I just bought a regular Honda Civic LX 2009, but really wanted a hybrid. All the posts on this site and some other folks pushed me against the hybrid as the battery seemed to have issues, and reduced mileage over time especially in the city. But with all the idling in town, waiting for people with the heat on, I still kind of wish I’d got the hybrid. Any thoughts on a 2009 Hybrid out there? Tom and Ray don’t talk about Hybrid’s much, so wondering what experience or knowledge of the 08-09 hybrids do they still have the same issues (I don’t want a prius)
People who own the Civic Hydrid are very happy with their cars, according to a recent issue of Consumer Reports. The car received an 80% satisfaction rating. Not the highest recorded, but pretty good.
If you really want a hybrid, there is a new Insight sedan coming soon from Honda. Perhaps that would be the car for you.
All I have seen about them has indicated my initial expectations were wrong and they are doing far better than I expected. I am not a real hybrid fan, I get better mileage with my diesel than most or all hybrids seem to get, but I have been impressed that several manufacturers have been able to produce a market level car with the new complex technology and do it with as few issues as they have.
If you would like one, I would say go ahead. I would expect you to get back all plus or nearly all of the additional cost (original and secondary).
USA Today carried a review of the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid yesterday (Jan 9 09) High points,nice seats,low points,expensive,underpowered,noisy,you can go online and read for yourself (stores probably have Fridays paper still on the rack today, Sat.)
Too late by far. Enjoy your present car. If you drive it for four years and you total it, you will still be ahead. As usual, some other folks always sound like they know what’s happening. We should tune em out sometimes. Maybe even now. You don’t want a Prius? Could it be the styling? Citroen could do as well.
The university where I am employed has Honda Civic hybrids in its fleet. I’m not certain whether the one I drove last Fall to a convention was a 2006 or a 2007. I picked up my research partner who teaches at another institution 50 miles away. She has a 2007 or 2008 Honda Civic which isn’t a hybrid. She drove a lot of the way and said that she prefered her Honda to the hybrid. She thought her Honda had better acceleration. The Honda hybrid averaged about 41 miles per gallon on this trip, which was mostly highway driving. My friend’s non hybrid Honda comes close to that mileage, but her Honda has a manual transmission.
They’re good, but that’s water under the bridge, isn’t it? You now have an '09 Civic LX, and it would make no sense to trade, unless you got an amazing (unlikely) deal. With gas prices under $2, don’t lose sleep over this. You’re likely money ahead with the LX.
Enjoy the car you have, not the one you left behind. There is nothing to be gained by considering this.