Efficiency-focused shoppers would do well to consider the 2020 Honda Insight hybrid sedan. 

The small car from Honda returns not only more than 50 mpg combined in most configurations, according to the EPA, it also manages to do it for less than $24,000 in base form and perhaps, more importantly, without drawing attention to itself. 

It has plenty to be proud about, however. 

Review continues below

The 2020 Insight earns a 6.8 on our overall scale and is buoyed by very good safety scores and fuel economy. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

With the Insight, Honda has a small hybrid commuter car that’s efficient with fuel and its interior space. Four adults easily fit into the Insight’s confines, with room for gear in the rear, too. 

Its looks aren’t come-at-me-hatchback (Prius, we see you) but rather a tasteful evolution from the Accord mid-size sedan. 

Under the hood of the Insight is an inline-4 and hybrid battery setup that’s unique among its competitors. The Insight’s 1.5-liter inline-4 engine mainly drives a generator that powers the hybrid batteries and 129-horsepower electric motor that drives the front wheels. The engine and the driver’s right foot may be a little disconnected at times, but the Insight efficiently soldiers down a road at a mostly relaxed pace with a placid ride. Its best performance number? Most Insights are rated at 52 mpg combined by the EPA. 

Four adults fit best, but five will fit in a pinch, with 15.1 cubic feet of cargo room in the trunk. The Insight’s batteries don’t eat into available interior space at all, and aside from the leisurely acceleration, it’s hard to tell the Insight apart from a Civic. 

Like the Civic, the Insight has superlative safety scores. Every Insight is a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, and the sedan aced the federal crash-test regimen with top scores in every subtest. Very few cars can say the same. 

For less than $24,000 to start, the 2020 Insight LX is equipped with 16-inch wheels, LED headlights, a 5.0-inch display for audio, Bluetooth connectivity, one USB charger, cloth duds inside, and active safety features.

We see better value in the Insight EX that costs a little more than $25,000 and adds an 8.0-inch touchscreen for infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, two USB ports, active lane control, a split-folding rear seat, and an uprated radio with more speakers.