And I hate to have my first post in this forum be such an ignorant one, but - are there great differences in the technology or quality of technology between the Toyota and Honda hybrids? Or are there even significant differences at all?

My husband and I were going to get a Camry hybrid, but because of technology issues we now have to look for a different vehicle. We are now considering the Altima hybrid... and we are taking a STRONG second look at the Honda Civic hybrid. (My husband is 6'4" can can't fit in a Prius, but he does have the leg room he needs in a Civic.) (We don't want a 6 cylinder vehicle... so the Accord hybrid is out.)

I had a friend tell me that Toyota has "superior" hybrid technology to Honda - but I'm not finding anything online that supports this statment.

 

We have occasional Honda vs Toyota hybrid system discussions. The kind of driving will be a guide.

Honda's IMA system does best on the highway (i.e. cruising). Toyota's HSD (which Nissian is licensing theirs from) excells in stop-and-go urban traffic.

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks Delta, that helps A LOT.

My husband will be the primary driver, and he commutes 11 miles each way on surface streets - so it would be a lot of stop and go.

 

I think that is arguably true. The Prius has a bigger battery and the electric motor is about 3 times more powerful than the Civic's which means it can propel the car without using any gas. The Civic uses the electric motor to improve accelleration, but it really can't motivate the car by itself. That being said, the gas engine (ICE) on the Civic is far "superior" to the Prius'. That is essentially the reason behind what Delta Flyer posted. Once you get the Civic up to speed, it rocks. However, it is only very good (relative to a normal gas car) in stop and go driving whereas the Prius is "great".

Your husband's commute sounds like my wife's. It is long enough for the car to warm up and operate efficiently, but the stop and go doesn't allow for exceptional milage. She drives the HCH as if it were a normal car and gets about 40mpg on the commute. If I hypermile (which she doesn't have the patience for), I can eek out about 45mpg on the same drive. For reference, she was getting about 28mpg in her old Protoge so the hybrid is still a big improvement.

 

What technology issues do you have with the Camry?

BTW, I picked in the Civic over the Prius in large part because of fit -- I am 6'3".

Also, "superior" technology is really just bs. According to this website's MPG database the Prius gets 1 mpg better than the Civic.

I suggest you start reading. Articles here, at HybridCars.com, and Edmunds.com will be helpful.

Then go test drive them again.

Then buy the Civic.

 

The good thing is you should be able to test drive a Civic and a Prius (or Camery).

I'd still query hybrid forums because one test drive is just a sampler - it took me weeks to "know" my Honda Insight. Actually months, but it's fun.

I'd characterise Toyota as emphasizing the hybrid system, while Honda emphasizes efficient gasoline engines. Both are important parts of great fuel economy, but it's why Toyota hybrids do better in stop-and-go traffic, while Hondas cruise on less gas.

msantos has a Prius and a Civic - if he does not respond, consider PMing him. He is happy with both.

 

Oddly enough I'm going to quote you without trying to argue your statement. (And on the intarweb no less! ) I would absolutely kill...ok, maybe just harass ad nauseum...for the nutty steady-state highway FE afforded by one of Honda's lean-burn powerplants. The Prius absolutely rocks below 40mph where you can just get her up to speed and then shut the engine down while you glide to the next stop, applying a little battery power if you want to extend that glide. But a highway beast the Prius is not. It can achieve 50+mpg mind you, but a MT HCH-I (that one has lean burn) would just walk away from it at steady-state. Some days I wish it were financially possible to have one of each.

 

Well Delta... now I can't hide... can I? I guess I should answer then.

Marianne, Delta-Flyer and others are absolutely right. You should drive the Prius and the HCH, just to be sure. Only then, will you have the comfort and the piece of mind that the choice you made trully suits you and your needs.

Please forgive our brand name zealotry. It is easy to love our cars that much. At times we forget that we (as hybrid owners) are still severily outnumbered on our streets. We also forget that in reality we should be supporting each other because in the end, we're all in the same team.

While I do appreciate both cars I am also quick to point out that for me neither is better than the other. Despite each being best-of-breed from their respective manufacturers, they do have their quirks and limitations - and that is the truth.

As Delta said, I can give you a subjective and personal evalutation of each car via a personnal message if you prefer. But in the end, it remains your choice as it should always be.

Nevertheless, regardless of which you choose I am certain that by picking either the Prius or the Civic, you'll be purchasing a great automobile that will serve you very, very well.

Welcome !!!


MSantos

 

I haven't driven a Prius, but there's times I've wished I had one for its all- electric mode and cool appearance. My commute is 50 miles each way, but if it were 11 miles personally I'd be driving a Prius if the driver space was comparable to the Civic.
I'm 6'2 and about 240lbs and I find the Civic's driver space is OK for trips of 400 miles or less.

I get good mileage, but I have to drive a special way to fully take advantage of what my car has to offer.
Regarding my daily commute the MPG starts very low and gradually works itself up.
After about 12 miles it is around 50-55MPG, but I only get super mileage after traveling about 30 miles, being mindful of everything I'm doing.

I'm only guessing here but I think the Prius has less of a cold-start MPG penalty for its electric mode which makes it better for shorter trips.

 

I'm just coming to realize now from reading the different threads on this forum that getting the ultimate MPG from your hybrid is partially a driving "skill." And that two drivers with different driving styles won't necessarily get the same MPG from the same hybrid.

What do you do that is different from how your wife drives that lets you get the better milleage from your Civic hybrid? And is this what you call "hypermiling?"