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Honda Civic Hybrid

1804 messages,  Last post on Jan 17, 2013 at 4:12 PM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Hybrid Cars

Messages Page 179 of 181

#1774 of 1804 Atttn: Tom - My trade in by hybridpatsy

Mar 27, 2011 (7:17 am)

Hi Tom - did not want to post this on FB so here's the answers. I traded my 2007 HCH in and received $11,000 plus a $400 credit for a total added security package (covers all oil changes, tire rotations, and other normal maintenance) for the three years I will have the Forester. I did not want to make a car payment at all since I had not expected to get rid of the HCH so soon so did a three year lease with Subaru. I paid nothing, have no maintenance or other repairs costs, my insurance only went up about $40 every six months and when I press down on the gas pedal the Forester does not stall and actually has some pickup. I made a left-hand turn across traffic the other nite and the HCH did that hesitation thing and that was the final straw. I had the car at the dealership last week where they could not replicate the no bar/no pickup issue so I had been thinking about it. I told the Subaru dealer I needed a higher car to get in/out of more easily. I always liked the CRV but was not giving Honda anything for selling me a dangerous car; I also suspect I would have gotten less for the HCH there because they know more about the issues with it.
 
My car had new tires, oil change last week and 25,300 miles on it. It also had, thanks to our 150 pound dog and my over-zealous snow removal methods, scratches that they will likely have to buff out and fix. I rated the car as good and the KBB thru cars.com was $11,500. I note that the KBB at the Honda dealer's website was $12,950 but that salesmen said they were not accurate. I had researched and knew that price was too high and just to get you there and then they would kick it down. In the end, I never even went to Honda.
 
I drive less than 10,000 miles a year so a lease was a good option at this point, the subaru is a PZEV. I was averaging less than 35 miles per gallon on the HCH lately (after the IMA upgrade and whatever they did when I said the regular battery was dying). I could coast on the highway before last August and get 60MPG. Last time I was around 34 MPG. So while I will use more gas at the 26MPG we see in our other Forester the difference is too minimal. I wish I had not had to do this but twice during the summer I was nearly killed when Barney and Fred were going faster pedalling with their feet and almost ran into me! It was amazing to me how nice it is to drive a car that actual runs correctly. I just read that post from the guy that still gets 56MPG or whatever and all he has to do to do that - that's absurd. I loved my HCH when I bought it and am sorry it ended up being such a dud because I had hoped to have it a long time and enjoy the fun of it. In the beginning it was so much fun to drive. Lately, it had just been an annoyance, scary and not worth it.
 
I also point out as an FYI, all of the Japanese dealers are very worried about stock. They anticipate prices going up soon. The Honda dealer tried to scare me with it - buy a CRV now we won't have them soon. The Subaru dealer mentioned it when the car I leased was being prepped and we were discussing the economy in general. So if you are thinking and going Japanese it seems prices will go up.

#1775 of 1804 Re: Atttn: Tom - My trade in [hybridpatsy] by ttomaka

Jul 02, 2011 (10:00 am)

Replying to: hybridpatsy (Mar 27, 2011 7:17 am)
Wow, for whatever reason I did not see your message until just now. Thank you for your helpful, thoughtful explanation. Coincidentally, I have decided to take much the same path you took. My 2008 HCH is up for sale, and I am partial to getting a Subaru in place of the HCH! As a member of the International Mountain Bike Association, Subaru will give me a smokin' discount.
Let's stay in touch!

#1776 of 1804 Re: Atttn: Tom - My trade in [ttomaka] by hybridpatsy

Jul 02, 2011 (10:15 am)

Replying to: ttomaka (Jul 02, 2011 10:00 am)
Pretty sure you will be happier in the Subaru, and much safer also. I am amazed at how much I put up with in the HCH just thinking it was "normal." Now I am not afraid of being killed in my car when I turn left or try to merge onto a highway. I picked up some hypermiling techniques driving the hybrid and will likely always do them. I wanted to keep the car for at least ten years and am still not happy that I really lost money but it was simply not safe. I did get a notice the other day about a class-action suit over the visors - big deal - the least of my problem would have been a visor cracking Happy Fourth of July!

#1777 of 1804 A message to all American HCH owners by davhan

Jan 01, 2011 (9:42 am)

#1778 of 1804 A message to all American HCH owners by davhan

May 07, 2006 (5:26 pm)

I thought that it might be interesting to post a discussion on the new 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid from a country "other" than the USA.
 
A note from down under (Australia)!
 
Hybrids have been in Australia for some time now - over 10 years in fact, but for the most part they have been purchased by local councils and utilities. We had the Honda Insight first, then the Prius and now the 2006 HCH. However...with gas prices rising from $6.00 per gallon to $9.00 later this year, interest in hybrids is really starting to grow. Not so much on the environment side of things...the air is pretty clean down this neck of the woods, but more for saving money.
I've been reading all the posts I can from around the world, and without doubt the US is the most active.
At this point I'd just like to say that I recently purchased a 2006 HCH, with which I am extremely happy. It amuses me greatly when I read a negative report about hybrids, saying that they don't get great fuel economy. Well gues what, if you drive like a maniac...you won't. It's nice to drive a fast car from time to time...and feel the power, but these days there's not really much point. You see, in Australia we not only have radar, but we have fixed (in a parked car) and mobile speed cameras - and cameras at nearly every intersection. Like crime...speeding dose not pay in Australia!
 
Anyway...back to the HCH. My last car was also a Honda, the Accord 2.4l. A very nice car indeed. But I seemed to be always driving so gingerly to save money on gas that it made me wonder why have a car that can go so quickly. So I then started looking at smaller engines...1.8...1.5...1.3 etc. At the end of the day the Civic seemed the best bet. Now when you do all the sums...especially here in Aus with gas at $6.00 per gallon, the difference in price between the HCH and the standard starts to look like not that much.
And now that I am actually doing a few miles I've got to say that this is a really nice car. Surprisingly quick off the mark, well appointed, quite, handles well and regularly returns in excess of 50mpg in very heavy freeway and city driving - I'm one happy camper.
 
Reading the US forums you seem to be very spoilt for choices, and expect a lot from your cars. This is the way of the future and things will only get better (although they're pretty good now.
 
Just think how your little grips about this and that with hybrids will pale in insignificance when gas hits $7-8 a gallon. Tell me then that they won't be the best thing since sliced bread. Higher../.much higher fuel prices are on the way, and things won't be going "back to normal".
 
Nice talking to ya!

#1779 of 1804 Re: A message to all American HCH owners [davhan] by gagrice

May 07, 2006 (5:55 pm)

Replying to: davhan (May 07, 2006 5:26 pm)
Reading the US forums you seem to be very spoilt for choices
 
Greetings to you,
I am glad you like your new HCH. It seems to be quite popular in the USA as well. I for one have felt Australians were the ones with the choices. You can buy a midsize or small PU with a very economical diesel engine. There are many in the US that would love to have a smaller PU that gets 35-45 MPG on diesel. I guess we just wait and be envious of our neighbors that have all the choices.
Have a great day down under.
 
PS
A close friend is leaving tomorrow for your great country. He is doing a series of piano concerts in Perth.

#1780 of 1804 Grass is always greener by davhan

May 07, 2006 (10:19 pm)

Replying to: gagrice (May 07, 2006 5:55 pm)
Isn't it funny how the grass always seems greener etc.
 
Yes you are right. We have a very good selection of PU's (Ute's - utilities) to choose from in Australia. It just always appeared that the US had a larger...or different range of cars with better features than in Aus. It is also true that we have a large range of small diesel engine cars too. Although diesel engine cars are not that popular to to perceived problems with noise and polution.
 
I mean...after all, we've just got inflatable rubber tyres and refrigerators!!?
 
No, seriously we do have many differnt models to the US.
 
Perth is a beautiful city, and I'm sure your friend will enjoy it greatly. Get him to try a pizza. Australia seems to be more famous for pizza's than Italy!

#1781 of 1804 Re: Grass is always greener [davhan] by gagrice

May 08, 2006 (7:33 am)

Replying to: davhan (May 07, 2006 10:19 pm)
Perth is a beautiful city, and I'm sure your friend will enjoy it greatly
 
I am sure he will. I would love to spend a couple months visiting your country. Everything I hear from those that visit is positive. Have fun with your new car.

#1782 of 1804 What a nice idea. by filmlabrat

May 12, 2006 (10:40 pm)

Well, gee, nice to hear to hear from other than Cranky Yanks!
 
I've had my 2006 HCH w/nav for about a month now and am enjoying it. My previous car, a 2002 Honda Accord V6 was a real treat but I decided that it was just time to go green. My wife has a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid and she said that she would no longer sleep with me unless I was a hybrid kinda guy. Okay, you win, darlin'.
 
It was a bit of a shock to go from 3.0L to 1.3L but I'll live. Actually, it's rather entertaining to play with the MPG meters and relearn how to drive. I live in Los Angeles and that is rather hard to do here.
 
Usually, in aggressive LA traffic, I get about 36MPG. One morning I decided to try a maximum economy run to work (about 7 miles away) and ended up with 59.8MPG. This stuff is very educational!
 
My biggest gripe is the slight yellow tint to the windows. Okay, call me the Princess and the Pea, but it bugs me. It makes everything look like a smoggy day in Los Angeles. If I wanted everything to look yellow, I would be a pro-smog advocate. Carcinogenic hydrocarbons, OH YEAH!!!
 
Cost of gasoline is a really silly reason for buying a hybrid these days for most people. At the yearly mileage I drive, it's gonna take about 20 years before I break even! The real point is that the world is just plain gonna run out of gas and unless we want that to happen real soon, we all better come to our senses.
 
When we do run out of gas, it's gonna take a really long time to take a solar powered blimp to visit you in OZ. The world is going to be much different! Mel Gibson, Road Warrior, true story yet to happen???
 
One interesting car thing that those not in the US get to enjoy is early introduction of new models. Japanese car makers often try out new models in places outside the US to see how they work. Before the Toyota Celica was introduced to the US, it spent 7 years being tested in Japan, Australia, and Canada. So those in OZ probably got to try the HCH before anyone in the US.
 
Bit of a chuckle while we're on the subject... the other day I walked to lunch near where I work in Hollywood, California. I passed a parked Hummer H1 Turbo. The personalized California license plate read "7 MPG". I don't think you'll find the owner on this forum.
 
Have fun, be safe mate.

#1783 of 1804 Thanks for your comments by davhan

May 13, 2006 (1:46 am)

Replying to: filmlabrat (May 12, 2006 10:40 pm)
Yes...it does seem in some instances that other parts of the world get access to models before the US. In fact the very first testing ground is New Zealand. Can't quite figure out why, but there you have it.
 
Like you, I have some VERY heavy traffic on my daily work commute. 30 miles each way...and very congested. Nevertheless I'm averaging 50mpg (5.2 litres per 100 kilometres). I know...it's a stupid way to look at fuel consumption, and I still prefer to think in mpg. Also...remember that there is a difference between the imperial gallon and the US gallon. Even so...not bad. The HCH is really teaching me how to drive for best consumption. The instant MPG readout is great, and helps to encourage you to have a very light foot on the gas.
 
Without doubt...petrol is running out and will get more expensive. We are now receiving reports in Australia(almost on a daily basis) that the massive reserves of oil that we were all led to believe existed, was a lie! There is some hope with ethanol from sugarcane, which we have heaps of in northern Australia.
 
My previous car was a Honda Accord 2.4l, which I really loved, but I guess the drop in power was not as much as yours.
 
I must say that I hadn't noticed the tinting of the windows, but I have now had them tinted anyway(like most Australian's - it's very hot in the summer over here!)
 
My wife has a V8 Landrover Discovery, but it is on LPG (Liquid Petrolium Gas), and runs quite cheaply.
 
Happy driving">
 
 

Messages Page 179 of 181

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