It's really the only way to keep it priced below the competition.

Sound familiar? *cough*BIG THREE*cough*

.....

↓↑report

Cough, maybe 10 years ago, cough.

↓↑report

Either you're not a car guy (because the differences are significant in everything besides general shape) or you're an idiot (because it's the most fuel efficient shape available for a 4-door car of this size, which has been repeated ad nauseum). Or both.

↓↑report

Many people have been saying this. But if you look at the old insight (2seat2door) has very similar appearance, i.e. aerodynamic hatchback shape.
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/images/Scooter/honda_insight.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Honda_Insight_Back.JPG

You could say, Toyota copied Honda. Which all goes back to kammback.
Maybe its the inspiration for bmw 5GT and zdx. That or because the majority of americans hate wagons & hatches.

↓↑report

I'd argue it's the ONLY direct competitor to the Prius. Answer me this: if the Prius ISN'T its direct competitor, what the hell is?

↓↑report

Humm, I'd rather see the "Get it right the first time" attitude, like I've been seeing from GM and Ford recently. I don't like being a Guinea Pig.

↓↑report

I think Honda guessed that they could pitch it as an "entry full hybrid" below where the Prius sits. They would have liked to undercut the Prius price by a significant margin, but Toyota decided to price their base level Prius very competitively, therefore negating much of the advantage Honda sought to gain. Not that 3000 isn't a significant margin, it's still not enough to escape comparison.

I'm not sure IMA has the potential to rival HSD in terms of mileage anyway. As for ride quality... these people are likely the same ones who would pick a loaded ES350 over a 335i ten times out of ten if they had 40K+ for their cars but want Hybrids because they want to be cool and hip and trade their own tailpipe emissions for industrial and manufacturing emissions that are even worse.

I can't wait to pull up to the first d-bag I see that buys the new Lexus HS250 or whatever and tell him "Nice Prius." I hate hybrids.

↓↑report

@Kiiks..

So let me get this straight.. you hate hybrids.. yet you read about them and post about them.

Imagine how great the world would be if all we did was read about stuff we hate and post and stuff we hate.

The world would be full or.. wait for it... HATE!

I don't go into the Dell forums because I don't like them.. let the dell people discuss their stuff and leave them alone. I don't try to put my negative opinions on their stuff just because I can.

BTW Industrial emissions aren't as bad as you think. Check out the BMW plant in SC that builds the Z4's.

They actually use methane gas from the landfill down the street to power their automotive plant. 60% of the entire plants energy comes from Methane from the landfill.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/06/11/bmw-expands-landfill-methane-electrical-generation-at-spartanbur/

We are getting there 1 little step at a time. If all factories could reduce industrial pollution by 60% then we would be WELL on our way.

I do somewhat agree with the Lexus hybrid. Though I don't think it's a prius, Lexus usually does a pretty good job or making their Lexus' quieter and ride nicer than their Toyota (Camry) counterparts.

↓↑report

"Great attitude from Honda" huh?

If the domestics had done this, you would have been complaining saying you hate the Big 3 for making the buyers their beta testers and that they should have gotten it right the first time.

↓↑report

That's just my opinion, Mike. Hybrids are a step in the right direction, if not from the actual environmental impact then in terms of social impact. I don't like hybrids because nickel mining is very environmentally harmful. (Do a search if you want sources, they're everywhere) So along the total manufacturing process of a modern hybrid, you end up polluting more than you would with a similarly sized combustion engined car. The green-minded people without the prescience to do their full research end up buying these types of vehicles. The carmakers will still sell them because people will buy them but that doesn't make hybrids true to their proposed intentions. They're a complete farce and unless the volume manufacturers switch to "cleaner" batteries, (like LiPo for instance) I'll continue to hold them in contempt.

The ONLY good part about hybrids is that it shows that people actually care about the environment. It shows that they're stupid, but they care. I'll keep burning gasoline until somebody finds a better way for me to get around (and still have fun doing it) that's not actually somehow worse for the planet.

↓↑report

... or you could just buy a Prius and be happy the first go round...

↓↑report

Don't forget the Sebring or (North American) Focus.

↓↑report

Or a mid nineties Hyundai Excel.

↓↑report