2010 Honda Insight Price

By: John Lester
Staff Writer
Published: Sep 28, 2009

2010 Honda Insight Price Information

The 2010 Honda Insight Price can vary depending on dealer and the hybrid trim level you purchase. The 2010 Insight base MSRP is $19,800 and does include most of the options you'll need for a fuel-efficient vehicle. Honda cars are poised to meet the demand for the average worker with a compelling set of features.

The Honda Hybrid vehicle was redesigned from its original counterpart and comes with new gas saving technologies. Eco Assist is a feature designed to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency for their given set of driving conditions. The driver can press the ECON button to further enhance the efficiency of multiple vehicle systems.

Some of these systems include throttle control, CVT operation, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise-control operation. The 2010 Honda Insight is also is the first marketed hybrid automobile. The vehicle is lightweight and constructed mostly from aluminium.

Honda expects to sell 90,000 units of the Insight Hybrid in the first year after following its March 2009 public release. The 2010 hybrid was crowned as Japan's best-selling car in April. The Japan Automobile Dealers Association is reporting that the automaker is selling approximately 10,300 Insight cars each month.

In early June, the automobile was named Green Car of the Year 2009 by the Environmental Transport Association (ETA). It was just one of 1,300 vehicles examined by the ETA. The automobiles were rated for power, emissions, fuel efficiency and the amount of noise they produce.

Government incentives and the cost of gasoline are some of the reasons that are driving new hybrid sales to record levels in Japan. There is also no sales tax when purchasing a new fuel-efficient Toyota or Honda car in Japan. Most Americans are choosing hybrid cars because of concerns over the cost of foreign oil, which remain unpredictable.

Honda cars are making the transition from conventional gasoline vehicles to hybrids. For example, the Civic and Camry models are now available with an electric motor and a small gas engine. The automaker is also releasing the new Honda Fit Hybrid, that will debut next year, will sell for around $15,000.

The Honda Insight is available in three trim levels. The LX, EX, and EX with Navigation offer separate costs depending on the packages built with the car. The LX is the base model and the EX trim sells for $21,970.

The hybrid is very similar to the Toyota Prius, which seems to be Honda's direct competition. The Insight Hybrid is cheaper to buy than the Prius. While the Prius gets a combined rating of 51 MPG, some number crunching reveals it would take longer for the fuel economy savings to make up for the cost difference. This means that most Prius owners will never drive their cars enough to make up for the Insight's price advantage.

The vehicle is powered by an advanced 1.3-liter SOHC engine. It has a system that incorporates a 10-kilowatt (13 hp) electric motor and a compact Intelligent Power Unit (IPU). This technology recaptures kinetic energy from the braking system and sends it to the battery for recharging.

The car includes several fuel-saving technologies including smoother acceleration and slower braking to increase fuel economy. Fuel economy is estimated at a respectable 40 mpg city, 43 mpg highway and 41 mpg, overall. The pricing for the Honda Insight is a bargain for a next-generation hybrid vehicle.