Some comparisons seem inevitable. Coke vs. Pepsi, Mac vs. Windows, and now, Insight vs. Prius.
 
Toyota’s Prius has become synonymous with “hybrid.” Even though the first Honda Insight and various Civic hybrids went on sale nearly a decade ago, the Prius remains the first hybrid that comes to mind for many buyers.
 
Capitalizing on the Prius’s not-exactly-low base price, Honda markets its less expensive (and rather similar looking) Insight as the hybrid “for everyone.” Honda’s Web site makes a lot of marketing hay about price, promoting their “Eco Assist” display/driving mode, “fun” paddle shifters, and the fact that you can buy an Insight EX with navigation for less than a Prius III with navigation.

But focusing on price or a few isolated features certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, as our video shows.

See the full Honda Insight and Toyota Prius road tests, along with ratings, in their model overviews (available to online subscribers.)

—Tom Mutchler