Civic vs Prius

HCH has great handling, superior to Prius.

However the hybrid drivetrain is inferior. I do not like the fact that the Honda engine continues to run unless you actually stop the vehicle; that seems so wasteful once you get used to Hybrid Synergy Drive.

HCH realizes lower mpg compared to Prius.

 

Yes, we looked at both, and test drove both. I've been a Honda guy for years, and I really didn't care for the styling of the Prius, so I looked first at the Civic. The Civics were easy to get, right from the showroom, where the Prius had a long wait. Even with that, I wasn't impressed by the interior of the Civic or it's mileage figures. Once I took a good look at the engineering of the Prius, there was no going back. We found one to test drive (four hours away), and we were hooked. Then it was only a matter of waiting. Two years later and I feel the same way. And in case you are curious, the looks grew on me very quickly.

Tom

 

I looked at both, and even drove the HCH beofre I was even in the market for a Prius. A friend of mine belonged to this car sharing program in Los Angeles and we "shared" a HCH in 2004.

The prvious model HCH was woefully deficient compared to the 2005 Prius. The CH was heavy, old styling, had poor acceleration and very little efficiency difference from a base model Civic. While on the other hand the Prius had futuristicy lines, better accleration and significantly better gas mileage.

Now, the new generation HCH is significantly improved and comparable in accleration and efficeincy and has better styling. It also handles better. However the HCH feels signficantly smaller than the Prius as far as useable space.

Also, a new Prius is due, supposedly, next year, while the next HCH is probably 3 years away.

 

No

1st - Interior space was the priority, there is more interior room in the Prius.

2nd -Better mileage.

3rd. A good track record for reliability (Probably the same for Honda)

4th. Toyota Dealer was closer

 

We have owned many Hondas and did consider the HCH before the Prius. The HCH doesn't have much rear leg room, the rear seat back doesn't fold down and the trunk isn't as useful as the rear of the Prius with the hatchback. We did like the front seats and dash layout of the HCH, but also like the Prius's. I haven't checked the newer EPA ratings, but the Prius used to have a higher city avg and the HCH a higher hwy avg. On a side note, I would have bought an Insight for a second car, and turbocharged it, if Honda would have continued them. Now, I'm waiting for the Toyota Hybrid Van.

 

I test drove both (2008's) a few months ago, and the Prius won out. The Honda seemed like it needed to work much harder to move along, where as the Prius had no problem accelarating. Also, the HCH didnt seem to like going over 65. It was working very hard to hold any speed beyond 65, and sounded like it. The was the main thing for me.

I did like the Nav. on the HCH better. But that was just about the only thing I liked better.

 

For me, the decisive factor was the Prius' hatchback design. I hadn't owned a coupe or sedan since my very first car in 1973.

 

No (but if I did I could call myself 'Pinto Boy' ).

Had a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 (an iconic American car; Bruce Springsteen and others have written about it), Datsun pick-up truck, Chevrolet Vega hatchback, Chevrolet Chevette hatchback (I call it my 'Vette), Honda Civic Wagon, Volvo 850 Sportwagon, and now, the Prius.

 

My criteria for choosing a car was:

-gets at least 30 mpg (my 1990 Camry got 32 mpg, and no way I was going backwards)
- has a hatchback
- roomy enough for family
- has to be very reliable

I was thinking about one of the Subaru station wagons as an alternative, but the gas mileage was crummy. I went with the Prius because of its low emissions, got high ratings from Consumer Reports, and it had everything I wanted in a car, plus it's a Toyota. My family has had a long line of Toyotas (83 Starlet anyone?) and not one of them had ever broken down.

 

yes, and I bought the HCHII

 

The HCH was a slight consideration but to me, civic engine noise is quite loud and the ride is rather bumpy for my taste. It really feels more "entry level" to me. I really do like the dash layout and the interior fit and finish might be just a step up from the Prius. All in all, the Prius just seems cooler and offered some "feeling" I just couldn't get out of the HCH.

 

yeah, i considered it too.................

i got the prius because:

#1) better fuel mileage ( if i am going hybrid, i'm gonna go with the hybrid with the best fuel mileage )

#2) very roomy inside

#3) out-accelerated the honda by far.............the honda was so slow that i thought it would be a bit dangerous in certain situations ( no insult to honda.......it is what it is )

#4) many different people drive the pruis, from normal to actors, directors, etc.

#5) when you see a prius...........IT'S A HYBRID.............no gas counterpart ( for whatever that's worth )

cheers:decision:

 

My now x-husband acquired a civic hybrid the first year they came onto the market here. I loved driving it and on trips from DC to NYC would average 59mpg. For the first few weeks after buying a prius, I couldn't stop comparing the two. At this point, I'm so taken with my prius that I really don't remember much about the civic.

 

Nope

1. Rear seatback doesn't fold resulting in a serious lack of utility.
2. Rear seat has 4" less leg room, I have 2 teens. And apparently no drink holders for the teens in the rear?
3. Civic CVT doesn't compare to the Prius Planetary gear transmission
4. No 'all electric' travel capability (except possibly when creeping in lines at stop signs).
5. Same console mounted shifter as many other cars. Uses space and requires going through reverse to get to Drive, stop before you drop into 2nd or Low. Love the Prius 'joystick', exact same motion to get to any specific 'gear' position no matter where you start. Puts itself in Park when you shut down. Too bad they didn't put it in the Camry Hybrid as well.
6. Headlight on reminder?? The Prius shuts them off automatically and turns them on when you power up if they were on the last time you shut down.
7. It uses a key that you have to stick in a hole and turn Don't break your right arm, you may not be able to drive.
8. Toyota can convert the Prius to a Plug in Hybrid with minimal design change. I fully expect my next Prius to be a Plug-in. Ain't gonna happen with the HCH.

The Civic does have:

1. DRLs
2. Wipers that both move out to the A pillars rather than both sweeping left. They keep the window more clear, especially for tall people in the shotgun seat.
3. Unless they changed it, a 'better' CC user interface. The Prius CC works well, but the user interface is inferior:

• My '95 Odyssey had a main CC power switch which stayed on forever unless I turned it off. You have to turn it on in the Prius every time you start the car.
• The CC light on the dash meant 'a CC speed is set' not 'the power is on'. In the Prius, there is no indication that you have a speed set.
• It didn't 'forget' when you dropped below 25. As soon as you got back up to 25 you could 'resume'. Less effort to get back to say, 35 MPH. Just get close and hit 'resume'.

 

Civic has no hatchback. I talked to a civic hybrid owner at the gas station. He gets 38 mpg, I get over 50 without even trying. No civic for me. I do like the interior of the Civic, just sat in one, never drove it.

 

I thought about a Civic hybrid, but am not too keen on the current Civic's styling. Having said that, at the time I was looking I wasn't all that thrilled with the exterior appearances of the Prius, but at least found it to be more unique, as someone else has said, not identical in styling to a bunch of non-hybrid vehicles on the road, and that made a small difference. The biggest was the superior roominess of the Prius, coupled with better mileage.