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Comments
I do toggle the A/C button off when going up a hill. Anyone else doing things like this?
I've got 2800 miles on my CVT and like most of you, I'm getting in the low to mid-40's in terms of MPG.
Thanks,
Rob V.
> to take it to the dealer for oil changes
The 0W20 oil is becoming more widely available. You can get "Genuine Honda" 0W20 from hparts.com or buy it from your dealer. Amsoil just started selling a 0W20 synthetic. However, none of the major manufacturers make it, so you can't get it at Jiffy Lube. The choices right now seem to be (1) go to the dealer and pay double or (2) change your own.
> How would I decide between manual and
> standard trans.?
Drive both. If you don't have a strong personal preference, here are some things to consider:
-CVT will probably get better mileage if most of your driving is real city stop-start traffic.
-CVT does a better job of keeping the batteries charged with less thought on the part of the driver.
-5-speed should get better mileage if most of your driving is freeway or fairly open highway
-5-speed's idle stop is easier to use (for example, in creeping traffic, easier to get it to stop-start-stop without significant acceleration)
-5-speed is a little perkier--accelerates quicker, more responsive in passing, etc.
-You can expect the manual to have the same advantages as any manual transmission--better control, especially in bad conditions, etc. But if you like automatics, I'd say the CVT is the best automatic I've ever driven.
oil changes today are competitive whether you go to a dealer or jiffy lube...within a couple bucks, anyway.
if your that cheap to have to save a few bucks every 6 months or so, you dont need to be buying a car thats so technologically advanced as this. now, dont take that the wrong way, folks...im just trying to put things in perspective here...
$5 every 6 months?
or
certified tech looking for possible problems each time?
no brainer to me.
i do my own maintenance on my older cars, but when i get a new one, i use the dealers at least till the factory warranty expires...just my comfort zone, i guess.
Anyhow, the manual doesn't really make a strong recommendation on which octane fuel to buy. I would assume the higher the octane, the better the performance. Anyone experiment with this? I just filled the tank (it was on E when I picked it up and didn't realize that until I drove off the lot - I was supposed to get a free fillup!) with regular gas... so it'll be a while before I refill.
Thanks!
1/ model
2/ price
3/ location you bought it
4/ date bought
5/ what extras did the dealer throw in
Thanks!!!
2. 21,010 (list, but got them to take off the $3K premium)
3. Torrance, CA
4. May 2002 (an early adopter)
5. A free oil change (whoopee)
2. $19,500
3. Irving, Texas
4. June 29, 2002
5. Window tint, window etching
Thanks
2. 19,300
3. Colorado Springs
4. Aug. 12
5. Tank of gas
2. Robertsmx: Could have been me. I go to the Petsmart at 183 & Esters.
2. 20,510 (after trade-in of DX Hatchback 91 in "fair" condition)
3. Bowie, MD
4. Sept 3, 2002
5. Mudguards, wheel locks, floor mats, rear cup holder
No one seemed to have heard of the rear cup holder -- they all had to look it up -- and now, the option seems to have disappeared from the website. I wonder if that's part of the "minor changes" for the Fall 2003 line? In any case, it's nifty, and was only listed at $39. I'm glad I have it, though it hasn't been used yet!
So, has anyone bought from a dealer with good prices and if so, where? I'm willing drive as far as MA, RI (others within 2 hours?) to get a car if necessary.
Thanks!!!!!
> and if so, where? I'm willing drive as far as MA,
> RI (others within 2 hours?) to get a car if
> necessary
Think I mentioned this before here, but sounds like it might help you...my closest dealers were determined to stick very close to MSRP, but I got my 5-speed HCH for $18,700 by using Priceline.com and specifiying a search within about an hour's drive.
How it works: you name a price, they shop it to dealers within the counties you specify, if a dealer accepts your price, you buy the car from them and pay Priceline $50 on delivery ($100 penalty if you back out). Not much risk, because if no one meets your price you have no obligation. You can start with a low price and tight geographic area and resubmit as necessary if you don't find anything.
Paid list, 21,010. after I got them to take off the $1995. dealer mark-up BS
Bought it from Landmark Honda, Alex. VA
July 25, but I didn't take deliver until the 31st, not too bad as there was a truck winding it's way there..
I got floor mats, splash guards all around and 1/3 tank of gas...
Have 2900 miles on it and I'm averaging 42-43 MPG which is OK, but I'm in HOV and loving it. I've cut 40 minutes off my commute and no longer need zen breathing exercises to get me thru the DC commute!!
Now if I could just get the dealership to get my Clean Fuel tags for me!! It's been a ridiculous ride with them over a very simple task...
Hey, now you're inviting my 90 lb. dog to ride in your car to the Petsmart! ;-)
Hope to see your car up close someday. 5-speed or CVT?
None of our three dogs are allowed in the Civic (go in the back of our wagon).
Our Civic is a CVT. Stopped driving manuals in 1990. Gas milage difference is not as great as it once was.
2. 19,700
3. Yorktown, NY (about an hour from Danbury, CT)
4. Aug. 17, 2002
5. wheel locks, a tank of gas
We were told that there's a $2,000 tax credit waiting for us at the end of the tax year. We've gone 2,600 miles already, but our mileage has been stuck at 39.7 for the last week or so.
It started at about 35.5 mpg and has been slowly climbing. The first 2,000 miles we drove to the Adirondacks High Peaks region and on the highway the State Trooper clocked me at 83 mph (that was after I saw him and tried slowing down - no ticket!!!). The highest Mtn. up there is only about 5,300 feet, but watching the battery going up and down on those hills was a little scary for the first half hour. Since then, I've relaxed and have been having an absolute blast.
I've tried 89 octane - don't bother - and I've been trying to go lightly on the gas pedal and it does seem to be helping. If I didn't live in a very hilly town I'm sure I'd get lots better mileage, but alas, it's the beautiful Hudson Valley and that's the price we pay for unbelievable beauty... Which I'd like to keep enjoying, so I guess that explains the thrill I feel every time the car turns off at a stop light. Woo Hoo!
2. 19,800
3. Northern Virginia
4. Memorial Weekend
5. Lots of stuff were already installed like wheel locks, so I don't know what options were left out. But I also got them to install leather and it looks really nice. My leather seats are better on the butt and now, they'll be easier to clean after sweaty people sit in it. It also makes the car look more expensive. Everyone who's seen it say they like it a lot. Oh yeah, I also get free oil change/maintenance for 2 years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first.
2/ 17800
3/ Oklahoma City
4/ 28 Sep 02
5/ Mudguards, Door edge, rear seat cup holder
I was just going to look, but the price made me buy.
Mike
from Brandfon Honda in Branford, Ct. Also , Westbrook Honda was willing to deal but Brandfon came down when I told them. They threw in wheel locks and mud guards.. After trading in my 1992 Camry the price was even lower. Hope this helps you.. lillian35
this has been a great group to be catching up on as my wife and i contemplate a hybrid. for the first time ever, i see that CarsDirect.com is finally lowering their price on the hybrid to below MSRP. Latest price is 19.6k for the CVT model. what have people paid recently in the Bay Area?
At the current price differential (2400 at Carsdirect between the Hybrid and EX), the Hybrid is looking like a reasonable choice...with a tax write-off and gas savings, i figure we can indeed break even in the lifetime of the car, excluding battery costs, if they need to be replaced. Not bad.
anyway, i'd appreciate hearing recent pricing if people have bought in the bay area. [i will likely seek bids from all the local dealers...last time i did that with my 2000 Civic EX, i got it $150 below invoice].
Derek
that when they tested the 5-speed they only got about 38 MPG. Also another test I believe
by Raod and Track only recorded about 30 MPG with the Civic Hybrid 5-speed.
If you do own the 5-speed could you bring me up to date on your MPG.
Thankyou
Al
On the highway, I can get 55 mpg maintaining 60-65 mph, closer to 50 if the speed is 70-75 mph.
Mileage definitely increases as you learn to drive the car well. The tips offered here and elsewhere on the 'Net will help you a lot.
--Jon
What kind of mechanical problems are you having with the car?
What do you like about it?
What do you not like about it?
What have you been paying for you cars?
Thanks!
Michael
I would like someone who has actual knowledge or experience to address 2 questions I have regarding the batteries:
1. How well do they hold a charge? In other words: Do they lose charge when sitting for an extended period? I have appliances with NiMH batteries, and they will lose a charge over time, even without use.
2. How does the performance hold up over time? I realize that the batteries will need to be replaced at some point, however batteries don't just work fine, then fail. Their ability to hold a charge typically diminishes to the unusable point, necessitating replacement. I would think that it would be frustrating to experience declining performance from the batteries, and it would be a matter of being "fed-up" which makes the decision to replace.
thanks in advance