Hello

I am looking into buying a hybrid vehicle and I’ve done a lot a research on the subject. I have narrowed my choices done to the Honda Civic Hybrid 2007 and the Toyota Prius 2007 and that is where I am stuck. Both cars are appealing but at this point I am leaning more towards the Civic mainly because of the price difference. The IMA system seems less complicated than Synergy therefore maybe less chances of problems. I like the fact that Prius can move on electric motor alone. From what I read in users reviews the average MPG seem to be about the same for both vehicles; the Prius leading a bit.

I guess at this point what I’m looking for is opinions

G Gerard

If you do mostly freeway driving, I would give the Civic hybrid the nod.

If you often are in stop and go traffic, or city traffic, I would give the Prius the nod as it will run in EV (off the battery) for a mile or more. The Honda IMA system typically stops and restarts the engine as you press and release the brake pedal when stopped.

Some folks feel the Civic Hybrid does better in snow/ice than the Prius. Perhaps someone else will comment further.

Some Priuses have been used for Taxi service and gone well past 200,000 miles without any problems with the engine, traction battery or HSD system.

Test drive both of them to help make up your mind. You may find something bugs you about one or the other.

I ended up with the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

From what I have read on this forum, it seems that the Civic hybrid system is less transparent in operation. I highly recommend just test driving both since they are so similar in performance, though I personally would not consider the Civic simply because the Prius is a hatchback and has room for our dogs.

LiberalImage.com

i went thru the same process. in the end, the deciding factor for me was the fact that the civic looks like a regular car as opposed to some kind of lunar module. the only thing i like better about the prius is the fold-down back seat. overall, i am very satisfied with my decision and have no regrets.

By all accounts these are two fine vehicles and you could hardly go wrong with either. However now that we are hearing about Prius sales incentives you might be able to push both dealers a bit and see who can give you the best number. A fun time to buy a hybrid car, I would say.

DAS

Since nobody has so far, I will put in my own personal plug for the HCH. It's a great car- I absolutely love mine. I have the HCH I, not the newer HCH II (which is what the 2007 model is) so my comparison shopping, which came down to the same decision you face, is a little bit old, but I think that many of the same principles still apply.

1) the Prius is more expensive. This is a deal breaker for many people. But there isn't a wait anymore, and the pricing is apparently getting more competitive, so if you decide you want the Prius, you can try negotiating and see how you do.
2) the Civic is a little bit smaller. I did not care about this, particularly. You might.
3) the Prius is rated at significantly better fuel efficiency. You can check our database for more accurate numbers, which reflect real-life results from actual car owners. Currently the Prius II averages 48 and the Civic II averages 46. These numbers have changed a bit over time- but the difference has never been close to the EPA ratings difference. It's a couple mpg- and individual results vary far above and below the averages. You can do as well or better in an HCH than a Prius, but that's going to depend on you and your driving conditions, etc.
4) You mention a difference in the EV mode. I understand that the HCH II has some new features in terms of moving while on the electric motor that my car doesn't have, but I will leave all comments on that subject to someone who knows more about it than me.
5) Then there's the 'image' factor. Some people like the fact that the Prius looks a little alien and stands out in a crowd. Some people like the fact that the HCH looks like a non-hybcar and blends in with 'regular' cars.
6) For me, one of the big deciding factors was the rear spoiler in the middle of the Prius's windshield. I felt like it was a safety issue for me, because I couldn't see out the back very well. This is apparently not a problem in the Prius II design. But it's little wacky stuff like that which is really noticeable during a test drive but you'd possibly never know about just by doing research- and only you can say how much some quirk like that bothers you.

Good luck! It's a hard decision, but really you can't go wrong, because they're both fantastic cars. Welcome to Green Hybrid and I hope you enjoy whatever car you decide to buy.

Thank you for all your advice. I enjoyed reading your comments.

They have helped me a lot

have you made a decision? if so, what did you decide and why?

These replies form a really good comprehensive look at it. The only thing I saw was missing was that some Prius owners have commented on some visibility issues - a test drive would clear that up for you. I don't think you'll find may, if any, Prius or HCH owners who are disappointed.

I'll throw in one more consideration for you - I *think* the 2007 Nissan Altima will be offered in hybrid. It's based on the first-gen Prius technology, so will have similar characteristics. I'll bet it's more of a race-car though - most Nissans are. If you manage to drive one, would love to know what you thought.

*** Retired after 65,000 outstanding miles ***

Right now I am about 75% for the HCH mainly because of looks and price.
I am also a bit apprehensive about the 550V in the Prius compared to about 150V for HCH. Just wondering how safe this would be if ever the live of the battery would ever come in contact with the car chassis if ever the vehicle was involved in an accident or something.

I have not yet done any test driving of the HCH or Prius so I will now move to that step and see how it affects my opinion of these two vehicles.

I have another concern though that I can’t seem to find much info on and that is EMF levels. During the test drive I plan to measure EMF levels in different parts of the vehicles to see if any levels are detectable and over the 2.5 mG safety levels stated by the USA Environmental Protection Agency.

Any thoughts on this?

I will post any findings on this web site under “EMF level tests”