I'm interested in hearing what kind of cars the folks here came from before the HCHII purchase. Tell about the car and post a picture if you have one.

I'll start:

The HCHII is really the wife's car, she was the one that wanted it, and made it perfectly clear that what she wanted is what she would get, end of discussion....

Her previous car was a 2001 Audi Allroad 2.7 bi-turbo. It was a fast comfortable very well built hauler. We like to hike in Eastern Utah near Moab, so this thing was the vehicle of choice to take our stuff, and not be shy of the terrain.




But I am very pleased with the ride, and feel of this Civic. It is a comfortable well-built hauler. One just needs to give more time and thought before passing something, and I doubt It will be good for taking down the canyon to the Green River

Next:

 

2000 323it 18mpg.

 

My next car to be replaced. I love it, but I want a plug-in hybrid next.

 

Here's my last ride... a '95 Isuzu Trooper. Great SUV, but only 16 mpg.

 

The car my hybrid replaced was a 2001 Nissan Sentra SE. I loved that car...extremely fun to drive, lots of power, manual transmission (I REALLY miss driving a manual...I was quite upset to find out the HCH II didn't offer one.) I drove my Nissan 105,000 miles in 5 years, and I drove it in 10 different countries (USA, Canada, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.) If you're wondering, I lived in Germany for 3.5 years, and I brought the Nissan there, then brought it back. I was driving so much when I got back, though (1,000 miles a week), that the 27 combined MPG I was getting was costing me an arm and a leg. I've saved quite a bit of cash by getting the HCH, but as far as driver experience, the Nissan was a bit nicer. (not to say I don't like my Civic a whole bunch!)

Here's my Nissan the day I bought it:


And here it is on the last day I owned it, before driving to the dealer to pick up the HCH (note the Austrian and Swiss autobahn toll stickers on the windshield):


And here's the new car, taken when it was just one day old:

 

Our HCH II replaced a 1993 Civic Hatchback 5-speed. It was a good car, though rather spartan. It got mid-40s mpg on the highway and low 30s in town. No photo available.

 

1996 Mercury Sable GS, ~24mpg. Might have a pic back at the apartment I can link in later.

 

A 1991 Honda Accord DX, standard shift which I traded it in for $100 off my Civic. It had 207,150 miles on it so it was time. An informal survey of salespeople at the dealership revealed this to be the highest mileage the'd seen. Hope my new Civic lasts me that long!

 

My HCHII replaced a 2002 Infiniti I35. It was a nice car but always in the shop for one thing or another. I had the car about 1 1/2 years and never had a car in the shop more than the Infiniti. The best move I ever made was ordering the HCHII in October of 2005. It came in Janurary of this year and it has been wonderful. We do many 5-6 hours trips in the car and my wife says the HCHII is more comfortable than the Infiniti was. Plus I was only getting around 22mpg in that car. I have averaged 48.8mpg since getting the HCHII.

Sorry I don't have pics of the Infiniti. It was a Pearl White color.

 

glad to see that many people converted from premium gas guzzlers to a hybrid. i really like the bmw 3 series with those bbs wheels. i traded in a 2005 honda cr-v for the hchii. i really miss the awd that was in it the last snow storm we had in chicago!