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by Yes, I'm the one who asked if a hybrid was worth it and concluded it wasn't (not from a purely economical standpoint, that is). And yet, as of last weekend, I'm a hybrid owner - a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid, to be exact.
I ran across the vehicle in the midst of a search for a well-priced Civic - a search that had previously taken me down forbidden paths. On my wife's recommendation, I checked out a little place run by a Lebanese guy in College Station, TX. He had a number of Civics for sale well below bluebook value, of which a 2004 non-hybrid with 34k miles first caught my attention. When I went to the lot to look at it, though, I noticed a Civic hybrid - a year older, same number of miles, and only $400 more. Per Kelley Blue Book, this was a much better deal (2003 Civic Hybrid vs 2004 Civic). Seeing as the hybrids come with standard power windows/doors, a nicer interior, alloy wheels, and a reputation for maintaining value, it would have been the better deal even if I didn't consider the hybrid functionality.
Speaking of fuel efficiency, the stated mileage is 39 city and 43 highway (quite a bit better than the 25/34 of the non-hybrid Civic from the same year), and I seem to be getting about 2-3 mpg less. This is much more accurate than the short-changing reported prior to the new EPA regulations on hybrid gas mileage went into effect for 2008.
Interestingly, by comparing the revised numbers on FuelEconomy.com with what I reported in my hybrid article a couple of years ago, I found the new regulations resulted in a combined gas mileage drop ranging from 3 to 11 mpg for 2006 hybrids. The better known hybrids (and the Ford Escape) seem to have taken the biggest hits:
- Honda Insight: 63 -> 52
- Toyota Pruis: 55 -> 46
- Honda Civic Hybrid: 50 -> 42
- Mazda Tribute Hybrid 4WD: 31 -> 27
- Ford Escape 2WD: 33 -> 23
- Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4WD: 31 -> 27
- Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2WD: 30 -> 27
- Lexus RX 400h 2WD: 30 -> 27
I'm happy with the purchase - although I've only driven it for a few days now. Knowing I'm getting the most out of my gas feels good - especially when the engine shut off while I'm sitting in traffic. Plus, watching the fuel efficiency and battery charge/assist feedback is like a fun little game.
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We all worry about gas mileage and efficiency as the prices keep going up, but one thing that is not always factored into the overall picture is how far a person drives, and how this might effect their decision on whether to bother being more fuel efficient at all. 15 years ago I used to travel about 50 miles round trip to work and back. My wife traveled about 35. Now I travel about 12 (round trip) and my wife a whopping 2! My gasoline bill is more or less the same now as it was 15 years ago on average, and that includes running the kids around all over the place on top of that. In the next 6 months my company will be moving to less than a mile of my house meaning I could drive a Sherman tank to work and still be inside my usage from 15 years ago.
(Actually, I will probably ride my bike or walk when weather permits.)
The point is, total energy and money savings are also derived from how far you drive as well as how efficient your vehicle is.
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Civic hybrid mileage trends by Brandon :: NR9 :: on 15 November 2007
I recently ran across the 2008 Civic Hybrid and noticed it gets about the same gas mileage as my 2003. I looked up the fuel economy trends for the Civic over the years and found only a very slight upward trend:
Does anyone else think this is odd? I guess they might be putting money into other things (e.g., emissions, horsepower, etc.) and that maintaining the same gas mileage while improving these represents an overall step up. Or, perhaps they are taking a rest from the hybrid development business while they wait to recoup their initial investment into the technology...