2006 Honda Civic Hybrid

The easiest way to describe the Civic Hybrid is to just call it a Civic from Honda cars. Just about everyone knows what to expect from a Honda Civic: an economical, reliable, high-quality, comfortable commuter car. It's just that this Civic has two different engines working in tandem with each other.

The Civic Hybrid gets a few exclusive design touches, such as the headlights and front fascia. Honda claims that these design cues aid in aerodynamics, and therefore aid in engine efficiency. Whatever, it looks like a plain-old Civic to us. But then, we like Civics, so that's not exactly a bad thing.

You want power? The Civic Hybrid has boat loads of power! Actually, no it doesn't. It just has a meager 93 horsepower and 105 lb.-ft. of torque -- and that's with the electric motor assist. Though it sounds weak, it's actually not too bad. Acceleration is adequate -- we can merge onto the freeway without fear of getting run over by a semi. Once on the freeway, though, the Civic's power starts to wane. We can keep a pretty decent speed, but there's no extra power on tap if we need to pass a slower vehicle.

The handling is about what we expected. That is, it drives like a stock Civic sedan. The ride is comfortable enough, but it doesn't feel as sure-footed as the EF/EG/EK Civics of yore. But then again, sports car-like handling was never in the design plan for the Civic Hybrid. The Brakes are nothing to write home about, either. Again, they're decent, but we would prefer a "grabbier" brake.

As this is a Hybrid, we should talk about something that only Hybrids do. All we can think of is the automatic shut off. When the Civic Hybrid comes to a stop, it will sometimes kill the motor to save gas. Releasing the brake pedal will have the car start right up and resume as if nothing happened.

Everything about the Civic Hybrid's interior is just right. The seats are comfortable, sit at just the right ride height, and offer excellent support. The steering wheel has a slight contour to it, making it very comfortable to hold. The gauges and controls are very clear, very intuitive and very easy to use.

So, the only reason to buy a Civic Hybrid (over the standard Civic) is to make yourself feel like you are doing something for the environment -- or to impress that hot hippie chick in your social studies class. Until the prices for Hybrid technology come down, picking up a standard Civic (or any small displacement car, for that matter) would be a much smarter buy.