It's hard to call 40 mpg disappointing, but in this case it is. The smaller, lighter Insight, using a smaller-displacement gasoline engine, seems to be an underachiever. Honda says that's partly because Insight's tuned for a little more punch, to make driving more fun, at the expense of fuel economy.
Honda's 2010 Insight gasoline-electric hybrid isn't the substantial, comfortable car that its Civic hybrid is, nor does it deliver the 50 miles per gallon promised by Toyota for its update of chief rival Prius. But if Honda prices it low enough, Insight finally could make full-fledged hybrid technology available to car buyers with tighter budgets.
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