Compare the2022 Honda InsightVS 2021 Toyota Prius Prime

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Insight deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Insight’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Prius Prime’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Insight has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Prius Prime Limited offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Insight has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Prius Prime Limited has a cross-path warning system.

Compared to metal, the Insight’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Toyota Prius Prime has a metal gas tank.

Both the Insight and the Prius Prime have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Insight its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 62 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Prius Prime last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Pick” for 2019.

The Insight’s 1.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 30 more horsepower (151 vs. 121) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Insight is faster than the Toyota Prius Prime:

For better stopping power the Insight’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Prius Prime:

The Insight stops shorter than the Prius Prime:

For better traction, the Insight has larger tires than the Prius Prime (215/55R16 vs. 195/65R15).

The Insight EX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius Prime’s standard 65 series tires. The Insight Touring’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Prius Prime’s 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Insight EX has standard 16-inch wheels. Only 15-inch wheels are available on the Prius Prime. The Insight Touring has standard 17-inch wheels.

The Insight’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Insight EX handles at .87 G’s, while the Prius Prime XLE pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Insight Touring executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Prius Prime XLE (27 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

The Honda Insight may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Toyota Prius Prime.

The Insight uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Insight has 6.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Prius Prime (97.6 vs. 91.5).

The Insight has 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, 4 inches more rear legroom and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius Prime.

The Insight’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Prius Prime’s parking brake has to released manually.

Consumer Reports rated the Insight’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Prius Prime’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Insight’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Prius Prime’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Insight has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Prius Prime has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/Limited.

The Insight Touring’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Insurance will cost less for the Insight owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Insight will cost $620 to $2500 less than the Prius Prime over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Insight will be $1995 to $2132 less than for the Toyota Prius Prime.