Electric Vehicle Forums - carpages.ca road test of 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid

Please note that this is a Canadian market review, where the pricing is still generally higher than in USA. The Civics are in the range of $16k to $26k here, and there is no navigation option.

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Moving inside, I wouldn't call the Civic Hybrid feature-packed. To come to think of it, it's actually a base model being that no optional packaging exists. So, the Civic Hybrid is the Civic Hybrid with no LX or EX designation, if you know what I mean. Apart from automatic climate control, a decent stereo system and cruise control, you won't find any luxury features here. And for a little over $26,000, this is really unexpected. The seats are manually adjustable and don't have lumbar support, there's no interior auto-dimming mirror, the rear seats don't fold flat, there's no leather, and there's no traction or stability control. But you do get a battery pack that sits behind the rear seats. And it's an expensive battery pack at that, as I can't justify it costing almost 10 grand more than a base Honda Civic Sedan. But, I guess you do have to be fair. The Civic Hybrid sets itself apart from regular Civics by its rear trunk-mounted spoiler, roof-mounted antennae, 15-inch lightweight aluminum alloy wheels featuring low rolling resistance tires, side mirror integrated LED turn signal indicators, and a rear "Hybrid" badge. Inside, you'll find a digital instantaneous fuel consumption meter (in L/100 km or MPG) to the left of the digital speedometer. I personally don't like constantly being reminded of my driving habits, so I like the fact that I can have it display the coolant temperature instead. Many say the constant buzzing sounds you hear from the hybrid system are a distraction. I find it very cool, and I'm sure many fans of hybrids out there agree. It's like a turbocharged car without its turbo whine - where's the fun in that?

http://www.carpages.ca/go/roadtest/2...road_test.aspx

It's a very good article, but I'm concerned about one statement that is a bit of a mislead. Kevin compares the pricing of the hybrid to a base model Civic, suggesting that the battery pack is worth up to $10,000. Obviously that is not the case, nor was it deliberately intended, but I would have preferred that he used a more reasonable model trim comparison. I believe the hybrid sits somewhere between a Civic LX, Civic EX, and Acura CSX, taking into consideration the A/C, cruise and audio controls on steering wheel, auto transmission, alloy wheels, secondary 12V port, etc. Then the hybrid adds auto climate control, which no other Civic has, except for the luxury Acura CSX. I would have said the hybrid is better than an EX, except for the lack of moonroof, the non-folding rear seats and more moderate wheel and brake arrangement.

Any ways, it curls my toes to see exaggeration in the price premium of hybrids. Packaging and features of a hybrid pile up on the price tag of a base model. For example, the Nissan Altima Hybrid is not comparable to an Altima 2.5; It's comparable to an Altima 2.5SL, feature-wise ($3,500 difference, not $10,000). My Honda Civic Hybrid (2007) is actually slightly cheaper than a Civic LX, thanks to government rebates (both federal and provincial).