Did you consider the Civic Hybrid and why did you pick the Prius?

I never considered a Civic Hybrid. I wanted a hatchback. I don't see hatchbacks and sedans as comparable. They are grouped into 2 different types of cars in auto guides.

I'm sure the HCH is a very good car with seats that blow the Gen2's away.

 

My wife has back and knee problems so being able to get in and out of a vehicle is very important. We had looked at the Scion xB, which she found OK. Anything taller and she had to 'climb up' to get in. Anything smaller and the squat was too much. But the Prius, like the Scion xB, was just right.

So I did go by the Honda dealer and found the Honda Civic Hybrid was too low. She would have to get in by squatting down. Still I asked the dealer to sit in it and "BAM <stars>."

Literally, my head struck the side of the door frame so hard I saw stars and soon felt slightly car sick. I really didn't feel safe to drive. But I could also tell that in traffic, the driver's eyes would be lower than in the Scion, Prius or Echo.

It is a question of fit and some folks fit better in a Honda Civic Hybrid than I or my wife.

Bob Wilson

 

>>Yes, I agree. The first 7-8 miles of our routes is identical;
>>1 mile of 30 mph residential with one stop sign an 3 almost blind >>corners. then wait for left turn. (prius chugs alot of gas on the >>way out, but gets an almost free return)

>>1 mile of 50 mph road. then wait for left turn.

>>4 miles of 70mph road seperated with 3 stoplights (2 of which are >>not visable until within a mile, and road is mildly downsloping >>approaching them)

>>Finally 6 mile of stop and go traffic (speed limit 45 and stop lights >>about each half mile)

>>About a mile into this last leg, I (Prius) turn off and usually go EV >>(no switch yet) for about half a mile, while the Civic goes on for >>another ~5 miles fully warmed up

>>As for the drivers, I overinflate to 45/42 and dont slow down for >>speedbumps, roll through stopsigns (when safe), etc, but I do >>drive faster than I should.
>>It's doubtful if the civic drivers(neighbors) understand
>> newton's laws, but they know to break early, etc.

>>For every route that I've had, the 60 to 0 suprises makes the >>prius' superior regenerative capacity shine...At least to me.
>>I do almost no interstate driving.

 

I test drove both before I ended up with the prius. first of allm the civic's looks arent my "atyle" at all. Secondly, I couldn't feel comfortable while driving the civic. I can't explain why, I just didn't like it. And it's gas petal felt weird under my foot. I test drove the hybrid first, and I was majorly disappointed. I feared that the prius would have been the same deal. But I was pleasantly surprise.d I loved it as soon as I sat behind the wheel.

 

I did most of my shopping on the internet first. The Toyota dealer from whom I bought both the Prius and a Tacoma truck the same day was willing to do whatever necessary to do the deal. I got my out the door price before ever seeing the car. I couldn't get that from the Honda dealer. All he wanted to do was hound me for a test drive before he would talk any price. He prioritized me based on my willingness to come inside the dealership rather than meeting my requests beforehand. That "sealed the deal" for me. He wanted his car more than my money!!! So.........he kept it and I went where I was treated with respect... with no pinky ring-wearing, "new car salesman" attitude. I had the most stress-free shopping experience ever. Then I found out that's what Toyota wants their dealers to do..........loved it!!!

 

I also considered the civic hybrid. A coworker had one and raved about it, but I went with the prius because it actually turns the engine off. Unless I am mistaken the Civic hybrid needs to run the gas engine all the time. I like the fact that the prius can actually function with zero emissions.

 

Yes, you are mistaken.


Cheers;

MSantos

 

Considered HCH. Also test drove it.
Considered pros and cons and bought a Prius. Prius had less comprimises and that was a decisive factor for me.

But like MSantos said, it can run pure electric, but only in quite narrow range of speed and load.

 

I actually wanted to buy a Civic Hybrid but my local dealer had a 9 month wait and none were available within 200 miles. (This was back in 2006) There were 6 Prius available in my small town, 4 new and 2 used. I ended up buying a used 2005 Prius. I also was unsuccessful in finding a used VW TDI golf with a 5 speed manual. The Prius was my 3rd choice of vehicles.

Civic:
Pros:
Good handling and huge range of aftermarket suspension options
Comfortable seats and better instrument panel layout.
More useful gauges and hybrid information.

Cons:
Couldn't find one
Sedan

Prius:
Pro's
Lots of selection
Hatchback with much greater cargo area

Cons:
Horrible handling and very limited aftermarket options
Uncomfortable seats
Horrible ergonomics (Still hate the MFD)

 

What is the range? I'm curious. The prius I have is my first. I'm a bit of a newbie to hybrid driving, but I did look into the prius for a very long time before finally going for it. I'm actually still figuring out the range on the prius too. I'll search the forum at some point for details.

 

mattsim:

Like in the Prius, it depends on the warm stage it is in (similar to Prius), the SoC and the driver's foot. Naturally, with a small pack and a 20hp motor there's only so much you can do in this department, but you can do electric only from 25km/h (16 MPH) to ~100km/h (58 MPH). Up to 35 MPH or so it will keep the speed on a flat road and many will be able to do a mile's worth if the SoC is good, perhaps a bit more if the SoC is very good. Above 40 MPH and all the way to 60+ MPH it acts as a glide extender. That's all.
But, keeping the electic only propulsion is more difficult on the HCH than on the Prius as the HCH's PCM has a tendency to limit the duration of electric only sessions. A properly trained foot can overcome this however.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

We had 2 civics over the decades. Nice cars ... but at 6'-5" if you think the Prius seating is a bit cramped, you're about to fined out the Civic is even more so. I ended up mod'ing the seat mounting hardware of both, for more travel, to make due.

 

i work with someone who got the HCH and he is very happy with it. not the best imm, but still a very good way to go.

for me personally, when i got my first Pri, the insight was the only other option and at 2 seats it was never in contention. i am on my 2nd Pri and other than an EV, i cant see myself driving anything else. now will your experience be as rewarding as mine?? who knows.

but the Pri's track record across several hundred thousand owners has very few hiccups in it. probably something behind the fact that over 60% of all the hybrids in the world today are Pri's... now can we all be wrong?? u decide

 

The Prius I bought two weeks ago is my first venture into hybrid world, my first automatic shift in 30 years, and my first Toyota, too. I'm loving it!

We have been Honda people for 20 years. The Prius is replacing our 14-year-old Accord, which is now being handed down to my niece. We still drive a 2002 CRV, and my older daughter has just made our 2002 Civic her own.

I have a problem getting in and out of the Civic, which is quite low to the ground. It's very difficult on arthritic knees. We didn't even test drive it for that reason. Additionally, the cargo space is tiny, and I have a long-legged teenage daughter who needs to fit in the back seat. We test drove the Camry hybrid, which had a great rebate, but the trunk space was too small, and the legroom in the back was not as accommodating as the Prius.

 

I have a 2009 PRIUS a 2007, 2003, 2004 HCH. Lemoned lawed a 2006 HCH. I love all my HCHs and the Prius. But very different cars! None of my HCHs will run on battery only/ever. However they are advertising the 2009 HCH as having an electric drive mode in certain conditions.

Hondas ride and drive like a car and the Prius drives like a Prius. What can I say. Love my Prius. LOL

Seats are more comfortable in the Honda (Prius needs a lumbar support) and the interior is better in the Honda. I just like driving the Prius better and it gets 4-12 MPG better than the HCH with my driving habits.
Buy one of each folks. LOL

PS/ In addition I bump my head often in the 2007 HCH and I can not figure out why that happens because the HCH looks bigger.

Also the Navi is better in the Honda except for the blue tooth (vey nice feature in the Prius). I am sure I will be able to trick out my Prius Navi with a little work.