Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

I just thought of a couple more nit picks. The antenna is in the rear glass on the regular Civic but do to issues with the battery pack/controler the antenna is on the roof of the HCH. I think they should have put it in the front glass. I've seen other cars with really fine wires in a "T" shape in the front glass and you would never see the wires unless you were looking for em. The roof mount is very unelegant and (slightly) less aerodynamic than the regular Civic which is a step in the wrong direction IMO. The other reason I personally don't like it is that I stack 2 cars in a one car garage and the antenna would get boken off if I left it on the car.

Auto-stop is the other one I remembered. It works OK most of the time but is boderline useless for me. I normally already have the car off buy the time auto-stop would kick in. That is really no big deal but sometimes auto-stop is cutting the car off at the exact time you are wanting to get going and you gotta mess with the pedals and/or the shifter to get it going again. On time my nose almost hit the windshield cause I was expecting the car to move forward and instead auto-stop killed the engine and the car got pushstarted in a low gear. That only happened one time but I don't care for "auto" controls in general. I want whatever device to do what I want it to do, not whatever it decides is best for me.

Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

Crap, one more....

The mirrors on the US models are not heated. I just learned from tigerhonaker that the HCH's in Canada do have heated mirrors and that some nice dealerships are willing to get em for us in the US.

Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

The decision is really one of personal preference, but I traded in a 2003 Civic EX with 13,500 miles on the odometer (I was out of the country a lot last year) for my 2005 HCH with CVT. And if I had it to do over again, I'd still do it.

It is true the back seat doesn't fold down, it took me a little while to get used to an external antenna, and I still wish I could get a trunk liner, but every time I drive it is a new experience. I used to drive 5 mph over the limit, and now I find myself driving 5 mph under the limit at times. My driving habits have changed in the past two months, and although I could have done it in my EX, I probably would not have.

So far I am not getting exceptional mileage with my HCH, but I am averaging about 43 mpg, which is still 13 more than I was getting with my EX. I like the CVT, and so far I have had no problem with the Auto-Stop feature. I can get from home to work and back (about 30 miles with a number of traffic lights and a few hills) now without having to think about keeping the battery charged up; that is now automatic for me.

If all other things were equal, I'd say go for the hybrid! :)

Jimbob

Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

Mattm,


I have a 2005 HCH CVT. The car has power when you need it. I wish I had a remote trunk release on the Key Fob. I also wished the A/C could run off the battery (since it is summer here in AZ), so I'm getting good at hitting the Econ button on and off.

For me it is a great highway car and it feels and drives like a normal car.:)

Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

AZ brings up another one I forgot. It would be cool to have remote trunk release.

With all the nit picking I feel a need to balance with some positive stuff.

1) Of course the mileage is great and power is fine.
2) The car is very quiet.
3) The car is loaded with nice options including:

alloy wheels
power windows/mirrors
cruise (which the Insight lacks)/tilt
filtered climate control
2 batteries and 2 motors that can be used for starting
a decent stereo (not great but much nicer than the Insight's)
full instruments including a tach and IMA gauges with nice blue lighting
2 covered cupholers ( the Vette only has a single)
electric PS that still works when the ICE is off

4) IMA starts are so very smooth and quick.
5) You will feel good about saving gas and spewing less polution.
6) It is a Honda which I guess means that it is put together very well.
7) The HCH is a fun car to drive for anyone even a little green minded
8) In spite of the nitpicks the mileage gauges are very cool and helpful, all cars should have em.
9) The cruise works very well at keeping the speed spot on (unlike my truck)
10) The steats are very nice/comfortable IMO, some disagree.


Well there is more but 10 should be a good start.

Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

I'll have to check that out. Thanks for the tip.

Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

With good mileage you not only get fuel savings but extended range. I can make long road trips without interruption thaks to the long range, and I rarely have to stop off at the gas station for day to day driving. Also, picking up a lot of the fuel economy tips here, such as picking up speed going down, losing it going up, then kicking in the assist to crest the hills helps a lot, as does things like timing lights. I've gotten to the point wehre I can do all that stuff second nature now, and manage 52mpg despite living on top of a hill (which I've calculated costs me 5mpg overall) Also, pumping up your tires to the highest PSI that you are comfortable with (in terms of bumpiness etc) can also make a very big difference Since I drive all the time on roads that are in fairly good condition, I save a good bit of gas by keeping my tires pumped.

Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

MattM,

I take it you are deciding on civic hybrid vs regular civic.

The difference in fuel costs is much greater than just the money at the pump. Climate change and US interests such as geopolitical unrest and security and military costs are real, even if you are not sent an itemized bill monthly.

A 20% difference in fuel consumption is a lot on a national scale.

Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

Okay, I am new to the forum, but have been seriously researching hybrids. Why? Well, just like everyone else or at least most everyone else, I need a great economical vehicle for my commute of 120 miles a day round trip. I just moved in my new home two weeks ago and am already feeling the effects of my Expedition on my pockets. I am in a rut as to what hybrid to get. I really like the Civic, but also like the Escape. I don't know if I want to get the maximum gas mileage and suffer from the major downsize from SUV to compact or just increase my gas mileage by double and settle for the Escape and still have the room to pack things in. I am not a pack-rat and my Expedition's rear is not packed, but it sure would be nice if I needed to go to Lowes or Home Depot with the Escape and be able to pack stuff in the back and not have to worry about whethe it will fit or not. I am also considering on buying a trailer to pull behind my gas guzzler Jeep Wrangler for the Lowe's trips and if I wanted to haul stuff at any given time. PLEASE HELP!!!! I am going crazy on the decision. Thanks in advance to anyone that has input!!!

Re: It's time for me to decide...
 

If you're planning on toting around a lot of wooden beams and PVC, then maybe a trailer attached to a secondary vehicle for just that purpose would be best. I can tell you that while much smaller than any of the SUVs you've mentioned, the HCH is plenty roomy inside for people. I've fit five into mine on several occasions and there were no complaints from the back seat. As far as comfort, amenities, handling, etc., it's a wonderful car. As you've probably read by now, transitioning to a hybrid will take some getting used to and the adjustment period has frazzled some, but it is sooo worth it once you've got the car's eccentricities down and driving a hybrid becomes the habit. I wouldn't trade mine for the world.