Honda has managed to take $4,000 out of the price of its Civic Hybrid between 2005 and 2006, and still give buyers a better car. So was the old car overpriced or has Honda gotten much cleverer?
I think clever.
But let's be completely honest here. The 2006 gas-electric Civic Hybrid ($25,800) won't pay for itself in fuel savings. Not cutting your fuel bill by $439.91 a year, it won't.
I know this because I've run the numbers. With its sterling fuel economy rating of 4.7 litres/100 km city and 4.3 highway, the Civic Hybrid will cost the average driver $851.57 a year at the pump if regular is averaging 94.2 cents a litre. A Civic EX sedan (7.8 city/5.7 highway) runs to $1,291.48 a year in fuel.
So it will take a buyer almost 10 years to pay for the Hybrid's dual power train technology. But as many a reader has told me before, hybrids aren't only about pump savings.
They are also about moving the car business into cleaner territory -- cleaner first in terms of lower emissions and away from profligate gas guzzling; and second in terms of creating a bridge to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
And then there is the "feel-good" factor. If you are willing to spend extra to do your bit for the planet, the Civic Hybrid is an excellent choice.
That's at least partially because the '06 Civic Hybrid benefits from the total overhaul of the entire Civic line. Like other Civics for the 2006 model year, the Hybrid is sleeker, roomier, quieter, more powerful, more refined and a lot more fun to drive.
Still, the $31,200 Toyota Prius hatchback is bigger, more functional and certainly has a more complex hybrid drive system. That said, the less expensive Civic Hybrid holds its own on the overall performance and comfort side of things. Stylistically, it's daring both inside and out.
This new Civic boasts a swooping silhouette that is interesting if not universally loved. I'm not completely sold, but based on how many awards the '06 Civic has won, I must be in the minority.
Now if Honda has made a mistake, it is by not making the Civic Hybrid's unique nature more obvious. I suppose to save on costs the Hybrid looks almost identical to other swoopy Civics. By contrast, the Prius is a wholly unique car in Toyota's lineup, and as such it stands out on styling alone.
Okay, the Civic Hybrid does get a bigger "hybrid" badge on the rump and there is a tiny spoiler on the trunk lid. If you look closely, you'll also notice the Hybrid's different wheels and its turn-signal lights in the mirrors.
No one at Honda needs to apologize for the performance, though. The new Hybrid is gutsier than before -- a combined rating of 110 horsepower for the gas engine and electric motor, versus 93 hp combined for the '05.
For zipping around town, this Hybrid is loads of fun. And when the driving gets more demanding, say sliding into 100 km/h traffic on the 401, there is plenty of power. Merging is an anxiety-free experience.
In stop-and-go driving, this Hybrid is even better. The idle stop feature shuts off the gas engine at stoplights or when you are waiting in clogged traffic, and is employed more often than on the '05 model. It is almost impossible to detect when the gas engine restarts after the idle stop. Very smooth.
And so is the overall driving experience. That's interesting, because the Hybrid weighs an extra 77 kg compared to an '06 Civic EX. Only the sharpest tester will notice the difference between the Hybrid and the regular Civic. Both have quick steering, smooth braking and flat cornering for what is, in essence, an economy car.
