aggressively than any typical owner would. I subjected the car to plenty of wide-open-throttle blasts and a large amount of high-speed interstate driving. Operate it more conservatively or predominantly in an urban setting and you should expect far greater efficiency.
he car stickers at 51 mpg city and 45 highway. Combined, Uncle Sam's minions at the Environmental Protection Agency say it should return 48 mpg. If, for some reason that's not enough, you can forego a few features by grabbing either an entry-level LX version or a midrange Insight EX, either of which will get you even greater fuel economy. Those cars are rated at 55 city, 49 highway and 52 combined.
The mighty misers
These efficiency scores compare favorably to other hybrid models from rival manufacturers. The mainline version of Toyota's pioneering Prius is rated at 54 mpg city, 50 mpg highway and 52 mpg combined. Grab an Eco trim version and both the city and combined ratings climb by 4 mpg each, while the highway score increases by 3. For drivers that want the ultimate Prius experience, the plug-in hybrid Prime model offers an electric-only driving range of up to 25 miles, along with stellar internal-combustion economy.
Hyundai is never a company to kick back and relax. It's always busier than a colony of killer bees and probably more aggressive, at least when it comes to entering new vehicle segments or updating its product range. The brand's Ioniq hybrid is similarly economical to the Insight and Prius, returning 55 mpg city, 54 mpg highway and 55 mpg combined. The super-saver Blue model is even more efficient than mainline variants, delivering 57, 59 and 58 mpg, respectively.
The mighty misers
These efficiency scores compare favorably to other hybrid models from rival manufacturers. The mainline version of Toyota's pioneering Prius is rated at 54 mpg city, 50 mpg highway and 52 mpg combined. Grab an Eco trim version and both the city and combined ratings climb by 4 mpg each, while the highway score increases by 3. For drivers that want the ultimate Prius experience, the plug-in hybrid Prime model offers an electric-only driving range of up to 25 miles, along with stellar internal-combustion economy.
Hyundai is never a company to kick back and relax. It's always busier than a colony of killer bees and probably more aggressive, at least when it comes to entering new vehicle segments or updating its product range. The brand's Ioniq hybrid is similarly economical to the Insight and Prius, returning 55 mpg city, 54 mpg highway and 55 mpg combined. The super-saver Blue model is even more efficient than mainline variants, delivering 57, 59 and 58 mpg, respectively.