[milhous]

i'm seriously thinking about getting one this summer. I'm out of school and have started a job that will require a possibly fair amount of regional travel. i figure with it's excellent fuel economy and standard mileage reimbursement rate of 37.5 cents/mile i should be able to make out like a bandit.

i love taking roadtrips so again, fuel economy's going to be great. great for a civic, even greater on the hybrid.

i really wanted to get a compact car with a diesel engine, but i'm prepared to concede this requirement at the present time as the only choice i'd really have would be the vw jetta tdi. no thanks. also for a time, an all-wheel-drive car was something i was also interested in. then i really didn't care about it.

the prius is nice, but the styling doesn't appeal to me. it's also my understanding that the civic hybrid's system is not as advanced as the prius', but that's fine so long as i get that fuel economy.

i sat in an unlocked '05 civic hybrid over the weekend while the dealership was closed and having driven mid and full-size sedans in the past, this will take some getting used to. but all in all, it looks and feels like a very solid car.

next step is to go for a test-drive when i'm ready to buy and then make my decision.

[Buckaroo]

I've heard that the Toyota Pirus (spelling) is a better vehicle for gas milage. There are some simple mods that will allow you to get much better gas milage. Someone told me that some people are actually able to get 150 mpg.

The mod allows the driver to controll the gas motor and not run it as often. They are able to recharge their batteries with a cord plugged into an outlet.

The Honda Hybrid does not allow these same mods.

[Link]

Translation: You want a Honda, when toyota or VW make a better car for what you want.

I can agree about the funny looks, but I don't mind them much. Most cars on the market right now look like crap anyway, same old wannabe hatchback with 10" long trunk door or whatever, might as well get one that does something more than look stupid.

You should give a prius a shot too though

[anthonyvthc]

Dude, .375 cents/mile is not a very good reimbursement rate. That's about 1 cent every three miles!

[as2]

Don't get a Honda - They are only driven by the over 50's here in the UK.. Not a cool car!

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by as2

Don't get a Honda - They are only driven by the over 50's here in the UK.. Not a cool car!

He's not looking for a cool car, he's looking for a car with good fuel economy. He also doesn't live in the UK.

Hybrid cars are the way forward. I suspect we'll see more and more of them in the coming years.

[zerostar]

I assume you mean 37.5 cents a mile? I think that is the standard rate now a days.

I have a plain old Civic Coupe EX and I make out great on every trip, I am getting around 38MPG with mixed driving. For a 160 mile round trip (my normal down to Miami, FL) I usually am reimbursed around $70 and I think it costs me around $9 with gas being so pricey.

So an extra $60ish bucks for just driving to work anyway. For me that is an extra $360 per week and almost $19,000 per year. I would like to figure out what the hybrid will do for me, as it would probably pay for itself in tax credit and more savings.

And BTW, we own 2 Civics and an Accord, my next car will be an Accord Hybrid once the next models roll out.

[videian28]

I own one, here in the washington dc area it allows for HOV usage. I also wanted the Prius but it was a 6=9 month wait. The biggest benefit to the Prius was a 80k warranty opposed to the Honda's 30k (which I blew in a year) The car drives like any normal civic.

Your mileage totally depends on how you drive, I have gotten 53 mpg when I worked at it but average 43ish.

[xi_hyperon]

My wife is seriously considering a Prius. Given the mods mentioned above, I'd be more inclined towards the Prius than the Civic, and I'm a longtime Honda customer.

[SVass]

If you are going to buy a hybrid, wait a short while as Congress is debating a $4k or so rebate as part of their energy bill. I own a new Civic EX which is a nice car that gets decent mileage. The English gentlemen needs a much smaller car to navigate on the narrow lanes. sam

[videian28]

take a look at www.greenhybrid.com for lots of info

[ChrisF]

Originally Posted by milhous

i'm seriously thinking about getting one this summer. I'm out of school and have started a job that will require a possibly fair amount of regional travel. i figure with it's excellent fuel economy and standard mileage reimbursement rate of .375 cents/mile i should be able to make out like a bandit.

A hybrid's strength isn't in highway driving. In sustained highway driving, there is little opportunity for regenerative braking to assist in charging the batteries so you may find that the mileage isn't as good as you'd hope. It's also worthwhile to do some research and calculate whether the projected fuel savings will offset the initial difference in purchase price and the expense of needing battery replacements in the future if you're a person who keeps cars for a long time. In the recent past, one of the major car magazines did just this and found that buying a regular Civic was in fact cheaper over the long run. I think, though, that this was before gas prices sharply increased.

[Buckaroo]

I'm a long time Honda fan also. I've owned three Honda's. On top of that, I hate the design of the Pirus. But the issue that appealed to me more than any other was the gas milage with mods.

I'd buy a Honda in a flash if I could make the same mods and get the same gas milage as the Pirus.

You'll have to do a search on Google to find out more info on the mods.

[zerostar]

Care to post a lowdown? I remember reading something about 80 mpg with certain changes?

If you don't care about looks, why not an insight?


http://www.hybridcars.com/blogs/blog...=12&replies=18
They are showing 107mpg with 97mpg highly achievable...

[macamac]

My wife and I have been thinking of getting a Hybrid, but none apeal thus far. Any plans to make a HUMMER Hybrid?

[Zimphire]

I would LOVE to have a hybrid. If they weren't torquless wonders. Even more so than regular Hondas.

[zerostar]

Originally Posted by macamac

My wife and I have been thinking of getting a Hybrid, but none apeal thus far. Any plans to make a HUMMER Hybrid?

Is that what your drive now?

[zerostar]

Originally Posted by Zimphire

I would LOVE to have a hybrid. If they weren't torquless wonders. Even more so than regular Hondas.

Umm the Accord hybrid is pushing 232 lbs torque. Thats around what an SRT4 would push, or are you looking for Viper power in a hybrid car?

Plus the Accord still gets 29/37mpg

[Mastrap]

If you really need an SUV, what about the Ford Hybrid?

[macamac]

No, we drive a little 4 door chevy. I just love the HUMMER but cannot justify how much gas it sucks. We have a few friends who do have them though and they are great fun. BTW: All the friends we know that have them are Democrats.

I've also seen a few on the road with "Kerry / Edwards" bumper stickers...what a hoot.

I really like the thought of an SUV hybrid, or even a pickup truck hybrid. I've seen the Ford Escape Hybrid and it is on the table.

Thanks.

[The Godfather]

http://science.slashdot.org/article....tid=126&tid=14
I almost bought a Civic two months ago. I prefer it to the Prius because it doesn't have the stupid and distracting LCD screen.

[Buckaroo]

I hate it when I misspell words. Here are a couple links on the Prius:

http://www.edrivesystems.com/

http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?sect...ue&newsid=8386

http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?sect...le&storyid=818

More info is available with a search for "Prius 150 mpg"

[Buckaroo]

Check this out:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/3069/

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by Buckaroo

Check this out:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/3069/

Reduce the price of that thing to $4000 and I'll buy one tomorrow.

[Captain Obvious]

Originally Posted by Buckaroo

Check this out:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/3069/

" it has a carbon fibre body shell and a race-approved roll cage structure which make it a very safe"

Which is good because if it gets hit by an SUV or anything larger its going to be thrown around like a superball.

[HisDudeness]

I just got a Prius 3 weeks ago and I simply love it...can't say anything about the Civic though

[ebuddy]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

Reduce the price of that thing to $4000 and I'll buy one tomorrow.

Something's wrong with my screen resizing, it's scrunching the cars up making them look like something out of Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious

Which is good because if it gets hit by an SUV or anything larger its going to be thrown around like a superball.

And your solution is?

It's safer than a bike, at similar speeds. Agreed it's not a safe as a saloon car, but no small car ever will be, unfortunately.

[milhous]

my friend and i went to the phillies game last night in his prius. it's a very nice car and has a slick touchscreen lcd display that displays energy flow and fuel consumption. there's no question that the prius has a more advanced system as it will charge the battery from engine power and the civic hybrid only charges the battery through braking. but the prius just isn't for me mostly because of its styling and the fact there's apparently a long wait to get one.

i like the civic hybrid because it maintains that traditional car look. but like i said, i'll have to take it for a drive to see how it really is. plus, i'd want to get a nice head unit in the car with an ipod adapter. it'd be a nightmare trying to do this with the prius and its all encompassing electronics.

and to anyone else that's considering a hybrid this year, you'll get a $2000 federal tax deduction and you may also qualify for a rebate from your state. in pa, i'd also be eligible for a $500 rebate.

[videian28]

I bought a $99 head unit at bestbuy with free installation, that was my iPod adaptation.

the speakers are actually decent for stock, but not all that important to me, I generally listen to audio books on my commute (thank god for audible) it does wonders for the dullness of my 2 hours in the car each day

[The Godfather]

Originally Posted by milhous

there's no question that the prius has a more advanced system as it will charge the battery from engine power and the civic hybrid only charges the battery through braking.

That's SO not true. The Civic Hybrid charges while cruising on engine power too. I don't know what makes the Prius more advanced other than the blingy LCD.

[milhous]

sorry about that, i read up about the ima system and the gas engine does charge the battery. i'm trying to read up more about the HSD and IMA systems to get a better understanding between the two. but i think in the end the prius does get better fuel economy than the civic hybrid, and hence i would think the HSD system is superior.

[milhous]

here's a discussion on both the HSD and IMA systems.

http://greenhybrid.com/discuss/hsd-vs-ima-vs.2535.html

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by zerostar

Umm the Accord hybrid is pushing 232 lbs torque. Thats around what an SRT4 would push, or are you looking for Viper power in a hybrid car?

Plus the Accord still gets 29/37mpg

Got some stats on it?

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by ebuddy

Something's wrong with my screen resizing, it's scrunching the cars up making them look like something out of Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

that has to be the fugliest car I have ever seen.

Plus, how do you get girls in the back seat?

[CreepingDeth]

Originally Posted by KevinK

that has to be the fugliest car I have ever seen.

Plus, how do you get girls in the back seat?

She sits on your lap. Duh

[Kevin]

Maybe if she is Lindsey Lohan.

[CreepingDeth]

Originally Posted by KevinK

Maybe if she is Lindsey Lohan.

Heh. Or this short girl I used to like.
I can't imagine anyone over 5'6" sitting in there.

Where's the little wind-up gear?

[milhous]

Ok, I'm resurrecting the thread.

Just to update, I haven't bought my wheels yet. Now I think I'm really leaning towards the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid.

http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-ar...icle_id=396474

Most noticeable differences are a two-tier instrument cluster and increased fuel efficiency of 50 city / 50 highway.

It's estimated that they'll be available in late September / early October.

Pricing is TBA.

Sound off!

[milhous]

[fhoubi]

Originally Posted by milhous

Jepp, this (in- & exterior) looks 1000 times better than a Prius! Too bad it's unavailable over here...

[zerostar]

They did a really good job with the Civic Redesign, very nice!

Here is the official Honda site: http://automobiles.honda.com/civics/index.aspx

Nice to see optional Satellite navigation on every model and finally an MP3 player input jack standard.

They also increased the Hybrid to 110hp wile also upping the fuel economy. I think the torque is 125lb as well.

EDIT TO ADD: Those pictures you linked to definitely make the new model more "hybridy" especially the wheels and small spoiler, very nice

[dlefebvre]

I read an articla saying that Toyota was going to introduce 16 new models in the next 30 month, 10 of these new models will be hybrid. Their goal is to sell 1 million hybrid cars to lower the prices. So far, they sold around 100 thousand Prius.

[ghporter]

The new design is incredibly cooler than the current Civics. I had been thinking that the Civic Hybrid was going to be my next car once my current Civic Coupe wore out, but now it's a plan! Wow!

[The Godfather]

Don't forget to claim your tax rebate:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax_hybrid.shtml

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by ChrisF

A hybrid's strength isn't in highway driving. In sustained highway driving, there is little opportunity for regenerative braking to assist in charging the batteries so you may find that the mileage isn't as good as you'd hope. It's also worthwhile to do some research and calculate whether the projected fuel savings will offset the initial difference in purchase price and the expense of needing battery replacements in the future if you're a person who keeps cars for a long time. In the recent past, one of the major car magazines did just this and found that buying a regular Civic was in fact cheaper over the long run. I think, though, that this was before gas prices sharply increased.

EXACTLY. Hybrids are for stop and go city driving. That's where they get significantly better MPG.

As for the prius with mods getting 150mpg, that's some dude who filled his trunk with batteries and uses it as an electric car, and charges the thing up every night. Not very practical, and very high electrical bills.

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by ghporter

once my current Civic Coupe wore out,

You mean in like 10 years?

[powerbook867]

I love my Civic Hybrid. As long as I don't run the A/C, I get about 45 mpg...even with the A/C on, I get 42 mpg. The car has been issue free and it's a nice ride. The 06 lineup looks even nicer!!

I'm just wondering if there is going to be a waiting list due to the cost of gas...

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by LilWolfChokingOnCigs68

You mean in like 10 years?

I got nine out of my last Civic, so it's possible I'll get ten out of this one-a 2002 Civic Coupe LX. I should have gone for the sedan though, since those "two door" length doors make it more complicated for me to get in and out of the car while it's in the garage-another beauty of the Civic Hybrid is that it is a sedan.

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I got nine out of my last Civic, so it's possible I'll get ten out of this one-a 2002 Civic Coupe LX. I should have gone for the sedan though, since those "two door" length doors make it more complicated for me to get in and out of the car while it's in the garage-another beauty of the Civic Hybrid is that it is a sedan.

How many miles? The wife's accord has almost 224,000 on it. Runs great.