I finally took the plunge and bought a "new to me" car today - a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. Price point was pretty good, and I was able to get a 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty with it. Getting used to the engine randomly shutting off as it switches to electrical (or just off completely at stop lights) will take getting used to, but it's nice to have a quiet car. Also has a nice interior/amenities (including iPod hookup), etc. Here's some picks of the vehicle (not mine specifically, but color & paint matches what I bought today) Mrs. Odin and I actually test drove a Prius, but we actually liked the Civic better. Plus, we figure car payments will more than make up for the gas prices we are going to see this summer. Overall, it's nice to be in this century (our previous car was a 1994 Pontiac Bonneville).
God for you bro I just my driver liesince and I just got a 1994 Ford Turuas it is in good condition it only has 44,000 miles on it I am hoping to get a Civic SI soon Mine is green
I am seriously thinking about taking the train now. It cost me 45.00 to fill my 11.9 gallon tank on my Toyota Matrix XRS this morning.
Nice job, Odin. Looks like a very good car, and that's a nice warranty you have there. The Civic is already good with mileage, and the hybrid version should be even kinder to your wallet.
It's closer to an indigo blue ... not quite purple. Interior is a dark blue with light tan details, pretty nice. Exterior is a dark blue that sparkles with silver as well. I may take some actual pics and post them if I get bored.
hey Odin. what specifically did you like better about th Honda? The wife and I will be looking into a hybrid very soon and Ive been doing some research. I'm partial to Hondas myself.(Have owned 4 ). But the prius seems to offer more power and room. And is less expensive. But I like the styling of the civic more then the prius. I'm trying to make up my mind. TIA PS I like the color you chose. Would be my choice as well.
Wanna be sick? I just filled up my BMW X5 with premium @ 4.13 a gal. Total fill up was $91.62. We also have a leased Audi A4 that goes back in Dec. Thats why we're looking into a hybrid
Keep in mind the Prius we tested was actually a 2003 model, so we didn't actually test drive one of the new ones. For us, the main thing we immediately noticed was the comfort level of the front seats. I'm a big guy, and the Civic was actually quite a bit more roomy for me personally. I also didn't like the center mounted console in the Prius (even the speedometer is in the center of the dash), and the shifter partially blocked the radio controls. The Prius was white - a color I hate on a car, unless it's a GT40. Both of the hybrids drove equally well, the variable transmission leaves the driver with no sense of lurch when shifting. At the end of the experience we just liked the polish and finish of the Civic when compared to the Prius. I can't speak to whether these issues have been fixed on later versions of the Prius (if anyone has one and can speak to it, feel free), but it was simply more "comfortable" driving the Civic. One other hybrid we wanted to test was a Malibu, but it was a little out of our price range (30k), and the dealer didn't actually have any in stock.
Thankyou. Now I know what to look for when we actually get to the test drives. I appreciate the info. Another thing that may lead me to the Honda, is that Toyota doesnt offer the Prius in Blue. But I have 2 babies. which means 2 strollers. which means i need all the cargo space I can get. Prius has 16 cu. ft. of it while the Civic only has 10. We'll see how it goes. The wife likes the Prius, while I like the Civic. It may just come down to price. Anyway. Thanks again for the helpful info, bro.
Nice choice bro. My experience has been that you can never go wrong with civics and camry's. Those things seem to go like the energizer bunny... I bought an 06 camry at the end of 05, no miles on it....knock on wood never anything except scheduled maintenance with about 26,000 on it now.
Nice whip, but if gas mileage is your concern you should have gone with one of the old Honda Insights - Ugly as sin, but they actually got 46 - 50 mpg. Ever since the Insight Hybrids have gotten worse gas mileage with each new release. The Honda Civic just barely out does the normal civic in gas mileage. The Prius is much better, but also getting worse. Are we to believe that Honda and Toyota designers are getting dumber? Or could it just be another example of big oil suffocating any development into fuel efficient automobiles? I know which one I think it is...
What can I say? i dont drive that much in long distances, I hate filling up for gas, and it has the prerequisite sunroof/spoiler/v6/ipod jack etc that I will use.
if you are worried about gas prices, look into TDi's.... they are cheaper than hybrids, faster, get the same gas mileage, and you won't have to worry about spending $5-10G's replacing a battery pack in a couple of years.
VW Jetta turbodiesel wagon. check ebay: http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Cars-Tr...ettaQ20dieselQ20wagonQQ_catZ6001QQ_pcatsZ6000 i did a search for "jetta diesel wagon" and found 12 late-model jettas (results) under $20k
Congrats on the new ride, bro. However, I'm still amazed that people are buying into the hybrid hype. You're actually losing money. By way of comparison amongst the ranks of Toyotas alone, and using base models... Yaris - MSRP $11,350, mpg highway - 35 Corolla - MSRP $15,520, mpg highway - 35 Prius - MSRP $21,100, mpg highway - 48 So you pay $5,580 more than a Corolla, and $9,750 more than a Yaris. Let's say gas is $3.85 a gallon, and you drive 15K a year only on highways. (unrealistic, but go with it for now) You'd spend $1,203 on gas for the year with the Prius. For the Corolla and Yaris you'd spend $1,649 a year. A difference of $446. You'd have the drive the Prius for 12 1/2 years to make up for what you'd have gotten with the Corolla...and for almost 23 years to make up the difference in price from the Yaris. Yikes. Don't believe the hype. The "smaller carbon footprint" argument may hold water...but the "saving money" one is poked full of holes.
to piggyback on what Pagan is saying, they also don't count costs of battery replacements which have a lifespan of like 5 years. AND hybrids rarely get the "EPA" figures they are quoted at.... very few Prius owners have actually reported getting anything more than 45 mpg.... food for thought. to the OP: The civic hybrid is a good car....
Bingo. Mileage numbers are just estimates. It all depends on how you drive. If you're one of those guys who considers a stop light to be a drag strip, you're going to get less mileage than the guy who's toting an imaginary case of chandeliers. Gas prices are going to come down in the future anyway, so I would worry more about safety and features over mileage. But then again, I'm in the market for a CUV, so...
Just over a year ago, I researched Hybrids' HARDKORE. It is impossible to get the money back that you save on gas..absolutely IMPOSSIBLE. I figured and figured on spreadsheets till I was blue in the face. I REALLY wanted to be saving money in the long-run, but until the price of them comes down to....oh a few 100 over the same regular car, it will remain to be IMPOSSIBLE And as Tex mentioned, the upkeep (Something that everybody seems to overlook ) is much higher. Still a nice car, and I am sure it will feel good to drive on the same tank of gas for a couple of weeks, dont spend all that money you are "Saving" too quickly..
OMG, are you serious Why dont you just neuter yourself right now.... I think I would rather drive this: Or perhaps even one of these beauty's
Great post Pagan ... 3 reasons I got a hybrid: 1) I'm pulling an Al Gore and saving the environment (my house even has compact fluorescents, lol). It's a bit freaky to pull up to stoplights and hear the engine switch completely off. 2) My existing car (a 1994 Bonneville) had over 200k miles on it, and averaged around 18 mpg. 3) We figured the price of gas would help offset the increased cost of a hybrid. I'd rather have a $300 car payment and a $100 gasoline bill, as opposed to a $250 car payment and a $150 gasoline bill ... again, it goes back to my first reason. I agree that hybrids aren't as good as advertised, by the way. We've had cars that averaged 50, even 60 mpg for sale, but none of those calls are on the market any more. The first and second generation Priuses actually get better gas mileage than the current model. I'm sure that, with today's technology, automakers could make an affordable 75 mpg+ vehicle. We just won't see it. Enough about conspiracy theories. I've got a sweet ride to go get waxed!
Huh? Not a fan of hybrids. I prefer to make the enviornment my little boitch by driving an 8mpg muscle car. God Bless America
yes i am serious... more serious than someone who posts bad image links. Jetta wagons can be cool. some examples: i just suggested wagon b/c he was talking about needing room to haul stuff..... they make diesel sedans and diesel golf/rabbits..... and heck, they make diesel beetles and passats too. I don't think any other manufacturer actually produces more diesels than VW.
Late model Jetta Diesels are where it's at if gas mileage is your number one concern. I used to have a 2003 Jetta Diesel. I still miss it sometimes. Once went 700 miles on 13 gallons of fuel.
OK so let me get this straight because I am not that big of a car guy ....dad's a mechanic but I guess I saw so much car stuff as a kid I decided to do anything but that...although I started off pretty good but after getting pulled over a few times for going 100+ MPH that was the death blow. Anyway...I am also looking to get a new car SOON... Was thinking about a hybrid but wasnt sure about the cost of one versus say a Yaris... Thing is you guys on here say the battery on the hybrids go out..I read an article by a Toyota rep (I know they are biased) that said they dont really think that replacing the batteries are much of an issue since they havent had to replace ANY since the first hybrid hit the road 7-8 years ago....I thought that was wack but I have not heard of anyone having to replace the battery yet either so yeah... You guys also mention that if I am in the market to get a car that gets awesome gas mileage I should go with a Jetta Diesel type....so Diesel cars get better gas mileage than unleaded cars? Why?
Not all diesel cars get better gas mileage. But the older VW turbo diesels get excellent mileage. Why? I'm not sure. You would have to ask somebody more mechanically inclinded than myself.
its just a function of how diesel burns and the energy it produces. Diesel cars have lower hp, but much higher torque. torque is what makes you move..... the older (mid/late 90's) VW TDis had like 90 hp, but over 120 lb/ft of torque.... and they would kill the civic VX's of the day in a drag race, and get better gas mileage. diesel just burns more efficiently. you must get a turbodiesel though, as regular diesel cars are just slow as hell. the older mercedes diesels (i'm talking 80's here), and older VW diesels (70's and 80's) are freakin SLOW. the mid-late 90's turbodiesel VWs are relatively quick, quiet, no black smoke, and get proven 45+ mpg. now, you can just as the same get a base civic (non hybrid) or base yaris and get pretty solid MPG (low 30's), and its not the same as a TDi, but its more than acceptable. remember gas is still cheaper than diesel
Something worth mentioning is that Diesel fuel is not always more expensive than gas. I can remember times where diesel was significantly cheaper than gasoline. As early back as 2003 - early 2005. Not sure why this is. I think it has something to do with the way Diesel fuel is stored. It is either quicker or slower to respond to changes in supply and demand.
diesel wasn't always more expensive than gas, true, but it has been more expensive than gas for at least the last 8 years or so, and there are no signs that it will drop in price below regular unleaded. The oil companies allege it costs more to refine diesel (which is hogwash).... they just want to capitalize on all the thrifty people driving diesels.
