Hey! First time here....

Just curious if the 2006 HCH's are as popular and in such demand as they are here in Raleigh, NC. Everywhere near here has people waiting for their car to arrive, you can pay a $500 partial payment to claim a car that is scheduled to arrive at the dealership.

Needless to say there are no Civic Hybrid's on the lot because they are so popular so you can't test drive them and unless you get lucky and see one before the owner picks it up you won't even be able to look inside of one.

So I took a big chance and went last weekend and paid my $500 to claim a 2006 Galaxy Gray with Navigation System. I haven't even been able to see the inside of one in person, only pictures online. I also have never driven a Hybrid, so I'm a little nervous and very excited at the same time. It's scheduled to arrive the middle of next month and I can't wait. I hope that I am not disappointed, but I can't imagine that I will be. It was a little scary purchasing a car that I wasn't able to test drive or even look inside of. Am I crazy?

Anyone had to do something similar when purchasing your HCH or were they available on the lot to test?

-Morgan

 

i bought mine without driving or seeing one, almost a year ago. it's a 2005, but i knew i wanted one and had driven hondas before, so i trusted that i would get a good vehicle. and i did. i can squeeze 60MPG out of it in the summer, and over 50 in the winter. and as with most hondas, nothing ever really seems to be a problem.

 

If you were to test drive a regular Civic I can imagine it would be a very similar experience, as they are built on the same car.

 

Hi Morgan;

No, you are not crazy. In fact, I have several friends who have not driven the new HCH-II and one has already placed a deposit for an HCH2 almost two weeks ago. I bought mine without doing a test drive as well. Simply put, it is literally impossible to have a test drive when these vehicles are in such high demand. I waited 3 weeks for mine and my friend is going to have to wait more than a month and a half for his.

In my city, most of the units slated for arrival for the next few months are already ear-marked by the municipal utilities and taxi companies making it particularly difficult for regular folks to nail a vehicle for a test drive.

On the conforting side of things (relief) we're talking about a pure Honda product which is always a good and safe statistical bet - especially when making a "blind" purchase. It is an awesome vehicle and well worth the purchase - you will not regret it


Cheers;

MSantos

 

Yeah, I will end up waiting about a month...that is unless it comes in early, which would be wonderful, but I won't get my hopes up! The month is already creeping by because I am waiting!

-Morgan

 

Hi Morgan and Welcome to GREENHYBRID!

No, you are not Crazy...I think we all felt the same as you!
I had only seen pictures on-line aswell and never testdrove until the day I made purchased.

But I did do alot of reading on line and research. Those are the first most important steps in purchase'n a vehicle...especially a Hybrid!

Here in Southern California, we had the same situation...place the Check in the dealers hands and get put on the waiting list!LOL Enjoy the and wait for theto Ringwith the GoodNews on the arrival of your NEW!

Yes, You should be Excited about this purchase and being alittle nervous is normal and OK!!
Were With You... and Excited Too, for You! (The Galaxy Grey is a Nice Color)
Also, remember You are Not bound because you handed them a Check...You have the Right to Change You Mind! But, I doubt you will, you will love this car and it drives Great... "Night and Day" differents compare to my 94 Honda Civic Ex Sedan, which by the way, was a Hot Car back Then and Hard to Get!

Just remember it's NOT a SportsCar and is best enjoyed while driving conservatively,IMO.

Let Us Know When It Gets Here So We Can Celebrate With You!

PPD in So. Cal.

 

Not only I, but my dealer had never seen one when I ordered mine. I was able to tell him all about it from my research, especially here! Read the problems people have had over the past year - doesn't amount to a row of beans! I am now 6 months old and still try to think up reasons for taking it out every day. Each trip you learn something new about it. It is, in my view, a quite exceptional motor car. Enjoy!

 

WOW!!! If a picture is worth a thousand words, you have added 16,000 to your words of encouragement and welcome!!!
Oh, I forgot - !

 

You can get a pretty good feel for the interior and handling if you test drive a non-hybrid Civic. I test drove both and the most noticable differences were the CVT transmission, the braking, and the autostop feature. The CVT gives the car a nice, smooth acceleration and the autostop is pretty cool. The only thing that took a little time to get used to was the regenerative brakes - definitely more sensitive than regular ones.

 

These cars are very popular in Southern Cali. Although both the Prius and HCH II can be purchased without the wait. Or maybe I just was at the right places at the right times several times. When I purchased my car the plastic wheel covers were still on and it had just been delivered. A couple days later while taking my Scion and picking up my other halves Yaris they had a Prius ready to go. Could have bought the car right there. I managed to test drive more than a few HCH's even the older MT's when they were new. You should enjoy the car as long as you aren't power hungry.