2011 Honda Insight vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

The Honda Insight mostly takes on the Prius, yet it's geared for a slightly lower price and stronger value and doesn't have the in-car tech emphasis you see in the iconic Toyota hybrid.

However, the Insight competes to some degree with Honda's own Civic Hybrid and Fit hatchback.

Unlike the Prius and the new Insight, the Civic Hybrid has essentially the same outward appearance as the mainstream Civic sedan models.

The Honda Insight has a similar hybrid system, but the rest of the package is unique, with a versatile hatchback arrangement and a more memorable look that screams "hybrid." Backseat headroom is a bit short in the Insight.

The Fit returns fuel economy in the 30s in normal driving and has an amazingly vast and versatile interior, thanks to the so-called Magic Seat arrangement, along with very crisp, responsive handling.

Those who plan to do a lot of highway driving will also be happy with the Jetta Sportwagen TDI, which gets similar mileage on the highway, in a big, roomy vehicle, albeit with lower numbers in the city.

Then there's the Smart Fortwo, which some might consider alongside the Insight, but the Fortwo is more of a novelty.

It only fits two, parking is a snap, and fuel economy approaches 40 mpg; however, the ride is very choppy, the seats are skimpy, and it's twitchy on the highway.

The new Lexus CT 200h nearly achieves the fuel economy of the Insight and is a sportier drive, but it costs about ten grand more.