The Honda Civic Hybrid - A New Breed Of Car

By: Joe Bella

The Honda Civic Hybrid is one of those marvels of automotive
technology that combines the new world of electrical power with
the old world of fossil fuels. It may be a marvel of automotive
technology, but is it worth the higher price tag? After all, the
regular 2006 Honda Civic sedan has a pretty incredible MPG
rating, is the hybrid version that much better?

Well, the answer to that really depends. I'd say yes, no, and
maybe all at once. The Honda Civic Hybrid gets an amazing
50-MPG, which is about the same on both cities and highways.
This isn't the highest MPG rating out there amongst hybrid
vehicles, but it is very good and quite consistent. Owning one
will certainly save you money on gas right away. Also, as a
certified partial-zero emissions vehicle (AT-PZEV), you really
aren't hurting the environment at all by driving one of these
things.

If everyone in the United States had this type of vehicle, the
US would not only be completely self-sufficient with its own oil
reserves, but would be able to export large amounts of oil to
other countries.

So, if those are issues that are important to you, the new
models may be worth looking into just for their environmentally
friendly attitude. All hybrid vehicles are still in a somewhat
early stage of the technology, however, so they are slightly
more prone to technical difficulties. Maintenance costs on your
Honda Civic Hybrid may out weigh any money you save in gas. Yet
the reduced impact on the environment is of course the same
nevertheless.

The new 2006 model has also undergone some upgrades, making it
even more attractive. Like the other Honda Civics, it has gotten
of makeover, and looks a whole lot sharper than before. One of
the biggest draw backs on the first version for me was its odd
appearance. The new ones actually look like regular new cars,
and are much better looking than the competing cars of this
nature.

Personally, I'm opting to wait before diving into the hybrid
market. Since the sedan gets between 30 and 40 MPG, which in
itself is extremely good, I feel safer using the older yet more
proven and more reliable gas technology. However, the Honda
Civic Hybrid is certainly getting better each year, and I'm sure
I'll be reevaluating my thoughts on the idea of getting one
soon.

About the author:
Joe has enjoyed unique and muscle cars for over 2 decades and
knows which ones bring the best trade-in values as well as
horsepower. For his latest car articles, see: Car and Auto Articles