FWIW, Consumer Reports in their testing affirms my point about the Prius. See http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...ient-cars-206/. The Priuses rated there are the previous (MY 04 to 09) gen. The chart hasn't been updated to include the 2010 Insight yet. They got 29/45, 38 mpg overall.

You can read about how they do their fuel economy testing at http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car..._test_fue.html.

There's at least one or two people on Priuschat who have both the HCH and 04-09 generation of Prius. I can check w/them to see what their results are. One or both of them might pop in here from top to time.

OT, while digging around to see if someone else did mileage comparisons, I stumbled across http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...brid_road_test. For lows, they noted this about the HCH:
"Lows: Strange interior and exterior design, uncomfortable front seats, occasional whirring and beeping noises, still slow."

It's not just me that thinks the HCH's interior is strange.

 

You are missing the point. Those idiots at CR dont have a clue how to drive a hybrid properly and other mags dont get it either and all miss the point bout why I bought a hybrid.
If I want to learn about hybrids I come to greenhybrid or other site that have the goods on these cars. I think priuschat is the best place for prius people and that is where you find the know how.
Is when you lean to drive a hybrid well that you really learn about what the car can do and thanks to forums like this,I know the HCH2 is the best car for me.. Im impressed with my car and I would not touch the prius unless I changed jobs and had to live downtown or something like that.

and even then I would have to get used to the idea that I should sit in the middle cause thats where the instruments are? Are you kindding me? thats not strange- thats crazy. Im the driver not the rest of the people in the car.

ks

 

Strangely brilliant, maybe. Strange is good, when it's founded in logic.

The Civic's split-tier design has won considerable praise over the years from journalists and owners. But unless you sit on the gear shifter, there's no sense to having center-mounted instruments.

 

Good handling is for people who don't care about getting good MPG.
I'm an extreme hypermiler.
For how I drive a Ferrarri and a Yugo would respond the same.

I do not accelerate hard or drive in an aggressive way or make sudden movements.
I avoid braking by not getting up to a speed that I'd need to brake down from or getting close to the car in front of me.
But when I DO brake I brake early and gently.

I carry a half-gallon water bottle with me and have never used a cup holder.
In fact I removed that removable cup holder thingie under the dash so I have a nice flat surface.
I love the fact that Honda let me get RID of cupholders.

Nobody EVER sits in my back seat so I don't care about headroom back there.
In fact, I remove the rear head rests (extra weight).

The Insight is perfect for me!
I love it.

Screw Consumer Reports.

 

I would have to say, I am really impressed with this car myself. Over the 4th of July weekend I purchased a large Gas Grill for my parents and it fit nicely in the back with the seats folded down.

Also with the excellent gas mileage I have been getting, it is a triple win win!

BTW 2nd Trophy at 2950 miles!!

 

I've been impressed with our I2's performance and space as well. On a trip to Ohio we fit both of us, our greyhound in the back seat, and a hatch full of stuff and still eeked out 47 mpg averaging 70-72 mph, depending upon speed limits.

When we took the back of the car apart somewhat to examine it for extrication purposes at the fie dept I work for, I was amazed that such a small battery (100v) could give the performance level that it does. The I2 is not a Prius, and I wouldn't want it to be (not that there's anything wrong with a Prius).

 

If the magazines or EPA used special driving techniques like we use for hybrids, then all of their data would be useless. "All" gas powered vehicles, not just hybrids, have "sweet spots." In all valid road tests the vehicles must be driven in a consistent manner, even though some vehicles are capable of much greater mileage. In the fifties, Mobil sponsored gas economy runs, where drivers using many of the same techniques that we use were able to attain gas mileage increases of 40% - 50%. Similarly, after I'd driven my TCH for month, the same driving techniques transferred to my non-hybrid Solara raised the gas mileage by 10% - 15%.