In the ever-competitive market of hybrid sedans, creating a standout model capable of challenging the old warhorses is an unenviable task for any brand. Honda, however, seems unburdened by such a task, as the Japanese manufacturer today has two worthy challengers in this particular corner of the market.
The Insight and the Accord Hybrid are two of Honda's finest in their 2020 line up, offering value for money, comfort, and good fuel efficiency. But which should you go for, given that they are very similar in terms of what they offer customers?
Both have unique selling points of their own, managing to stand out in contrastingly different ways. For most potential buyers, it will simply come down to what you look for in a car. But that's not what we do at HotCars.
So instead, here is the definitive guide to which Honda hybrid you should buy in 2020.
The Accord Is More Powerful
Simply put, if all you care about is power and performance in a straight line, the Accord is the car for you. Despite being a hybrid, it still churns out a respectable 212 horsepower with both power trains being harnessed. Conventional versions of the Accord are still being sold by Honda, but the introduction of the hybrid model puts it in direct competition with the Insight in terms of sales. They are broadly similar, but the Accord, as you might expect, maintains the extra punch you'd demand from a conventional internal combustion engine.
The additional power also means that the Accord is capable of reaching speeds of 0-100 km/h in 7.7 seconds, not too shabby for a mid-range hybrid saloon. In reality, performance metrics probably aren't going to be the main reason most prospective customers purchase an Accord - but this is more so for the small sample size that will. The Accord is good, but it isn't quite in the bracket of luxury sedans just yet, unlike some of these beauties.
The Accord Comes With More Technological Gadgets
A bigger price-tag normally means a bigger cache of gadgets, gizmos, and tech, and the Accord delivers in this regard. It is littered with driver assists that combine to deliver a pleasurable experience behind the wheel, such as the addition of the lane-keeping feature. Safety has also been radically enhanced by the inclusion of automated emergency braking, and standard adaptive cruise control.
All of the aforementioned driving assists come as standard with the hybrid model, but if you are willing to spend a little more, parking sensors and blindspot monitoring can be added as optional extras. The Insight, by contrast, is instead focused on providing a more stripped back driving experience. For some, this could turn out to be a deal-breaker - as the Insight by itself is hardly one of the best Honda's of all time.
The Insight Is $3000 Cheaper
The Accord may be the slightly more powerful and more boastful model, but in terms of pound for pound quality, the champ is very much still the Honda Insight. The baseline Insight model starts at $23,000, $3,000 cheaper than its hybrid sibling. For the cheaper price, you largely retain many of the same features as the Accord, meaning that you very much get bang for your buck.
As Car and Driver highlight best, "All Insights offer keyless entry, push-button start, LED headlights, and the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver assistance technologies". It may be down on power and frills, but underneath all of the extraneous add-ons, they remain very similar models to the naked eye.
They Have Very Similar Fuel Efficiency Numbers
In the realm of hybrid vehicles, surely a big consideration for would-be buyers is fuel efficiency and the car's overall carbon footprint. This is actually an area where both cars excel, and can scarcely be separated in terms of raw figures. A Car and Driver test saw the Insight achieve a marvelous 47 mpg, a very respectable figure for a relatively heavy saloon hybrid.
However, the Accord Hybrid, not to be outdone, achieved a similarly impressive 48 mpg in city mode. When it comes to fuel economy, you can't go too wrong with either model. In fact, that tidily summarizes the contest as a whole. Both the Accord Hybrid and the Insight would make for excellent purchases, a fact that is best highlighted by the glowing reviews they have achieved in recent years.
When it comes to selecting a winner, it really isn't an easy or straightforward decision, as they both boast a tremendous amount of positives. With that being said, if one must be recommended to the wider public, it is my belief that it should be the Accord Hybrid. Though it may cost a tad more to buy, the added features and overall performance make it a worthwhile upgrade for those who pluck for it.
If Honda continues to make positive strides in this department, they will surely soon be amongst the very best in terms of hybrid car design, just like some of these manufacturers.
Sources: Caranddriver.com, Topgear.com, Mymillerhonda.com.