mcs328
09-09-2005, 09:58 AM
Ok I changed my mind. It looks ugly and move Accord like to me.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2005-09-08-civic-hybrid_x.htm
Redesigned hybrid has flair
Timing, if not quite everything, sure is a lot. Honda is about to launch a thoroughly remade Civic gas-electric hybrid rated 50 miles per gallon in town and on the highway just when gas prices are high and supplies are sometimes spotty.
No, hybrids don't really deliver the fantastic fuel economy implied by the big numbers on their window stickers. No, hybrids won't save enough on fuel to repay their typically higher prices in the foreseeable future, even when gas is $3.
But they are hot, hot, hot nonetheless. And the 2006 Honda Civic might be the best yet.
Best because it benefits from the total overhaul of the entire Civic line for the 2006 model year. The '06 Civics in general are sleeker, roomier, quieter, more powerful, more refined and a lot of fun to drive. Future Test Drive columns will assay the gasoline-powered Civics. But the hybrid version is interesting enough to consider separately.
Civic Hybrid is Toyota Prius' main competitor, though Toyota will sell 100,000 Priuses this year, and Honda is planning a meager 28,000 Civic Hybrids a year. The plant in Japan that builds Civic Hybrids can crank out some thousands more but not enough to, say, double the planned volume, Honda says.
Honda
The car's interior is equally daring,
with an efficient instrument panel and attractive blue lights.
The Civic Hybrid continues to look almost identical to other Civics, instead of being a wholly different car, as Prius is. Civic Hybrid does get a bigger "hybrid" badge on the rump and has a tiny spoiler on the trunk lid, uses different wheels than the other Civics and has turn-signal lights in the mirrors that other Civics don't. But it's not for people who want to parade their dedication to fuel efficiency, as Prius is.
Civic Hybrid goes on sale Oct. 5 and will start at about $21,500, similar to the current version.
Here's what stood out in 166 miles of mixed highway and suburban driving.
Pluses:
•Hybrid power. The 50 miles per gallon fuel economy rating has risen a couple of mpgs. (The '06 gasoline Civics are rated 30/40 mpg.)
It's more powerful than the one it replaces — rated 110 horsepower for the gas engine and electric motor combined, vs. 93 combined hp for the '05 — making the Civic Hybrid easier to use and less strained in demanding driving. Still no rocket, it will merge onto the 75-mph big roads without causing anxiety.
Idle stop — the feature on all hybrids that shuts off the gas engine at stoplights or waiting in clogged traffic — is employed more often than on the '05. Honda's new-design air conditioner usually doesn't require the gasoline engine to be running, as did the previous model.
•Styling. Somewhere between engaging and gorgeous. The silhouette's swoop is what you'd expect on an auto-show car or in a designer's first fevered sketch, not on a production vehicle.
The interior is equally daring, featuring what Honda calls a two-tier instrument panel. Speedometer, battery gauge and gas gauge are arced atop the dashboard above the steering wheel, at the lower edge of the driver's line of sight. Checking how fast and how full doesn't require the eyes to be diverted much from the road ahead. Tachometer and other gauges are in the conventional, lower location, requiring a normal glance down. Lighting is a delightful blue, somewhat like Volkswagen's.
•Details. Climate-control knobs rotate with smooth precision. The gear lever has a satisfying, mechanical feel. Seats are more comfortable. A plug is provided for MP3 audio devices.
Grippy material on the steering wheel is marvelous to grab.
The nearly flat rear floor provides useful room for back-seaters.
•Feel. Civics generally have had a sportier character than rival small cars and have been more fun to drive as a result. Hybrid's no exception.
Minuses:
•Vibration. The gas engine in the preproduction test cars shuddered when it restarted after the idle stop. Honda promises to banish that in showroom cars.
•Transmission. The manual transmission has been discontinued. The hybrid comes only with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). OK for most drivers, but it engages in grabby fashion in reverse, especially when backing uphill.
•Noise. Typical of hybrids, the hard, easy-rolling tires raise more road noise than conventional tires do. One preproduction tester also had significant wind noise around the driver's window, presumably a one-car problem as it wasn't present on the other hybrid.
A short electromechanical whine almost like a beep rears its head when braking. Honda promises it'll be gone on production models.
•Mileage. The trip computer recorded 36.3 mpg in 166 miles of mixed driving, after posting averages in the mid-40s during highway-heavy portions. An '05 Civic Hybrid driven similarly delivered 38.9 mpg.
•Accessories. Not enough for some tastes. No leather, no seat heaters, no anti-skid control.
•Cheapness. Plastic trim on the steering wheel spokes feels thin and brittle. Door handles are less than satisfyingly hefty, too.
While the Civic Hybrid has its issues, they are minor. The car comes across as desirable, but mostly because it's a new Civic rather than because it saves a little gas.
2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
•What is it? Gas-electric hybrid power version of the redesigned Civic small car. Front-wheel-drive, four-door sedan made at Suzuka, Japan.
•How soon? On sale Oct. 5.
•How much? About $21,500, similar to the '05 Civic hybrid. Honda won't disclose exact prices until just before it goes on sale.
•Who'll buy? Honda says they'll be environmentally conscious, probably married men who are college graduates and will fall into two age-and-income groups. One will average 35 years old and have $65,000 average annual household income. The other averages 50 years old and $85,000.
•How many? 28,000 a year, a small number compared with Toyota Prius' 100,000-plus yearly sales. Honda says it could get more from the Japan factory, won't say just how many more, but not enough to double the planned sales figure.
•What's the drivetrain? 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine rated 93 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 89 pounds-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm, coupled to electric motor rated 20 hp at 2,000 rpm, 76 lbs.-ft. the instant it begins turning. Total combined power: 110 hp at 6,000 rpm, 123 lbs.-ft. at 1,000 rpm.
The total is not simply the sum of the gas and electric ratings because the two deliver their maximum rated power at different speeds.
A continuously variable ratio automatic transmission (CVT) is the only transmission available. Manual has been discontinued.
•What's the safety gear? Expected bags and belts plus anti-lock brakes, front-seat side-impact air bags and front and rear head-curtain air bags. Anti-skid control is not available.
•What's the rest? Hybrid is equipped similarly to top-end EX gasoline model. Standard features include: automatic climate control; AM/FM/CD stereo with WMA playback capability and input jack for MP3; power steering, brakes, windows, locks, mirrors; cruise control; telescoping and tilt-adjustable steering column; rear defroster; remote-control locks; trip computer.
•How big? 176.7 inches long, 69 inches wide, 56.3 inches tall on a 106.3-inch wheelbase. Weight is listed as 2,875 pounds. Passenger space is listed as 90.9 cubic feet, trunk as 10.4 cubic feet.
•How thirsty? Rated 50 miles per gallon in town and on the highway on regular-grade (87 octane) gas. Test car's trip computer showed 36.3 mpg in mixed driving.
•Overall: Dandy to drive, nice to view, better than its predecessor and welcome in a time of $3-a-gallon gasoline.
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Rated 50mpg but in their test it got 35-ish? It's not that much better than my 99 gasoline civic ex which I get about 29-30 mpg (I actually calculate this everytime I fill up. I know it depends on how you use it but the displayed mpg and the actual mpg seems like a lot. The article says it doesn't justify the premium but on semi-related note I heard the gov't will give you a dollar for dollar tax break in 2007 instead of the break it's giving you now for hybrids.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2005-09-08-civic-hybrid_x.htm
Redesigned hybrid has flair
Timing, if not quite everything, sure is a lot. Honda is about to launch a thoroughly remade Civic gas-electric hybrid rated 50 miles per gallon in town and on the highway just when gas prices are high and supplies are sometimes spotty.
No, hybrids don't really deliver the fantastic fuel economy implied by the big numbers on their window stickers. No, hybrids won't save enough on fuel to repay their typically higher prices in the foreseeable future, even when gas is $3.
But they are hot, hot, hot nonetheless. And the 2006 Honda Civic might be the best yet.
Best because it benefits from the total overhaul of the entire Civic line for the 2006 model year. The '06 Civics in general are sleeker, roomier, quieter, more powerful, more refined and a lot of fun to drive. Future Test Drive columns will assay the gasoline-powered Civics. But the hybrid version is interesting enough to consider separately.
Civic Hybrid is Toyota Prius' main competitor, though Toyota will sell 100,000 Priuses this year, and Honda is planning a meager 28,000 Civic Hybrids a year. The plant in Japan that builds Civic Hybrids can crank out some thousands more but not enough to, say, double the planned volume, Honda says.
Honda
The car's interior is equally daring,
with an efficient instrument panel and attractive blue lights.
The Civic Hybrid continues to look almost identical to other Civics, instead of being a wholly different car, as Prius is. Civic Hybrid does get a bigger "hybrid" badge on the rump and has a tiny spoiler on the trunk lid, uses different wheels than the other Civics and has turn-signal lights in the mirrors that other Civics don't. But it's not for people who want to parade their dedication to fuel efficiency, as Prius is.
Civic Hybrid goes on sale Oct. 5 and will start at about $21,500, similar to the current version.
Here's what stood out in 166 miles of mixed highway and suburban driving.
Pluses:
•Hybrid power. The 50 miles per gallon fuel economy rating has risen a couple of mpgs. (The '06 gasoline Civics are rated 30/40 mpg.)
It's more powerful than the one it replaces — rated 110 horsepower for the gas engine and electric motor combined, vs. 93 combined hp for the '05 — making the Civic Hybrid easier to use and less strained in demanding driving. Still no rocket, it will merge onto the 75-mph big roads without causing anxiety.
Idle stop — the feature on all hybrids that shuts off the gas engine at stoplights or waiting in clogged traffic — is employed more often than on the '05. Honda's new-design air conditioner usually doesn't require the gasoline engine to be running, as did the previous model.
•Styling. Somewhere between engaging and gorgeous. The silhouette's swoop is what you'd expect on an auto-show car or in a designer's first fevered sketch, not on a production vehicle.
The interior is equally daring, featuring what Honda calls a two-tier instrument panel. Speedometer, battery gauge and gas gauge are arced atop the dashboard above the steering wheel, at the lower edge of the driver's line of sight. Checking how fast and how full doesn't require the eyes to be diverted much from the road ahead. Tachometer and other gauges are in the conventional, lower location, requiring a normal glance down. Lighting is a delightful blue, somewhat like Volkswagen's.
•Details. Climate-control knobs rotate with smooth precision. The gear lever has a satisfying, mechanical feel. Seats are more comfortable. A plug is provided for MP3 audio devices.
Grippy material on the steering wheel is marvelous to grab.
The nearly flat rear floor provides useful room for back-seaters.
•Feel. Civics generally have had a sportier character than rival small cars and have been more fun to drive as a result. Hybrid's no exception.
Minuses:
•Vibration. The gas engine in the preproduction test cars shuddered when it restarted after the idle stop. Honda promises to banish that in showroom cars.
•Transmission. The manual transmission has been discontinued. The hybrid comes only with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). OK for most drivers, but it engages in grabby fashion in reverse, especially when backing uphill.
•Noise. Typical of hybrids, the hard, easy-rolling tires raise more road noise than conventional tires do. One preproduction tester also had significant wind noise around the driver's window, presumably a one-car problem as it wasn't present on the other hybrid.
A short electromechanical whine almost like a beep rears its head when braking. Honda promises it'll be gone on production models.
•Mileage. The trip computer recorded 36.3 mpg in 166 miles of mixed driving, after posting averages in the mid-40s during highway-heavy portions. An '05 Civic Hybrid driven similarly delivered 38.9 mpg.
•Accessories. Not enough for some tastes. No leather, no seat heaters, no anti-skid control.
•Cheapness. Plastic trim on the steering wheel spokes feels thin and brittle. Door handles are less than satisfyingly hefty, too.
While the Civic Hybrid has its issues, they are minor. The car comes across as desirable, but mostly because it's a new Civic rather than because it saves a little gas.
2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
•What is it? Gas-electric hybrid power version of the redesigned Civic small car. Front-wheel-drive, four-door sedan made at Suzuka, Japan.
•How soon? On sale Oct. 5.
•How much? About $21,500, similar to the '05 Civic hybrid. Honda won't disclose exact prices until just before it goes on sale.
•Who'll buy? Honda says they'll be environmentally conscious, probably married men who are college graduates and will fall into two age-and-income groups. One will average 35 years old and have $65,000 average annual household income. The other averages 50 years old and $85,000.
•How many? 28,000 a year, a small number compared with Toyota Prius' 100,000-plus yearly sales. Honda says it could get more from the Japan factory, won't say just how many more, but not enough to double the planned sales figure.
•What's the drivetrain? 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine rated 93 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 89 pounds-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm, coupled to electric motor rated 20 hp at 2,000 rpm, 76 lbs.-ft. the instant it begins turning. Total combined power: 110 hp at 6,000 rpm, 123 lbs.-ft. at 1,000 rpm.
The total is not simply the sum of the gas and electric ratings because the two deliver their maximum rated power at different speeds.
A continuously variable ratio automatic transmission (CVT) is the only transmission available. Manual has been discontinued.
•What's the safety gear? Expected bags and belts plus anti-lock brakes, front-seat side-impact air bags and front and rear head-curtain air bags. Anti-skid control is not available.
•What's the rest? Hybrid is equipped similarly to top-end EX gasoline model. Standard features include: automatic climate control; AM/FM/CD stereo with WMA playback capability and input jack for MP3; power steering, brakes, windows, locks, mirrors; cruise control; telescoping and tilt-adjustable steering column; rear defroster; remote-control locks; trip computer.
•How big? 176.7 inches long, 69 inches wide, 56.3 inches tall on a 106.3-inch wheelbase. Weight is listed as 2,875 pounds. Passenger space is listed as 90.9 cubic feet, trunk as 10.4 cubic feet.
•How thirsty? Rated 50 miles per gallon in town and on the highway on regular-grade (87 octane) gas. Test car's trip computer showed 36.3 mpg in mixed driving.
•Overall: Dandy to drive, nice to view, better than its predecessor and welcome in a time of $3-a-gallon gasoline.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rated 50mpg but in their test it got 35-ish? It's not that much better than my 99 gasoline civic ex which I get about 29-30 mpg (I actually calculate this everytime I fill up. I know it depends on how you use it but the displayed mpg and the actual mpg seems like a lot. The article says it doesn't justify the premium but on semi-related note I heard the gov't will give you a dollar for dollar tax break in 2007 instead of the break it's giving you now for hybrids.