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Honda's
second generation hybrid Civic offers improved city fuel
economy, and an incredibly better body design with
softer, sleeker design cues. And,
despite some complaints over mileage, most Civic hybrid owners are very happy
with the gas mileage of their hybrid Civics. For more,
check out Civic
hybrid testimonials.
Of course,
that was until some dealers started adding $2,000
markups to the Civic hybrid, but that's another story.
Still, why
the problems in the city?
The first generation Civic hybrid, unlike the Prius
hybrid, could not function on electric power only at
low speeds. That; however,
changed in October
when the second generation Civic hybrid hit dealer
showrooms. While the Civic hybrid still cannot
functional on electric power in the way that a Prius
can, the Civic hybrid is still a winner for those
interested in hybrid technology and fuel economy.
Speaking
of technology,
the second generation hybrid Civic also increased its
horsepower, which when combined with a continuous
variable transmission, provides a smooth, yet powerful
ride. Ultimately, the Civic hybrid significantly reduces
fuel consumption without losing any performance. While
the first Civic hybrids offered a manual transmission in
addition to the CVT version, only the continuously
variable transmission version is available today. Unlike
the Prius, the current Civic hybrid isn't available in
20 different packages - yes, I'm exaggerating. Starting
at $23,195, the hybrid version of the Civic offers two
basic packages - navigation or no navigation - a
difference of about $1800. Recently,
I went Civic hybrid shopping, read
more. The selection was good and Honda is willing to
deal when it comes to the hybrid Civic.
The hybrid Civic went
on sale in March 2002, marking the first time a
mainstream vehicle had been converted to run on a hybrid
powertrain in the U.S.. Last year, Honda sold more than
20,000 Civic hybrids.
This year Honda expects
to sell around 40,000 Civic hybrids.
According to the EPA's
2005 Fuel Economy Guide, the Civic hybrid car is the
leading, fuel-efficient compact car. With a continuously
variable automatic transmission the cars EPA fuel
economy is 48/47 mpg city/highway. The manual
transmission version received a rating of 46/51 mpg.
The Civic
hybrid is a nice car, and a much improved hybrid
vehicle.
Still,
when choosing a hybrid vehicle, your driving conditions
should be an important consideration, at least if one of
your primary concerns is fuel economy - which is
probably why you are buying a hybrid in the first place,
right? Thus, if you are a city driver that spends most
of your daily commutes in stop-and-go traffic, then
another hybrid, particularly the Prius, might be a
better option.
If,
however, you have a more mixed commute, or one where
steady mileage is common, then the Civic hybrid might be
your perfect hybrid.
For more
on choosing the right hybrid vehicle, check out our Hybrid
Buyers Guide.
If you would like to
receive future information on the Honda Civic Hybrid,
please
Click here..
-- Read
more about the Civic
hybrid on HybridCarBlog.com.
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