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Honda Civic Hybrid

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Comments

  • hybirdsharkhybirdshark Member Posts: 10
    Here is the link:

    http://www.taxplanet.com/taxnews/energy042502/energy042502.html

    According to my interpretation of the cryptic text of this bill, it looks like this year Hybrid Civic owners should get about $500 basic "hybrid" tax credit (based on the ratio of power for the electric motor to the gas engine in the Hybrid Civic) and about $1000 tax credit for fuel efficiency if this bill gets signed into law. I hope the IRS will issue specific guidelines about how much tax credit will be applicable to different model and makes of hybrid vehicles.

    Disclaimer: I am not a CPA or tax attorney, and this bill is not even yet signed into law, so do your homework before you plan or claim your tax deductions.
  • cfernandezcfernandez Member Posts: 2
    Hi everyone. I just signed in at the townhall and reading some of the discussions is very informative and helpful.
    Anyway, This is my first time to buy a new car and my fiancee and I are having an endless debate on whether to buy the Honda civic Ex or the Honda civic Hybrid. So we need to come up with a decision now and we need all your help and insights about which one to choose. We're worried though, that we can't get a good deal with the Hybrid since it just came out and not always in stock. Looking forward for any information you can give. Thanks so much
  • daysailerdaysailer Member Posts: 720
    There are a couple of threads in the "News & Views" section of TH that have discussed the merits of hybrids vs conventional vehicles. The short answer that the hybrid has a cost premium that is greater than can be recovered by fuel savings in the life of the vehicle (at current prices) and it has significantly less power than the conventional Civic, particularly the EX. There is also the issue of battery replacement at unknown time and cost, probably around 100Kmi and perhaps $1.5-2K in today's dollars. If you typically drive in mountainous terrain, or other conditions that frequently deplete the battery, life will be shortened.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    I think it is great that there is a rebate for buying the Civic Hybrid. Unfortunately we will soon see hybrid SUV's that get the same rebate. They will still use twice as much gas as the Civic. To me it makes sense to reward the results of technology, not the technology itself.

    Give the rebates to cars that get good mileage, and don't give it to vehicles that still guzzle gas even with the hybrid technology.
  • hybirdsharkhybirdshark Member Posts: 10
    Good point,

    The way the proposed tax credit bill is written, the fuel efficiency part of the tax credit is proportional to how much better fuel efficiency (mpg) a hybrid vehicle gets compared to the current average fuel efficiency of vehicles in the same weight class. This is not too bad as it provides an incentive for auto makers to improve fuel efficiency.

    It would be much better if there was a second component to the fuel efficiency tax credit that was proportional to the absolute fuel efficiency, but this could be tricky since then auto makers could get away with making lighter and lighter cars to qualify for this credit instead of improving the fuel efficiency of their engines.

    Overall, I don't have a problem with how the fuel efficiency part of the hybrid tax credit is worded in the proposed bill, but it would be much better if they improved the wording for the part of the tax credit that is proportional to the ratio of electric/gas power provided by the engine. I guess the idea was to eliminate the possibility of car makers putting in a wimpy electric motor just to qualify the vehicle as "hybrid".
  • travelitertraveliter Member Posts: 9
    Gas mileage: We've had our Civic Hybrid about one month now. Overall we are getting about 47 to 48 mpg, but keep in mind I commute 25 miles a day over some pretty long, steep hills on the freeway. One weekend, we did a 300-mile country drive -- mostly rolling hills, no big climbs. For 300 miles our average was 50.3 mpg. We were VERY pleased.

    One thing -- this car is not made for super-long steep climbs. Driving up the Grapevine on I-5 driving down to Los Angeles, the IMA (battery) runs out so with just the gas engine, we have to drive slow in the right-side lanes. Otherwise, this car is awesome and we love it totally.

    As for car prices -- I queried roughly four DOZEN dealers in SF Bay Area (I threw a pretty wide net -- all the way up to Sonoma/Napa, east to Tracy, south to Bakersfield) and Los Angeles area combined. A small handful were "guaranteeing" MSRP but they didn't have the cars in stock (when the price is guaranteed for seven days but the car isn't due in for 14 days, what happens to the sticker price?).

    My experience is, TALK TO THE SALESMAN. If you show that you are serious, he will lower the price for you. Our dealer was asking for $5000 OVER sticker, and we talked them down to only $1200 over sticker. Keep shopping, and show them you are willing to walk if they don't lower their price to something reasonable.
  • travelitertraveliter Member Posts: 9
    By the way, we are going on a road trip vacation next week -- from the SF Bay Area down to LA, then to Vegas, then Phoenix. I will report back on how our car did mileage/performance wise.

    Hey you SF Civic Hybrid owners (well, East Bay)! I keep my eyes peeled but I haven't seen any of you yet! I look for the new Civic back-end WITH the front mast antenna (which I think only Ford Focus and Prius seem to have right now). I'll keep looking! :-)
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I can't believe people would pay over list for any car, especially $5000. Recession, what recession?

    Unreal.

    Glad you like your car. I take it you paid list?
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Look at his post. He still paid $1200 over sticker for an already overpriced Civic. What a deal.....At least he feels it was worth it. I don't get how anything short of a hot low volume sports car is worth over sticker, especially something that is meant to save you money.
  • jomabu1jomabu1 Member Posts: 37
    lngtonge18, you and several others just don't get the reason for getting a hybrid.

    The car is about making an important, at least in the hybrid owners mind, statement. I would venture to say that the statement of being conservation minded is more important to most hybrid owners than saving money. I don't own one but as a potential customer for the Honda hybrid this would be my motivation for owning one. Whereas a low volume sports car projects the image some may want portrayed, it isn't necessarily the image that others want portrayed. I would love to own a car that could get 50mpg and hold 4 people comfortably. Will have to get a S2000 to satisfy my sporting side.

    Just respect others decisions and prices they pay.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    The Hybrid is not about saving money. You will never make up the price difference from a normal Civic in gas savings over the life of the car. I think it's definitely more of an environmental statement and a coolness factor that surrounds this car. I think the hybrid technology is very cool also, but it's too much money for me, especially if you have to pay way over list.
  • mdm91mdm91 Member Posts: 1
    Hey, Any owners out there who bought the extended warranty? I've been unable to find a third-party warranty for any of the hybrid cars.

    Best,
    Michael
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I did respect his decision. I said "at least he thinks its worth it", didn't I? And I didn't say he was stupid or anything. I was simply answering a question for someone else since they overlooked it. I do disagree some on the point of hybrids. What's the first impression people get when they look at it? They think "wow, look at that mileage. I would save so much money in gas". Granted, at this point, the higher price does offset that, but the thoughts of less money spent on gas and the lower amount of gas used is a big deciding factor to go with these cars. Most people don't realize the difference is offset by the price. Those that do understand are swayed by the feelings of being "Mr. Clean" and the cool new gadgetry. So, I think there is a combination to the appeal of hybrids. I personally don't think it's worth spending more then list though.
  • daysailerdaysailer Member Posts: 720
    Of course each person has their own reasons for any action that they consciously undertake and, if it is not illegal or unethical it is entirely their prerogative to do so. Whatever value one places on any product that they buy is for them to determine for themselves and if they are satisfied with the transaction, it is not for others to criticize.

    But too often people confuse disagreement with criticism. In a true discussion, we each try to understand the other's rationale. Ultimately we may disagree and might not make the same choice, but that is not criticism.

    To me, the outstanding attribute of a hybrid vehicle is its fuel economy, therefore, to evaluate its cost/value in other than economic terms is an exercise that I cannot appreciate, but that is not criticism. If someone desires to "make a statement" by whatever means is legally available to them, that too is there prerogative, but I will point out that the statement intended is not necessarily what is perceived by others who have different points of view.
  • hybirdsharkhybirdshark Member Posts: 10
    > The Hybrid is not about saving money. You will never make up the price difference from a normal Civic in gas savings over the life of the car.

    I agree with the sprit of the rest of this post, however, I am more optimistic about accounting for the price difference of a hybrid Civic vs the regular Civic. If you include the benefits of a $1500 to $2000 potential tax break, you may actually be able to make up for the price difference over 3-6 years in gas savings. Of course, this will depend on how many miles you drive per year. Also, if gas prices go up for any reason over the next few years (hey, we were paying $2/gallon here in California a couple of years ago), you may be able to recover the difference in a shorter period.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Not to put down all tree huggers, but how can the Sierra club compare a Toyota Prius to a GMC Yukon with a straight face? How about comparing a bicycle with a Prius from a cost/emissions/fuel efficiency standpoint?? That's just as fair.

    These kind of ridiculous comparisons do not add any credibility to environmentalist's goals.

    You can make a valid argument against people who drive big SUV's when all they really need is a small car most of the time, (or even a minivan, which usually gets better mileage and has more cargo space) but please, let's make comparisons about like sized vehicles.

    Hybrid Civic versus VW diesels, for example or other fuel efficient compact cars, past and present.

    Don't also forget how you might spend that extra $5000 your willing to spend on a Hybrid Civic or Prius on other more useful environmentally sound items, like energy efficient light bulbs, better house insulation, or a new more efficient refrigerator, etc.

    I rest my case.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    There are no tax breaks up here and you would have to be driving one heck of a lot to make up the difference even if there was. My guess is the car would die before that ever happened.

    I'm sure over time, prices will fall and this may change. Right now, it's a novelty and will not save any money for you.
  • cpwingnutcpwingnut Member Posts: 49
    The first year Honda was making the Insight, they were selling them at a loss of $5-7000 each even though they were priced $8-10,000 more than the Civic. If no one bought them, the price would never come down. Its like the cd players and video cameras. When they first came out they were 2-3 times more expensive than they are now. The Hybrid technology will fall in price in 3-4 years. And the more people who buy them, the quicker the price will drop.

    We should thank all the people who are buying them now, not giving them a hard time for paying too much. These are going to be the cars of the near future (Fuel cells will probably take over after) and anyone who buys one is making the world a better place for you and your kids so who cares how much he or she paid for it.

    Thank you everyone and I hope you enjoy your cars.
  • robvig12000robvig12000 Member Posts: 16
    Like others who have posted, I am looking to buy a hybrid Civic for "Green" reasons. Anything to stick it to the the big oil companies. The Honda dealer in Austin, TX told me he would charge close to MSRP but never above it. I consider having to pay MSRP part of the deal of getting this technology mainstreamed and getting rid of these fuel hog cars and SUVs--especially the SUVs. People who drive Yukons, etc. should have to pay a 50% surcharge on their yearly registration as well as a luxary tax. Conversely, cars that get over 30 MPG should receive a 50% break in registration costs and a huge tax break.
  • dsgechodsgecho Member Posts: 89
    is more about some dealer's greed than anything else. Here in Nashville TN at Waltrip Honda [franklin tn] they will sell at MSRP OR bargain with you down from there for serious buyers. They have 3 cvt models on the lot now. Call Charlie Read there please. I have no interest in this except to say they were nice enough to let me test drive one. I own a 2002 Prius and wanted to compare the two. Roughly the power is about the same, good ride, and the trunk is about as big as in the corolla or Prius as far as effective room.Hard to tell compared to the Prius when the regen braking is on and electric assist also.Overall, very nice vehicle with the hybrid features almost subliminal compared to a regular Civic.Go for it if you have your heart set on one just do not pay dealer goons more than the MSRP.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Noticed the local dealer has 1 leftover Insight they are still trying to sell. I think people who wanted a hybrid were waiting for the Civic.
  • rfruthrfruth Member Posts: 630
    The visual differences are small at first, but once you know what to look for it's easier. Hybrid Civic's appearance differs from regular Civic in these ways (I'm sure there are more)

    1) Hybrid Civic's front grille has only two"strips" of open air flow between
    the headlights (Civic has three "strips" of open air flow)

    2) Hybrid Civic's front grille has a larger "H" badge than Civic

    3) Hybrid Civic's lower front air dam is deeply "scooped" to suck in air
    (more so than Civic)

    4) Hybrid Civic has a centered roof antenna (Civics since 1999 do not; their
    antenna are on the back window)

    5) Hybrid Civic comes in Opal Silver Blue Metallic and Shoreline Mist
    Metallic, two colors not available in Civic (though the other two colors,
    Taffeta White and Titanium Metallic, are also Civic colors)

    6) Hybrid Civic has a rear spoiler, a small almost-flush unit; Civic does
    not come with, and aftermarket are larger with space beneath

    7) Hybrid Civic comes with allow wheels; Civic does not, unless special
    ordered or aftermarket

    8) The taillights are slightly redesigned; Hybrid Civic has a white/clear
    panel for backup lights, whereas Civic's is amber-colored

    9) If you can see the rear, Hybrid Civic wears a "Hybrid" badge beneath the
    right taillight, and in small dark letters, "GASOLINE·ELECTRIC" beneath the
    Hybrid badge

    10) Hybrid Civic will not have a sunroof/moonroof unless added aftermarket

    11) Hybrid Civic's headrests are cutout in the middle, Civic's are solid
  • hybirdsharkhybirdshark Member Posts: 10
    Has anybody out there got custom leather seats installed for their Civic Hybrid? I am slightly concerned since the Hybrid is based on the 2003 Civic platform which has a few minor changes (more interior room, cutout headrests). Also, the rear bench seat is not 40/60 fold-down like the 2002 LX/EX and the battery pack behind the seat may complicate installation.

    How much $$$ extra you would have to pay for custom leather on a Civic?
  • hybirdsharkhybirdshark Member Posts: 10
    I was not familiar with the new Civics until I got interested in the new Civic Hybrid, but I was pleasantly surprised by how roomy the interior is for such a compact car. Especially the leg room and the flat floor for the back seats are pretty amazing.

    Here are some interior legroom numbers (inches) for comparison:

    Leg Room (Front/Back)

    2002 Acura 3.2TL: 42.4/35.0
    2002 Audi A4: 41.3/34.3
    2002 BMW 325i sedan: 41.4/34.4
    2003 Honda Civic Hybrid: 42.2/36.0
    2002 BMW 525i sedan: 41.7/34.1
    2002 Toyota Corolla sedan: 42.5/33.2
    2002 Volkswagen Jetta sedan: 41.5/33.5
    2002 Volvo S60 sedan: 42.6/33.3
  • robvig12000robvig12000 Member Posts: 16
    Bought a Honda Civic Hybrid today for $500 less than MSRP. They threw in floor mats (can you believe selling a car without floor mats?) Everything went smoothly and the car is great. Bought the 6 yr/100,000 mile extended warranty because we live 60 miles from the nearest Honda dealer and with the extended warranty they have to cover towing, loaner, etc. For $1,350 I thought it was worth it.

    Here in the Austin, TX area the Civic Hybrids are going quickly. We got this CVT model right away because another buyer backed out yesterday after seeing what their car payments would be.

    Rob V.
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    Otherwise, you can get the same mileage with a VW TDI and have a lot more in the way of standard content and seating comfort.
  • redenreden Member Posts: 1
    I certainly don't consider myself a tree-huger, but I bought a Civic Hybrid for the "cool technology" factor.

    When I compared small 4 door auto sedans my top choice was the Civic. If I'm going to buy Civic, I might as well get the hybrid to make it interesting! That justified the cost differential to me.

    By my estimates, without the tax break, I should break even $$ wise (over the EX Civic) in 8 years. That could improve if prices go up (which would hurt me, since my other car is a Minivan!) or we get the tax break.

    Interesting your should mention the Jetta TDI. That *USED* to be my #1 choice. I test drove one, and couldn't believe how slow it was off the line. I considered it almost unsafe in a busy intersection. The sales person didn't say anything was wrong with the car, it's just how they drove.

    My guess is the auto transmission is geared for a gas engine and doesn't take advantage of low-end torque. The sales person did say most people get the standard ( my wife doesn't want to learn ). That bumped the Civic to #1 (actually, the only one in the running, for a high mileage small 4-dr, that I felt comfortable sitting in)

    Robert
  • robvig12000robvig12000 Member Posts: 16
    I bought my Civic Hybrid because of my Green beliefs. I'm a member of the Green Party. The technology in and of itself doesn't "wow" me, though it is impressive and the car is impressive. I bought one because I'll do anything to stick it to the big oil companies, thumb my nose at Bush and Cheney, and do my very little part for the environment.

    Rob V.
  • marcbmarcb Member Posts: 152
    The thought just entered my mind, can the hybrid gas engine burn ethanol? If it can, this could potentially reduce the exhaust pollution more (-;
  • travelitertraveliter Member Posts: 9
    Hi all. I posted two weeks ago that we were going on a road trip with our Civic Hybrid. We got back home on Memorial Day after putting in 2,500 miles. Our route took us from the S.F. Bay Area, down to L.A., east to Vegas, east to Phoenix, up to Chinle (Canyon de Chelly in the Navajo Nation, in northwest AZ), northwest to Reno, then back to S.F.

    In all we put in roughly 2,500 miles, and we only had to fill up the car five times. Our average came out to 52.4 miles per gallon, mostly over freeway driving at around 70mph. Outside of the Grapevine on I-5 to L.A. and some uphills going to Vegas, the roads were pretty flat and smooth.

    The car ran GREAT! I'm considering getting a bra for the car, though; the bug splatters still need to get scrubbed off.

    ...by the way, if you live in California, YOUR MILEAGE WILL BE LOWER because your gas contains 9% oxygenate additive (usually MTBE), which does not do anything to your gas mileage other than lowering it by about 10%.

    dindak, you asked if we paid list. We talked them down to $1200 above list and we were very pleased that we did.

    As of this weekend, we have seen TWO other Civic Hybrids on the road in our neighborhood! Both were the same color as ours (blue metallic), and each came from different Honda dealers (I could tell because both were sporting their temporary plates with the car dealer's license plate frames).
  • travelitertraveliter Member Posts: 9
    By the way during our road trip, we managed to see Honda's TV commercial for the Civic Hybrid. Has anyone seen it? A guy has an electrical cord in his hand, and he's looking for a plug on the Civic Hybrid in which to plug the cord into. It's pretty funny.
  • jmurman42jmurman42 Member Posts: 675
    Thanks for your post on your trip.

    I had the chance to test drive the Hybrid the other day. I was very impressed. We have received our first allocations of this car, 7 total. Out of the 7, six have pre-sold. I put 15 miles on the only one left.

    We had one fellow who bought one last month, came back and bought another for his daughter.

    We will do very well with this car, as opposed to the Insight.

    Jerry
  • hybirdsharkhybirdshark Member Posts: 10
    Originally, I found the Hybrid Civic commercial pretty silly, but since I bought mine, at least 10 people have asked me "Where do you plug it in?" and "How long does it take to charge it?".
    Looks like most people still think that hybrid cars give you a choice of using the electric or the gas engine and they need to be charged. Maybe the commercial will actually educate some of this crowd.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    The Town Hall is about to take on a new look in an effort to make content more easily searchable and accessible.

    Have you seen the Letter from the Town Hall Manager on the Town Hall Welcome page? If not, you might want to follow that link to have a look.

    And hang on to your seats. Change is never easy - for any of us - but resolving the Search problems we've had will be worth the pain.

    Pat
    Sedans Host
  • rfruthrfruth Member Posts: 630
    The Civic hybrid where to plug it in TV commercial is on-line at http://john1701a.com/ then under "other stuff" "Honda video 1" its a 5.8 meg AVI file
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    Is it height adjustable like the EX?
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I think if you bought it for the "green" reasons, that's great. People who thing they will save money are sorely mistaken. The technology is still in it's early phase and I'm sure it will become more impressive over time.

    Sounds like you got a decent deal too.
  • library1library1 Member Posts: 54
    I deleted the posting I copied from USA Today. Should have known better! Sorry.

    See USA Today May 22, 2002; by David Kiley

    The article states that the IRS is allowing up to $2,000 tax credit for Hybrids through 2003.

    Honda and Toyota believe that their vehicles will qualify for the full $2,000. We should know in a few months.

    If I find a link, I'll post it, but the Honda Civic Hybrid site mentions the $2,000 and tells you to see your "tax professional" who "knows all about it". Hope so!
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    It is NOT a CREDIT...it is a DEDUCTION. The difference is enormous. The actual reduction in your tax liability could be as little as $300 [15%x$2000], but no more than $1000, depending on what is your highest marginal tax bracket.

    In our case, the actual reduction in tax liability is too small to make any dent at all in the difference between this car and its pure gasoline-engined counterparts.
  • library1library1 Member Posts: 54
    Let me clarify this- New York State allows a tax CREDIT of $1,200 (at least- its being disputed) for Hybrid cars. Federal law is for a DEDUCTION of up to $2,000.


    However there is a claim at http://home.nycap.rr.com/hondataxinsight/Federal%20Tax%20Law.htm that you can get a federal tax CREDIT of 10% of the cost of an electric vehicle. This makes things confusing. I'm trying to get my tax professional to sort this out. Thanks to the above poster for checking up on my language. IT IS A BIG DIFFERENCE.

  • cwaggamacwaggama Member Posts: 6
    My wife and I just purchased a 5 speed- they are hard to find around here and won't be in (from another dealer's stock on order)until the end of the month.

    I have enjoyed all the posts about the Hybrid, including the more critical ones. I know that I will have second thoughts about this purchase because it's evident that this car is over priced relative to its competition and it costs a whole lot more than others we were looking at. Paying list price was painful as well.

    I just keep telling myself that the early purchasers of hybrid cars are helping to establish a market that will make this and better technologies available for less of a premium in the future. That should benefit everyone. It's not all altruism, of course. There is the "neatness" factor of owning a still fairly rare car with technology that you have to explain to people. But I think Hybrid owners need to be ready for very mixed reactions- this has happened to us already. Some people just love the fact that you bought this car and can't wait to see it and drive in it. Others have already read about it, are unimpressed and keep asking why you paid so much for a civic. Oh well, there are those pretty blue lights.

    Here's a question for those of you with more technical and automotive knowledge than me. It would seem that this technology as it becomes better would be very useful as a way to boost performance from smaller engines without losing any fuel economy (maybe even improving it). Instead of putting the IMA system in a two seater like the insight, imagine adding its horsepower and torque to a car like the Miata. If people are willing to pay good money for larger engines to boost performance, why not pay for a hybrid engine that does the same with at no cost in mpg?
    This supposes a significant drop in the price of the technology, but isn't that inevitable? Thanks for the posts.
    Craig
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Great idea. I hope Canada adopts a similar policy. Tax breaks should get more manufacturers on board also.
  • daysailerdaysailer Member Posts: 720
    If the objective is increased performance, improvements in IC engine output are more economical and entail less increase in mass than does the addition of electric drive and battery. The hybrid's reason for being is to provide energy recovery and storage to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
  • robvig12000robvig12000 Member Posts: 16
    Bought a Civic Hybrid over Memorial Day weekend. Love it. MPG has been about 45. The dealer tells me it will get better with more miles on it.

    A couple of questions: Honda says the first oil change should be at 7500 miles because of a special additive in the oil that helps everthing "seal up." Does that sound right to other owners?

    Is anyone seeing better gas mileage using the cruise control (after the 600 mile break in)?

    Also, has anyone seen a difference between 87 octane and say, 89 or 93 octane gasoline?

    Seat height adjustment: it could use one. My Subaru Legacy Outback had it and it was great. I'd rate the seats as "OK" in the Civic Hybrid but not exceptional.

    I'm still happy with the purchase. Feels good to be in the vanguard of a new generation of car, and doing my Green thing.

    Rob V.
  • jeffdwjeffdw Member Posts: 1
    I have had my Civic Hybrid AT for about two months and put over 3,000 miles on it already. I have not seen an improvement in the mileage at all. I commute about 96 miles a day round trip from Northern Virginia to D.C and the best I have I have gotten is 49.9 on one trip with cruise and no AC. With AC running I'm getting about 42, with AC off I'm getting around 45. I haven't tried changing octane yet. I was hoping for better mileage, however my main reason for buying was that Hybrids are allowed to run in the HOV (express) lanes on I95 here in VA, which saves me about 30-45 minutes each way. To me, that was worth the price. I contacted 15 Honda dealerships before I found one about 50 miles south of me in Richmond, VA, where I paid MSRP. Most of the Northern, VA dealers were taking pre-orders ranging from 2-4 thousand above MSRP, in which I said "get real".
    I'm not really sure about the oil changes, I'm just planning on following the recommendations.
  • jmurman42jmurman42 Member Posts: 675
    we tell our customers to change the oil, first time at 3700-4000 miles.

    The Hybrid uses 0-20w oil.

    Jerry
  • travelitertraveliter Member Posts: 9
    fthd, we have a 5-speed manual.

    jmurman42, page 187of our 2003 Hybrid owner's manual tells us explicitly that our first oil change should be at 10,000 miles. Could you please tell us why you are giving instructions that do not match the manual? Is the manual incorrect? Have you received overriding instructions from Honda that are not written in the manual? Or are you basing your recommendation on regular Civic models? Thank you.
  • hybirdsharkhybirdshark Member Posts: 10
    My dealer told me that the first oil change for the Hybrid Civic is at 10,000 miles (as the manual says). Apparently, there are some additives in the oil that is put in at the factory and they want to keep it in for the first 10,000 miles.
  • robvig12000robvig12000 Member Posts: 16
    The salesman at my Honda dealership in Austin says 3,000 miles; his boss says 7,500 miles; and the manual says 10,000 miles. Whew. I'm going to go with 7,500 miles and more or less split the difference.

    I tried a tank of 89 octane gas and didn't find any difference in performance or MPG. I have 700 miles on mine and the best I've done so far is 44 MPG. Anyone else with similar or different results? Where's the 51 MPG?

    Rob V.
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