Well here I am at last ! Took the plunge and got my Civic Hybrid last Saturday from Hagertown (MD) Honda. I really wanted a Prius, but I couldn't stand the wait. Plus the new design looks a little dorky IMO.
I must say I am impressed with the car so far. The gas mileage has steadily improved day by day. Either it's breaking in or I'm learning to drive it better
. I had been driving a 1992 Toyota Pickup and had averaged 26-28 mpg. Now I'm getting 48 mpg driving into work at 3:30 AM and about 46 mpg coming home in the afternoon (with AC on). Last Friday was the worst however. I took the wife and child down into Washington D.C., with the AC full blast and managed only 40mpg. Guess the extra weight and bad traffic didn't help
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My commute takes me from just west of Charles Town, WV , up through Frederick,MD down to Bethesda,MD. The climb out of the Potomac River valley, crossing over the Catoctins, and finally the hills in lower Frederick county (The Roller Coaster I call it) are the biggest drain on the mileage. If my route was just a little more flatter I'd get 50mpg at least!
Oh yeah, you won't find any lefty,greenie, or Bush bashing stickers on my car. I'm in it to save money! The "Coolness" and low emissions are just a bonus for me
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Hmmm, maybe I can make a bumper sticker saying "I'm saving gas money so I can buy more diamonds and caviar"