Hybrid duel

A clash of the headline acts in the hybrid class saw the third-generation petrol-electric model from Toyota take on a young upstart from arch rival Honda.

As we discovered, the Prius proved a rival for Ford Mondeo-sized family hatches and the Insight fell into the smaller Focus class. There could be only one winner, though – and the cleaner, more efficient Prius took the prize.

Not only did it look the part, but our testers decided that it demanded fewer compromises than the cheaper Honda. The Insight’s jittery ride in particular attracted the criticism of our team.