I'm afraid I may have rushed into my descision as to which hybrid to buy. I purchased a 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid mainly because I was concerned with MPG, and after doing some research here on Green Hybrid, saw that the average real MPG between the HCH and Prius were nearly identical.

However, I did not notice the Smog Index until after purchasing the vehicle. The smog index of the 05 HCH is 0.9 on a scale from 0 to 3, 0 being the least polluting. I (along with many other HCH owners, apparently) was surprised to see my ULEV 05 HCH has a higher smog index value that the average new car, 0.8.

At the time of purchase, I was strongly considering waiting for the 06 HCH, or getting a Prius, but was convinced to opt for the 05 HCH instead on account of price and availablility in my area.

But now, after seeing that both the Prius and the 06 HCH have SULEV ratings or better, I'm feeling very sketchy about my decision.

Can anyone explain how an 'efficient' hybrid can be more polluting than your average car with a standard ICE engine?

Anyone else having the same concerns?