NOTE: What I'm about to write is from a Canadian market place, where "market adjustment" premiums over MSRP are not allowed, nor certain unscrupulous practises, such as "tied selling" (ie. the dealership making security etching mandatory).

What follows are my notes about my purchase (early July, 2007). Although I was initially open to the rest of the Civic line, including the Canada-only Acura CSX (essentially a luxury edition of the Civic but with JDM exterior), my heart was in the hybrid. Before proceeding, note that I didn't know at the time that HCH-II sales had doubled in the first half of 2007 over the same period last year in Canada, so some of my assumptions should have been false:

It is quite possible to negotiate a below-MSRP price on a Civic Hybrid. It doesn't sell in great numbers -- not like the Toyota Prius -- but dealerships keep so little stock and government rebates should help keep the price high. I bluffed on a dealership's willingness to move quickly on a car with a unique body colour in stock, which was the only colour I wanted (and they knew this). This colour should ordinarily demand a more generous profit margin because it is rare. But my tactic worked, and after one hour of negotiation I managed to get the price knocked down by over $1000, leaving the dealership with a 1.7% margin, not including whatever their cut is from Freight/PDI.

[...]

Prior to purchasing, I approached five separate dealerships to get a look-and-feel of my quarry, which at the time included Civic Sedans (regular and hybrid), Civic Coupe, and the Acura CSX. After ruling-out the Acura, two dealerships dropped from the list. Of the remaining three:

• One salesperson was able to show me a Civic Coupe in Neutron Blue (beautiful), but clearly underestimated my knowledge when he pretended that the $100 Tax for Fuel Consumption Credit (Ontario) didn't exist, despite it being visible on Honda's "Build It Price It" online calculator (The non-Si Civics qualify for this because of their sub-6L/100km highway rating). I stopped going to this location, thinking they're all crooks
• One salesperson was able to give me a test drive but thought I was naive at negotiation, wanting my financial committment without any hope of getting what I wanted, telling me lies about end-of-year supplies
• One salesperson didn't have demos at one time, and didn't have the supply to show me the differing colour choices, but when it came time to negotiate he turned out to be the most productive. I gave him a very low offer on an in-stock car, and he counter-offered a few times, all of which I refused. On the fourth of fifth pass, I added a tiny amount to my offer and we had a deal. Perhaps he knew this was as good as it will get and that the dealership was about to close for the day. I know that my asking price is lower than what one car broker service could offer. Also, the "mandatory" security etching/tagging cost was waived because I made it clear early in negotiation that it is not mandatory

Getting back to the initial topic at hand, one of the selling points of the Hybrid model is that it has luxury and distinct features not available on the EX, such as auto climate control and colour upholstery. But, it has front disc brakes and rear drums, and smaller wheels/tires, so servicing costs should be reduced. Actually, if I chose a regular Civic Sedan, I would have chosen an LX (a medium trim, between the DX and EX, offering cruise control among other things), because the sunroof trade-off for head room and the "sporty" appeal of the EX wasn't that valuable to me. The Coupe looks fabulous, but I can't avoid the nagging sensibility of four doors. What I really wanted was the Hybrid, and all I needed was to be confident that the Hybrid's extra systems, including CVT, were probably reliable in the long run. After claiming $4000 + $100 in government rebates (eligible to residents of Ontario, Canada), the net cost is slightly cheaper than the LX Sedan. In other words, I got the Hybrid and some extra luxury and features for free. Yeah, the rear seat doesn't fold down and I lose a bit of trunk space, but I still find the trunk very generous, and the rear seat (and doors) will carry some larger items.

2007 Honda Civic Hybrid -> sparkle grey pearl