Honda Civic Hybrid

By: Andy Hodges
Published: Jul 14, 2009
Updated: Mar 13, 2010

Articles - Honda Civic Hybrid City/Highway MPG Ratings

One of the best cars known for its nice interior and room is the Honda Civic Hybrid. The Honda Hybrid makes use of a newly designed continuously variable transmission (CVT) that allows the gasoline engine to operate in its most effective ranges. Shifting is smoother on the Civic in comparison to many other compact cars.

Honda Civic Hybrid Mileage

The vehicle offers 40 mpg in the city, 45 mpg on the highway, and is powered by a 1.3-liter 4 cylinder gasoline engine. The base MSRP for the 2009 Civic Hybrid is $22,600. Some consumers have reported annual gas savings of $1,400.

Saving money on gas and helping our environment should be the primary reason for owning one of these new Honda cars. However, it's nearly impossible to do the math on what you will save annually on gas because each of different driving habits, and the price of gasoline is not stable. The good news about owning a better automobile that offers fuel-efficiency is that you don't have to worry so much when fuel costs rise again.

Battery Pack

There is some debate going on right now regarding the battery packs in new automobiles. Honda cars use the flat nickel-metal-hydride battery pack while other automakers are moving towards lithium-ion. In comparison, the lithium-ion weighs less, provides longer battery life, can tolerate different temperatures, but the automaker doesn't believe that they are better than nickel-metal-hydride.

If you study the auto industry, especially the newer vehicles coming out in 2010 and 2011, they are moving towards lithium-ion. If this becomes true, it doesn't mean you have to buy a new battery or switch to the new technology. If your Honda Civic comes with a nickel-metal-hydride battery, then it is built for that type, and it's better not to mess with it since most warranties will cover it up to 10 years.

Features

The Civic Hybrid can deactivate all four of its cylinders and while using only the electric motor in certain low-speed cruising conditions. The electric motor has 15 kilowatts and can produce a combined 110-horsepower for the car. Fuel economy is enhanced by the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system that also provides better performance.

Another great feature is the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System that has a 6.5-inch display. The audio system has an internal single-disc CD player, digital audio-card reader that can play MP3 and Windows Media 3 Audio (WMA) files from CompactFlash 4 cards. The Honda Civic Hybrid navigation system features more than 7 million points of interest and the voice activation can control the navigation menus and the audio system, along with entering city and street names.