Main Issues You Should Know Before Buying A Hybrid Car

Price.

One of the biggest issues of people who want to buy a hybrid car is the price. Buying a hybrid car can cost you several thousand dollars more than its gasoline-engine counterpart. The cheapest hybrid is around $20,000 while the luxury models are well over $100,000. It is predicted that the cost of hybrid vehicles will go down in the coming years as the production cost will decrease and the supply will increase.


Fuel Economy.

A hybrid car is known for fuel economy. In fact, if you drive a hybrid, you can save as much as 60% on fuel. A fuel-efficient hybrid car can run from 35 to 50 miles on a gallon. However, high end hybrid models such as Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and those from Lexus that are built for performance still offer relatively good fuel economy.


Vehicle Option.

Hybrid car models are very limited today. If you can't live by the available options, you can wait a year or two as many manufacturers have announced the release of newer hybrid cars.


Maintenance Cost.

With a more complicated internal structure, the common belief is that hybrid cars are more expensive to maintain. The fact is, maintenance cost for hybrid cars is comparable to conventional vehicles. Many also fear that the battery replacement is very expensive. While the cost of battery replacement is said to be between $2,000 and $5,000, there has yet to be a report of a battery needing to be replaced due to defect or malfunction.


Safety.

Hybrid cars are in general, as safe as conventional cars but there is a concern that electric shock can happen. This is a possibility but hybrid cars have been around for 10 years and there are no reports of this incident.


Luxury And Convenience.

Since the price of a hybrid car is 25% to 50% higher than its gasoline counterparts, most hybrids are upscale and involve the latest gadgetry and luxury amenities.


Interior Space.

Hybrid has almost become synonymous with the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. As a result the word "hybrid" is perceived as cars with small interior space and the use of electric motors and gasoline engines. While the latter is true, the former is not entirely accurate. Since the first release of the Prius, the market has seen several hybrid cars with more interior space. The Honda has Civic and Accord (discontinued) have a good interior space. So with Toyota's Camry, Highlander (SUV), and second generation Prius (midsize), Ford Escape hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, and Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid among others.

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Pros And Cons Of The Honda Civic Hybrid

Honda has joined the hybrid bandwagon by creating the Civic hybrid vehicle. What are its strengths compared to non-hybrids as well as others in its class? Can it prove to be quite a contender in the ongoing race for maximum fuel economy and efficiency? Find out more about the new model and features and determine if it might be your very next car.

The Honda Civic Hybrid

The Honda Civic Hybrid is the hybrid counterpart of the gas-powered Honda Civic sedan. Honda innovated the transmission, system and engine of the vehicle in order to become more fuel-efficient. The style and design are reminiscent of the conventional model. The Honda Civic Hybrids engine earned international acclaim by winning the International Engine of the Year for three consecutive years from 2002 to 2004 in the 1 to 1.4-liter division. In 2003 and 2004, it also won Best Fuel Economy as well as Motor Trend 2006 Car of the Year.

In 2006, the Civic Hybrid was redesigned featuring a cool brand new look as well as an EPA gas mileage of around 49 mpg city driving and 51 mpg highway driving. It has the new version of Hondas Integrated Motor Assist system which allows the car to run on the electric motor solely with the right cruising conditions.

The exterior of the new model looks very modern compared to the previous one. The car features 15 inches of disc-like alloy wheels with low-rolling-resistance tires. The A-pillars were placed over the front wheels. Getting in and out of the Civic Hybrid was relatively easier due to the large front doors. Other futuristic additions were hybrid badges, rear lip spoilers and turn-signal indicators right inside the side mirror housings.

The interior is generous in space with a maximum seating capacity of 5 persons. The car also features two-tone cloth seats, air conditioning, CD stereo, power locks, steering and mirrors. The XM Satellite Radio and navigation system is standard in all units. There is also a digital tachometer, battery meter and charge/assist gauge check the electric capacity of the power train. The 10.4-cubic-foot trunk is rather small compared to the conventional 12 cubic feet. The rear seat also doesn't fold down.

More Impressions

The Honda Civic Hybrid features a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine combined with an electric motor capable of generating power of up to 110 hp and 123 lbs-ft of torque. All units have the standard continuously variable transmission.

The Civic has a variety of safety features having the highest rating like antilock brakes, side-impact, side curtain airbags and active front head restraints. The car may not be what one considers super fast but acceleration is good. There's also an engine auto-stop feature that immediately shuts down the engine when idling for added fuel efficiency.

The Honda Civic Hybrid can be fueled at any station having a 12.3-gallon tank able to go as far as 490 miles. Total gas mileage is significantly better than a conventional Civic. Greenhouse gas emission of the hybrid vehicle totaled around 4.4 tons every year compared to the regular Civics 6.3 tons. The car is an Advanced Technology-Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle or AT-PZEV and is for sale in all states at around $21,000 to $23,000.

The Good And The Bad

The hybrid has very firm and stable suspension with a well-controlled body roll. Passengers may feel some rattles and shakes on exceptionally uneven paths and roads. Steering and maneuvering is relatively easy. Visibility is also excellent on all sides. The idle-off capability is a good thing but the Civic may have to be restarted manually sometimes during full stops.

The style is definitely one of the best qualities of the car in addition to several standard accessories like the XM Satellite Radio, power locks and windows and navigation system.

Some passengers report more jittery experiences even on fairly even roads. The interior is decent but the seat surfaces could look better. There are also not many luxury options available despite the sporty appearance of the Honda Civic Hybrid. Headroom at the rear is rather low and the rear seats don't fold so luggage could be a problem. The non-linear braking performance and split instrument panel are also minuses. Overall, the Civic Hybrid rates very well considering that the good points still far outweigh the cons.

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Honda Insight Hybrid

Hybrid vehicles have come a long way since the Toyota Prius came out. Several models from different automobile companies are investing in hybrid technology. Companies are creating cars that are fuel efficient and environment friendly at the same time. With soaring gas prices, more people are switching to these vehicles to save money. After Toyota launched the first hybrid vehicle and sold it on the market, Honda created their own.


Honda Insight was the second hybrid vehicle sold on the market. It was mass produced and sold on the American market in 1999. It used the same concept in hybrid technology with an odd design. The vehicle was light weight and only available as a two seater.


Japanese Insight


Following the footsteps of the Toyota, Honda manufactured their own hybrid car. It was considered to have the highest mileage compared to other cars. It was sold in America under $20,000 and was soon followed by other hybrids such as the new upgraded model of the Toyota Prius in 2000. The insight was available in three trims: a manual transmission with or without air-conditioning, and a variable transmission with air.


Its low weight was attributed to engine mounts, calipers and break drums made of aluminum, plastic fuel tank, and a small wall pipe exhaust. The reduced weight made it more fuel efficient. Its flat back was the same with CRX, while the rounded hood was similar to the Honda Civic.


The Insight uses Honda's own hybrid technology called the Integrated Motor Assist. It has a 3.1 Liter engine and 10 kW electric motor. Nickel metal hydride batteries were placed behind the driver's and passenger's seats which has the capacity of 144 V. The vehicle uses the electric motor for added power in high speeds. In deceleration it acts a generator and recharges the batteries by using regenerative breaking. It has a 5 speed manual transmission which is considered the most fuel efficient among the variants of the Insight.


Like other hybrids it also has a computer on board to determine which and how much power it will use from the internal combustion engine and the electric motor. Unlike the Toyota Prius, Insight cannot run using the electric motor alone. Therefore it is not considered a full hybrid.


Honda Insight's production was stopped in 2006 and is planned to be replaced by a smaller hybrid car. Although it is no longer produced it is one of the pioneers in hybrid technology.

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Honda Civic Hybrid

Hybrid technology has come a long way since Toyota released the Prius. Sales substantially picked up in the market prompting other automobile companies to make their own hybrids. Following in the footsteps of Toyota in 1997 Honda made its own hybrid. The Honda Insight was a moderate success. Although it was a fuel efficient car it had different technology under the hood. The hybrid technology was new at that time and the public perceived the Insight to look to odd to be driven around the city.


Honda then turned to one of its famous compact sedans. The Honda Civic was released in a hybrid version in 2003. The design was pretty much the same with the conventional Honda Civic incorporated with Honda's own hybrid technology.


Honda Civic Hybrid


The first generation Honda Civic hybrid came out in 2003. It operates with a different hybrid technology compared to the Toyota Prius which is the basic template for all hybrids. Instead of the hybrid synergy system, the Honda Civic hybrid uses an Integrated Motor Assist system that was also used in the Insight.


The first generation was produced from 2003 to 2005. It has a 1.3 liter lean burn internal combustion engine with Honda's VTEC cylinder cut-off system. This allows 3 cylinders to stop operating while decelerating which reduces friction losses. This in turn creates a more effective way of regenerating energy. It has a 15 kW permanent magnet motor which also serves a generator for recharging the batteries. It also has a 120 V nickel metal hydride battery, 5 speed manual transmission, regenerative braking, electric power steering, and low rolling resistance tires.


The second generation was also equipped with the same thing with a few changes. A high profile camshaft was added, fourth generation Integrated Motor Assist and third stage VTEC and Variable Cylinder Management replaced the previous ones. It has a satellite-linked navigation system and an audio system that supports mp3 and WMA. It also comes in with an average fuel consumption regulator. An idle stop feature automatically shuts off the engine in idle periods.


The second generation was also an improvement from the first one which used lean burn engine.


Honda has stopped producing Civic hybrids to replace them with smaller and affordable types to compete with Toyota. Nonetheless previous the second generation proved to be a worthy competitor to the Prius. Although they may differ in terms of technology, fuel efficiency was still attained.

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