I don't think you will like the hybrid for your drive, especially the Prius, and I own one. It is a great urban/suburban car but is not a great "driver's car" that is fun on a twisty road. It does Ok, but would get old after a while due to the unsophisticated suspension and poor steering feel. I believe the Civic hybrid would be better, as it has a better handling suspension, but neither car would be as enjoyable as say a VW Golf, Mazda 3, or regular Civic with a 5 speed. Now that would be fun!

Which brings up my next point - the CVT trannies in the hybrids do not provide much in the way of gear control and if you are driving twisty mountain roads, you will want control of your gears, if for no other reason than to save your brakes. I think you are better off with a good handling conventional car as mentioned above, with a 5 spd manual or auto tranny that you can manipulate. And hey, maybe a set of heated seats, too...