Probably the more important (and documentable) cause of injury (whiplash) with rear end collisions is lack of active head restraints. I would look at those crash results and decide if you want a car without it. The structural integrity of the rear end, especially for the front seat passengers, is less important. That and the side curtain airbags were the main safety reasons I traded in my 03 Accord for an 06 Civic (Hybrid). I used to drive Volvos.

 

I bought my HCH II in Feb. b/c 1) I liked the styling better 2) it included more safety features and 3) I didn't have to wait forever and fight (as much) over a price. I drive more highway miles on average and am able to stay in the 47-49 mpg range. My miles per gallon went up considerably after 3500 or so miles, to the mid-high 40's, once as high as 55 mpg. Initially, mileage was lower so don't be alarmed by a low mpg reading on the dash meter (the dash meter is off, too). I got many more features, including a navigation system, for less than a loaded Pruis and paid ~$500 under sticker, impossible to do for a Pruis in Chicago. Would I look at a Pruis in the future when my wife's lease runs out? Sure. Am I quite happy with the HCH's features, function, acceleration, etc? Yes. For the price it is hard to beat, especially with the whole federal tax credit which will soon, if not already, be phased out on the Pruis. My HCH cost ~$1000 more than a Civic EX after the credit. FOr a predominantly highway commute get the HCH. FOr a city driver it is harder to get the really high mileage figures with an HCH II. Safety was a consideration too. As a full-time paramedic I've seen many crashes and all the standard design features, airbags and high crash test ratings did help sway me. Others will disagree its just my 2 cts worth.

 

I have to agree. When a dealer informs me that I'm lucky to be getting a Prius at MSRP it encourages you to buy from somebody else. You would think that they know that.

 

Simple. I wanted a car that looks normal and has a manual transmission. To this day, I think that even the lowly Pontiac(?) Aztek looks better than a Prius.

 

I bought my '06 Civic Hybrid (instead of an '06 Prius) more or less purely on the interior design and the way each car displays what it's hybrid system is doing. I like the exterior of the Prius, but the interior just flat out sucks imho. With the HCHs (even the HCH2s) the interior is much more traditional....theres a reason it's "traditional", it works and thats what people want. I also like the way Honda chooses to display when (AND HOW MUCH) assist the electric motor is giving or how much regenerative braking you're getting. Obviously I wish my HCH had the better low speed all electric cruise mode like the prius, but I also like the fact that everytime I step off the gas pedal the car isn't using any gas, it's easier to "glide" in. Too bad they can't take the best of both worlds huh.

 

1/ Style

2/ Comfort

3/ Shorter waiting list

4/ Near as spit FE figures

5/ $7k less

6/ It's just plain nice!

 

1) Interior. The interior of the Prius looks cheap and plasticky, which is an impressive feat, since we know that it's really not. The interior of the HCH2 is much more inviting.

2) Honda. I've been a fan of Hondas since the first one I ever rode in. This is our 3rd.

3) Test Drive. As soon as we drove the Civic, there was no question.

4) Dealers. The Toyota dealers around here were obnoxious. The Prius is a great product, but that doesn't mean you have to be a jerk about it.

That said, I do wish the HCH2 could start off and do low-speed driving on electric only. The Prius would've been a more practical choice for our traffic, and the fold-down rear seats would've been handy. But I'm happy with our choice, and would make it again.

 

1. First- thank goodness for the Prius! The high volume of cars that Toyota can make in the form of the Prius is helping our environment as well s lessening our dependence on foreign oil. So hats off to Toyota and all Prius owners. A smart move. I mean it.

2. I picked the Honda Civic Hybrid becuase when I sat in the car, I thought " Man, this is cool-- why wouldn't I want to buy this.?"

3. Structurally, the Honda is both safer and more stable. The combination of how its brakes and suspension react to driving coniditons is quite favorable.

4. The Civic Hybrid 2006 also doesnt look like a video game as far as the DASH. I really don't like that electronic diagram in the Prius with the energy motion to the wheels and engines and things. Too distracting and in the wrong place too.

5. Customer service- Honda at its national level keeps its dealers in line when it comes to customer service. They are more sensitive to complaints. Toyota dealerships are patently offensive and rude and staffed with folks you really wouldn't want as your neighbors. Just a bunch of a-holes for the most part. Too many Toyota owners are mistreated too frequently. Its the rule rather than the exception.

6. Smarter engine/IMA design. AS they say " Its built for the night." Lets see what the next Prius design is like however.

 

1. The Gold front, side, and rear crash test rating by the IIHS.
2. I believed, through my research that the HCH II would return better highway mpg. I do most of my driving on the highway and also wanted to maximize highway range per tank.
3. I very much liked the Navigation and audio system of the HCH II. I particularily liked the ability to insert and play music from a compact flash card.
4. Having driven both, I much preferred the handling of the HCH II.
5. I preferred the looks of the HCH II.
6. The HCH II cost less.

 

The mileage does tend to get better over time both with breaking in the car (and the tires!) and also with learning how to drive it for the best FE.

We bought the Civic as a Certified Used car so it was already "broken in" but the Accord was a new car, so it really did take about 5-6 months to really get the mileage up in the "expected" range.

(And then of course you have seasonal changes too - warm weather FE is going to be better than cold weather.)