I have noticed some HCH have a chrome strip across the front of the hood. Is this an option? Or is it only earlier models? I like the way it looks, my 05 looks a little plain in the front.

the chrome strip on the front grille and the trunk just above the license plate was a feature only on the 2003 HCHs and was removed for the 2004 and 2005 HCHs.

Personally i think the 04s and 05s look better without that cheapy looking chrome

That chrome in the front (and on the trunk door, just above the license plate) is what lets me know a Civic is an '03. That, and the snub headlights. The headlights for '04-'05 have a triangle-shaped extension that cuts back into the fender, lending it a more aggressive look that I actually like better than the upcoming '06s.

Personally, I like the lack of cheap-looking chrome plastic and the more aggressive headlights post-'03. Not to knock the '03 - obviously still a great car.

Quite a while back I did some research and came across many people who's trunk developed a surface rust spot under the chrome strip near its ends, even appearing shortly after delivery.

I'm only guessing but perhaps they had some kind of electolysis issue causing the rust between the chrome strip and trunk and is one reason why it was not on the '04's.

Purely just guesswork though.

Efficient drivers do it better.
1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT

That, or they just got cheap on the '04/'05 models.

'00 Insight "Wazabi" -75,000+ miles
'03 Toyota Matrix - 81,000+ miles
'03 HCH-CVT-OSBM-41,000+ miles (retired 04-10-06)
"I'm very secure with my little Insight, no Prius envy here."

I do think I saw that chrome trim is an option for non HCHs. Not sure if its available for the HCH. I never looked closely at the 04 or 05. Is the body different from the regular civic like the 03 is from ithe 03 regular civic?

My hydroponics experiment

You ever notice how hard it is to lip read cartoon characters?
"Crazy is what the sane call Delta Flyer"

It's different in the same ways as the 03 HCH - slightly different grille (one fat transverse bar across air intake), trunk decklid spoiler. Battery vent underneath the rear window (above seats - what does one call that? the rear dashboard?). Wheels and center-mounted antenna are still the obvious styling giveaways.

It's called a "rear package tray", at least that's what I've always bought whenever I had to get one while restoring some of my Mustangs.

If you want to get real detailed and go past the obvious giveaways, then another one is the climate control for the HCH versus the standard Civic I know for the '03 it has a titanium colored dash accents on teh dash as well.

'00 Insight "Wazabi" -75,000+ miles
'03 Toyota Matrix - 81,000+ miles
'03 HCH-CVT-OSBM-41,000+ miles (retired 04-10-06)
"I'm very secure with my little Insight, no Prius envy here."

i am glad my 05 doesn't have the chrome. the chrome's not terrible looking, i just think it's better without.