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Honda Civic Hybrid Owners: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • vix4vix4 Member Posts: 52
    I think I'll take the car back to Honda and have them check the transmission again, I'm getting really concerned about the reliability of this tranny. I'm still well within warranty so hopefully I can get the problems resolved.

    How much does an fluid change cost for the CVT fluid?
  • denhchdenhch Member Posts: 8
    Am I the only one who is bothered that I can't tell when
    my 06 HCH is running on just the electric motor. Does
    anyone know more info on this. I guess the tach won't drop
    to zero because the engine is still turning when just
    on electric power and I am guessing the auto stop light
    dosen't come on either. Very dissappointing.
  • brentbridgebrentbridge Member Posts: 11
    IMA light went OFF again this morning. Who knows?
  • richardsonrichardson Member Posts: 92
    Your car is a partial hybrid. It will not move the car on just the electric motor. Jim
  • denhchdenhch Member Posts: 8
    No, thats what makes the 06 HCH different from the 05
    under certain low speed cruise conditions it will run
    on just the electric motor. Believe me I researched
    it thoroughly, check out the Honda website. Although
    its hard to know what those conditions are if you can't
    tell when its doing it.
    Den PGH
  • richardsonrichardson Member Posts: 92
    I went to the website. It says the electric motor can propel the car up to 35 miles per hour. I don't see where it's like the prius that starts out as an electric and then the ice kicks in on the fly. It's says when the car stops the idle stop, turns off the ice and when the brake is released the ice starts up. That would indicate that it is ice first and electric second. See what the dealer says, I would like to know also.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    You might want to read about the electric motor starting here through post #1536:

    tunes77, "Honda Civic Hybrid" #1504, 3 Dec 2005 9:05 am
  • richardsonrichardson Member Posts: 92
    I read all those posts. It looks like you are correct. If the right conditions are met, the new civic can run on electric only. Jim
  • denhchdenhch Member Posts: 8
    The Civic is different then the Prius, it
    definitely won't start out from a stop with just electric
    the new feature is when cruising under low load conditions
    the gasoline engine will shut down. The Prius electric
    motors are much more powerful. The thing that upsets me
    is Honda must think buyers are stupid and don't care about letting the driver know what mode the car is in so they
    can adjust their driving habits accordingly.
  • denhchdenhch Member Posts: 8
    Watch your instantaneous MPG gauge it will go to max (100
    mpg in an 06)and stay there, when the ice starts back up it will drop. The engine restarting is so subtle as to be almost undetectable but it does do it and the temp here was only 10 degrees F.
  • tsongluntsonglun Member Posts: 1
    Your description fits my problem well. I have a 2003 HCH with similar mileage. Thinkng it may cost a lot to have it fixed, I haven't come up with the courage to bring it to the dealer. It's good to know I could ask the dealer if they could replace it free.

    Another problem which may be related is that sometimes the car (engine?)jerks with a loud noize at the moment it comes to a full atop. I tried to get the dealer to reproduce it when the car was still under warrantee. The dealer claims they cound not reproduce it.
  • fletch3fletch3 Member Posts: 2
    I started having a similar problem at 48,000 miles, at 54,000 miles and now again at 60,000 miles. The recommended fix was to change the fluid. Last week the dealer indicated they would replace the transmission at no cost to me, today, I was informed that Honda America wants a sample of the fluid first. In the meantime, the battery is not charging as it usually does. All recommended maintenance has been done on this car.
  • vix4vix4 Member Posts: 52
    fletch - please keep us up to date on your transmission problems / replacement.

    What were the symptoms of your transmission problems?
  • kehaukehau Member Posts: 2
    I've been a very happy owner of a 2003 HCH for almost 3 years and have survived few problems (even the popular jerking at low speed) that have been forgotten in my mind since they were easily fixed and obscured by all the other perks.. however, a serious problem happened when I was parking today when I reversed and then shut off the engine (oops, I know).. it would not shift into park or start and everything went dead (no radio, nothing) I waited awhile and kept trying and got no response (similar to a dead battery) till I got frustrated and then turned it over and kept it there for a long time and it started after what felt like a restart action. I read every posting and found nothing similar to what I experienced, and the car seems to run fine except the Malfunctioning Indicator Lamp is on and has stayed on :( The manual says not to drive until fixed.. what happened? or did I just mess up the Rediness codes? and it'll go away with time? My dealer is far away so I'm reluctant to take it in tomorrow since weekends are so busy.. I don't want to cause more damage but what I did seemed so simple it should not have caused a serious problem.. any advice would really help! Mahalo! :confuse:
  • brentbridgebrentbridge Member Posts: 11
    OK, the IMA light is still off, but two days ago the "Malfunction Indicator" light came on. Took it in to the dealer and they said the code shows that the catalytic converter is going out. And that is $900 (found it online for $750, but still)!!! Still getting the surging problem, but not as pronounced as it was a month ago. I'm starting to look at crappy drivers on the road and hope they run into me and total this.....car!!! Maybe I can find a nice sturdy tree.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    code shows that the catalytic converter is going out. And that is $900 (found it online for $750, but still)!!!

    That sounds like a bargain. Where do you live and how many miles on the car? I think they should have to replace the Catalytic Convertor as part of the emissions system. Several Prius owners past the warranty have paid $2100-$2900 to get their Prius back on the road with bad catalytic convertors. Good luck!
  • kehaukehau Member Posts: 2
    All is well :)
    I guess the problem was the battery (regular one) needed to be replaced (over 3 years old) and the software update was needed.. VERY happy with HCH!! :shades:
  • brentbridgebrentbridge Member Posts: 11
    Well, when I'm looking at $2,800 to replace the battery, and I started having the surging problem 35,000 miles after having the entire transmission replaced, another $900 plus labor doesn't seem like a bargain. I guess that's what happens when you're an early adopter. I should have waited a few years for them to get the bugs out and then bought this car. But, when you have a 140 mile roundtrip commute, it's hard to resist 50 mpg (my actual is closer to 42 mpg). Yes, I have 140,000 miles on the car, but I expected better durability in this day and age.
  • motherwearymotherweary Member Posts: 38
    You guys are starting to make me nervous. I bought my '03 in October of 2002 and aside from the EGR problem, haven't had anything major go wrong (80,000 miles so far). But if problems are popping up down the road, I wonder whether it wouldn't be wise to trade mine in on a '06. Older models are still selling like hotcakes, so the trade-in value should be high, yes? But as I said, the car is still behaving very well. I dunno. Any advice?
  • larsblarsb Member Posts: 8,204
    Get a KBB and an Edmunds TMV, average them, advertise the car for that price. If you sell it, then buy an '06.

    Resale value is HIGH right now, but might not be after used '06 models hit the market, ya know?
  • brentbridgebrentbridge Member Posts: 11
    If you're not having any problems, then I would hate to advise you to trade it in or sell it, because you may NEVER really have any problems. Personally, I'm thinking of fixing the catalytic converter and then trading it in. Another thought I've had is to talk to my dealer and say "Hey, you know what's wrong with this car, how much would you give me for a trade-in?" They could fix it at cost and then re-sell it. Any thoughts on this plan?
  • 2006hybrid2006hybrid Member Posts: 3
    We just got our 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. I'm finding the headrest very uncomfortable. Is the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid's headrest the same design used in the 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid?

    As was reported in either Motor Trend, Road and Track, or Car and Driver, one of the magazine's noted the uncomfortable Civic seats. While the back's lumbar support isn't a problem, the headrest for me is. At 5'10" the headrest hits my head at an uncomfortable position.

    Any suggestions?
    Are the earlier Honda Civic's headrests different?
    Do other Honda models have different shaped headrests?
    Or does anyone know of a headrest with the same two prong base from some other vehicle, which might work in my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid?

    Sharon
    2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Tilt your seat back a few degrees. The head RESTRAINT will move a bit further back from its current position.
  • expresso76expresso76 Member Posts: 2
    I see you have an '06 HCH and I'm thinking of getting one but really know nothing about problems they may have, except what little I've seen on the web. I'm hoping the bugs have been worked out to a great extent over the last few years. Do you, or anyone on the list, have any advice, warnings, recommendations? On the Honda website I don't see a manual transmission available. Am I missing something? Thanks!
  • mcapmcap Member Posts: 49
    I would counsel patience. I hated the headrests at first but now they are fine, especially if you recline the seat a little further back. Give it a few weeks to get used to.

    If that absolutely doesn't work, then there are two other fixes to try. An aftermarket seat cushion could move you futher away from the headrest.

    Finally, if all else fails, the headrests from an 06 accord will match and fit in. Those are a little less protruding and might do the trick. I actually purchased one for my car. It's sitting in my closet. I got used to the original ones!!!

    mcam
  • admdzadmdz Member Posts: 3
    Hi everyone!

    I am not from USA and in my country HCH is planned for sale at the beginning of next year. I wish to buy it but concerned about some exploitation issues. For example does anybody has problems with usage HCH in low temperature climate. I mean 20F and lower.

    Thanks for feedback in advance.
    :lemon:
  • expresso76expresso76 Member Posts: 2
    Hello! I hope things are well in your corner of the world. I'm also thinking of buying a hybrid, and I know almost nothing about them, but in my research I came across this note about a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid in low temperatures. Maybe some of this has been worked out of the '05 and '06 models:
    "Cold-Weather Quirks: As I mentioned in the Cons, the IMA has some trouble waking up when the temperature gets down below -20C. The primary symptom is that on a cold start, the IMA battery charge shows its charge for a moment, then goes blank, then the Check Engine light goes on. Fortunately, in this case that light's bark is worse than its bite. If you keep the engine running, let the engine warm up for a few minutes then turn it off and on again, the IMA will engage and stay active. The Check Engine light will stay on for about a day after, then go off by itself; if you're in a multi-day cold snap then it may stay on for longer.

    My one-and-only gripe with the design of the Hybrid is where they put the rear windshield defroster button. Some brilliant designer decided to hide it down low, to the left behind the steering wheel, as though it were an afterthought. When it switches off you can't tell at a glance. This is a problem when it's cold outside because the rear window fogs up quickly and takes a while to clear again."

    Best wishes with your decision. I'm ready to give it a try. Here's to a more peaceful 2006!!
  • atx_hybridatx_hybrid Member Posts: 9
    Hi Guys,
    My HCH 05 model is about 6 or 7 months old. I take
    care of it with proper oil change and maintenance at the dealership.
    I live in texas and after winter (for about a month or more),
    I see my HCH has been giving me about 120 miles LESS with whole
    tank of Gas. Normally I get around 600 or 610 miles with
    my full tank. These days I get around 480 or 500 miles max!!.

    I take the same route from my apt to work and drive the same
    style - no crazy acceleration, sudden brakes etc... My
    driving style between summer and now is
    same. The tyre pressure seems alright as I know
    that is a major factor. Do any one of you out there
    see the same dip in mileage recently. I have around 8K to 9K miles
    on my car. What should I do?...
    Any useful comments would help me.

    -Thanks in advance.
  • larsblarsb Member Posts: 8,204
    Is your commute pretty short? That can mean the car never warms up enough to get to prime operating temps....read on...

    All cars lose MPG in the cold. Hybrids are more noticable because people are expecting high MPG all the time "just because it's a hybrid."

    Unfortunately, the laws of Physics do not care what kind of drivetrain you have.

    Even moderate temp drops can negatively affect the hybrids MPG. This is my second winter with my HCH and I am struggling to keep it in the 44-47 range.

    In part, with the Hondas (I own an HCH myself) it's because the IMA system is used less when the car's engine is below optimium operating temps, and that happens more in winter weather. Until prime op temps are reached, the gas engine is used more, the RPMS are staying higher, and the battery is being charged with the gas from the tank.

    Your choices for helping maintain good MPG in the winter are:

    buy an engine block heater
    garage the car and use a space heater

    Other than keeping the antifreeze warm and/or keeping the car stored in a warm area, nothing else will help. These will help a little bit.

    But you need to come to accept the fact that your hybrid will suffer in coldish temps. I have been using a space heater for 25 minutes every morning, blowing 80 degree air under the front of my car from about 18 inches away. It helps a little bit - I do in fact lose LESS MPG every morning because of the heater usage.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "I have been using a space heater for 25 minutes every morning, blowing 80 degree air under the front of my car from about 18 inches away. It helps a little bit - I do in fact lose LESS MPG every morning because of the heater usage."

    Larsb-
    That is an electric space heater, right? Are you really saving money considering that such heaters use a lot of energy? Have you done the math?
  • larsblarsb Member Posts: 8,204
    math done....16 cents per kwh, it uses less than one (hard to know exactly, but less than 1 kwh because I read my meter at the start of the heater and at the end on one of the days) so it's somewhere less than 16 cents per day.

    Even if it was more than for fuel, I'd rather pay the local utility company than Big Oil or a Saudi king ANYDAY !!! :shades:
  • eaaeaa Member Posts: 32
    I've read the manual for my 03 Honda Civic Hybrid and didn't find much extra info. From real world driving and watching the dash I now get 55 mpg or better with the CVT.
    I'd love the rear seat to fold down like the standard Civic but EVen the 06 won't do that.
    The resale value of the Prius is much higher than the civics and they sell 2.5 to 1 in favor of the Prius. The plugin hybrid option from edarive is only for the 04 Prius or newer.
    My next Hybrid will be the Prius. I want 100+ mpg.
  • fletch3fletch3 Member Posts: 2
    The dealer replaced a clutch and a switch, I think. He stated that previously they replaced the entire transmissions in cars with these symptoms but now Honda-America has identified the defective parts and wants to replace just what's defective. The mechanic is interested to see if this works. The dealer's rep approved replacing the enitre transmission but Honda-America won't ship it. A sample of the transmission fluid was sent to Honda-America for analysis. The repairs above were covered as if under warranty as the car was under warranty when the problem first occured and we have followed instructions for fixing it. The sympton is a vibration near the front left wheel. A passenger in the car today said there is a noise coming from the right side, now. The mechanic states that the IMA is functioning though the battery does not seem to charge like it used to and the auto stop isn't working even though the mechanic said it was turned on. The car is due for a servicing and I'm thinking of trading it in instead of putting any money into it. This is because I am moving out of state and not comfortable that a dealer there will work with me in the same courteous manner.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    My next Hybrid will be the Prius. I want 100+ mpg.

    If you are thinking of modifying a Prius you should buy an out of warranty 2004. Any mods to the hybrid system will surely taint the warranty. If you plan to add the $12,000 worth of batteries getting a high mileage Prius for a cheap price makes more sense. Good luck and keep us posted when you do the plug in Prius.
  • kominek1982kominek1982 Member Posts: 3
    I have an'03 HCH. I would like to replace the whimpy horn on this car. Has anyone done this mod? Where are the horn(s) located? Should I use a high and low or just one unit? Would the fuses have to be changed?
    Thanks for any help you can give. :)
  • edahledahl Member Posts: 2
    Hi Sharon,

    I have the same problem! I'd be very interested in knowing if you did get a different headrest and, if so, whether you're happier with it. I feel so miserable that I'm liking the car less, which is a shame.

    I'm 5'2", so I guess the problem spans the spectrum of heights!

    Hope to hear from you,
    Emily
    2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Emily,

    Why not just tilt your seatback a bit more?
  • jmhybridjmhybrid Member Posts: 4
    I have an 06 HCH with approximately 1200 miles on it. Traded off my 03 HCH for the new one.

    I have a few quick questions for those of you with the same vehicle:

    According to Honda, during low speed crusing, the engine's valves close off, fuel injection ceases, and the car is supposed to be powered for short distances by battery power alone. What are you guys seeing/experiencing when this happens?

    Specifically:

    -Do you see the MPG indicator pegging out at 100 mph?
    -Do you see any response from the IMA dash indicator showing "Assist"?
    -Do you hear anything different during this mode of operation?

    I'm just curious if my HCH is actually performing as it should.

    Thanks in advance.

    PS: I'm experiencing the same "bug" in the FCD that others here are.... As it operates now, my FCD is useless for tracking mileage.
  • edahledahl Member Posts: 2
    Hi Blane,

    I did, and unfortunately, no real luck. I'll call the dealer about it, though. Thanks!
  • 2006hybrid2006hybrid Member Posts: 3
    I called Honda and the rep gave me the typical shpeal.

    "Honda highly discourages trading out a seats headrest. The headrest was tested with the Honda Civic Hybrid seat and they work together as a unit."

    In other words, Honda won't look into the problem, nor will they help.

    I've wrapped a lumbar support cushion around the neck of the headrest. This seems to have helped a bit. Though after spending a lot for this car, I feel a little like I'm having to create an adhoc answer that looks pretty terrible."

    Sharon
    2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
  • 2006hybrid2006hybrid Member Posts: 3
    My 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid has the pearl blue color. Frankly, the outside of the Civic looks pretty nice. It has almost a last generation BMW feel about the back end. A model style I particularly like.

    I've ridden in the Toyota Prius and frankly, I just don't like the style of the car. The gas mileage is also around 40 miles per gallon, no matter what Toyota maintains the mpg is.

    The one thing I don't understand about the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid is it's interior. While the Honda S2000 or the Civic CSI (I think that's the model name) can come equiped with attractive black leather interiors, the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid doesn't even come with leather.

    I have the blue and white fabric interior. And, yes I'm growing accustomed to it, but it feels so... ugly utilitarian 1970's Japanese car interior. Why?

    Why didn't Honda design the 2006 Civic Hybrid with a cool interior?

    The 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid has all these hi-tech features, it drives smoothly, the Navigation System is just perfect for my needs... But, the interior is bad motel meets oil embargo 1974 MacDonalds.

    Sharon
    2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
  • awaretekawaretek Member Posts: 14
    I am considering buying a new 2006 Civic Hybrid with Navigation. Never owned a Honda before, nor a hybrid. I live in Connecticut. Drive to work is only 5 minutes, but I drive a lot on weekends. I thought I wanted a Prius, but now favor a Civic Hybrid. I want a nice, fun, interesting, reliable car, and one that I can keep for a long, long time, with superior maintenance in every way, (at local Hybrid dealer no doubt, I am not a hands-on person.)

    I drive a big 3 year old Hyundai GLX with 80,000 miles, which I drove regularly long distance highway miles. But now I am in new job, much less driving and I actually prefer a small car for ease of driving, maneuvering and parking. And good mileage is a plus, for guilt-free weekend cruising etc.

    Now, having read every message in this forum, I have doubts about the following items and would like comments. I do realize that problems are the purpose of this message board and are over-represented, and if I look at ANY model car on these forums I'll see similar numbers of problems:

    1. There sure do seem to be a lot of transmission problems. If there is a weakness to the Honda Civic hybrid, it seems clear to me it is the transmission. I only drive automatics. How long is the transmission covered under warranty anyway? Any one out there have over 100,000 miles and NO transmission problems or complaints?

    2. I am concerned about cold weather starting etc. Its cold here in winter, and although I have a home garage, I park outdoors at work.

    3. I am not particularly concerned about mileage. I never get EPA mileage and don't expect to. I figure I'll get much better mileage with Civic hybrid than I would with a normal car, and I like that idea. What else I want though, is a car that can get over 100,000 miles, with excellent maintenance and of course some repair. Maybe this is a good car, but not one that can be relied on for long term ownership?

    4. Should I get the extended warranty, and for how long? I do no personal maintenance. I like to have the dealer do it. I can afford the 6 or 7 year warranty, but I'd prefer to take my chances with no extended warranty if the odds favor taking chances. Is the extended warranty a good deal, and if so for how long? By the way, my local dealer says they are Connecticut's largest volume Honda dealer (Danbury Honda). Did most of you guys buy extended warranty? Anyone who did or didn't and are to comment why? Would you do it differently?

    5. I'm still considering Prius, but I think I'd prefer Honda Civic hybrid. I am, at the last minute, also thinking maybe I should look at Honda Civic EX non-hybrid. Maybe its more reliable long term and has no cold weather problems. But I might regret not getting Hybrid, and being scared off by cold weather stories and transmission stories.

    6. Any friendly advice?

    7. I hope you all don't mind my lengthy questions. I am researching this purchase much more than any other, but I think its appropriate. Hybrid technology is sort of new, and I do want to own this car a long time.

    Ron Stephens
  • jonallenjonallen Member Posts: 30
    Dear Ron,
    I share your concerns regarding hybrids. There are, needless to say, many more components under the hood of any hybrid, and so, many more sources of failure. None the less, I decided to go ahead and purchase a 2006 Civic Hybrid (without GPS). Its standard powertrain warranty is only 5 years and 60,000 miles, and so I opted to purchase a 7 year, 100,000 mile plan, which, if not used, will be refunded to me (offered by Herb Chambers of Boston).

    I agree with you about the transmission, as well. Although I have owned 2 Subaru Justys with ECVT, and I had one of them fail me, they are a technology that started with snowmobiles, expanded into forklifts and then cars in the end of the 80s, and as such have come a long way towards becoming a sound automotive component.
    Essentially, a CVT transmission involves two "pulleys" and a "belt" which rides on continuously variable surfaces as the bi-concial pulleys expand and contract to provide the requested torque to the wheels. In the case of a snowmobile, this belt is out in the open air, and you can cause it to smoke if you gun the engine up a steep hill, greatly reducing the belt's life expectancy. On a car, this "belt" is really a specially designed chain that is inside of an enclosed oil bath, and the "pulleys" are quite sophisticated variable cogs which keep the tension on the chain within a useable range for zero slippage. As a result, there is no fluid clutch as in a classic automatic transmission, but rather a simple start-up engagement inside of the engine side "pulley". This allows for operation with far less dumped energy loss from shifting gears with a fluid coupling, and so my Justys had very good city and highway efficiency for a non-hybrid car (36/48mpg). The reason my first ECVT failed me was this: I pushed it too hard. I commuted 70 miles a day, and I didn't back off on the gas when driving into a strong wind on an uphill stretch, and the poor little transmission eventually wore out (at 88,000 miles). Subaru decided to stop selling the Justy in the US in 94, so I don't know if they have made improvements since.
    Honda also made forklifts with ECVT before their cars, but have typically taken an aggressive stance on making them more reliable and serviceable. None the less, it is still wisest to consider that if you are the sort of person who at times will require a lot of horsepower out of your car (lugging a full load up hills at speed), I would not recommend you getting it. I went ahead with it knowing that I would not be needing to push it with mine, either out of necessity or desire (it wastes the most efficiency).
    2] Cold weather starting- should not be a problem. The Civic Hybrid behaves just like a regular Civic until the hybrid battery warms up anyway.
    3] If you are driving just 5 miles each way, you can easily get over 100,000 reliable miles out of this machine if you don't have to push it too hard (as mentioned above).
    4] I went with the extended warranty, simply because I really do intend to keep it a long time, and it is refundable.
    5] The Prius is an impressive car (I have rented them from ZipCar), but they are more of a maxed-out 4 passenger car, while the Civic is a very nice 5 passenger car. The Prius has a larger motor/smaller engine, and so can attain even higher efficiency, but that is more dependant on driving habits than the actual average diffence between them. The Prius has a driving mode that the Civic doesn't: moving around with the engine off. Most important to efficiency is the stopped autoshutoff, though, and moving without a noise makes the Prius more accident prone in a parking lot full of pedestrians.
    6] My friendly reccommendation is that you also pick a car that has what you need, but can be upgraded later if desired (I may later pick out a GPS). One warning: the car will take a mile or so to warm up enough to go to full hybrid mode in winter, so your efficiency will not be nearly as boosted in winter. My first tank efficiency was 53mpg driving along Rt 9 from Brooline to Framingham (20 miles each way), but I am a rather studied driver when it comes to high efficiency. PS: The radio in the Hybrid is awesome. I can drive through the infamous Needham antenna farm without any loss of fidelity. They won't say why this is so, but I suspect that it is due to a tuned dual antenna (between the windshield and the rooftop stub).
  • jonallenjonallen Member Posts: 30
    Sharon,
    It is the EPA you have to thank for the efficiency rating, not Toyota, and it varies more with driving habits than any other single factor, hybrid or otherwise. My one take on the 2006H styling is this: at least the 'spoiler' on the trunk is not a significant obstacle to my bike rack or to the overall aerodynamic drag. It actually may prove to be a nice 'dent guard'.
    I got the Galaxy Metallic Gray (Now renamed Pewter Pearl) so that I could have the nice looking Ivory interior. It doesn't look much like the supposed 'sample' in the brochure, but it is still nicer than your blue and white. Overall, it seems like an awfully stingy selection of colors that were unnecessarily coupled (exterior to interior). I guess that is how they managed to make such a nice hybrid so cheaply. Just one warning: drive gently. Especially at highway speeds, don't stomp on the gas, as this will really tax the ECVT, shortening its life span.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "The Prius has a driving mode that the Civic doesn't: moving around with the engine off. Most important to efficiency is the stopped autoshutoff, though, and moving without a noise makes the Prius more accident prone in a parking lot full of pedestrians."

    The 2006 Civic is supposed to have electric mode only mode at low speed startups. They changed the electric motor to get more power...
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    I think that with Honda's and Toyota's reputations that you can safely choose either one for utmost reliability.

    I chose the Prius 5 weeks ago. I used to live in No. Jersey and spent a lot of time in CT. Barring a sudden ice-age the weather is not too terrible. It's not Fargo.
    That being said. I'll try to give you some unbiased ;) comparisons ( I sell Prius' as well as own one ).

    The new Civic has more style and according to Edmunds is more fun to drive.

    Hybrids are basically ICE vehicles:
    All ICE vehicles suffer in cold weather.
    All ICE vehicles suffer from short trips.
    The two together really kill Fuel Economy for any ICE vehicle.

    Starting either vehicle should be no problem at all at anytime except for extended periods of say minus 20 deg weather. VT or ME or MN or SD.

    With the proper care there should be no reason not to expect either vehicle to carry you well past 100000 mi.

    Honda transmission problems? I will leave that to someone else to answer since I have no expertise whatsoever.
    There is no transmission on a Prius.!!!

    An extended Warranty is a personal preference. I chose not to get one because I will put 200000 mi. on my Prius in 4 yrs so I'd be buying it for only 2 yrs. Owning Toyota's since 1990 I've never had any vehicle need anything more than normal maintenance for the first 100000 mi.

    The Prius is quicker and faster than the HCH and gets about 10% better FE over long trips ( according to Edmunds ).

    Whichever you choose get a Hybrid. :D It's the right thing to do.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    kdhspyder,

    You wrote: "There is no transmission on a Prius.!!!"

    Of course the Prius has a transmission. The specifications link on the Prius website states "TRANSMISSION Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (ECVT)".

    Any vehicle without a transmission (to TRANSMIT power from the engine to the wheels) would be nothing more than an expensive paperweight.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Well yes and no.

    It has a planetary gear power split device that is sealed. It is not a transmission in the sense of other vehicles on the road. It has to be called something so 'transmission' is a commonly understood term.

    Yes I agree that the power has to be transmitted to the wheels.. it's just different.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Can we agree that Toyota calls it a transmission in their specifications on their website?
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Yep
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