At the end of the month I will be getting a civic hybrid w/Navi, Magnetic Pearl. I'm hoping I'm making the right choice. That I mean over the Prius. I haven't test driven either one of them. The question I have is does the civic start up like the Prius. I know when you start the Prius you just hit a button and it starts up you don't hear anything like the engine cranking over. I know with the civic you need a key but is it also a silent start or does it start like a normal car? Thanks In advance.

It starts up nearly silently. Nowhere near as loud as a regular car. You can barely hear it.

You turn the key like in a regular car but there is no starter.
You don't have to hold the key till you hear the engine turn over.
You just turn it once and immediately let go.
It starts instantly, every time.

Need fewer troops to support.
Drive a hybrid.
Best tank 71.65 MPG.

Before this car I spent two years learning hypermiling on my 2004 HCH1.

I hope your decision wasnt based on how either car starts, but since you asked i'm going try my best to answer based on my experience

but first of all, i would have test driven both cars first before making any decisions; Make sure you take into consideration all aspects of buying a car like functionality (how it starts), cargo space needed, power, etc... and most importantly price.
Either way, both cars are excellent you wont go wrong with any of them.

Now regarding your question about how the car starts: I own an 06 prius, and to start the car you just have to press a button, the car runs on electric only for a few seconds, then the engine starts up ( it's programmed); depending on the outside temperature; if it's a hot day, the engine shuts off right away after about 30 seconds and the car returns back to electric mode only; so you can drive around in total silence and depending on how much charge there is; you can actually accelerate up to around 50+km/hr without using the ICE at all (excellent for very congested traffic where you have to stop very often, saves a lot of gas). But accelerating hard requires the help of the ICE and then when you're up to speed, it drives to the next RED stop light on EV only.I do not own an HCHII but fortunately, i have read that it does drive on EV mode too when you're up to speed. Having test driven both, It's definately true that they are both very silent compared to just regular cars when you both start them: gone is that sound where the starter cranks the crankshaft before the ICE finally kicks in

Good choice & good luck with your car!

Its not like the Prius, as far as running on only electric. The gas engine always runs...but very quietly. It "starts" very quietly and quickly. There is no time the Civic is only electric, but there are many times when the valves are closed down and there is no gas intake and basically the gas engine is just moving...but not consuming any gas. At times it will use the electric motor to propel the car for short distances while the gas engine is "closed down", but never off. The battery as well as the electric motor is much smaller in the Civic than in the Prius.

What is interesting with the Civic is that the gas engine does this "close down" even at higher speeds, all depending on a number of variables, like steady speeds, slight downhill grades, wind resistance, etc. But only for short times (less than a minute at best, that I have seen)

Of course, like the Prius, it shuts down the engine at stops. Actually it shuts down the engine as you go down from 8 miles per hour, so you can actually coast to a stop with the engine completely off. Sometimes it will shut down after a stop, if your speed was not over 8 miles per hour since the last shut down. It sort of thinks about it for a few seconds. Like anything else, there are a number of varibles involved.

The bottom line, no, its not like a Prius which will run on electric only for a time at low speeds. In some ways the Civic is better, some ways the Prius is better. As posted before, each has thier own way of giving great mileage, and you will be happy with either. Actual mileage (real mileage) is almost the same for both cars.

Regards,

Bob

There is a traditional starter but it is only used in very cold temperatures. I don't believe i have ever heard it in operation but i live in California .

Startup is almost complete silent and it takes a second or two to hear the engine. Honda uses a traditional key so apart from the slight pause it is similar to a regular car. The prius is completely different from almost any other car so it is a tough comparison. You have a key fob that you keep in your pocket or insert into a slot on the dash. There are some lights you check for then you hit a start button. Cool - but i'm sure the novelty will wear off after a while. I do like the fact that you do not have to press the unlock key to open the door though in the Prius - i could have used it for the rainy weather we have been having lately.

Just a tidbit: It starts up in such silence because the IMA starter starts the car, as opposed to a regular starter that sits perp to the flywheel and spins it around, cranking the engine. Now I remember reading (in the manual) that in some circumstances the actual starter MAY have to start the car, so don't get scared if you ever hear it crank like a normal starter, because it DOES have one....

The circumstances are 1. if the IMA battery is very low or malfunctioned 2. Extreme cold weather

for all intent and purposes this can be considered electric only (ev). the ice is consuming no fuel and the spark plugs are inert. the car is operating entirely off of power from the electric motor.