Hybrid guys... reviews?

[chibianh]

Now that some of you have had your hybrids for a while now, what do you think? How's your fuel economy? performance? creature comforts? Problems?

[sundevil]

Still on my first tank of gas (almost 2 weeks) and getting around 45mpg.
So far very impressed with it, no problems. My only wishes are that they would have made it easier to get to the back of the stereo (I think this is true with all new Civics) and offered more interior color choices.

Watching the MPG meter almost becomes an obsession.

[letsgoflyers81]

My wife has the 06 HCH, so she drives it more but I can still chime in on what I know. She's on the second tank of gas now and is only averaging around 30 mph. But it's been really cold, she drives in mostly gridlock stop and go traffic, and she's a new driver. I think she needs to learn how to drive the car better for optimal fuel efficiency.

In terms of performance, I'm really suprised how much zip the car has. Not that it's a speed demon or anything, but I don't notice a huge difference in power compared to my 04 Civic EX. The one thing I find somewhat annoying is when you start moving again after auto stop kicks in. When you come to a complete stop, the engine pretty much shuts down. The RPM's drop to 0 and the car is dead silent. When you take your foot off the brake there's a slight stutter when the engine comes back on and you start moving. It's not huge, but it's something I noticed.

The refinement and build quality are top notch. At first I didn't like the lay out of the dash without navi but it's grown on me. The climate control system is great. The digital speedometer is amazing. After driving the Hybrid and I get back in my car it just seems archaic. The car feels more solid and better put together than my 04. I'm surprised with how much plain plastic there is in the interior though. Most of the plastic in my Civic is molded to look like leather. I know it's not real, but it looks nice. There's no mistaking the plastic here and that's not to say the quality of the materials aren't as high, it just doesn't look quite as upscale. I can't complain about anything else with the car though. Plenty of leg room in back and the floor is almost completely flat. There are tons of little storage compartments all over the car. I can't imagine ever having to put something somewhere and not finding a spot. It looks like Honda went out of their way to include places for sunglasses, cell phones, mp3 players, drinks, etc. You name it, it'll fit somewhere.

I've only driven the car a few times because, well, my wife won't let me. It's her first new car and she's extremely protective of it. But I'll have my 07 Si in five or six months and then I'll have my own new toy to obsess over.

[TerrierMom]

I've had my 2006 Civic Hybrid for 3 months!! I'm madly in love with the car! Well engineered from one end of the car to another,inside and out!! Drives as if it were a regular model. No trouble achieving higway speeds and then some----more than once I've found myself traveling well above the 65 MPH limit. I've been averaging low 40's for MPG, get 400-470 miles per tank, buy gas every 11-17 days

[GregM]

Anyone getting in the 50s mpg?

[habs33]

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articl...ybridtest3.htm

[habs33]

Here's another review http://driving.canada.com/research/v...py?artid=60803

[exbauer]

I have been getting 50s and above. But, it does take a bit of fancy footwork. It also depends on the temp outside, the amount of air in the tires, and your driving habits. Gone are my days of aggressive driving with the gas prices nowadays.

[CivicWithNav]

are hybrids just a fad?

you sacrifice a lot to get marginal MPG gain...just it seems like to me

I like hybrid for it's AUTO climate control :) but otherwise I def like my EX...got everything(auto & navi) and still get 40mpg(real life with SI's 17" wheels) highway when driven carefully(gradual starts and utilizing cruise control) and it's cheaper than the Hybrid.

but on the other hand there is the tax break, i don't know how it works but i hear it saves you about $2000 depending on where you live?

anyway...it started to become a discussion lol

they need to R&D the hybrids so it can have a lot of power and still get 50+mpg! that would be the car I want lol

[letsgoflyers81]

Originally Posted by CivicWithNav

but on the other hand there is the tax break, i don't know how it works but i hear it saves you about $2000 depending on where you live?

It's a federal tax credit so it doesn't matter where you live, as long as it's in America. You get a $2100 credit for a Civic Hybrid purchased in 2006. It's about $2800 more than an EX so after the credit you're paying $700 more. Some people drive enough to make that up in a couple years and some people like knowing that they use less gas, less oil, and put less pollutants in the air.

[CarbonLimited]

Originally Posted by CivicWithNav

are hybrids just a fad?

They are anything BUT a fad. Hybrid cars are a STEP in the right direction. We can not put all of our energy into a non-renewable energy source like oil. Oil, like anything else that is derived from the earth, will eventually run out. The United States has been putting off an alternative fuel for decades. Are Hybrid cars the answer to our oil/global warming problems? NO, but they are a giant leap to something greater. I personally believe electric cars are the future. Some people believe Ethanol is the answer, but that like oil will eventually run out. Everwhere else in the world seems to think Fuel Cell Vehicles are the future except the United States, where stuck on giant SUV's that get 10mpg, and short term answers to oil prices.

[habs33]

Another Civic hybrid review
http://www.drivingtelevision.com/seg...all=&segtitle=

[s2ktaxi]

Here's a quick review on the HCH II that now has 1200 miles on it. It will be difficult to compare with my previous Hondas/Acuras as this is really a car on a different mission.

In general, it a very quiet competent and smooth driving car - the CVT provides seemless shifting (actually, there's no shifting of transmission at all). At stop lights, the auto-stop feature provides quiet environment. At speeds below 40 mph, it's quieter than my '05 TL but above that, the additional insulation on the TL makes the TL a little quieter (though not by much). The HCH II is also quieter than my RSX-S (sold to make room for the Hybrid) and also seems to have better steering feel and a more rigid chassis.

At the limit, the cornering is nothing to be impressed about - though it still has good Honda feel and is communicative about what it's doing. The Electrical Power Steering has good feel and weighting to it - I'd almost even say it feels more "real" than the S2000 and NSX versions. I'm sure stickier and wider tires will improve cornering performance but probably at the expense of some gas mileage (others have reported 5 mpg drops going to a 225 wide tire).

Braking is the most unusual feeling compared to other Hondas - caused by the regenerative braking from the motor. It has a very artificial and non-linear feel to it. In emergency stopping situations, the initial bite and stopping is not as good as my current or recent Hondas.

I must say that I was surprisingly impressed with the 8th gen Civic and even the Hybrid - it feels and drives like a much more expensive car.

Features I would like to see in future model years of the HCH II:
- bluetooth with Navi
- voice recognition of fully sounded out street names in the Navi
- Traffic report integration into Navi
- Homelink transmitter
- HID to reduce electrical consumption
- a bit more manual control of battery assist usage (currently, I don't think it uses the battery enough at times)
- cargo net accessory? ideally factory installed to eliminate having to drill metal
- better speakers
- digital tire pressure monitor