Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[<i>Consumer Reports</i> tests fuel efficiency vs. speed; Honda Insight biggest loser]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/10/i-consumer-reports-i-tests-fuel-efficiency-vs-speed-honda-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/10/i-consumer-reports-i-tests-fuel-efficiency-vs-speed-honda-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/10/i-consumer-reports-i-tests-fuel-efficiency-vs-speed-honda-i/#comments
2010 Honda Insight - Click above for high-res image gallery

The faster you drive, the more fuel you use. Common sense, right? Absolutely, but it's still helpful to see real-life data, as you'll see by checking out the results of a recent test performed by Consumer Reports. Not all cars perform the same at various speed limits, and as you might expect, America's most fuel efficient models are also the vehicles most affected by higher speeds.

A total of seven vehicles were tested by CR: a Acura TSX with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder; a new 2010 Honda Insight; a Lexus RX350; a Mercury Mountaineer with 4.6-liter V8; Toyota Camry and RAV4 with 2.5-liter four-bangers; and a Yaris with a 1.5-liter four.

As you're probably aware, today's hybrids are optimized for high fuel economy at city speeds and therefore lose much of their miserly ways on the highway. As it turns out, this was especially true of the new Insight hybrid, which lost over 15 miles per gallon moving the needle from 55 mph to 75 mph - the largest drop in the contest. Click here for the complete test results.


Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight


[Source: Consumer Reports]

Consumer Reports tests fuel efficiency vs. speed; Honda Insight biggest loser originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010 honda insight2010HondaInsightacura tsxAcuraTsxfuel economyfuel mileagefuel mileage testFuelEconomyFuelMileageFuelMileageTesthonda insighthonda insight 2010honda insight hybridHondaInsightHondaInsight2010HondaInsightHybridlexus rx350LexusRx350mercury mountaineerMercuryMountaineertoyota camrytoyota rav4toyota yarisToyotaCamryToyotaRav4ToyotaYarisThu, 10 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Inside Line presides over the battle of the fuel sippers]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/12/video-inside-line-presides-over-the-battle-of-the-fuel-sippers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/12/video-inside-line-presides-over-the-battle-of-the-fuel-sippers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/12/video-inside-line-presides-over-the-battle-of-the-fuel-sippers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Click above to watch the video after the jump

Fuel efficiency has finally moved to the forefront of many consumers' minds after 2008's record fuel price spike and demand is higher than ever for miser-mobiles. Several vehicles have benefited from the green car movement, and the Inside Line crew corralled three hybrids, a diesel and a supersized go-kart in the ultimate test of fuel economy prowess.

The Toyota Prius, Mini Cooper, Honda Insight, Ford Fusion and VW Jetta TDI were assembled to compete for the best fuel economy in city, highway and back road driving. IL also measured the cost to fuel each vehicle and the amount of CO2 each emitted during the test. The five vehicles were prepped to do battle, but ultimately it wasn't much of a fight.

The Toyota Prius won every conceivable category by a significant margin with amazingly similar fuel economy between 47 and 48 mpg in all driving tests. The Prius also took on all comers in regards to carbon emissions as the symbol of green motoring spewed .08 fewer pounds of pollutants during the test than the second place Honda Insight. Hit the jump to watch the video.

[Source: Inside Line]

VIDEO: Inside Line presides over the battle of the fuel sippers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 mini cooper2009MiniCooper2010 ford fusion2010 honda insight2010 Jetta TDI2010 toyota prius2010FordFusion2010HondaInsight2010JettaTdi2010ToyotaPriusdieselford fusionFordFusionhonda insightHondaInsighthybridjetta tdiJettaTdimini cooperMiniCoopertoyota priusToyotaPriusWed, 12 Aug 2009 08:59:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Honda Insight sales withering in face of competition from Toyota Prius]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/31/honda-insight-sales-withering-with-competition-from-prius/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/31/honda-insight-sales-withering-with-competition-from-prius/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/31/honda-insight-sales-withering-with-competition-from-prius/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


2010 Honda Insight EX - Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda's Insight hybrid is failing to live up to sales expectations here in the important U.S. market. While Honda claims the Insight was never meant to be a direct competitor to the Toyota Prius, the truth is that the two cars are very much rivals in the eyes of many new car shoppers (and some Honda dealers). With that in mind, the 2,079 Insights that Honda managed to sell in June pales in comparison to the 12,998 Prius hybrids Toyota sold in the same month. Further, Honda is on track to sell less than one-third of its stated goal of 90,000 units in its first year on the market.

According to The Los Angeles Times, some dealerships are hoping Honda can rebound with a revised marketing campaign highlighting the Insight's price advantage over the Prius, which currently sits at a few thousand dollars at the base end. There are surely any number of reasons why the Insight may be losing ground in the hybrid race, and you can probably pick out some of them by clicking here to read our review of the 2010 Honda Insight and then clicking here for our take on the 2010 Toyota Prius.


Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight


[Source: Los Angeles Times]

REPORT: Honda Insight sales withering in face of competition from Toyota Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Honda Insight EX - Click above for high-res image gallery

First impressions can be problematic, even more so when reviewing a vehicle. When the media gets its first shot at a new offering, the automaker typically invites journalists to a location of its choosing to drive under conditions that show the car in its best light. Such was the case with the 2010 Honda Insight. After our First Drive, we came away with the impression that Honda's hot new hybrid was an engaging alternative to the Toyota Prius, but we quickly came to realize the Insight's limitations and flaws after a week behind the wheel on our home turf.

Get our real-world impressions after the jump.


Gallery: Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX, familiarity breeds discontent

Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX, familiarity breeds discontent originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Honda Insight - Click above for high-res image gallery

We had to wait years for someone to give us a hybrid-only alternative to the Toyota Prius, and Honda finally gave us some choice with born-again Honda Insight. Initial interest in the under $20,000 40+ mpg vehicle has been high, but it's not necessarily translating into as many sales as the automaker would like. Honda was initially hoping for 90,000 sales in North America in its first year, but it looks like the Japanese automaker may not hit its sales goal. American Honda Vice President John Mendel has reportedly told Bloomberg that the Insight isn't going to hit 90,000 units, but that the company "will be just fine" with 50,000 to 60,000 sales. Honda expects global sales of the Insight to hit 200,000 units, and it was hoping for about half of that volume to come from North America.

The revised sales forecast comes as Honda is keeping more Insight units in Japan due to brisk demand and unfavorable exchange rates in the States. Lower gas prices are also likely to be hurting sales of Honda's new hybrid, though the price of petrol has been steadily heading north over the past few weeks. The economic recession is also likely hurting Insight sales, as U.S. sales for almost everything with four wheels has been very poor so far in 2009.


Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight


[Source: Reuters]

Honda likely to miss U.S. sales targets for Insight? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for our gallery from the Earth Day Honda Insight event at the Honda Center

What better way to spend Earth Day than with Wild Wing and the new Honda Insight. Wild Wing, as you might know, is the mascot for the Ducks of Anaheim, the Southern California hockey team that plays in the Honda Center. Get the connection now? To help introduce its new hybrid to the public, Honda chose Earth Day to throw a little coming out party at the Honda Center, complete with food, games and prizes. They even set up one part of the parking lot for demonstration drives.

When we first got there we thought we might have been in the wrong place. There were about a dozen Insights lined in a row, but they were the last generation two-seaters. It seems the best place to look for prospects is among owners. After checking out the old ones, we decided to sample the new one. We took a spin around the cones, trying out the ECO mode and paddle shifters along the way. The car is really pretty normal once you get used to the CVT, gauges and teardrop shape. The drive was short but confirmed the car feels like a Honda, with a bunch of tech thrown in. It was a fun event that wasn't very well publicized so the odds of winning a new Insight were really good.

Gallery: Earth Day at the Honda Center

Honda celebrates Earth Day by giving away a 2010 Insight originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010 Honda2010 honda insight2010 insight2010Honda2010HondaInsight2010Insighthonda centerhonda insightHondaCenterHondaInsightinsightWild WingWildWingWed, 22 Apr 2009 15:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota reportedly expects 40,000 pre-orders for new Prius]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/15/report-toyota-claims-40-000-pre-orders-for-new-prius/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/15/report-toyota-claims-40-000-pre-orders-for-new-prius/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/15/report-toyota-claims-40-000-pre-orders-for-new-prius/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for a high-res image gallery

The well-publicized battle for hybrid sales supremacy between Honda and Toyota has taken yet another intriguing turn. According to Japan's Nikkei newspaper, Toyota is saying that it expects to take 40,000 preorders in Japan for its new 2010 Prius hybrid ahead of its official rollout in May. For the sake of comparison, the Japanese automaker sold a total of 73,100 Prius hybrids in all of 2008.

More importantly, rival automaker Honda managed to sell about 18,000 copies of its latest Insight hybrid in its first month on sale. By all accounts, Honda was delighted to move that many Insights - the automaker had predicted that it would only sell about 5,000 units for the first month the hybrid was available in Japan.

A few months ago, Honda made a big splash by pricing the smaller, slightly less fuel efficient Insight a few million yen (or a few thousand dollars) below the starting price of the standard-setting Prius. In response, Toyota announced it would keep the previous generation Prius around for at least another year and dropped that model's price to match the Insight.

But that wasn't enough for Toyota - earlier this month, the automaker set the starting price for the new 2010 model at 2.05 million yen ($20,750), which is just about the same as the mid-level Insight. The next chapter: U.S. pricing for the 2010 Prius has yet to be announced. Let the games continue.


Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius - First Drive


[Source: Reuters]

Toyota reportedly expects 40,000 pre-orders for new Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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