It is August 11 2004 and I finally did it! After checking with the local dealer and confirming that the Magneisum HCH manual would be an '05 and that it would cost list but no more, I put a $500 deposit on this little gem. It is scheduled to be made in October with delivery expected in early November.

Congrats. When you get it, bump up your tire pressure to at least 40 PSI and you'll notice better mileage.
Also -- nice vette. Are you on the corvette forum?

Greg

'04Civic Hybrid

Thanks.

No, I'm really not that into the car. Mind you it is an awesome machine in some ways, but in others it is just GM junk.

Hi Lakedude:

___Congrats are in order. You did place a refundable security deposit down, right? Sometimes, you just never know …

___I never liked the dash of any GM including the Vette and the Caddy’s other then the Old’s Aurora when it first came out but that Vette engine of yours is one efficient and powerful SOB as you well know.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

Yeah, everything involved with making the car go, stop, and turn is absolutely fantastic, world class stuff. It is a looker as well.

The nitpicks are as follows:

The seats have no lumbar support and are a bit too loose so they jiggle when driving hard.

The dual zone climate control is great most of the time but it will not let you put recirculated air on the windshield. GM's idea is that the outside air is dryer, which is true on a sunny day when you are all hot and sweaty, but is totally false when it is raining out. The fresh air position is not just a default that comes on when defog is pressed, you are actually locked out of the recirulate option. This does not become an issue very often but when it does come up it makes me so mad I want to kill who ever designed it.

The power windows quit working from under use.

The runflats are darn expensive.

I know what you mean about the GM interior quality. I've had a C4 and C5 (and probably will have another vette). Performance-wise, I couldn't complain. The C5 seats kind of suck, though. Of course, if GM made the interior the same quality as the performance, it would be a lot more expensive.

Greg

'04Civic Hybrid

Way to go lakedude!
I'm sure you'll like the manual. It's great to hear of someone who knows when to stop researching and just go for it.

So what happens to the 'Vette in November?

Eric Powers

MHG Organizer - www.MadisonHybridGroup.com
Hybridfest 2008 - A Hybrid Electric Car Show and More! www.hybridfest.com
Madison, WI July 19 & 20, 2008

I don't know. The Vette is killin me on Insurance and Tires and Taxes. The HCH will save me a little money in gas and tires even if I keep the Vette. The only way to make the whole thing pay off is to say bye bye to the Vette. If I sell the Vette within 45 days of buying the HCH I save sales tax as well. It would be stupid to keep it but that doesn't mean I won't keep it. For all its flaws it is still quite a car, one that has never been wrecked and runs/drives perfect.

By getting rid if it I'd save $1200 in sales tax, $50 a month on insurance (compared to HCH), $70 a month in tires, $42 in gas (at $2.00 a gallon) and actually nothing on personal property tax because the new HCH is worth about the same as the used Vette.

By keeping it I'd loose the $1200 deduction in sales tax, have to come up with $100 extra a month in insurance for the Vette plus $50 for the HCH for a total of $100 a month extra over trading the Vette. It would cost about $35 extra a month in personal property tax to keep both cars. Assuming Vette usage is cut in half the extra cost of tires of both over just the HCH would be about $35 a month. Gas would be $21 a month for both over driving just the HCH.

Grand total $1200 plus $191 per month to keep the Vette.