Honda Civic Hybrid

tangster · June 2002

I live in Austin, but there were no 5-speeds available here in town. So I went down to Houston and test drove one at David McDavid Honda there. I liked it slightly better than the CVT transmission. However, I was very surprised that they were willing to sell me one for $18,995 -- over $1000 over MSRP. Thought folks here might like to know that. They claim that they sell quite a few of the hybrids.

robvig12000 · June 2002

You keep slamming those of us who have bought the Civic Hybrid and raving about the Jetta TDI. The Jetta TDI is probably a fine car, but it's the past, not the future. Maybe we are a bunch of tree huggers; or, maybe we will no longer tolerate a consumption-based society that is bent on destroying the planet. Buying a hybrid is our small way of doing something about it.

If you're so hot for the Jetta TDI, by all means go and buy one. Me? I'm very happy with the Civic Hybrid.

rileyyh · June 2002

Hey! I didn't know there was a Civic Hybrid board. I posted in the insight board before. But I bought a Civic Hybrid during the Memorial Weekend event too! What coincidence! I also live in Northern Virginia and I also bought a blue silver one. I paid $19800 before taxes and tags, which includes a whole lot of options like the Appearance package and ABS and my parents also got them to throw in leather trim. While I think the deal I got is great, the service hasn't been the best. I was told to bring the car in to have leather installed last week, so I was carless for 3 days, but then they told me they made a mistake and that it would be done on tuesday. So I took the car back and just returned it this morning. I think they are having a car customizing place install the leather trim. Does anyone else have leather in their Hybrid? I've been told by my dealer that this is going to be the first civic he has ever seen with leather in it. I feel bad though. I've just recently passed 650 miles, but there has been about 3 incidences when I just pushed the pedal to see how fast the car could go. There was one time I tried to accelerate off a stop light in S mode and went to about 5000 RPM, but it was only for a second or two at that rpm. I know you're sposed to go easy on the car in the beginning. I am regretful but hope it doesn't really matter. Oh yeah, I got the CVT. But so far, I am seeing average 40mpg (that's driving normal aka 5-10 mph over the speed limit). I've once gotten 51mpg in city driving when I was very conservative, keeping a constant speed of 40mph. Does anyone know if the hybrid has one of those chips that adapt to the person's driving? That might explain how my mileage is improving but not the best. I like starting with D, shifting to S for a speed rush, then going back to D for steady acceleration.

riley

mvaldivi · June 2002

Just curious... And these are just questions, not comments. Does anyone know what are the major maintenance requirements on hybrid-powered cars such as the Prius, Civic or Insight? If so, please reply me these questions: How often does the timing belt needs to be replaced? Does the batteries ever need to be replaced as well? and how much would they cost? What is the maintenance for a CVT tranny, an electric power steering, and the 10KW motor/generator? Are they expensive?

britton2 · June 2002

the only thing I remember reading regarding the Prius battery was that it was under warranty to 100,000 miles or 8 years -

jmurman42 · June 2002

You are right, I am basing my recommendations for an oil change at 3-4,000 miles on a regular Civic.

I will find out the correct answer for you....10,000 miles, wow!

I wonder if the engine being so clean burning just doesn't dirty the oil?

hmmm.

Jerry

traveliter · June 2002

Supertone, we are doing the same thing with our trip A and B settings (B for lifetime, and A for each tankful). So far with aboug 3300 miles on our opal blue 5-speed, we are averaging 48.6 mpg overall. I find myself playing with the mpg also... "Oh, lighten my foot on the gas so I can increase the mileage!"

We are already finding tiny nicks and such. I have an order in to my local Honda dealer for opal blue touch-up paint. Does anyone know a dealer who has them in stock already? I was told Honda DOESN'T SELL THEM YET, and I don't know whether to believe them or not.

emcclend · June 2002

I have put about 1200 miles on my Hybrid. I've filled the tank twice. On the first fill up my trip meter was indicating that I was averaging 44 mpg. My actual mileage (distance divided by gallons of gas used) was 41 mpg the car went 464 miles on the first tank of gas before the fuel light came on. On the second tank of gas, I drove 525 miles before the fuel light came on. The trip meter indicated that I had averaged 47.6 mpg, reality was 42.6. I believe the mileage will get better, but I don't know that I will get the 48 mpg city and 47 mpg highway as advertised on the sticker. It is far too hot in this area of the country (Dallas, TX) to not use the AC; however, on those two days out of the year when I don't use the ac, my gas mileage might be better.

The car is very comfortable and I like the autostop feature, because the ac still says on during this time, one merely has to adjust the fan speed to compensate for the difference in ac performance when the gasoline is off.

I am also not sure on the oil change schedule. I consider this area an extreme weather area because of the heat. If I follow the owners manual, that would mean changing the oil at 5,000 miles. My dealer recommends 3,750 miles for the oil change. I changed the oil on 1991 Honda Civic hatch back at every 3,000 mile interval and it still works great.

I didn't know that leather seats were available with the Hybrid. I had 4 things included in the Hybrid: wheel locks, a polymer hood protector, mud flaps and floor mats. The Edmunds TMV = the sticker price. I was able to get mine with the four extras mentioned above for $1700 under the sticker price. Car sales in this area of the country are really slow, buyers can make incredible deals.

I asked for 4 price quotes from the more than 30 or so dealerships in the DFW area. I visited each of the four dealerships and asked for their best offer. Then I sent an email to all four listing the features I wanted and the best deal each was offering. Within hours of the email 3 of the 4 dealers offered me competitive bids. I got two dealers in a bidding war. The emails really helped me keep track of the bids and who was offering what. I recommend this tactic to anyone buying any vehicle, not just the Honda Civic Hybrid.

rfruth · June 2002

I don't have a hybrid yet but hope to one day soon anyway was wondering how the A/C works in idle stop mode in the Civic I mean if the engine isn't running is the compressor turning or is it just the fan blowing ? In the Prius even at a stop (gas motor not running) one of the electric motors turns the gas motor (no spark, thats what I mean by not running) thus the compressor is turning and the fan is blowing. How does the Civic do it ? As for how often to change the oil it does seem unusual that the book recommends 10,000 mile (5000 severe service ((temps over 90 degrees)) but since the gas engine isn't working as hard (auto stop, electric motor assist) maybe 5000 miles = the 3750 miles we're used to ? Rob in Houston

tbay · June 2002

I'd like to throw out some questions for discussion
1) How do you think the Hybrid will perform in a cold Northern Ontario Winter?
2) Might some of the parts be hard to get because of the low production volume?
3) How will the depreciation compare with regular Honda Civics?
4) How will the low resistance tires compromise the vehicle?

Thanks for any input from you folks in cyberland!

christhatcher · June 2002

Here are my test drive impressions of the Honda Civic Hybrid 5-speed, but first a little background.

Last month my girlfriend and I researched and test drove the Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid (both with automatic transmissions). We bought the Prius primarily because it has much better acceleration (off the line, and at speed) and better exterior colors than the Civic Hybrid. After driving the Prius for a month, we both love it. If I had to change anything on the car it would be the brakes. They are pretty weak and grabby. You have to brake differently than with a normal car.

But now back to the 5-speed manual Civic Hybrid test drive.

The 5-speed version of the Civic Hybrid is only a little bit faster and peppier than the automatic version, but is still underpowered. If Toyota can make a peppy hybrid sedan, Honda should be able to also-- but Honda has fallen short of the mark with both versions of their current Civic Hybrid.

The colors are still plain-vanilla boring and awful. We got our Prius in a nice navy blue.

But get this! In the Civic Hybrid, there is an opening in each of the front wheel wells into the engine compartment! I didn't notice this on the automatic version, but maybe I missed it. The opening is about the size of a dinner plate and I was shocked. Having lived through 5 Colorado winters, and many more in the Northeast, I can't imagine all the saltly slush and icy crud that usually gets caked into the wheel wells now getting sprayed into the engine compartment! Are they out of their minds?

The Honda salesman said that the holes were for ventilation to cool the engine, but I think he was feeding me a line. If the Prius doesn't need dinner plate-sized holes in the wheel wells for "ventilation" why does the Civic Hybrid?

The ONLY things that the Civic Hybrid beats the Prius in is better brakes, and the convenience of standard Civic parts.

medfa · June 2002

When I pull into my parking spot, the engine shuts off (which is nice). It immediately turns on again when I switch the CVT from drive to park. (This seems like a waste.) To prevent this, I've been shutting the car off using my key when the engine is off, but the transmission is still in drive. It's only a minor annoyance, but I wish there were a more usable alternative. Anyone else notice this? I hope I'm not hurting the car by doing this.

rileyyh · June 2002

I got my leather installed by the Aftermarkets department of my dealer. They got a customizing company to do it but I think it looks a lot nicer now. Feels nice too. As for my options, I got the wheel locks and the mud guards and the floor mats. I don't think I got that hood guard thing. But I do have the silver highlights for the front and the back, but not the silver exhaust cover. As for mileage, I'm so happy! I'm nearing my 1000 mi mark and I drive normal with my hybrid. I always seem to be going around 70mph on the highway and 45mph on local roads, which is a bit on the fast side, but I am now getting 49mpg. Sometimes I get 52mpg even though the sticker mileage was 48/47. I guess the website mileage of 51/47 is more accurate. I think I'm paranoid about the tires being the right pressure. I noticed a slight flattening around the bottom of my front tires after my second fueling, but my dad says all cars are like that. I love to drive my car and I love the fact that I've gone about 1000 mi so far and have paid about 26 dollars for fuel with half a tank still in my car. I'm thinking of getting tint for my windows once I start working. I'm thinking of getting a reflective silver or reflective white tint. Not too strong though. I might also get some interior lights to make it look nice. So far, I have gotten a nice black rubber/gray suede steering wheel cover for my car. I'm not going to invest too much into it, but these little things make it much nicer I think.

riley

dindak · June 2002

I think depreciation will be worse on these due to the limited appeal and high initial cost. If you plan on selling in a few years you might want to consider that. As for northern climates, it should run fine as I'm sure it's been tested but I kind of wonder how it would be through a blizzard. Power may be an issue if you are stuck in a lot of snow.

dgallon · June 2002

I am deciding between a Honda Civic Hybrid and a Toyota Prius. Can anyone tell me what the strengths and weaknesses of both (or either) are? I am looking for feel and features. Why should I choose one over the other.

emcclend · June 2002

While the auto/stop feature is engaged, the gasoline engine does shut off. However, the electric motor keeps the air conditioning working albeit with somewhat less force. To compensate for this, one can adjust the fan speed. The ac condenser is still working so the air is still as cold as you have it set for.

The polymer which was put on my hood covers about the first 8 inches, it is clear, but does provide protection from the sand, gravel, etc. which gets constantly sprayed on these Texas roads by trucks. It was also applied to the back side of the side mirrors and underneath the door handles. I don't know if every dealership offers this, it is an after market feature. The polymer is made by 3M.

I have not experienced the lack of pep described by chrishatcher. As a matter of fact, I am surprised at how fast the car does accelerate. I agree the color choices could be improved, but I still believe this car to be a better vehicle than the Prius. As for braking with the Civic Hybrid, you brake like you would any car equipped with ABS, no difference.

My suggestion to those who are undecided is to test drive both cars and make your decision afterwards.

fthd · June 2002

Is it worth noting that on the Prius manual transmission is unavailable? Seems that with the Civic Hybrid 5 speed you could make the car drive more like a standard Civic by getting a feel for the transmission, in ways that you could'nt if you're constrained by an automatic transmission, no matter how refined the auto trans. Is that wrong?

dindak · June 2002

http://www.auto.com/reviews/ulrich20_20020620.htm

cason621 · June 2002

I would be inclined to trust the computer's indicated MPG over a manual calculation that uses the gas pump's gallons dispensed. The computer measures very precicely how much gas is shot through the injectors. The shut-off point of gas pumps can vary widely, depending on things as temperature and calibration. In fact, when I compute gallons used for my hybrid, I use the computed miles and MPG, and solve for gallons used.

There is an excellent web site that discusses this and other driving tips for the IMA system. It is directed to the Insight, but much of it is applicable to the Civic. I really liked the tips on maximizing regenerative braking.

Web site: http://www.insightcentral.net/faq-index-driving.html

rfruth · June 2002

This promotional video from Digital Avenue is just plain cool. It does a great job of describing & illustrating (in their own words) the next generation of car for today's generation of buyers. Video Details: 2 minutes seconds, 320 x 240 pixels, 15 frames-per-second, 24-bit color, 11025 Hz Mono 8 Bit sound, AVI format (MPEG-4 compression), 5.7 MB just go here http://www.john1701a.com then "other stuff" then "Honda videos 3" thanks John1701a !

cwaggama · June 2002

I should start by saying I am a happy Hybrid owner and have not test driven the Prius. I liked the looks of the Toyota, but we wanted a 5 speed and the Prius doesn't come with one. If such things matter to you, check out the website crashtest.com for comparisons of a variety of crash test data. The Civic Hybrid hasn't been tested, but the normal civic does quite a bit better than the Prius.

scrubsbear · June 2002

I'm very interested in purchasing the Civic Hybrid as my commuter car and am hoping that someone could answer a few questions. The dealer is really no help at all telling me exactly what I wanted to hear. Basically, I am curious about a few things. I agree that the styling is pretty generic and lacks many options, but personally I think the car companies are still testing the water so to speak.

1. Does anyone know how the hybrid system (batteries, et al) hold up to the Phoenix area summer heat or dust/sand? I'm moving there in a year.

2. Is there a reason no moon/sun roof is available in the hybrid cars? The dealer says he can install one, but I wouldn't want to do that if there is some electrical or structural concern (location of the antenna doesn't help). I've received no response from honda motors.

3. Have any current owners of the Civic Hybrid have any complaints or problems with their vehicle? Would you recommend it?

jrct9454 · June 2002

...the sunroof adds weight, and weight is the enemy in a car that already struggles with the power/weight ratio on hand.

And I would steer clear of aftermarket solutions. Besides, I think you will find a sunroof in Arizona is a liability, not a virtue. I personally hate the things, at least partly because of the heat gain you get in 100F temps, which are almost as routine here in Sacramento as they are in AZ.

isellhondas · June 2002

Often I'll get t Hybrid customer who wants it all...sunroof, leather, heated seats...everything.

Not what the car is really all about!

jomabu1 · June 2002

Saw in Kiplingers that California hybrid owners were exempt from HOV restrictions. There was also a list of other states. Can any CA drivers verify this? We are trying to move to the Bay Area and the exemption would be a blessing considering Bay Area gridlock.

cason621 · July 2002

Sorry, but single CA drivers of hybrids cannot use the HOV (called carpool lanes here). That privilege is for alternative fuel vehicles only. I confirmed this with the California Air Resources Board, both on their website and by phone.

cwaggama · July 2002

Hi,
That's the way my 5 speed Hybrid works too, so I don't think there is a problem. I have seen people argue that the AC stays on in auto stop if you aren't in auto mode but I think they are mistaken. The compressor definitely shuts off in my car. I keep it in auto if I want to show people how it works (complete silence) but I turn the fan off auto usually because I like to have some air coming in when it's hot.
Craig W.

cwaggama · July 2002

Hi,
Has anyone found any stats about how much oil imports would be saved if X% of people bought a car as fuel efficient as the Hybrid? Or if every car had the auto stop feature of the hybrid? In this post 9-11 age of patriotism it might be nice to direct these feelings in a more positive way. Like making us energy independent, at least from the Middle East. Thanks.
Craig W.

jomabu1 · July 2002

Thanks CASON21 for confirming what I thought about the CA HOV restrictions. Seemed too good to be true. California would be awash in hybrids if that were the case. Guess I either misread the Kiplingers Article or it was wrong.

chibrid · July 2002

Fortunately, Hybrids are allowed on the HOVs in VA through July 2004.

See para 4 on this Web site:

http://virginiadot.org/comtravel/hov-rulesfaq.asp

spidermonkey · July 2002

cwaggama-

The Lawrence Livermore National Lab (it's the twin to the Los Alamos National Lab) tracks U.S. energy consumption in conjuction with UC Berkley for the national government. They released the results for the year 1999 in March of 2001. I found the data at the homepower.com website in an article by Randy Udall.

Anyway, the US consumed 25.9 quadrillion BTUs (quads) of petroleum for transportation purposes in 1999. For comparisons sake the US imported 22.5 quads of petroleum that year. Since oil is a commodity sold on a world market, I don't think it really matters where it comes from.

The hybrid Civic basically reduces consumption over a regular Civic by about a quarter. The reduction could be much greater if you are switching from a different vehicle (in my case I'd be going from a Maxima so my consumption will be cut in half). However, you must remember that the US uses about 13.5 quads of oil for other petroleum products, home heating, etc.

In my opinion the US could easily cut its oil consumption by a third. This could be accomplished not only by buying hybrids but by downsizing our vehicle purchases a little bit. Instead of buying an Excursion, buy and Expedition. I seriously doubt anyone would know the difference. Instead of buying a small SUV, buy a station wagon. Did you know that the Focus wagon has just as much cargo space as a Jeep Cherokee? Paying attention to small differences will save people money in the long run.

There are plenty of ways to save energy. It's a lot cheaper to save energy than it is to produce more. Check out homepower.com for ideas.

dindak · July 2002

The problem is not cars, it's the SUVs that people have fallen in love with that are the biggest hogs for gas. While it's nice to think that a Civic hybrid is helping, the 50% of the market that is trucks is the real problem.

snowluvr · July 2002

I just picked up my new Civic Hybrid 5-speed yesterday. I am very happy and enthusiastic about this car. I plan to let all my friends drive it to find out how amazing it is.

I got the 5-speed because I live in Colorado Springs where there are lots of hills. I was very skeptical of this car until the dealer let me take it on an 80 mile test drive. I used the trip odometer to check my mileage from my house to work. I got 54 mpg at 7000 ft elevation going up and down hills. And the batteries stayed charged! Cruising down the interstate I got 100 mpg, but granted this was an overall slightly downhill grade. By this point I was sold on the performance of this little car. For my last test I drove up and down Ute pass, at the base of Pikes Peak. I averaged only 38 mpg going up the pass, but by the time I returned to the bottom of the pass I averaged 64 mpg overall and ended with a full charge! While the hybrid does not have the power to accelerate and pass other cars, it had no problem keeping up with other cars on the uphill.

I suspect you could set up a test with lots of passengers and luggage to overwhelm this car. But 95% of the time I drive just like I did on the test drive, just me with no luggage.

I will admit I am a mpg nut. My previous car was an 88 CRX which I bought specifically for its gas mileage. So the transition to hybrid was very easy for me. I highly recommend the CRX to anyone who cannot yet afford a hybrid but wants great gas mileage.

About the A/C: I find I like to use the Econo mode without the Auto mode. This way the engine still stops at traffic lights, but the fan keeps blowing. I will admit using the A/C is confusing. I tried to explain all the variations to my wife, but I just confused myself and her so gave up trying. Econo mode without Auto mode works good for me.

The main drawback of this car is the price, 25% more than a regular Civic. But I feel I'm not just buying a car, I'm showing support for energy conservation.

When the winter snows return, I'll report back on how the factory tires do on the snow.

From Colorado,
Snowluvr

tazereli · July 2002

if honda is still trying to pass off firestones onto its customers i'd say you'll come away more than disappointed. I was and and i live in pa where i see maybe 6-8 inches of snow a year. do your self a favor and get some real snow tires on you car.

kyle

snowluvr · July 2002

The factory tires are Bridgestone, which I think is a division of Firestone. Do you think I will be disappointed with Bridgestone tires in the snow?

At this point I will wait and see how they do on the snow. From reading the Edmund's Review of the Insight Hybrid, I assume Honda specifically selected these Bridgestone tires for their high gas mileage. Does Michelan make an equivalent tire?

One of my previous cars was a Toyota minivan. When I switched to snow tires I noticed a drop in highway mpg from 27 to 24. Not a big drop, but noticeable.

I have noticed that the factory tires on the Hybrid are noisy on concrete roads. But fortunately, there are no concrete roads on my daily commute, so not a big deal to me.

One interesting tidbit. My Hybrid had sat on the dealers back lot for about two weeks because it got a flat tire on an earlier test drive. It took the dealership a week to get a new tire. I assume they had to special order it because of its uniqueness.

One last item, I noticed in the owner's manual that the recommend tire pressure is 30 psi, unless your doing all highway driving, then 35 psi is recommended. After a couple tanks of gas at 30 psi, I'll probably bump the tire pressure up to 35 psi to see if there is any improvement in mpg.

Current status on my Hybrid: 3 days old, 208 miles, 50.3 mpg! Still a very happy Hybrid owner.

Snowluvr

jrct9454 · July 2002

...Bridgestone bought Firestone quite a few years ago.

Yes, these tires are a very hard compound to help fuel consumption [low rolling resistance], and no, they will not be suitable in serious snow. Depends on how deep it gets and how quickly you have to get out there before the plows do their thing.

Michelin doesn't really make a tire quite the equivalent of this one, though all of the MXV4-Plus compounds are designed for low rolling resistance; they won't equal what you've got, however. Understand, the difference between your OEM tires and a good Michelin touring tire [MXV4 or X-One] might be a couple of mpg at most, and X-Ones are good enough in marginal conditions that they might let you avoid snows.

Generally, the harder the compound, the better the mpg, and the less traction you will get in wet and snow. Conversely, a good winter tire will let you go anywhere, but will probably cost you 10% in fuel consumption. And there are lots of 'tweeners that are compromises. It's not a black-white question, unfortunately.

fthd · July 2002

I picked up my new 2003 Civic Hybrid 5 speed from the dealership in Raleigh, NC yesterday. Paid 19,315 TOTAL for everything but state taxes for one in Titanium with security system, floor mats, rear cup holder, and full mask. That was about 2000 less than the asking price of any dealer nearer to where I live -- the Virginia Peninsula.

I got 49.2 mgp on the 200 mile ride home and found that power was more than adequate for my needs. (Driving around town today I've stayed at around 47 average mpg.) This car will replace the one I've been driving for the last three years, a 2000 BMW Z3. The satisfaction of being socially responsible more than makes up for the thrill of the ride with the top down in the Z.

For me, the 5 speed makes all the difference. I got so used to a stick with the BMW that I can't imagine going back to an automatic. Also, with the manual I can decide for myself how I want to balance power and efficiency. Given the lack of a manual option in the Prius, I could not seriously consider the Toyota hybrid.

doliver99 · July 2002

I was just told by a salesperson that the invoice price on the 5-speed was $18k. Not that I'd be shocked if he wasn't telling me the truth, but a $4000 MSRP markup seems like a lot.

jrct9454 · July 2002

Kelley lists the invoice for the manual trans at $18,300 [including destination charge of $440]..

Edmunds seems to have far more of these kinds of obvious errors than Kelley...somebody who actually knows something about the business should have the job of proofing the price listings...

mpgman · July 2002

equip the Hybrid with a driver's seat height adjuster? Come on...there is only one model. Even the Hyundai Accent has one, and a lumbar support. It's little things like this, plus no armrest that could be used by the front passenger, that drive me nuts about the Civic line.

tim552 · July 2002

I'm having trouble trying to get a grasp of the titanium color I see on the Honda website. So, someone who has seen a titanium Hybrid in person, answer this: what real life color is this close to?

fthd · July 2002

The best I could come up with is kind of a bronzish silver; to some extent the hue depends on the light.

jrct9454 · July 2002

...Smoke Silver, or BMW called Salmon Silver, or, or.....

econguy · July 2002

after waiting three weeks, my wife and i finally picked up our silver blue hybrid with cvt last week, and we are very pleased so far with the way it drives. have already put over 500 miles on it (thanks to a 100+ mile round trip commute, mainly highway), and am averaging 50.7 mpg.

only downside is that the ride is a bit harsh, but i guess that is to be expected from the low rolling resistance tires. overall, the car has all the features we were looking for, and we have found that the torque comes on early enough to provide enough power for our driving style (of course, this could be due to the fact that we're comparing it to our previous car, a 94 cavalier)

tim552: when i first saw the titanium, my initial impression was a gold color

snowluvr · July 2002

Last week I drove round trip from my home in Colorado Springs to Longmont, Colorado. Round trip was 200 miles, mostly on Interstate 25. I averaged 72 miles per gallon on the way there (approx 1000 foot elevation drop). When I returned home the final trip mpg was 67.3! Pretty fantastic mileage for a car rated at only 51 mpg.

I'm curious if any other owners are getting the same gas mileage, or is my trip computer giving me false readings! I haven't refilled the tank yet. But when I do I'll do a manual calculation from the amount of gas purchased.

Of course I must admit the particulars of this trip. 1) I drove very conservatively. While others were zipping by at 75 mph, I pretty much stayed in the 60-65 range. I also let the speed slowly drop to 50 mph on hills. 2) I was the only passenger, and I only had minimal stuff in the hybrid with me, total of maybe 200 lbs. 3) The tires had 36-38 psi (a little on the high side). 4) The salesman filled my tank up (about 3 gallons) with 87 octane, which is the midgrade fuel in Colorado. I don't know what grade of fuel the rest of tank was. (Supposedly, because of the higher altitude here, it is okay to run 85 octane, even if the owners manual says 86 octane for the hybrid) 5) I have the manual 5-speed transmission.

Is this car for everyone? No, if you like to power up hills at the speed limit hauling a lot of people/stuff. Who will be happy in this car? Anyone who is conservative in their driving, environmentally aware, doesn't need all the frills (like power seats and sunroof), and has an extra $4K for the price difference! For me, I am very happy with my hybrid!

tim552: the titanium color looked like gold to me. It matched the interior color very well.

Pricing: Hybrids right now sell for $19,195 (5spd) plus $295 dealer handling in Colorado Springs. MSRP was $20,010 I recall. These prices don't include tax. The Honda Insight did not sell great here in Colorado Springs, thus the discount on the Civic Hybrid in this part of the country.

Snowluvr

cwaggama · July 2002

snowluvr,
This is an amazing mpg, even for the Hybrid. In the groups I follow, I have never heard anyone get anything near this kind of mileage for a legit round-trip like you described. I can see getting it going down but you went back up! I hope it's real, but let us know if it holds up and if it comes close to your calculation at the pump. My 5 speed is averaging about 52mpg over a 1000 miles or so and I am very happy with that. But you are giving me mpg envy! Take care.
Craig W.

mmcgille · July 2002

I just picked up a CVT (seems to be real hard to get a 5-speed in the Chicago area) this week. I haven't had a chance to really put a ton of miles on yet, but what I have noticed so far is that a conservative foot makes all the difference. Round trip for me from the 'burbs into downtown during semi-rush hour got me a little over 60 MPG.

Just for the heck of it I thought that I would see what I would get by not paying attention to gas-conservation... just kind of driving and not looking at the meter. I ended up with around 50-52 MPG for those trips.

This by no means is a wonder-car that magically gets you crazy MPG regardless of driving styles. But it seems to me that conservative driving in this car has a greater effect than similar tactics in other cars.

The reverse also seems true: using the AC in this car puts a bigger dent in fuel economy than with my Accord.

Just my 2 cents.

tim552 · July 2002

I have a dealer offer on a CVT for 19,318, all-inclusive. Based on what I've read on this forum, that appears to be very tempting, and I'm inclined to grab it. What do you think?

spidermonkey · July 2002

19318 sounds like a good deal. I test drove one the other day in Austin, TX, and the dealer implied that the hybrids are either sold before they arrive or within a week after they arrive. I've followed their inventory on the internet and I think they're telling the truth. They are asking MSRP. I have to wait a few months anyway, so I'm hoping that'll land me a better deal.

Also, the brochure that I took home said that the Titanium Metallic color is going to be replaced this fall by a color called Shoreline Mist Metallic. Plus the brochure said the cloth will be slightly changed. Does anyone have any info on the changes?

cmyers300m · July 2002

My wife and I drove a Civic Hybrid and loved it. I think we're going back next week to purchase one. As far as the colors, according to the brochure I have in my hand, that Shoreline Mist Metallic is available now.
I think we're going for the Silver Blue. I just wanted to say I was very impressed with the car. I've never owned a Honda, but this one may be the first! Around here the Honda dealers get sticker for just about everything, but I'm going to try to knock some off the price.

Honda Civic Hybrid

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