My spouse has a Ford Escape Hybrid and we are looking at a good hybrid commuter car for me. What is the consensus about HCH's and their "happiness of ownership" rating goes? I fit in one fine as I sat in one at the local Honda shop, and did have concerns since I am 6'4" tall. If you could give me your Pros n Cons, and happiness rating that would be super nice.

Thanks in advance for your time

Noel

I just bought my HCH II at the beginning of this month so I do not have a long experience. However, I gotta say...I love it. Especially saving the money...wooohooo.

You should get one quick before the year is out for the tax credit to be fully applied.

pros:
best gps I've ever used (vs prius, garmin and magellan)
audio is great (very well implemented with the gps)
very techy (tachometer is sweet looking, digital speedo, etc)
handles pretty darn well, solid steering response
looks good
decent gas mileage
sweet climate control

cons:
engine shutoff is finicky sometimes (turns off then turns right back on, stutters if it turns off and then turns back on when you are still moving)
car stutters when you are moving ~9 miles per hour and you need to tap the accelerator (traffic in the bay sucks)
no 4 wheel drive
possibly small trunk (I dont really care though, you might)
very weak engine


overall I am very happy with the car. The weak engine kinda sucks, but I dont race so its not really a biggie.

i bought mine new in 2005, and i have liked it since the beginning. i have been fine tuning the car and my driving skills since i started, and it just keeps getting better. right now i am in the middle of cold weather and snow, but still keeping up near 60MPG. i have one advantage over the new models, in that i have a manual transmission.

this is my 4th honda, and i have always liked their products. BTW, my DH is 6-4 and drives my old 93 civic.

Best fill 66.7 MPG, best tank 801.5 miles



laurie, central minnesota

Noel:

You already gave it a good shot by having sat in one at the dealership. I suggest you take one for a drive and see if that is good for you in terms of driving dynamics and comfort.

For many of us, the HCH-II is a super car in that it shares with the Prius II the distinct honor of being one of two cleanest, and most fuel efficient vehicles on the market today. Don't forget safe too.

For myself, I could not settle for a single one and got two instead (2006 & 2007). You find many folks here that have a similar story. If that does not tell you something... then I fear very few other things will.

Cheers;

MSantos

MS, what is a HCH-II?

You can add me and my wife to the list of happy owners.

Primarily my wife drives the car, but I love to drive it also.

We have about 24000 miles on our 2006, and outside of the factory recalls, have had no service issues with the car.

The only gripe I can think of is that the factory tires do not cut it in the snow. I had to get real all season tires to cope with the NE. PA winters.

The HCH-II is the second generation Honda Civic Hybrid (2006-2010).

Cheers;

MSantos

It depends on what you aim is for this car.

Short Commutes it is just like any other car I have driven as far as mpg goes. For longer distance communte people on this forum say it is great. I don't have a long commute so my mpg is like 29 - 34 max...

Think about the Prius for short distance communtes.

Since I have had mine for 3 months now and have owned other Honda products it has performed as stated. It has not been to the shop yet (knock on wood) and I got a great deal on it when I purchased it. ( No mark up like in some areas)

----
1987 Chevy Spectrum - 200,000+ Miles -Junk Yard
1994 Honda Civic DX Coupe - Truck Hit it
1998 Acura 2.3 CL - End of Lease
2002 Acura TL 3.2 - End of Lease
2004 Acura MDX - End of Lease
2007 Mercedes ML350 -Lemon
2007 Honda Civic Hybrid w/Navi - Active

We have two as well. It is truly a great car.

My only complaint it seat comfort on long trips can be lacking. It's not a deal-breaker though. I plan on inserting more padding to the seat.

Cheers!

http://greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/car/3686.html

http://greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/car/4955.html