I am currently trying to decide between the Honda Accord or Civic Hybrids. I just spend an hour at Hondas website and I was suprised to learn that the hybrid Accord comes with a very big engine.

Why does the Accord Hybrid come with a 6 cylinder engine and not a 4 cylinder engine? This seems backwards, or am I missing something.

 

One reason may be that the 4 cyl accord is very fuel efficient and ULEV/SULEV already plus lower cost. They probably decided to offer a "performance" hybrid with a 6 cyl similar to TCH.

Depending on the 4cyl engine you get, some of the older accords like my wife's 2001 get about 26 mpg avg, which in my opinion is kind of low for a 4 cyl.

 

It's because the 4 cylinder engine was too wide to be mounted in the Accord's engine bay with the IMA system. The V6 with 2 banks of 3 cylinders was narrower than 1 bank of 4 cylinders, so Honda was forced to go with the larger V6. If they had known what a flop it would become, perhaps they would have found some other way to work around it, or not done it at all. Maybe in the next generation Accord we will see a 4 cyl hybrid available, if they don't decide to bring over the diesel Accord with comparable mileage.

 

Diesel Accord you say?

 

Except the TCH is a 4cyl, and the performance of the TCH is between the regulary 4cyl and the V-6.

Honda decided to make a "super" V-6 like the Lexus Hybrids are.

 

The Diesel Accord Saloon is available in Europe. See:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2004...ing_accor.html

Personally I think Honda dropped the ball with the HAH. My Vette gets about the same MPG and is much more powerful. The cool thing is that Toyota pick the ball up and made the TCH!

 

I want a diesel hybrid with 100mpg!