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Honda Accord Hybrid - worth the extra $$$? - READ ONLY

223 messages,  Last post on Feb 07, 2006 at 7:12 PM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Accord, Hybrid Cars

Messages Page 20 of 23

#184 of 223 Re: Little Help [backy] by gagrice

Apr 04, 2005 (12:10 pm)

Replying to: backy (Apr 04, 2005 8:57 am)
Would you want to drive 200 miles a day in a Civic?
 
That would be more driving than I would like for sure. How comfortable is the Insight on long drives? Any of you owners. I notice there are a quite a few on the greenhybrid with over 100k miles. Also people with very long commutes.

#185 of 223 Would you want to drive 200 miles a day in a Civic? by electrictroy

Apr 05, 2005 (5:40 am)

Sure why not? I think driving is relaxing. Pop-in a book-on-tape, lean back, and just cruise. I drove my insight 1000 miles w/o stopping several times. It was better than sitting at home and drooling in front of the TV!
 
Anyway, back to the original poster's...
QUESTION: "I drive 200 miles and want to save money."
ANSWER: You can buy a cheap Civic HX for ~$17,000 and it will give you 40+ mpg highway. That's what I would do.
 
troy

#186 of 223 Re: Would you want to drive 200 miles a day in a Civic? [electrictroy] by midnightcowboy

Apr 05, 2005 (8:46 am)

Replying to: electrictroy (Apr 05, 2005 5:40 am)
Actually the HX is very limited supply and hard to find meaning you special order and pay MSRP; air conditioning is not standard. It is rated very high mpg 36/44 A manual shift Corolla would probably be the best bet at under $12K and it is still rate for pretty good mileage 32/41 and very peppy for than mileage around 9.6 seconds 0-60.
 
Insights are rare (especially manual) and you have to pay MSRP of around 21K. HCH are not much better priced. The old new 2005 Jetta Diesels can still be had at around $18K but still you are paying more than a Corolla and relability is somewhat iffy.
 
Again for a long-term economical reliable car a Corolla is a good bet!
 
crus'n in 6th Manual shift man,
MidCow
 
P.S.- Man troy you are amazing, I get tired just driving form Houston to Tulsa and that is only 500 miles and it takes me 8 hours. I need several stops for food, gas and bathroom breaks. 1,000 miles is some 14-16 hours of driving I am inpressed. However I did go 100 miles this past weekend on 0 gallons what great mileage you get on a bicycle:)

#187 of 223 Just love my new Accord Hybrid! by oneandonly1

Apr 05, 2005 (10:27 am)

Hi folks...I'm new to this board, but thought I'd add to the discussion. I just purchased my Accord Hybrid w/Navi in taffeta white on Saturday and I LOVE it .
 
I had been thinking of purchasing a hybrid for about a year and 1/2. Originally, I looked into the Prius. I loved all the tech gadgets and gizmos, but my hubby wasn't thrilled on the looks and lack of power. Of course, I would be the main driver, so I just wanted something fun and economical for my 40 mile round trip commute. So I was on the waiting list for a year, and when they called me in December to let me know that my car was in, I was hesitant. Hesitant because I still hadn't sold my old car (2002 MB C320), and also because now I was interested in the newest Hybrid contendor, the Accord Hybrid. So I had to decline the car...but boy am I glad I did.
 
Since end of February, I had been trying to get the Accord Hybrid in Desert Mist w/Navi. That was my top choice. But for some reason, that color was extremely hard to get in So Ca. Considering the limited 4 colors, only 2 come in the tan leather/wood grain interior - the Desert Mist and the Taffeta White. I had my mind made up that I would wait for the Desert Mist, but then my car sold much quicker than I expected, and I needed a car sooner rather than later. So I decided to get the white, and I am loving it more every day. It looks very bold and elegant in the white, especially with the red taillights and tinted windows.
 
I've read many of the posts regarding the justification for paying $3k more than the regular EX V6. I think that it is worth it. I am not a huge environmentalist myself I must say, I really bought it for the fuel economy and the unique features. And really, I don't think I got a bad price either. The MSRP on the regular EX V6 w/Navi is $28,850. I bought mind for only about $1250 more than that. I purchased mind from the fleet dept in a So Ca dealer, and they basically gave me the car for about $700 over invoice. No other dealers were offering a discount, but some did offer a price match. I figure considering that many people are even selling the cars for a markup over MSRP, I really got a good deal. They also had a great finance rate of 2.9% which expired a couple of days after I got the car.
 
I love pretty much everything about the car. I've owned Hondas in the past and have no qualms about reliability. Of course, I did purchase the 7yr/100k warranty just to be on the safe side. The voice commands for the audio, navi, and climate control are great. It takes a bit of time to get the exact commands properly though, so I'll have to read up on the manual some more. The Navi even has a calender and calculator function. The XM radio is great too. You get a 3 month free trial, and most likely I will subscribe when that expires. And the cabin is REALLY roomy. I am 5'6", and my hubby is 6' and we both have plenty of room. Some negatives: No spare tire or split down of rear bench; no power seat adjustment for passenger; no auto headlamps; no sunroof; no key entry for doors except driver's; ugly plastic antenna (for XM radio?); no memory seats.
 
Overall, I am really happy with my purchase, and look foward to playing around with all the features.

#188 of 223 Re: Just love my new Accord Hybrid! [oneandonly1] by midnightcowboy

Apr 05, 2005 (11:19 am)

Replying to: oneandonly1 (Apr 05, 2005 10:27 am)
oneandonly1,
 
Great informative post. Congratulations on your new car and welcome to the Edmund's Honda boards. I just recently purchased a new Honda also, but I opted for the Accord Coupe w/NAV with a 6-speed becuase I like to shift manually.
 
crus'n in 6th,
 
MidCow

#189 of 223 Re: Would you want to drive 200 miles a day in a Civic? [midnightcowboy] by electrictroy

Apr 05, 2005 (12:22 pm)

Replying to: midnightcowboy (Apr 05, 2005 8:46 am)
"P.S.- Man troy you are amazing, I get tired just driving form Houston to Tulsa and that is only 500 miles and it takes me 8 hours. 1,000 miles is some 14-16 hours of driving I am inpressed. "
 
=====================================================
 
(shrug) From 6 a.m. (wake-up) to 9 pm (bedtime)... no big deal. Sitting in a car, listening to the radio/books-on-tape, and watching the beautiful scenery go by..... It's more interesting than my current "stuck in a cubicle" job!
 
I used to do the 6 hour round-trip commute to New York's Suburbia. I liked the daily journey, listening to talk radio. But the one drawback was the shortened sleep time (only 8 hours) which is why I ultimately quit. I like to sleep longer.
 
troy

#190 of 223 Re: Would you want to drive 200 miles a day in a Civic? [electrictroy] by still_thinkin

Apr 07, 2005 (12:17 pm)

Replying to: electrictroy (Apr 05, 2005 12:22 pm)
That's my point. I don't think the civic would be as comfortable as the HAH and if I'm going to be in the car for that long every day I'd like to be comfortable.
 
Another question, most of my drive is on the NJ turnpike. I cruise about 75-80 MPH for most of the way. Would I be running on all 6 cylinders or just 3 at that speed?
 
Thanks to everyone for your input.

#191 of 223 Re: Would you want to drive 200 miles a day in a Civic? [still_thinkin] by electrictroy

Apr 07, 2005 (1:39 pm)

Replying to: still_thinkin (Apr 07, 2005 12:17 pm)
(shrug) I'd still choose the Civic. You want a good *stiff* seat that supports your body & your back for those 3 hours... not a soft plushy seat typical of luxury cars. A stiff seat is better for long rides. (Plus the Civic HX is ~$15,000 cheaper.)
 
As for 3 cylinders, let me do some math:
torque = ~200 ft-lb 2500 w/ 6 cylinders
torque = ~100 ft-lb 2500 w/ 3 cylinders (guessing)
 
That's not a lot, but I think you can sustain 75mph & 3 cylinders. (For comparison, my 3-cylinder insight generates 85 ft-lb at that speed.) Best way to find out.... go test-drive the hybrid (without the salesman) on the interstate and experiment with the eco mode, to see how it works.
 
troy

#192 of 223 HAH prices creeping up? by nowakj66

Apr 08, 2005 (6:57 pm)

I called my dealer to explore the purchase of a Honda Accord hybrid. His best deal crept up $1000 in the last month. Still under MSRP but not the deal it was. I think the tax incentive and the start of summer driving season has driven the price up. Anyone else seeing this?

#193 of 223 Re: HAH prices creeping up? [nowakj66] by backy

Apr 08, 2005 (7:48 pm)

Replying to: nowakj66 (Apr 08, 2005 6:57 pm)
Not much of a mystery--seen the price of gas lately? The tax incentive hasn't changed since last year. Maybe the positive reviews the HAH has been garnering has something to do with it.

Messages Page 20 of 23

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