Civic Hybrid a Miss for This Mom

2009 Honda Civic Hybrid NAV

model as tested $27,520

Test Drove 3/4/09 – 3/18/09
reviewed by Lori Hindman

I was really excited to drive the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid, but that feeling wore off after spending 10 minutes with the car. I was perfectly willing to trade performance for gas mileage and luxury for affordability, but in the Civic Hybrid I didn’t get much for my trade.

The Civic Hybrid gets an estimated 40/45 mpg city/highway, but I couldn’t average 30 mpg during my test week of both city and highway driving. Civic Hybrid drivers who rated their cars at FuelEconomy.gov are averaging 46 mpg. Yes, I live in the mountains, and there’s a definite technique to maximizing mileage that I clearly have not mastered, but I expected more from the Civic Hybrid.

Driving the Civic Hybrid was just boring. Obviously, a hybrid isn’t exactly going to leap into action when you push the gas pedal, but going uphill in this hybrid was almost embarrassing. I don’t floor the gas pedal often in cars, but I had to make an exception in the Civic Hybrid. I also expect hybrids to be quiet on the road, but that only applies when the car is running on its electric motor. Most of the time, the Civic was running on its gas engine, which was obvious because of all the engine noise. While the ride quality was decent, if on the hard side, tackling the twisty roads where I live was less than fun on the little 15-inch alloy wheels that come on the Civic Hybrid.

Honda tries to bring some luxury into the Civic Hybrid, with leather and technology upgrades, but none of it’s particularly impressive. The Civic used to be Honda’s entry-level car, but that slot’s been filled by the Fit, and at nearly $28K the Civic Hybrid is no econo-box. I tried to love the Civic Hybrid, but in the end I was perfectly happy to see it go.

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