We say Nothing special in terms of efficiency, which defeats the object of a hybrid really.Performance What performance? With 88 horsepowers and torques, the Insight seriously lacks power, struggling to comfortably top the national speed limit, though it has a notional top speed of 113mph. The Insight isn’t bad about town, but there are better, cheaper, smaller cars that do this job better than the Insight.Emissions Between 101 and 105g/km is poor considering the Insight is a hybrid, a figure comfortably eclipsed by many petrol and diesel models. 64mpg is good, but again, there are more frugal internal combustion options out there – and for less cash. Extra weight thanks to higher trim levels will dent fuel efficiency.Driving The Insight’s suspension doesn’t take well to UK roads, but the steering is light and responsive so the Honda hybrid works well in the city.Feel The Insight’s petrol-electric powertrain is quiet at low speeds, but quickly builds up an annoying racket at higher speeds when the 1.3 petrol engines kicks in. Wind and road noise isn’t really an issue however.Space There’s enough legroom to satisfy most people in the Insight hybrid. The same can’t be said for headroom, however, and the boot is disappointing also at 408 litres, extending to a decent 584 litres with the rear seats folded down. That’s well down on the Prius and Honda’s own Civic for interior space.Equipment Climate control, alloy wheels, and electric windows and door mirrors all feature on base Insight models. All models feature an eco driving indicator that will tell you when to change gear and how much fuel you’re using.Price It’s priced competitively against the Toyota Prius, the Insight’s only real rival, and running costs are low, assuming you drive conservatively. Work the engine hard, which you’ll have to if you want to wring any performance out of it, and fuel economy will plummet. Residual values are questionable, given the pace of efficient combustion technology, the onset of electric cars and the superior Prius.Quality The materials inside the cabin are questionable; the Insight is not short of harsh, tinny plastics. It is likely to continue Honda’s fantastic reliability record, however.Safety Six airbags, traction and stability control come as standard. As a result the Honda Insight boasts a maximum five Euro NCAP stars for safety.Pros Potentially cheap to run, undercuts Prius significantly, good safety features, high level of standard kit.Cons Emissions and fuel economy should be better, not as spacious as it looks, bumpy ride.Alternatives Toyota Prius, Toyota Auris Hybrid, Honda Jazz Hybrid
