Honda Insight vs Honda Fit

Twenty years ago, the original Honda Insight was the first hybrid to go on sale in America. It had two seats and a funky teardrop shape, but amazing fuel economy.

Honda’s next Insight was a Prius copycat, but smaller, cheaper, and less satisfying than the Toyota.

Now, this third-generation 2019 Honda Insight adopts traditional 4-door sedan design and offers plenty of interior and trunk space. Plus, it is undeniably more attractive than the Civic on which it is based.

Should consumers looking for a practical, affordable, and efficient car consider the new Insight?

Once upon a time, buying a new car on a budget meant scraping the bottom of the barrel. Sure, it had a “low, low” price to get you in the door, but for that price, you did not get a whole lot of car. For most of its existence, the “econo-box” was a much-lamented auto segment.

But times have changed. Automakers like Honda and Toyota have committed to offering small, affordable new cars that are safe, comfortable, and filled with features one would commonly associate with more upscale cars. The standard-bearer for this effort is the 2018 Honda Fit. A car like this can make you ask, “Do I really need any more car?”

In the past year or more, we’ve tested dozens of new compact crossovers. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, they are all basically high-riding hatchbacks. Their high ground clearance suggests capability, but in reality, accomplishes little more than what a hatchback already does. In that context, it's refreshing to see a car like the 2018 Honda Fit. It has cargo space that not only rivals but exceeds that of some compact crossovers. It also boasts many of the tech and safety features of those pseudo-SUVs. And it accomplishes all this in a small hatchback layout that makes for a great city car.