I never thought I would/could love a car, but this one did it for me. I've had my '07 since March of '07 and it's been a dream ride. I have only one complaint, no auto-on headlights but I've gotten over it. No car can be perfect, but the HCHII comes VERY close.

We've had the HCH for 1 1/4 year now and still love it. Since you're used to the FEH, here are my thoughts on the differences:

I find it easier to control the hybrid stuff on the HCH than the MMH--kind of like the difference between a manual transmission and an automatic. I can glide (with fuel cut off) a lot easier in the Civic. On the other hand, the Civic's engine is always spinning when moving whereas the MMH will actually shut off. This seems to annoy some people, but I don't mind--especially when I'm not using any gas when gliding. I would rather have the ability to easily cut fuel at any speed than the ability for the engine to turn off below 40mph. The extra control on the HCH makes it a more engaging drive in my opinion.

In terms of autostop, the ICE will shut off at 7mph and turn on the second you let your foot off the brake. This means that you can't nudge yourself forward in stopped traffic without the ICE coming back on (and probably not turning off again). This can be a little annoying--especially now that I am used to the MMH being able to creep on EV.

Overall though, we have been VERY happy with the HCH. It is the most ergonomically perfect car I've ever driven--everything is perfectly laid out and I love the speedometer! Lifetime MPG is just over 50mpg for us including the break in period. My commute is 10 miles of suburban driving each way, but we also use it for lots of 3 mile round trips to the grocery store and haven't totally killed the mileage. I generally do better in the city than on the highway, but have still managed a few 55mpg tanks on highway road trips (59mpg is my best city).

Commuter car, grocery getter, and summer road tripper--average 10k miles per year.


Winter road trips and ski trips, bad weather commuter and my wife's "daily" driver--expected average 4k miles per year.

I'm still in the world of discovery - bought mine two days ago, and am still marveling at this new wonder!

8 months and 11.5k miles here. 52mpg lifetime - mostly highway/small local trips. Great little car and would buy another if we needed one now. Trunk space (and lack of fold down seats) means we drive the 96 Civic sometimes for picking up large items.

Noel,

Have owned an 07 HCH2 since 2/07. 19k miles so far without any major issues.

One maint item you should check on is the wheel alignment. Have the dealer check this for you before or soon after taking delivery of the vehicle. In my case, although I was getting good FE from my OEM Dunlop tires, the tires wore terribly after only 18k miles. Brought in for new Michelin MXV4s and an alignment check and most of the toe in readings were out of spec.

The HCH2 does what its supposed to - get you good FE without any major problems...

Enjoy!

I've had mine since April:

pro:
good mileage
small and fairly nimble
Honda reliablility

con:
not comfortable for any extended period of driving
just a bar/gauge to show charge/power instead of a nicer display like on other models.

I'll admit I'm not 100% on all the models out there, or trim levels, or options, but our '04 HCH is really nothing more than a 'nice' Civic with great gas mileage.

-Fadi

1991 Mazda Miata to beat Corvettes at the track
1999 Dodge Ram to climb through rocks and brush
2004 Honda Civic Hybrid to make up for the other 2

The issue with the seats is easily solved by raising the front of the seat, as I explained in another thread.
We love the car, a Prius with nav system would have cost at least $6-7,000 more with the tax benefit.
Also, the Prius is really no better at short commutes than the HCH. It still needs to warm up.
While it is not a Corvette, we have no problem with the power available!

I'm six months in on my 2007 model. Some random comments:

• Part of the attraction is the eighth generation Honda Civic. This is one of the best looking compact cars ever made, and a breathtaking advance to the Civic line. The hybrid sedan pushes the design a little further with rooftop antenna, trunk lip spoiler, headlights with black trim mask and amber bulb in clear lens (turn signal), turn signals in side mirrors, and wheels that look great stopped and in motion
• Fit and finish are superb. It really shows that this model has gone through continuous improvement over its lifetime. Everything is where it should be, and the controls feel solid. As far as I'm concerned, the Civic represents the best value in its class: Excellent design without looking or feeling cheap
• The dashboard design is distinctive and daring but it works so well. This has afforded lots of extra storage slots and bins. I wouldn't be surprised if this inspires a design change in other makes and models
• Passenger comfort is spacious and good for a compact sedan. I think that the trunk capacity is a reasonable compromise, and the rear seats and door clearance will handle the bulkier items any ways
• It took me a month or so to find the best driving position, including seat height and tilt, sight lines to the instruments, and arm length to the steering wheel. I know I'm now comfortable for at least two hours driving -- no bum ache or numbing of legs, good & attentive posture, and the active head rests don't bother me any more -- but the limited adjustment of the telescoping and tilting steering wheel has affected the adjustments of my seat
• Auto climate control is the best! Set your temperature and forget about it: Noxious odours entering the car? Press the re-circulate button then press AUTO to go back to normal; A little fogging of the windows? Press MODE once to get some air circulation to the windshield and feet, then press AUTO to go back to normal; If you need defrosting, tap the defrost button to toggle on, then press it again to toggle off. I press the A/C button before arrival to force the A/C unit off. This sounds like more effort than it really is. By adding intelligence to climate control and having the least number of in-drive adjustments, more of my attention goes to driving without worrying about comfort
• Displays are razor-sharp. White characters on blue background is pleasing to look at
• This car is the perfect choice for me: I want to save fuel but I don't want to become obsessed with how to do it, nor do I want to sacrifice safety and comfort. The Civic Hybrid finds the fuel efficiencies for me so I can get on with the driving. I'm saving money and I'm a happier person at the end of the trip.

After researching the car and having a test drive, I knew that I would like the car. Upon delivery, I found it surpassed my expectations. Yeah, I'd place it in the 90-percentile for overall satisfaction so far.

Wow... I think you forgot the green glass unless they got rid of that on the HCH II?