2019 Insight vs. Corolla hybrid

[MetroMPG]

Car and Driver has done a comparison of the Civic hybrid ... uh, I mean the new Insight ... and the new Corolla hybrid.

I was genuinely surprised by their pick.

Noteworthy: part of the comparison included a "75-mph real-world fuel-economy test", with this result:

Civic ... rats! I mean Insight: 47 mpg US = 5 L/100 km. (EPA hwy rating: 49)
Corolla: 56 mpg US = 4.2 L/100 km. (EPA hwy rating: 52)

Read the full review: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...orolla-hybrid/

[ksa8907]

That is similar to what I observed in my brother in-law's accord hybrid. Its rated high 40's mpg but we only got around 40 on a trip to Tennessee and back.

[Vman455]

Uh oh:

"A different but similarly equipped Insight also beat its EPA highway figure on the same test by 2 miles per gallon, but posted only 47 mpg."

They're quoting a test run on a different day entirely. A 9 mpg delta could be entirely attributable to something as simple as wind speed and direction. (I've seen more than that on I-70 across Ohio in the same car, for instance, where one trip in 2014 returned more than 70 mpg, while last week I got 55 mpg--I had a favorable tail wind on the former).

Unless the intended takeaway is "reality is capricious, unrepeatable, and not applicable to any one user's experience," there's not much to glean from these real-world "tests."

[samwichse]

Yeah, I'll believe those results for the Corolla when Fuelly data bears it out. Right now there are like 3 cars for the 2019 with a couple fill ups.

But the 2019 insight has a lot, and it's got a nice mean right at 47 mpg.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Vman455

Uh oh:


They're quoting a test run on a different day entirely. A 9 mpg delta could be entirely attributable to something as simple as wind speed and direction.

Good point. Especially when the test speed is already that high.



Well, 75 mph is high for me!

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Too high of an estimate for the Corolla. The Insight numbers are pretty normal for the average inefficient, maniac American driver.

Toyota hybrids strive to get good efficiency regardless of driving style, meaning that it's hard to get bad mileage, and hard to get really good mileage. Honda hybrids leave the mileage in the driver's hands - drive it like a maniac and you'll get poor MPG, or drive it conservatively and you'll easily beat the EPA standards.

I've seen MPG in the new Insight vary between 38 and 69 in the Insight facebook groups I'm in. The new Prius or similar hybrid (Corolla) won't have that large of a range, most likely somewhere between upper 40s and mid 50s.

[redpoint5]

My Prius doesn't seem to care much how I drive it.

[vskid3]

I believe the Insight's 75mph mpgs, but the Corolla does seem a bit high. With the direct drive system the Insight uses at higher speeds, the RPMs get higher than necessary at ~65+mph, dragging down the mileage even more. On the other hand, the Corolla's eCVT allows the RPMs to drop as low as possible. I've seen 1000-1200RPM while going downhill at 80+mph in my Prius. I wouldn't be surprised if the Insight beat the Corolla at a lower speed like 55-65mph.

[Natalya]

I want to point out that this comparison was with the touring Insight, I think I remember reading that the EX and LX are more fuel efficient.

[S Keith]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Toyota hybrids strive to get good efficiency regardless of driving style, meaning that it's hard to get bad mileage, and hard to get really good mileage.

I'm the exception. 2008 Prius: 39.6mpg average over the last 60 tanks or so per fuelly.

My wife routinely gets high 40s to low 50s in her 2008.

One of us drives like a hooligan.