thinking of buying a Prius...Prius vs. Civic Hybrid

Go with the Prius.

See this thread:

Please tell me not to buy a Civic.

 

You're on a Prius board; what do you expect people to say? Human nature is human nature, and the folks here who spent their own hard earned money on a Prius (not me, mine's a company car) are loathe even to consider that something else might be more worthy.

The Civic is a different car in many respects; don't let a few miles per gallon or the differences under the hood be the sole determining factor. In virtually all cases, Toyota builds cars that ride and drive like reliable Buicks, while Honda focuses on performance. The cars will sit and drive radically differently.

Another thing to consider, probably top on the list, is your support infrastructure. Do your friends/family drive Hondas or Toyotas, or an even mix? What's your local dealer sales and service situation like? While the Toyota and the Honda will always be noticeably different types of cars across the board, frankly you can't go wrong with either--so if your dealership circumstances lean heavily toward one brand, seriously consider going with that.

The Prius is chock full of gadgets and gewgaws that are all potential failure points, much more so than the Honda. Witness my own situation with the SRS "occupant classification system" for the passenger seat. Witness the dashboard screen problem Toyota had and isn't really acknowledging. And so on.

The Prius has become a rolling statement. If you need to make that statement, go with the Prius. If you don't care, then you don't care. Use other criteria for your evaluation.

Get current pricing for both. Don't rely on old anecdotal evidence.

Every Toyota auto nowadays is chock full of "features" that the lawyers put in there to nanny you to death. Toyota's nav system is pathetic compared to Honda's, partly due to the lawyers and partly due to Toyota simply not designing it well.

Some people hate hatchbacks, some people don't care, some people love hatchbacks. Which are you? Me, due to my circumstances, I wish I had a sedan with a real, separate, lockable trunk. Unfortunately, that would have meant getting a Chevy Malibu. Wasn't going to happen, so I chose the Prius. I make due with the tonneau cover, but it's still not as good as a trunk. I have a minivan in the family as well, so hauling things isn't a requirement for my car. But I carry some expensive things that are better off locked up tighter than just in the back of a hatchback. Such is life.

I'm sure there's more. Just be sure to drive both cars extensively. The do sit and drive very differently.

If room is an issue, also make sure you're not missing out on anything with the Accord hybrid (or the Camry, for that matter). Cover your bases.

 

I'd echo most of what Adam said. I've been a Honda fan for a long time - my wife is still driving a 98 Accord, and I traded a Civic in on my Prius. The Civic Hybrid and the Prius are both good cars, but they're very different.

For me, the small trunk with a fixed rear seat in the Civic was a major problem. I don't carry large loads often, but when I do, I NEED the space. The Prius is also a bit quicker, and from everything I've read, gets a little better gas mileage.

On the other hand, the Civic has much better seats, and it looks and feels more like a "normal" car.

You really have to drive both, then decide which you like best.

 

test drive both cars....its free. I chose the civic hybrid because it catered to my style of driving, my dad chose the prius cause it catered to his style of driving. Every person is different. Take a look at both cars, if you are still undecided, let us know.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jackieday1 @ Apr 5 2007, 08:11 PM) [snapback]418568[/snapback]</div>

Now I am a Prius owner, but for almost five years I was a Honda Civic Hybrid owner. It was an early 03 model so I can not really speak for the new model of Civic, 06 and above. It was a good car and it was nice to have a real trunk, but I have owned hatchbacks in the past and that feature of the Prius is OK with me. The Prius rides much smoother and quieter. The comfort of my Prius is almost as good as that of my 05 Avalon. The gas mileage of the Prius is at least 7 or 8 mpg better than that of my Civic Hybrid, but when you are in the 40 to 50 miles per gallon range that is not too much of a big deal.

I am sure that you will be happy with either car. Test drive them both and then decide on the one you feel is most comfortable for you. When I had the Civic Hybrid I had a license tag that said "HYBRID". I am going to let it die and save about twenty bucks a year because everyone knows what a Prius is.

If you want to see my history with the Civic, go to http://members.cox.net/wdcox and read my account of life with the Civic complete with all gas mileage information.

Good luck and buy the car that is best for you.