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Hybrid Vehicles Honda Civic Hybrid Honda Civic Hybrid
1765 messages, Last post on May 28, 2009 at 1:36 PM
You are in the Honda Civic Hybrid Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
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As they are NOT about the HCH, but about cars holding resale value. Sorry gang - stay on topic or create a new discussion where the posts belong. Otherwise I may not be so kind to move your posting but simply delete them. |
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I've had my Honda Civic Hybrid a grand total of 2 days, so bear that in mind when reading my comments. I bought it primarily as a commuter car. I got a pretty good deal on a used 2003 ($15,200 before tax and title, including 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty): What I like: * Well-appointed interior * Good rear-seat legroom * Reasonable acceleration * Good gas mileage the first 48 hours (44 mpg) * Comfortable seating * Good price (probably not usual for these cars right now) What I don't like: * Not as seamless use of electric as the Prius (Might be because this car is stick, Prius I tested was automatic) * A/C turns off at stop lights (just annoying, that's all) * Minor mpg advantage over normal Civic * No fold-down rear seat * No exclusive use of electric power, like Insight or Civic * Battery drains quickly (short 1.5-mile hill nearly drained it as it assisted the engine) Since this is mainly a commuter car, most of my objections really don't swing me either way on the car. I like the car, but don't love it. The Prius I looked at was a sexier implementation of the technology, but the ridiculously inflated prices made me turn away. Basically, I think of the HCH as a car that gets a little boost from the electric motor for speed and economy, and a car that stalls/restarts itself at stoplights to save gas. Since idling engines have always bugged me, the self-stall feature is a nice one for me. I'd rather sit in a drive-up line or a traffic jam with no engine noise. I just wish that it used the electric motor for low-speed activity the way the Prius does. This is probably only an advantage in places like L.A. where it's not unusual to be travelling under 20 mph for a fair portion of your commute. -- James
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i'm a high school student and just received my license, and my dad wanted to get me a hybrid car. we did our homework and chose the civic hybrid. after driving it around for a week, modestly, and trying to squeeze as many miles out of every gallon possible, i'm wondering if anybody is getting higher than 42.0 mpg .. because that's the kind of mileage i've been getting, even when driving very lightly and conservatively. its not very cold here in northern california because its summertime, so i dont think temperature has anything to do with it. will the mileage go up as time goes on, or will it only go down? anybody know, please answer..thanks so much! 
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Replying to: jamesm (Jul 15, 2004 2:14 pm) i drive a cvt civic hybrid, and don't have any problem with the air conditioning shutting off when auto stop initiates. i think the problem only occurs with manual civic hybrids, cuz i remember reading that somewhere minor mpg advantage over normal civic i'm getting around 42.0 mpg while the car is still new, and my friend who has an automatic ex is seeing around 31.0 mpg (he ran the car empty and took note of the miles, he also lives near me and commutes the same roads as i do). thats over a 10 mpg boost, and if you think about it in the long run, thats not just saving money, but also time at the pump, and doing mother nature a little favor i do agree with you that the car really needs to have seamless electric power at speeds lower than 25 mph. but this would then be emulating the toyota synergy drive, which is all copyrighted and protected...so i dont think honda wants to dabble with that. the civic is not a true hybrid - it is a weak but efficient gas car with an electric motor that assists it when needed. the battery also does drain quickly, but it also charges just as fast. it really needs to have twice the capacity. and greater power.
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I bought my 04CVT in January and have 15K miles. I'm getting upper 50's calulated tanks, more than 700 miles for 13 gallons of gas. This is my best commute average. This is not a few select tanks or trips, and I have not had a tank average under 53MPG since I owned the car. They have a real mileage database at greenhybrid dot com that shows people's averages of all hybrid types and some non-hybrid cars. Out of 37 HCH's there are 12 averaging over 50mpg. Good driving tips if you are interested in improving your MPG perforamance. |
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Replying to: redbaron42 (Feb 11, 2004 8:52 am)
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I'd talk to a tax expert or CPA to confirm, but my educated guess is that you WILL receive the credit because the credit is given for PURCHASING a hybrid in the tax year, NOT for OWNING it at the end of the tax year. I would confirm with a tax pro, but I'll bet that's what they'll tell ya..... My 2 cents..........
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Replying to: oranu (Jul 22, 2004 1:02 am) Second, the IRS rules clearly state you must retain ownership of the vehicle for a full 3 years. Since your HCH is a 2003. $0 is the amount you can claim. Sorry. (Complain to the current administration for not having approved that bill for the hybrid incentives.) JOHN |
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Replying to: john1701a (Jul 22, 2004 8:00 am) For example, for the people who took a $2000 deduction for the 2003 tax year, meaning they purchased a qualified vehicle before 12/31/2003, and then the car is totalled in January 2004 - are they then required to file an AMENDED return saying, "actually, I did not buy or use a qualified hybrid vehicle in 2003" ??? I'm looking on the IRS site to confirm, but I don't think "how long you have the car" is applicable. I may be wrong, but I doubt it.... Lars Bogart
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Replying to: larsb (Jul 22, 2004 8:41 am) "Sales or other dispositions. If you sell of otherwise dispose of the vehicle within 3 years after the date you placed it in service and know or have reason to know that it will be changed in any of the ways above, you are subject to recapture rules. In other dispositions (including a disposition by reason of an accident or other casualty), the recapture rules do not apply." So, translated, that means that if you lose the car to an accident, you are not required to return the credit that you have taken in a previous year. So the three year rule applies for AFTER you have taken a deduction the first time. What is DOES NOT SPECIFY is what is done if the car is lost to accident BEFORE you have taken a deduction at all. That's where a tax expert could come in handy, because the still unanswered question is "do I get the first deduction in year one if I do not end the year with possession of the car?" Lars
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