So I'm looking at the official Honda Civic Hybrid web page, and notice that Maroon 5 has a "Civic Tour" or something to that effect, going on right now (in fact they were just in my town). And they have these two nice Civics, one of which is a hybrid. If you have not already done so, you might want to check it out.

When I read about these cars, I noticed that their HCH has been lowered by 2.00 inches, front and rear, for better handling and "a more controlled and comfortable ride".

And this made me wonder: "What effect would this have on the gas mileage of this car?"

I'm not a propeller-head (regarding cars anyway), but it seems like it would improve the aerodynamics to some degree and thus also improve mileage. I was wondering what the rest of you thought magnitude of this effect might be?

[Note that they have also put some sporty tires and rims on the car, which no doubt improve handling but hinder mileage. My question is about the effect of the lowering of the car, not the tires.]

Thanks for your opinions.

Lowering the car can help. Also, they do make lightweight racing rims that may infact weigh less than stock rims. I don't know if there is any large advantage to any of this but it may help a little.

I may end up lowering my car in a bit. I need stiffer suspension in the rear because of all the electronics and stuff I have stored there. When I get a new suspension I will lower it at that time. I'll be sure to post if/when this happens to let people know what kind of effect it has.

My hydroponics experiment

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

Yes, lowering it would be a good idea for improved aerodynamics and reduced drag, thus at least a MINISCULE improvement in MPG, if no other factors contribute the other way.

By the way: I entered the contest to WIN that Maroon 5 HCH, so the rest of you can save your time by not entering - I've got it locked up !! I'll let you know about the MPG when I get the car....

Larry, thanks for the tip, I'm throwing away my entry form right now ;-) ;-)

Frankly, I think it's kind of neat that these guys have made this HCH into a car that would appeal not only to us environmentally-inclined technogeeks, but to the younger generation of folks that want to have a car that looks 'cool' in addition to getting better mileage.

A tricked-out Civic Hybrid that gets 'only' 35-40mpg is way better than a tricked-out Civic that gets 25mpg. And it also gets that generation thinking about conservation at the same time.

Think we can get MTV to "pimp my hybrid"?

i have to partially disagree with you, chuck. the maroon5 civic hybrid is unique, but does not look 'cool.' overdone black decals on white paint and the huge website on the back bumper creates a chaotic and conflicting finish, and the body appearance lacks gleam and smoothness. the comments on 7th gen civic mostly agree.

however, the sound/suspension and wheels of the car are very nice. the alpine head unit and amp are premium (the flat touch-screen mimics contours of buttons when you run your fingers over them, allowing you to adjust settings without looking at the screen), and the new springs and lighter konig wheels do a good job on the car.

winning the car would be nice, but first thing i'd do is take off all those decals.
but then again, without all those decals, it wouldn't be much of a pr promotion for maroon 5 and honda. it would just be another riced out civic..but hybrid style.

Well Myles, I was not really referring to the decals, bumper, finish, gleam, or smoothness, but rather to the wheels, rims, suspension, and the fact that it looks nicer IMO than my mundane normal unmodified HCH. ;-)

Even being 47 years old myself, I have enjoyed having nicer rims and tires on my previous Civic Si hatchback, and so I have this ongoing battle going on: get slightly nicer rims and tires and suffer some mileage loss? Or stick with the normal wheels? It's just that the aesthetics of the car are improved with some minor changes like that, but I am so captivated by the mileage game, that my competitive nature kicks in, and I decide to stick with my Bridgestone B381s.

Anyway, thanks for the constructive comments. My own son is 17, and seems to like the idea of a hybrid and fuel economy and reducing emissions; and so to link those together with a stylish ride like the Maroon 5 HCH (minus the decals etc.!) is a step in the right direction.

sorry, thought you were referring to its outer appearance when you said it "looked cool."

generally, when a car looks stock but has many hidden performance mods, it's called a sleeper - you don't know how well it performs until you see it moving. application of that principle to the civic hybrid would be even cooler than outer appearances, i contend.

Hehe, sleepers...always a favorite. Wish ya'll could have had a chance to check out the 'Little Red Rocket' (A turboed insight). I have no idea what the power output was, but it pulled all the way to the limiter at 112. Talk about a sleeper.

Hidden Views Photography

hmm somebody should turbocharge a civic hybrid change the exhaust, add in k/n air filter..i'd sure like to see that

I'd like to see it myself. The engine takes to boost well, and a smartly designed boost that only really kicked in past 4000 rpm wouldnt effect the milage too much if you were driving it like a hypermiler (rpm's stay real low) , but if you wanted to go...it'd have it.

Hidden Views Photography