ISO a Fuel-Efficient Commuter: 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid
I posted last month about my need for a fuel-efficient commuter car that also nicely fits a rear-facing infant seat in the back seat. My two main requirements are that the vehicle get a minimum of 30 m.p.g. on the highway and be able to seat a front seat passenger comfortably with the car seat in the back. Bonus requirement: It would be nice it the car was fun to drive...
A few days ago, I switched cars with my aunt for the day. She took my 2006 Volvo XC90 ("I felt like I was driving a bus!") and I took her 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid. I didn't want to just test drive it at the dealership. I wanted to drive the car on my real commute and see what kind of mileage I could expect to get on a daily basis.
Fuel Economy
I went into the office later than usual that day so I didn't hit the normal amount of traffic. That's good for test driving a hybrid because that means that I can expect even better gas mileage on a normal day. In the evening, I faced my normal commute. For 104 miles, I averaged 39.4 m.p.g. I expect I could easily get 40+ m.p.g. with normal daily driving. That is what my aunt normally gets on a commute that is a bit shorter than mine with my highway driving.
Infant Car Seat Test
The car seat fit fine in this car. I left a little bit more room between the car seat and the front passenger seat because I belted the car seat in alone, without its optional base, which, to be honest, I just didn't feel like pulling out of my car. I had my husband sit in the front seat and he was comfortable but maybe a little too close to the dashboard still. He said, "If we got in an accident, my kneecaps would be shattered."
Driving Dynamics
I am not an editor here (I am on the business side of things), so I don't have the vocabulary necessary to talk about the detailed driving dynamics. If you are interested in that, you should check out the road test.
I thought the Honda Civic was fine to drive. I never got a thrill from it but it handled corners neatly and had adequate acceleration capabilities for my needs. My drive has the potential to be fun right at the end because I hit some wide, twisty turns that are perfect for a moderately good driver in a sporty car. It would be nice if my daily driver took advantage of that, but it isn't necessary.
The Contenders
I would like to do this same test with the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the Honda Accord Hybrid and the Nissan Altima Hybrid. Next year, when the 2009 models come out, I would like to add the VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen and the diesel Honda Accord. Do you know of any other clean diesels coming out next year? They'd have to be available in California to work for me. The biggest struggle will be getting access to these cars for overnight test drives. Any suggestions (besides working at Edmunds, which doesn't afford everything people think it does)?
- Posted by
- Michelle Magoffin December 14, 2007, 3:02 PM
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- Categories:
- Family Cars and Concerns, Hybrids and Alternative Fuels
All good ones to compare, except maybe the Accord - out of production, no new model planned, and not an economy hybrid, more of a performance hybrid. If you find one, you should be able to drive a very hard bargain.
and if you want the full tax credit for the civic, you have like 2 weeks to buy
Good to know about the Accord. We are not quite ready to buy anything yet. My husband's lease expires in the summer next year.
That car seat belongs in the middle of the back seat. It's safer and allows for for the front passenger seat to move back to a normal position.
We have two Honda Civic hybrids and when our child was in an infant seat, we had two bases and swapped the seat back and forth.
Now she's in a convertible seat and still fits fine in the middle and is still rear-facing.
We did have to bring a few floor models from BabiesRUs out to the car to find the best fit.
The tax credit is $2100. After the new year it gets cut in half, then halves for 3 more quarters, then gone.
It's a great car.
Good luck!
noflash1: In my Volvo XC90, the middle seat has the optional booster and no car seat anchors. We tried the car seat in the middle, but then it obstructed the movement of both front seats instead of just the passenger seat. Putting the car seat in the middle seat in my husband's M-B C230 also obstructs the movement of both front seats. I didn't try the car seat in the middle seat on this car, but I will do so with future cars.
I didn't realize the Honda credits were so close to being cut. Boo-hoo. But Genius 613, you might find a Civic too tight over the long haul. The Prius, Altima, and Camry have more interior room -- something you're likely to appreciate as time goes on, especially since you don't live in the city. Just something to think about.
Diesel Accord and Jetta TDI will be difficult to choose from. I'd take the Jetta Sportwagen if I needed space and Accord diesel for the Honda reliability reputation.
Many dealers will let you keep the car overnight if they think you're close to buying. Just say that you really need to have your husband check it out and you'll try to bring him back soon. They'll practically beg you to take it home and show him yourself. I visited a dealer on Saturday afternoon, they let me keep it until Monday afternoon because they were closed on Sunday. Also, if there is a Fox Rental Car company near you, they often rent hybrids, at least they do at LAX, they had a hybrid Civic and Prius last time I was out there. I think you'd like the Prius, it seems a bit roomier to me than the Civic. The driving experience and fuel economy is about the same really.
ahightower: Thanks for the suggestions.