2007 Honda Civic GX: Boredom As Bliss; Phill Update
A landmark, of sorts.
The odo passed 10K on the way home Friday (it is difficult to get a decent picture of a lighted digital odometer while stopped, in the dark, in the carpool lane – but as the traffic was cooperating, I tried!).
I've put most of those miles on our 2007 Honda Civic GX, a point driven home Friday morning when managing editor Donna DeRosa asked me whether I got bored driving the GX all the time.
What can I say?
It is a bit boring, but hey, it's a basic Civic, a slightly underpowered basic Civic, and most of my driving is on Southern California freeways during Southern California rush hours. Driving a Ferrari is boring when stop-go-stop-go-slow down-stop-go-stop-stop-go-slow-go is the pattern and top speed rarely rises above 40 miles an hour.
Still, it is a Civic, so it starts whenever you ask it; goes where you point it, is comfortable, has a radio (audio system is too proud a term to describe the two-speaker AM/FM/CD setup), turns corners without tipping over and stops promptly when required.
Add to that a single-occupant carpool lane permit and better-than-average CO2 emissions because of the lower carbon content of its compressed natural gas fuel, and the Civic GX becomes a blissful commuter car.
Every once in a while there's even is a soupçon of excitement: wondering how much farther you can drive once the fuel gauge hits empty (haven't run out yet); getting the recall notice that says the CNG tank could take off like a rocket if we lit a big fire in the back seat (we still haven't taken it in for the fix – a new seal of some sort); visiting Honda dealership at 7,000 miles for the first scheduled oil change (the first time its been to a dealership since we picked it up at the end of June; and getting the Phill.
Actually, we don't actually have the Phill – the natural gas compressor and pump unit that will let us fill the GX overnight in our garage. But we got word Friday that FuelMaker Corp., the Canadian company that, well, makes it, finally has shipped our Phill to the installer.
It's supposed to arrive around the end of this week, and we're hoping we can get it installed, inspected and approved by the 15th.
In preparation, we updated the fuel log this morning and can report that at 10,083 miles, we're averaging 28.43 miles a gallon. That's unchanged from the then lifetime average of 28.4 mpg posted at 5,234 miles back in November.
John O'Dell, Senior Editor, Edmunds Green Car Advisor @ 10,083 miles
Posted by John Feb 4, 2008 11:08 am
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Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX
txmatt1
- Feb 5, 2008 1:22 pm
(#11 Total: 11)
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In addition to the above, what is the payback period on leather seats, a sunroof, an automatic transmission, larger wheels, etc?
People buy specific cars and options for many reasons, and most have nothing to do with some financial return on those choices. It'd be nice if "green" cars paid for themselves, but that's not the only reason to buy them. Some people value consuming less imported oil (not that natural gas is 100% domestic either) and polluting less and will "upgrade" to get those features.
On a slightly different but related note, Phill and/or plug-in hybrids or EV's would be very cool to not have to ever visit a gas station unless going on a trip or getting the car inspected. That convenience/time saver would be worth a couple-few thousand dollars to me.
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The new Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI will get 40 city/60 highway mpg, is 50 state legal and costs under $20K. Why bother with a civic gx or prius hybrid?
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jodell
- Feb 5, 2008 12:42 am
(#9 Total: 11)
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Gentle readers:
The Civic GX is EPA rated virtually the same as the 1.5-liter Civic LX. But CNG burns cleaner than gasoline, so it also is the cleanest internal combustion engine car being sold, and that's the reason (plus the adventure of driving and buying CNG) Edmunds purchased it.
And yes, it is sold, although one also can lease it. Honda builds and sells about 1,000 GXs a year, principally in California and New York, mainly to fleet buyers until gas prices went way up toward the end of 2007.
And CNG is cheaper than gas. $1 per gallon or so less if you can fill at home, 50-cents or so less at retail stations, which aren't plentiful but are scattered around So Cal so you can get to where you need to go w/out too much hassle.
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Ng and propane have alway got worse mileage then their gasoline counterparts. The big selling point was the cheap cost of the fill up. The difference in price has decreased lately though.
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banhugh
- Feb 4, 2008 4:57 pm
(#7 Total: 11)
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another reason to buy it is because it has less impact to the environment compared to a similar consumption gas engine. It has lower CO2 emissions compared to other 28.4mpg cars.
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The odo passed 10K already? This car rarely gets blogged on so I was surprised to see it rack up that much mileage. Also 28.4 mpg doesnt sound awfully good either.
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opfreak
- Feb 4, 2008 1:07 pm
(#5 Total: 11)
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isn't cng, cheaper per gallon eq. then normal gas?
that being said, the biggest downfall is limited filling options.
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7driver -
I read it the same way until I started substituting words like "Cobalt", "Sentra", or "Corolla" in there. I think he was saying that it's basic transportation, and it does what it's supposed to with no frills.
Altimadude - I'm fairly certain the GX models are the opposite of economical. I think they are lease-only at a relatively high cost, but with a low cost per-gallon of CNG. It's kind of like how a hybrid Honda Civic is more expensive to buy...but if you put an emphasis on lower consumption and better emissions, you can justify it to yourself.
Doug - That is not the normal color scheme. A normal civic gets a different color light blue, a Civic SI gets a red backlighting, and the hybrid gets a different one still. (IIRC)
Joe
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At 28.4 mpg, tell me again why there's an advantage with CNG rather than getting a diesel Golf, or your own LT Fit and Versa (other than getting a free pass in the carpool lane)?
An end-of-test cost analysis/comparison would be interesting to see if this technology is worth the investment.
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Is the color scheme on that photograph the same as in normal Civics?
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7driver
- Feb 4, 2008 11:20 am
(#1 Total: 11)
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"Still, it is a Civic..."
You mean it won't:
1. Throw a timing belt (Edmund's Pilot)
2. Blow out the suspension at all four corners (Edmunds' Ridgeline)
3. Barf up a transmission (Edmunds' Fit)
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