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Comments
https://store.alpine-usa.com/Hondadvdsales/naviorder.php
What "Honda" did you "call" that gave you such incorrect price information? I'd guess that it was just the parts department guy at a local Honda store.
I'd recommend waiting another year or two to order a DVD. There are very few year-to-year changes of any significance to most people. Click on the Find out what's new... link on the right side of the page above to see what I mean.
If you are a person who hates the Civic headrests, go right now to the Honda dealer and try out the Accord headrests. I did that over the weekend and for the first time my back and shoulders can touch the seat while the headrest is positioned just touching the back of my head.
The sales guy who got me the Accord headrest to try out, and the parts guy who took my order both said that they had had quite a few people coming in to order them. So Honda will know something about how bad the problem is by how many extra Accord headrests they are selling in the past couple of years!
You can look up the Toyota cars and they are all poor to marginal in this test. Except the new Tundra gets a good rating.
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/head_restraints/headrestraints.aspx?honda
Honda has used electrically controlled engine fans for a number of years. They keep running for a time after the engine shuts off, to cool down the engine.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
anybody, please advise!
Anybody know what the REAL expected life of the hybrid battery pack is?
You will never get a fair shake on trade-in from a dealer. Sell it your self on Craigslist or AutoTrader. You are getting close to that magic 100k mile mark that kills resale value. With a hybrid it is worse because of the unknown battery life.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
This seems to be an issue for shorter people. The curve in the Civic headrest sits at the curve in my husbands neck; he's 5'10" and he has no issue with the headrest. I'm 5'4", and the headrest curve hits right in the back on my head, pushing it forward and down into a very unnatural and uncomfortable position.
I tried turning the Civic headrest around, which resolved the issue of pushing my head into an uncomfortable position, but it also did not provide any whiplash protection because it sat too far back from my head. The Accord headrest just touches the back of my head, and feels just like the headrest did in my 1997 Honda Civic.
It would appear Honda did not take the height of the driver into consideration when they decided to go for the higher safety rating with the headrest. Perhaps they could offer an alternate headrest for their shorter customers.
The IIHS needs to take into consideration the natural alignment of the human spine when making safety recommendations. There needs to be a balance between cushioning for an impact and everyday spinal health. Common knowledge that can be obtained from any chiropractor or D.O.
Anyone who tries to replace, modify or otherwise defeat the engineers' work is not doing themselves a favor.
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/head_restraints/headrestraints.aspx?honda
http://www.iihs.org/sr/pdfs/sr3609.pdf
PS
The Accord has very little appeal until they show up with the diesel engine. Who knows I may be in the market. More than likely the Pilot diesel.
So far it seems like a car in the $15k range and around 50k mileage mark and around 04-05 is what I'm looking at.
Any questions you would suggest I must ask the seller?
What should I be looking for when I test drive the car?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
I would take it to a Honda dealer and have them go through it for you. Get a battery printout as to its condition. I would think with a bit of haggling you could get a new 2007 for about $21k at the end of the month. If you are paying cash and only have $15k your payment will be very small on the remainder. Interest on a used car will be much higher than new. In San Diego those years with that mileage dealers are asking $12k -$13k on Craigslist. For $15k it should be certified to 100k miles.
Just don't expect great gas mileage on those days though, think I was lucky to bust 33 mpg combined because the ima system does quite a bit to protect the battery pack from overheating meaning little assist or charge when its hot.
Two questions.
The first is about the tires - Dunlop SP31 a/s, I believe. There are only a few reviews on the Tire Rack web site, and they indicate that the tires are mediocre in rain or snow. What has your experience been? I know there are good LRR tires out there that are also good in rain and snow, such as the Nokian WR. I'd rather not buy a new set of tires, but I will if safety is an issue.
Secondly, the audio system. It's decent, but the sound is not as "full" as it was in my last car (an Accord). I see that Honda offers a "Bass Speaker System" for the Civic Hybrid. Does anyone have experience with that? Is it worth the price?
Thanks for your help!
When I test drove it, there was a slight lag when stopping at a stop sign and then taking my foot off the brake before hitting the gas. Is that typical with the Hybrid?
After 18,000 miles, I'm averaging 47 mpg. I left one of the trip meters untouched since I bought it, so it displays accumulated mpg.
To get that kind of efficiency, I do have to baby the car a little bit, but nothing like the hyper-milers do. I drive normally around town (and coast when I can), and set the highway cruise at 65 mph.
Note that I live in North Texas, which doesn't get very cold in winter. Cold weather kills hybrid mpg, so if you live way north, don't expect miracles.
I've driven the HCH on several 1,000 mile round trips, and one 2,200 mile round trip. For the long hauls, I cruise at 70 mph, and get 43 mpg. And I've never had a problem climbing hills or passing slower cars. The torque from the electric motor helps greatly.
The HCH suffers from mushy handling. Nothing you can do about it. The car weighs 3,000 lbs. and rides on skinny tires. It also has an unusually-long wheel base, which is fine for stability, but makes it tricky to turn into tight parking spaces.
On the good side, the seat comfort (often derided by other owners) has been just fine for me, and I'm 6' 2". Also, the upgraded stereo system is much better than the horrible standard one offered on the LX. The steering wheel controls are very convenient, too.
Maintenance and service procedures are normal, but the recommended 0W-20 oil can be hard to find. Honda dealers sell it, but it's expensive. Wal Mart sells Mobil 1 synthetic for less, but it's often out of stock. So owners may want to buy 4 quarts ahead of time.
The HCH goes 8,000 - 10,000 miles between oil changes, which is nice. The car's computer uses an algorithm to tell the owner when an oil change is due, which is also nice.
Overall, the HCH was a good deal for me, but that's based on several factors:
First, I drive about 2,000 miles per month, so I really benefit from higher mpg.
Second, I got the full $2,100 income tax credit (which I'm about to receive from the IRS). That's just like taking $2,100 off the price of the car. However, that credit is now only $1,050 and will continue to go down. So that's a factor in the purchase decision.
Also, I got 2.9% financing from Honda, but they don't offer that rate anymore. I think it's 5% - 6% these days. That's another factor.
Without the tax credit and cheap financing, hybrids are a tough sell. Either their price has to come down, or the price of gas has to go up to make them worth buying.
The HCH, with the incentives and financing, was the right choice for me. But I think that a lot of people who buy hybrids would do just as well with a standard car, getting less mpg, but with a much smaller payment.
Do the math for yourself before you buy one.
.
What type of tank is it? Is a normal tank or a bladder like the Prius?
I should add that the salesman told us that the car didn't have one which I thought was real odd.
The first time it happened I took it in to the dealer. I had been unable to get the battery to charge past 7 dots (it should go to 8). They test drove it, said they got it to charge all the way up -- although when I picked it up it was at 7 dots again -- and that the problem was my "driving style." Personally, I think this is a cop-out. I had had no problems with the battery draining completely before.
The second time I got on the phone with the service manager. He had me put it in Park and rev it to 3000 and hold it there. It did eventually get to the 8th dot on the charge indicator, but I notice that whenever I do this it doesn't hold the complete charge, it will almost immediately drop back down to 7. He also wanted to say it was my driving style that was the issue, and maybe I had been driving it differently than before. Absolutely not true.
Now I understand that if you're driving in stop and go traffic the battery is being used and not the gasoline engine, and this could cause the battery to drop its level somewhat -- but the last time I was watching the battery before it drained out and it had 3 or 4 dots on the charge. Then the autostop disengaged, and the battery drained, leaving me with only the gasoline engine, which was not enough to get on the highway with.
Anybody have any idea if I am getting the runaround here? If what he says is true and this is normal for this car, then I wish my had my old car back! :P
Should I be concerned about the high mileage for the battery/ hybrid system?
What is the life expectancy of the hybrid system (battery & elec motor)?
Thanks,
Patrick
I heard that the Prius was good on the city streets, not as good on the highway, but the honda hybrid was the opposit, in getting better highway mileage and less so for city.
Must now look again at the 09 model or wait for the new hybrid offering later next year.
Thank you guys
I too bought my Hybrid to save money and be green. However, if you add the costs of repairs compared to another regular car, it really isn't saving much money. Batteries are $5,000 and last for about 8 years, after that they go to landfills and how is that good for the environment?
In all, I think the fact that the Hybrids are so disposable counteracts the "Green-ness" of the vehicle and repairs counteract the saving money on gas. It's fun to see yourself getting 55 mpg, but now that I've had the car for awhile I'm realizing why there are so many bad reports. Once the novelty wears off you have to get real with yourself.
:lemon: