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Honda Civic Hybrid test drive
With the 2008 models arriving, I thought I’d test the Honda Civic Hybrid. The car I test drove was a 2007 model, but my salesman assured me there were minor differences in this model and the 2008’s expected in the next few weeks.
In the past 25 years, Honda has increased U.S. assembly of its fleet to nearly 80%. The Civic Hybrid is not one of these, making its arrival for 2008 a bit later than the domestically assembled Hondas.
The Civic Hybrid has the designation of an Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV). This rating indicates reduced emissions which can be harmful to the atmosphere.
The exterior of the car is identical to the conventionally powered Civic, but with the addition of a standard rear decklid spoiler that adds a bit of sportiness. The color choices are very limited. With just five colors in the very limited range of dark gray to white, this car will not stand out in the crowd. Available colors for 2008 are Alabaster Silver, Galaxy Gray Metallic, Magnetic Pearl, Opal Silver Blue Metallic, Taffeta White. I drove the Taffeta White version.
The interior was an ivory color. The only other choice in color is blue interior, but that color is only packaged with the Alabaster Silver and Magnetic Pearl paint.
The feel of sitting in the car was not a surprise for this class. Getting in and out of the front seat was easy. While it was comfortable, the seats didn’t really wrap around and hold you firmly as a sports car styled seat would.
The steering was responsive, but road feel was somewhat lost in the steering wheel. This may be a side effect of the electric assisted steering. There was virtually no vibration in the wheel at highway speed to give feedback.
The back seat was comfortable for two adults for normal transportation around town, but would be uncomfortable for longer rides. A cup holder was available to each of the front seat occupants, but none for the rear seat. The controls on the dash board were in easy reach and easy to use.
Automatic Climate Control is standard with the Hybrid, as are power windows and door locks. Cruise control and an MP3 input jack round out the notable interior features.
The overall sound level in the car was as to be expected from this class, not exceptionally loud, but road and drive train noises could easily be heard. The standard Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) worked smoothly during acceleration and deceleration, but provided a consistent background hum to the ride, particularly at higher speeds. The gasoline powered engine would shut off at each full stop, making the drive train silent at stops, and would restart automatically when the brake was released. A special electric A/C compressor and water pump handles cabin heating and cooling during these stops.
At slow speeds, the regenerative braking kicked in and gave the impression that the car still had the emergency brake engaged. This took a bit of getting used to.
Under bigger demands for power, the electric motor would kick in to give the car a boost of power. The amount of added assist is called out on the instrument cluster by an indicator. While not overpowering the car, it accelerated smoothly and made a highway merge easily. It performed similar to, but a little better than, most cars with a horsepower rating in this class. At speeds below 35 mph, and on level roads, the car can be powered completely by the electric motor.
The 110hp gasoline engine combined with the electric assist made for a typical compact car acceleration profile. The car is rated at 45 mpg on the highway and uses standard gas. The ‘green’ feel of the car would be improved if Honda had made the car a Flex-fuel vehicle. It is not rated to use E85 fuels.
At 10.4 cu ft. the truck had ample room for its class, but did drop from 12.0 cu ft in the non-hybrid Civics, due to the 8” behind the rear seat required for the battery to power the electric motor. The battery pack carries an 8 year/80000 mile warranty.
The car had a sticker price of a little over $23,000. The 2008 models will have a base sticker of $22,600 and a delivery charge of $635.
Overall, the Civic Hybrid should be a reliable low-maintenance car for years. If you are interested in a hybrid vehicle, this should be one of the final candidates on your list.
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2008 Honda Civic Hybrid
106.3” wheelbase 176.7” length 56.3” height 69.0” width 2877 pounds 40/45 mpg (city/highway) |
