2010 Honda Insight Hybrid

The Insight is an entirely new vehicle for 2010 and bears no relation to the two-door coupe of the same name, which was discontinued after 2006. Like the Toyota Prius, the 2010 Honda Insight is a dedicated hybrid vehicle, meaning it has a unique look and is only offered with a hybrid powertrain, with space for five. While Toyota attracts affluent, environmentally conscious families with its Prius, which has become more luxurious and feature-laden in recent years, Honda aims the Insight primarily at younger, budget-conscious customers who want to make an environmental statement and cut their fuel consumption.

It's apparent right away that the 2010 Honda Insight worships wind tunnels, with a shape that looks carved to cut through the air with the least resistance. Yet the silhouette allows a hatchback practicality, and Honda has managed to incorporate an impressive degree of design detail for such a low-priced vehicle. The thin projector-beam headlamps are a distinctive break from the large, overwrought designs of recent years, the front grille is complex but simpler than what we've seen in Honda's larger vehicles like the Pilot SUV, and distinctive LED taillamps adorn the rear; also at the back is a tinted window that plays a styling role and allows improved visibility for the driver. Smooth lift-up door handles are a nice break from the chunky, trucky versions that have become expected even on small cars.

Inside, the 2010 Honda Insight also breaks from the small-car mold, with a two-tiered, two-tone instrument panel that's quite far forward to permit a spacious feel for those in front. Center-stack controls—except for the sound system and nav display—are angled a bit toward the driver, and climate controls are similar to those in the Fit, centered in their own round area just to the right of the steering wheel. And the seats have a nice, meshy fabric that's grippy and comfortable. Unfortunately, behind the front seats, it's not quite as perfect; the backseat can fit three kids across, or two adults, but headroom is tight. Cargo space is a generous 15.9 cubic feet, but it's quite shallow, and the 60/40-split backseats don't quite fold forward flat.

Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system works with a 1.3-liter VTEC four-cylinder engine, helping it out during acceleration and recharging the battery system during coasting and braking. Altogether, the system produces 123 pound-feet of torque and 98 horsepower. A start/stop system turns off the gasoline engine to save fuel at stoplights. Unlike the system in the Toyota Prius or Fordhybrid powertrain in the 2010 Honda Insight can't start up from a standstill in electric power alone, but it can maintain a 30-mph cruise with solely electric power.

The 2010 Honda Insight is rated at 40 mpg city, 43 mpg highway, although based on TheCarConnection.com's driving experience, owners should have no problem surpassing the ratings in everyday driving. TheCarConnection.com editors returned about 44 mpg just keeping with the flow of traffic in a variety of roads.

The front-wheel-drive Insight is, relative to other hybrids, a joy to drive. Thanks to the IMA system, there's plenty of torque to take off quickly from stoplights, along with good power for passing. The CVT automatic operates unobtrusively and doesn't hunt around at higher speeds as the Prius's transmission will sometimes do. For those who want to drive the Insight in more spirited fashion, there's a manual mode and steering wheel paddles on the uplevel 2010 Honda Insight EX, simulating seven speeds.