Carsut – Understand cars and drive better

Tag: compare

  • Honda Insight vs. Toyota Prius

    Honda Insight vs Toyota Prius
    Ladies and Gentlemen, the battle of Honda Insight vs. Toyota Prius is now begins! On the top, both of these cars have a lot look-a-like but under the hood, they have plenty of differences. The Toyota Prius has dominated to the hybrid car market since 1997. It was first launched in Japan in 1997 and went on sales worldwide since 2001. On the other hand, the Honda Insight is a new comer to hybrid market since 2010. Both of them are currently the most interesting and hottest mid-size hybrid cars available in the market and it will be fun to compare them from head to toe.

    Round 1: The Design

    Cargo room: Compare the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight side by side, the Prius has more room for the front seats, back seats, and boot. One of our drivers is 170cm (5’6’) and he is complaining the head room isn’t enough for him when he sits on the driver seat. As for the back seat, Prius tends to have more legroom compared to Insight. When we checked out the back seat of the Insight, we found the low roof line makes the access a little bit tricky. Passengers need to stoop a little bit in order to get into the car to avoid hitting the roof.

    Trunk: At 21.6 cubic feet, the Prius’ trunk is slightly bigger compared to the Insight which has a much smaller backside of 15.9 cubic feet.

    Round 2: Fuel Economy, Performance, and Safety

    Fuel Economy: While the Insight is smaller, it is suppose to be more fuel efficient. It did get 41 city/44 highway mpg but the Prius perform better at 51 city/48 highway mpg.

    Engine: The heart of the Insight consists of a 1.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with an electric motor. The combination produces a maximum output of 98 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. While we take the car up hill with four passengers inside the Insight, the car suffers a little bit at sloppy hill. The Prius is powered by a bigger engine – a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine married to a pair of electric motors. The combine power sends a total output of 134 hp.

    Curb Weight: Honda Insight is 1,237 kg (2,730 lb) and Toyota Prius is 1,380 kg (3,042 lb)

    0-60 mph: The Honda Insight accelerates from 0-60 mph in 10.9 seconds while the Prius did the same in 10.1 seconds. A few tenths slower than the Toyota Prius.

    Round 3: Safety

    Honda Insight: Front airbags, Side airbags, Head airbags, 4-wheel Antilock Brakes System, Electronic Brake Enhancements, Traction Control (Not available on LX model), Stability Control (Not available on LX model), Tire-pressure monitoring system.

    Toyota Prius: Front airbags, Side airbags, Head airbags, Knee airbags for driver, 4-wheel Antilock Brakes, Traction Control (Standard), Stability Control (Standard), Tire-pressure monitoring system.

    Round 4: Interior

    Honda Insight vs Toyota Prius Interior
    The interior of the Prius features a multifunction display which the graphics look like the video games from the ‘80s. When the driver use the steering wheel control, there will be a display appear in the dashboard. Overall, the driving experience is very good and the car is very quite but not until the driver step hard on the gas pedal.

    The interior of the Insight is quite simple and straight-forward compared to the Prius. It features a standard automatic climate control, visual aids, and a speedometer with changeable background color.

    Round 5: Price

    • Honda Insight: MSRP from $18,500 to $21,965
    • Toyota Prius: MSRP from $24,000 to $29,805

    Round 6: Fun Or Not?

    The turning circle diameter is one of the factors to determine whether a car is fun to drive or not. Honda Insight is featured with an electric power steering with a turning cicle of 34 ft. On the other hand, the Toyota Prius has 34.2 ft turning circle diameter for Prius Two, Prius Three, Prius Four, and 36.0 ft turning circle diameter for the Prius Five. The Insight is slightly tighter than the Prius but both of the cars are fun to drive and it kills every corner on the road.

    Round 7: What else except Honda Insight and Toyota Prius?

    Other than Honda Insight and Toyota Prius, there are some other hybrid cars in the market that constantly received good reviews from automobile enthusiasts. These cars are Ford Fusion hybrid, Honda Civic hybrid, Lexus CT200h, Toyota Camry hybrid, Toyota Prius C, Honda Jazz hybrid and some other vehicles in the Hybrid car list.

    Conclusion

    The Toyota Prius is without doubt a recognized good hybrid car in the market with over millions of units sold. However, consider the economy we are in today, buyers who feel the price of a Prius is high may consider the Insight as an alternative which is nearly as good as the Prius. As for the look, one man’s meat is another man’s poison, we will leave this to the buyers.

  • Isuzu D-Max vs. Mazda BT-50

    Mazda BT-50 and Isuzu D-Max
    The Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 may not be competing head-to-head or foot-to-foot in the marketplace but there is a necessity to discuss both their strong points and weak points. Let’s start with the more popular Isuzu D-Max (known as Chevrolet Colorado in the U.S.) which has been in the market for a longer period compared to the BT-50. It was first introduced in 2002 and it has been in the market for more than a decade. The Mazda BT-50 (Ford Ranger) came later in 2006 but it has become one of the main choices when buying a pickup truck.

    Performance and Power

    Isuzu D-Max
    The Isuzu D-Max Pro features a 2.5LS in-line 4-cylinder direct injection diesel turbo engine that delivers 58kW at 3900 rpm and 176 Nm of torque at 1800rpm. Using independent double wishbones with torsion bar springs and stabilizer in the front and semi-elliptical leaf springs in the back, the vehicle’s rigidity is a lot better compare to the previous generation.

    Mazda BT-50
    The Mazda BT-50 is fitted with a 2.5L 4-cylinder 12-valve SOHC indirect injection turbo engine that delivers 80kW at 3500rpm and 257 Nm or torque at 2000rpm. As for the suspension, Mazda uses independent double wishbones with torsion bar springs in the front and rigid leaf spring in the back.

    Design and Reliability

    Isuzu D-Max vs Mazda BT-50
    The D-Max is made available in either two doors or four doors. The four-door version can carry up to five adults comfortably as the leg room for the rear seats is roomy. The 2+2 door gives an easy way for rear passengers to get in and out. Unlike what you see in the BT-50, it has a very limited space at the back of the front seats. The jump seats in the supercab are ridiculously small and it seems enough to fit a child but not an adult. With only one door at each side, the rear passengers may find it difficult to get into the car.

    Mazda BT-50 rear seat
    (Rear space for Mazda BT-50)

    The overall length for the D-Max is 5030mm and 5169mm for the BT-50. So where does the extra length for the BT-50 go to? The BT-50 has a bigger cargo space compare to the D-Max. The BT-50 is more suitable for hauling heavier loads or performing other functions compared to the D-Max. However, the D-Max is more reliable as a family pickup and also capable of hauling loads. It depends on the buyer’s choice.

    Isuzu D-Max rear seat
    (Isuzu D-Max rear seat)

    The D-Max has an overall width of 1800mm while the BT-50 is 1807mm, a difference of only 7mm. Compare both car heights, the BT-50 is slightly taller at 1762mm and the D-Max is 1735mm.

    Weight

    Vehicle Gross Vehicle Weight (kg) Seating Capacity
    Isuzu D-Max 2650 5
    Mazda BT-50 2800 2+2 small jump seats

    Interior

    The interior of pickups often does not look nice. The interior of the D-Max looks mediocre and the steering wheel looks outdated although it has been redesigned. The Mazda BT-50 is about the same but the dashboard and interior design does not look like a typical pickup truck. The gear knob is designed to look slightly cyber and the gauge lights are pretty too.

    Fuel Consumption

    Vehicle Fuel Consumption (MPG) Fuel Tank Capacity (Liter)
    Isuzu D-Max 18 city/25 highway 76
    Mazda BT-50 22 city/27 highway 70

    Isuzu D-Max’s characteristic: Fog lamps with bezel, oval tube aluminium side steps, LED high mount stop lamp, door visors, rubber mats, reverse sensors, and pro-lid. You can also get a better version, the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross.

    Mazda BT-50’s characteristic: Five-point grille, powerful-looking alloy wheels, rear combination lamp, and with many chrome-plated parts.

    Price

    • Isuzu D-Max: RM81,129.40.
    • Mazda BT-50: RM88,170.00.

    Their competitors or similar cars: Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado.

    Isuzu D-Max images

    Isuzu DMax Isuzu D-Max rear cargo Dmax interior Isuzu D-max logo

    Mazda BT-50 images

    Mazda BT-50 Mazda BT-50 Cargo Mazda BT-50 interior Mazda BT50 side view

    After reading the above comparison of the Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50, which do you choose?