Why didn't the Honda Insight ever become as popular at the Toyota Prius?

Why didn't the Honda Insight ever become as popular at the Toyota Prius?

Toyota loses money on every Prius but is banking on it having a future as a mainstream shift. If the Middle East would someday implode for example and gas prices soar. Honda's system is not as refined as Toyota's and not as efficient. So it lost the Hybrid battle but possibly not the war. It may be working on another model as we write.

Prius was the first of it's kind of come to the market. Think of it as the "iPhone" of hybrid cars. It is backed by a very rich automaker that can invest a lot of money in technology, marketing, and has a solid reputation for reliability. Every year it is the better model all-around compared to it's rivals, simple as that.

There was no compelling reason to buy one. The second-generation Insight was only marginally cheaper than the Prius and got poorer fuel economy; the first-generation version did better but was widely perceived as weird.

People prefer the prius features and performance.

Hollow Choco is in another world. Seriously The Insight was one of the first Hybrids introduced. The issue was it was a two seated initially, whereas the Prius has room for four (five in a pinch). The Insight isn't any less a hybrid than the Prius. They do perform a differently, but neither is anymore power than the other. The Prius was more practically for everyday duties. That made it more popular from the very beginning. By the time Honda decided it needed to catch up, the Prius had already established itself.

The Prius also has a weak gas engine. Don't flatter yourself Hollow. Both save fuel by having underpowered 4cylinder engines tuned for fuel economy. You still have to change your driving style… Even on the Prius. When the gas engine kicks in, it has to pull more weight than a conventional car due to the electric motor and batteries added to it.

To it's credit, Toyota's Synergy hybrid system sealed established Toyota's place in hybrids. The majority of hybrids on the market today use some form of Toyota's Hybrid technology. Even the hybrid GM trucks did this. It's second to none. Heck, Nissan's Altima Hybrid even uses the hybrid system from the previous generation Prius. The Prius is synonymous with hybrid technology. That's why the current Insight is designed more in line with the Prius. Sometimes you have to mock success to have success.

I'm thinking because they are both ugly as sin, but Toyota did a better job in the promotion department, and foolish people bought them. Jeez, my 2014 Civic gets over 43mpg on the road with a real engine. What do people want anyway?