Prius vs. '06 Civic Hybrid

Well, first off, the dash and upper areas in the 2006 Prius are different from previous years. It is a textured plastic now, which thrills some and annoys others. LOL

If you are willing to make some phone calls and/or type some emails, you can get a 2006 Prius sooner than 8 months. You may need to travel out of your immediate area, though.

Have you taken the HCH for a spin? Since you already have a Prius in the family, you already have the hatchback and resulting cargo space/flexibility. The HCH has "commuter" car written all over it, IMO, and that can be a good thing or a bad thing...just depends on what you want.

Do you like the geeky / techie aspects of the Prius? The HCH lacked in this area for us. It serves fine for others.

Best wishes in your decision!

 

yeah, tideland covered what i was going to say. they changed the dash. and you could always get seat covers. we paid around 250 for front and back, and they are absolutely fantastic. much nicer fabric than the original seats and very durable. also included an armrest cover

this leaves the wait time and the seat comfort, right? who's going to be the primary driver? and how semi-comfortable are the seats? are you going to be doing long trips in the car? as far as wait time, you can always hunt around and find one sooner than 8 months from now!!

honestly, i didn't want anything to do with a civic for the "ten thousand civics per acre" factor you mentioned. i like having a car that stands out. that's easy to spot in a parking lot. i don't like walking up to someone elses's identical car and asking myself why it's not unlocking... :lol:

 

Prius pros:
more mature, proven mechanical technology;
more cargo space;
smoother ride than the Civic;
Bluetooth;
MFD;
HID Headlamps;
the fact that the Prius is designed as a hybrid from the ground up, not just a standard car with a hybrid power plant added as an afterthought.
Investiment potential, our 6 month old Prius is worth more right now than when we bought it (try that with any other car)!
I really prefer to do business with my local, smaller Toyota dealership, honest, NO ADD ON STICKER!
This car screams "I recycle!" I like that!


Civic pros:
Superior sounding "basic" sound system;
handles better than the Prius-
I can drive one off the lot tomorrow.

Civic cons:
Honda has produced fewer Civic Hybrids for fewer years compared to the Prius (fewer cars on the road to establish reliability ratings).
Completely redesigned for 2006, perhaps this means unproven technology;
The trade off for the handling is a sport car ride;
The 10 million Civics per acre factor (I like being a non-conformist).

I really WANT to buy the Prius but the interior is the real issue for me.

This may sound silly, that I am stuck with this decision over the interior of the car, but this is where the driver spends all of his or her driving time.


WOW! I've gotta say that I went through this same quandry! I had the opportu ity to see the HCH demo car the auto writers had used, at a car show. I can't say the seats were more comfortable, but were more heavily bolstered for support. The downside I saw was that the bolsters were flattening on the seat door side and the fabric was showing heavy wear. A 2 year old rental Prius I drove (with 60,000 miles) did not show similar wear.

I thought the navigation system was more difficult to use because the buttons were smaller and required more visual time in the HCH to identify and use.

I was dead set against not having the fold down rear seats because I occasionally haul bulky items, and the hatch the answer to this problem.

I drove both. The Prius has more pep. I talked to owners and the Prius gets better real world mileage, consistently, even with the HCH improvements.

I WANTED the HCH, not the Prius. I bought the Prius and know it is was the right decision. Now, if it were only as pretty as the new Civic.

But then, I AM still on the list for the 07 Camry Hybrid.

Bottom line. You've got to make the right decision for you. Isn't the decision making process all the fun of buying one of these cars? And remember, the PRIUS makes a statement! Everyone knows what and why you are driving it. The HCH is easily confused with the Civic, and though says NEW! doesn't say environmentally concious, or thumb its nose as effectively at the gas guzzlers.

 

Dude

I'd go with the HCH, ya already got a Prius! Don't get the wrong idea I love my Prius but you already got one. So take this opportunity to contrast and compare and then come back here and let us know how ya feel bout it. Just my 2 cents and I don't think there will be a whole lot of difference in cost, savings or other considerations in the long run. Could be wrong but I don't think so.

Wildkow

OTOH if ya can wait just a little while longer go for the Hybrid Camry or Highlander. The wife has a 2006 Highlander (not the Hybrid) and loves it!

 

just imagine that with the SKS feature (assuming civic had it)... :lol:

-sengs

 

Well, if the Civic does not have HID headlights - that would make my choice the Prius. I never realized how important this feature would be to me until I actually owned a Prius and realized I can now drive at night.

I have (had) very bad night vision - without the HID headlights. With the Priius HID headlights it has made a huge difference in my ability to see the road at night.

If you already have a Prius with HID headlights do you remember what it was like to not have them on previous cars?

Springtime

 

the seat covers are GTcovers, but i ordered them through a ditributor and got them for a few bucks cheaper than through GT directly. the website is toyotapartsstore.com

i don't know about the door panels... wonder if DH has access to an 06 on the lot today...? i don't know if i can tear him away from his personal repair project long enough, but i'll ask

 

Whew! You know the Prius because you have one, so I'm not sure how much we can say. Of course, on Prius Chat the consensus is going to be for the Prius.

For me there was no contest. And if there had been, VSC would have decided it. Safety is number one for me, and VSC is an important and marvelous safety feature.

But the fact that the Prius is a liftback, and that it was designed from the ground up as a hybrid, and that it can drive with the gas engine off, were all so significant that any one of those alone would have settled it.

In fact, I'd have traded in my '89 Civic wagon for a new one, in order to get ABS and air bags, if the wagon body style had been available in 2001, when I came home from Spain, but I didn't want to give up the utility of big cargo space. And the '01 Prius had the same drawback as the Civics of the same year.

Prius all the way for me.

But only you can decide which of your exhaustive list of points is most important to you. Good luck in making that decision.

 

You are righ in every respect. I also had his decision to make. I was a former
owner of an Insight. I got the Prius in spite of my love for he Civic. The Civic
did NOT have a fold down rear seat in the hybrid. The interior, however, is superior, as is the sound system, the seat material, the comfort.
I was so impressed that I drove my son down to drive a 2006 Civic EX and he
bought it. It sits outside my window while he is in another city during
the week days; he does not want to park it at his apartment there.
It is Motor Trends car of the year and well deserved. His came with no other
options desired for base price. Under 20,000 and motorized sun roof and
16" wheels and is just beautiful. I hear Honda will make the 2 door EX as
hybrid in a year or so. Goodby Prius, although I love it, my back deserves a better ride. I got the Prius because of the hatchback, fold down rear seat, and
it gets good mileage. BUT my sons EX, no hybrid, gets 40/30.
Now, I just have to figure out how to upgrade my interior. I am thinking of removing the arm rest/console, replacing it with a lower one, and getting some aftermarket buckets, then putting leather covers on. Don't get me wrong, I love my car, but if they make an EX Hybrid it's going to be an easy choice next time.
Rod

 

Also, 4 wheel disk on great looking rims, side air bags front and rear and
all standard, large trunk area, especially when rear seat is folded, and great instrument panel and the sound system is a killer as standard. Nav is only about 1100.00 more. MP3 and aux input are standard on the EX. Honda really thought
this one out. Yep, when they
make that EX a hybrid, Prius is going to have some real competition.
Rod

 

With some of the pluses you mentioned on the Prius, like HID and bluetooth, the Prius is now approx. $5K more than the Civic. But you also forgot other safety features, like traction control and vehicle stability control.

 

I have not driven the 2006 HCH, but I was not impressed with the 2005 model. The rims on the 2006 HCH are not attractive IMO.

TNPrius1, if you want to shorten your wait time, you should shop in the Atlanta area. Several dealers have one or two sitting on their lots. You probably would have not have to wait more than 2 weeks to get the color/package you wanted.

 

Hey there TN. I agree with your assesment and feel your pain. We went through the same agony. Either choice is good. A few more advantages for the Civic- a really nice dark, grey-blue color and navy interior. Better interior ergonomics - normal climate controls (not on the MFD), dash info where you want it, straight ahead, better hwy mileage, less blind spots.

Mostly this is going to depend on your lifestyle, but considering you already have the Prius for a mini-wagon, I would go for the HCH2. No car is perfect, but it seems like the HCH2 owners are doing a lot less to acheive good mileage. It would be great to have a person on the site that had both and could report on how the cars compare over time.

If you decide on the Prius, don't believe the 8 month wait. You may have to head out of state to get it (we did). But it reduced the wait time down to 1 week.

 

Personally, I am surprised that more people don't object to the lack of folding seats. Having driven a hatchback Integra for the past 8 years, I swear by the utility of this bodystyle to the point where I would prefer to never buy a sedan with a fixed rear window again. How many compact sedans can fit a 27" CRT TV - still in the huge box - completely inside and still close every opening??

Therefore, buying a sedan with rear seats that do not even fold is entirely out of the question for me.

Honda does makes a great quality product, but even with the redesign of the HCH 06 I still do not think the design/features/specs matches up to the Prius.

To their credit, I like the style of the HCH (though not as much as the Prius) and the significantly lower pricetag in Canada, but my vote still goes to Toyota.

But ultimately it comes down to personal taste... really can't go wrong with either car.

Kevin

 

Safety features are important to me. Vehicle Stability Control and side curtain air bags are considered to be MAJOR steps forward in auto safety. Also, now that I've driven with HID headlights, especially in rural / mountainous areas, I'll never own another car without them.

Having graduated from an Audi sedan, a real plus for me has been the liftback feature along with the folding seats. It's amazing how much you can put in these cars as a result (I've carried a 42" TV and a complete patio set - with umbrella - for instance). One other point, I don't know about the Civic back seat leg room but I'm a big guy and it's really important to me. The Prius definitely shines in that respect.

Did I mention that I've never in these two years and 30,000 miles had my Prius in for a repair (could never say that with the Audis & Saabs I owned over the years.

My good friend bought a Civic hybrid shortly before I bought my Prius (he bought his just before the 2004 Prius was announced). He'd never say it but I think if he had it to do over again he'd have definitely selected the Prius. Sounds like though, from what you've said, Honda has changed the car completely and turned it into a really fine machine. Personally I like a distinctive looking car, a car that stands out above the others; the Prius meets that criteria (in my eyes the Civic doesn't - it looks common).

I like a car that's fun to drive, the wow factor. The Prius is (I'm a technology entheusiast - the Prius beats them all). With my Audi it was the handling tied to the turbo thrust that I loved. Both have been excellent in their own respect. What's "excellent" about the Civic?

On the other hand .. if you plan to keep your Prius, having both a Prius and a Civic doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Once you realize what your missing, you can fane chivalry and insist your girlfriend drive the 'new' car

Anyhow, good luck in your decision. And, oh by the way, if you go with the Civic I'll certainly understand. I too am an instant gratification kind of guy.

 

That's what did it for me also. Though the 2006 is a nice looking car they don't stand out. I wanted something different. B)