Hybrid Cars Report

To hybrid or not to hybrid, that is the question

Hybrid electric cars are the wave of the future. At this point, the human race does not really have a choice anymore: we must act now to prevent further warming of our planet. With global warming graduating from theory to fact, and in the wake of some of the most devastating storms our civilized world has ever seen, I strode into a nearby Honda dealership to see what kind of advancements are being made in the Hybrid electric vehicle field. Keeping in mind what a typical college student might be looking for in a car: pleasing aesthetics, affordability and low maintenance cost, I present you my findings on the Honda Civic LX, compared with the Honda Civic Hybrid model.

When the salesman came over to answer any questions and offer the obligatory test drive, I eagerly accepted. The first car I drove was the gas powered LX Civic, starting around $16,000. This car was equipped with a manual transmission, a four cylinder engine, and all the other basic options you would expect to find on a mid priced Honda: power windows, power locks, floor mats, CD player, anti-lock brakes, and optional sun roof.

The minute I climbed into the car, I felt the comfortable feeling of being at my mother's house. Not because the Civic has an antiquated feel, but because this is a car that has been the shining star of the small sedan competition for such a long time. Everything on this car just feels like it is in the right place. I reach for the radio during the ride and I am just in reach of all the controls. I roll down the window and can't help but crack a smile as I maneuver around a pothole with ease. The ride is so very smooth, especially for a small car. I round a corner of a not busy street, and floor the accelerator to see what the 1.8-liter, SOHC I-VTEC 4-cylinder engine can do. Unfortunately I am disappointed in the Civic here: it took a little over seven seconds to hit the 60 MPH mark, whereas the Mazda 3, the Civics' only formidable competitor, can reach 60 MPH in about six seconds. After a 20 mile free ride I returned to the dealership and noticed the arrow on the fuel gauge was still up over the F. Honda published a 30/40 city/highway estimated MPG for the Civic, easily eclipsing the Environmental Protection Agency's recommendation for small sedans.

As I arose from my seat of the car eagerly waiting to sign anything that Noel, my friendly sales associate, could put in front of me to get me behind the wheel of the superb Civic, I remembered why I was here and asked to test a hybrid Civic. My preconceived notion of hybrid cars is the disdainful appearance of the underachieving Honda Insight, the 1/3 of Honda's hybrid fleet that is considered by many to be the ugliest car on the road. With this in mind I allowed Noel to lead me towards the green sales area, as he called it. He showed me a hybrid Civic identical to the one I was just finished driving, other than the HYBRID name plate on the back and funky Insight-ish wheel covers. The same futuristic curves on the hood and mirrors, the same trendy box shaped trunk, and the same grill that almost looks like its smiling at you. Even the turning radius, 34.8 feet, is the same. The main difference is the sticker price which was about $3,000 more.

Noel explains a few things about the hybrid

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