I had a couple experiences, in the process of buying my HCH last fall.

The regular salesman was like most that I have encountered -- he'd only been on the job for about two weeks, didn't have a card, and didn't have a clue about hybrids. He was vaguely familiar with the idea that Honda sold them, but nothing beyond that. Every question I asked revealed that he knew nothing about hybrids.

The fleet dealer at another dealership, from whom I bought the car, was very cool and well informed. He just gave me the keys and pointed me towards the street and said 'give it a go.' He also advised me *not* to put my aftermarket 2002 Honda Civic Si (hatchback) tires and wheels on the new car, because he figured it would decrease mileage a bit. He must have been sensitive to complaints about HCH mileage, so he didn't want to increase the likelihood that I would be disappointed also. Pretty sharp guy.