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The Toyota Prius has new competition. In mid-summer, Honda will begin selling its own hybrid car, expected to cost less than the popular Toyota model. The 2010 Honda Insight looks a great deal like the Prius and will probably be the first realistic alternative potential Prius buyers have ever had to consider. With the 2009 Detroit Auto Show now open, the auto press is driving Honda’s new hybrid for the first time, and so far, while most reviewers are impressed with the car, few think it’s going to knock the Prius off its lofty perch.

The first question with any hybrid, of course, is fuel economy. Motor Trend explains, “According to the EPA, the 2009 Insight returns a 40/43 mpg on its city/highway fuel-economy cycle. Not bad, but significantly off the Prius’s 48/45 numbers. When the next-gen Prius drops next year, you can bet that difference will be greater still.”

In fact, Toyota claims that 2010 Prius will get a combined average of 50 mpg, though the EPA hasn’t yet spoken on the subject.

The Insight, though, is still an impressive car in its own right. MT says “Honda has worked hard to make the Insight the drivers’ choice.” The Insight’s steering is “light and precise, and the Insight changes direction happily, without keeling over as the Prius is wont to do,” they write. “Throttle and brake response are smoother too: Powertrain engineers focused on keeping the pedal feel and position consistent with the performance of the CVT and brake-regeneration system. Not so in the Prius; its throttle seems to have a mind of its own, depending on speed and pedal position, while the brakes have a noticeable stepped feel.” There is even a Sport mode in the Insight, and though it doesn’t turn the car into a true performance car, “the Prius doesn’t even offer such sporting pretense.”

Automobile Magazine says that inside, the Insight is all Honda. “The cabin design and ambience are an appealing mixture of Civic, Fit, and first-generation Insight, with effective ergonomics, intuitive controls (the radio interface is especially nice), and lots of nooks and crannies for storage.” The interior fabric is a bit of a disappointment, and there is no opportunity to upgrade, but “as for the seats themselves, the fronts are simple and comfortable, while the outboard rear seats offer good headroom, decent legroom, and good footroom.” The cargo area beneath the hatch “is top-notch, with a big exterior opening through the hatch, a low lift-over height, a tall load space, and a broad, flat floor.”

A unique feature (but one that won’t be unique for long, since many automakers seem to be planning something similar) is the car’s Eco Guide. It coaches the driver toward more economical driving, and CNET is impressed. “The speedometer background changes color,” they explain, to tell the driver how much fuel is being used. “Blue means you’re a guzzler. Blue-green means that you’re starting to get with the program. Green means, well, you’re green, with excellent fuel consumption and consequent lowest emissions. To further educate and entertain, the car’s trip computer keeps score, and displays fuel consumption history on a bar graph so drivers can keep track and improve on economy. Green driving is scored in leaves, with more leaves being better.”

Which brings us back to the question of fuel-economy. The Prius easily bested the Insight in EPA testing, but Autoblog Green tells us “Honda believes that real-world mileage will be much better than the official ratings,” because the EPA testing cycle is not as efficient as a driver coached by Honda’s Eco Guide could be.

There may be something to the claim. Autoblog Green itself tested the Insight, and averaged 63.4 mpg. With the Insight posting numbers like that, and a sub-$20k price tag, the Prius may have something to worry about after all.

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