Kyle with his family Toyota Prius and the new 2010 Honda Insight he drives
Gas mileage is a fraught subject, even among hybrid drivers. Some compete to see who can 'hypermile' the hardest and return figures in the 70-plus-mpg range; others drive it like they stole it, figuring they'll still get better mileage than in a non-hybrid driven the same way.
Our intreprid teenage correspondent Kyle has intimate experience with mileage in both his family's Toyota Prius and the new 2010 Honda Insight he now drives.
For the record, the EPA rates the 2010 Honda Accord at 40 city / miles per 43 mpg highway, and the Prius (from 2004 to 2009) at 48 mpg city / 45 mpg highway. Unlike the 2010 Insight, the earlier Prius does not have an "Eco" button to maximize mileage.
As they say, your mileage may vary. So how did Kyle do?
What kind of mileage figures have you gotten on each?
I got about 40 mpg with our Toyota Prius, and I'm now getting about 37 mpg with the 2010 Honda Insight.
The Insight has trophies you can win for getting good gas mileage [a series of 1 to 5 leaves that accumulate as you drive economically] and that's pretty cool.
But the Prius is bigger and gets better gas mileage, so it definitely has the Insight beat there.
ADVANTAGE: Toyota Prius.
For the record, the new 2010 Toyota Prius--which is completely redesigned, has a larger and more powerful engine, and offers far more options--gets a combined EPA rating of 50 miles per gallon for mixed city-highway use.
COMPARE: 2009 Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight
Tomorrow, the fifth and final day of our mini-series, Kyle sums it all up and considers that important characteristic for any teenager driving to high school: the cool factor.
Part I: Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight: Kyle's Unique Comparison Test
Part II: Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight: Kyle Drives Each One
Part III: Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight: Kyle Considers Interior Space
2009 Toyota Prius
