Toyota Corolla Hybrid vs. Honda Insight: How These Fuel Sippers Measure Up
We compare the fuel efficiency of two competing hybrids, the 2020 Toyota Corolla sedan and the 2019 Honda Insight, both of which average more than 50 mpg according to the EPA.
We also look at how the two cars compare in terms of size.
While their base prices are nearly identical, the two cars diverge in what kinds of options and accessories you can get on them.
It seems that the hybrid tables are turning against the Toyota Prius, which popularized the idea of a gas-electric fuel sipper in the United States. There's a quiet rebellion going on in the ranks, with more conventionally styled and packaged hybrids offering an alternative to the Prius's, er, distinctive looks and eco-focused image-and the challenge is even coming from within Toyota's own lineup now that the new 2020 Corolla sedan has a hybrid variant of its own. Similarly, Honda's new Insight hybrid has adopted a more conventional sedan body derived from the mainstream Civic. Given how close the mission of these two 50-plus-mpg sedans are, we thought we'd stack them up and see how they compare.
MPG and EPA Ratings
Miles per gallon is the big number for any hybrid, and the Insight and Corolla hybrid are neck and neck in this race. Both achieve an EPA-estimated combined figure of 52 mpg, with the Honda winning in the city test, at 55 mpg to the Corolla's 53 mpg, and the Toyota boasting the higher highway rating, at 52 mpg to the Insight's 49 mpg.
The Insight also has a separate set of ratings for its better-equipped Touring trim level (for which there's no equivalent version of the Corolla). It suffers in the EPA's tests due to its higher weight and different wheels and tires and achieves lower ratings of 48 mpg combined, 51 mpg city, and 45 mpg highway.
In our real-world 75-mph highway fuel economy test, an Insight Touring achieved 47 mpg, beating its EPA rating. We've yet to test a Corolla hybrid on this same loop.
Powertrain
Both the Corolla hybrid and Insight mate an Atkinson-cycle inline-four with two electric motors. The Corolla's gas engine is a 1.8-liter mill, while the Insight's is a 1.5-liter. The Honda powertrain makes more power, at 151 horsepower to the Toyota's 121 horsepower.
Exterior Size
With identical 106.3-inch wheelbases, both the Corolla hybrid and the Insight share their basic footprints with their nonhybrid compact equivalents, the Corolla sedan and the Civic sedan. The Insight is more than an inch longer overall and slightly wider, while the Corolla is 1.4 inch taller.
Interior/Cargo Space
The Insight boasts a bigger trunk, at 15 cubic feet to the Corolla hybrid's 13, but both sedans have folding rear seats to expand their versatility. The two are close when it comes to rear-seat room, with the Insight having slightly more legroom but the Corolla having slightly more headroom.
Pricing
We can only really draw a close price comparison between these two hybrids at the base level, as the Honda Insight comes in three trim levels and the Toyota Corolla hybrid is only available in an LE trim level. Comparing apples to apples, the base Insight LX and the Corolla hybrid LE are only separated by $30 in terms of base price, with the Honda costing $23,850 and the Toyota ringing in at $23,880. The Toyota does have the advantage of offering a few more standard features, namely Apple CarPlay compatibility, which is optional on the Honda (though the Honda does offer Android Auto, , which is missing from the Corolla's touchscreen, as an option).
The Insight's more expensive EX ($25,080) and Touring ($29,110) trims offer features that the Corolla hybrid doesn't, including leather seats, a power driver's seat, in-dash navigation, and a sunroof.
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