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Honda’s Hybrid Joins the Mainstream

By Brian Douglas
Autoeditor.com

Whenever I hear someone whine about the auto industry’s irresponsibility by continuing to sell large, feature-laden, gas-guzzling SUVs, I ask if they’ve considered any of the growing number of green cars. Not counting the super golf carts cropping up to earn zero-emission credits for manufacturers, there are currently three true hybrids on the market, using both gas and electricity to lower fuel bills and help save the planet.

Though both these five-passenger, compact sedans are close to the same size and price, they each take a different approach in dividing up the electric and gas power chores. The Prius uses its electric power principally during stop-and-go driving to deliver great fuel efficiency in the city, while the Civic adds the electric motor’s torque to help its small, efficient gas engine move with some dispatch.

While Honda’s engineering philosophy hasn’t changed from the Insight, it has greatly reduced the complexity and improved the packaging of the Civic. Instead of electric motors mounted on the rear axle to add power to a gas engine living up front, the new system is packaged together in a single front-drive assembly. A separate control module and battery package reside in the Civic’s rear to provide good balance. The components can ride anywhere in future models.

Honda’s unique hybrid packaging will help the company in two important ways: by reducing the cost and complexity of building new Civics, and by dramatically increasing the potential for more hybrids. To underscore the last point, Honda could easily produce hybrid versions of its popular CRV or upcoming Element SUVs, since both are based on Civics. The result could attract environmentally aware young buyers.

In the meantime, the Civic is a good-looking compact sedan that costs a little more than its gasoline-only sibling. In fact, the styling changes to the Hybrid add to its tailored, clean appearance, in sharp contrast to the rather eclectic design of most eco-friendly offerings.

In both curb appeal and relative performance, the newest Honda is an easy car to live with. The gas engine’s rather modest 85 horsepower and 87 foot-pounds of torque might test a driver’s patience if it were left on its own to pull 2,600 pounds around. But when you add the electric motor’s 46 foot-pounds of quick torque to the mix, the total adds up to a bit more than the standard Civic. That’s not to suggest you should challenge other compacts to speed contests, but it’s enough power to keep up with normal traffic.

The new hybrid handles nearly as well as the conventional Civic, giving up small penalties for weight and low-rolling resistance tires. The only noticeable difference in the driving experience is the engine quitting on its own when you come to a stop. No worries; it restarts as soon as you’re ready to get under way again, saving fuel and reducing pollution.

Two Civic Hybrid models are available: a five-speed, standard transmission version or an automatic with advanced, continuously variable transmission design. The five-speed will appeal to many Civic drivers who enjoy shifting for themselves and hope to squeeze out all the power they can. But the CVT automatic is so efficient around town, it delivers two more miles per gallon than the stick shift.

Honda has done a great job of keeping the choices simple. Two fully-equipped Hybrids are available in a variety of colors. The five-speed version retails for $19,990, including freight charges, and the CVT version can be had for an additional $1,000. Features like climate control and side air bags are standard, along with a long list of equipment that you’d normally expect to pay extra for in the compact class.

With gas prices inching up these days, some buyers may reconsider buying vehicles that drink as if they’re sailors on a three-day leave and instead give the newest Honda a try. It’s a great way to contribute to the environment without sacrificing performance.