2003 HONDA CIVIC Review - Base Price $19,550
Just add gas and go. And go. And go.
Introduction
Hybrid gas-electric cars have recently been in the news as the government threatens to increase fuel economy standards. Major manufacturers are busy talking about producing hybrid SUVs to help improve their economy. However, just two companies, Honda and Toyota, have actually brought hybrid cars to market.
Honda has gone one better than anyone with the world's first mass-produced hybrid. What's more it's used to power the most popular subcompact car in America, the Honda Civic.
Many people mistakenly think a hybrid car needs charging like an electric car. Far from it, a hybrid runs on gasoline just like a regular car. What makes the car special is that there is an auxiliary electric motor that works to assist the small gasoline engine when extra power is needed. Honda calls this the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system.
In 1999 Honda introduced the first ever hybrid, the Insight, as a specialized hand-built high-tech two-seater car that is still on the market. But it had limited appeal because of its small size.
This should change with the Civic Hybrid with its increased practicality. It is a car that makes sense for owners interested in great fuel economy and low emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency rates the Civic Hybrid at 48/47 mpg on its City/Highway test. The most remarkable thing about this car is that it seems unremarkable: For the most part, driving this gas-electric Civic is just like driving a regular gas-powered Civic.
Interior
In many ways it is the Hybrid's interior that sets it apart from a regular Civic, thanks to a classy two-tone finish. The dashboard and the upper panels along the doors are in a dark brown while the lower panels and seats are finished in light tan.
As in all Hondas the Hybrid has a low cowl to give the interior an airy feel and provide better forward visibility. Chrome is used for the door handles and the plate surrounding the gear shift lever. The center of the dashboard is finished in a pleasant semi-gloss light gray metallic-colored plastic. The stereo and automatic air conditioning controls are mounted in this panel.
Overall the accommodations are quite a bit more posh than the top-of-the-line EX model. Even the cloth seats (no leather option) have a more luxurious feel to them.
The instrument pod contains three round gauges that provide lots of information. On the left is a tachometer with several warning lights and settings for the automatic transmission. In the center there's a speedometer with a digital readout at the base that includes the miles traveled plus a display of the average fuel consumption for the journey along with a bar graph showing the instantaneous fuel consumption.
None of the above is that different from other cars, but the instruments to the right are very different. There are four quadrants with bar graphs. Two are straightforward fuel and water temperature gauges. Another displays the state of charge of the batteries while the one at the top shows whether the electric motor is being used to assist the gas engine or being used as a generator to charge the batteries.
Walk-Around
At a quick glance the Hybrid does not look that different from a regular Civic sedan. Look closer and several subtle differences set it apart and give it a more upscale appearance.
From the front the major difference is a much bigger and deeper spoiler under the front bumper, while at the rear there is a small spoiler along the lip of the trunk. The Hybrid rides on special lightweight alloy wheels. Aside from these three small visual differences the car retains the stylish if conservative lines of the four-door Civic sedan.
If you were to crawl under the car you'd find several differences from the regular car. Namely a cover under the engine as well as under the rear floor. This improves aerodynamics. Honda claims 7 percent of the improvement in fuel economy comes from these aerodynamic changes.
Even when you open the hood the engine does not look that different from other modern cars where the engine is hidden under a molded plastic cover. Technically inclined people might notice the large bright orange electric cable running from the transmission housing behind the transversely mounted engine and down under the car. This cable connects the thin electric motor, which is sandwiched between the transmission and the engine, to the batteries and control module at the back of the car.
Honda's engineers have managed to make the batteries and electronics much more compact than those in the Insight. They are hidden between the back of the rear seat at the front of the trunk. If access is needed it is through a panel in the trunk.
Nearly 3 cubic feet of space is lost in the trunk compared to a regular Civic. This drops it from an above average size trunk for its class to one of the smallest, although it is still reasonably useful. Another disadvantage is that the rear seat backs cannot be folded down for increased storage.
Impressions
If you like the regular Honda Civic EX sedan you'll like the Civic Hybrid. Despite it having a different drivetrain it drives, for all practical purposes, just like a regular Civic.
In reality there is a bigger difference in the feel caused by the CVT (continuously variable transmission) than by the hybrid engine. The CVT is available as an option on the regular Civic, so it's not an unknown quantity, though few people have experienced it. Essentially the transmission has infinitely variable gear ratios provided by belts running between moveable conical pulley wheels. The advantage is that the transmission is always smooth and results in better fuel economy. A strange sensation occurs when accelerating hard, as the engine speeds up and it seems as if the transmission is lagging, akin to a slipping clutch. Then the engine revs start to slow down as the ratio changes yet the car is moving faster and faster.
As far as the hybrid engine is concerned, most users will not notice much difference during normal driving. The weirdest sensation is when you stop at traffic lights and the engine automatically shuts off to save fuel. As soon as you put the car in gear and touch the gas pedal the engine fires up without any hesitation. A small icon in the left-hand gauge indicates when the engine has shut off.
It's important to remember that this is first and foremost a gasoline-powered car. Under normal driving conditions, the gas engine is the primary source of power. The electric motor only provides power when extra oomph is needed for passing, accelerating or climbing a grade. (This is the opposite of how many people think it operates.)
At other times (when decelerating and under braking) the electric motor turns into a generator to recharge the 144-volt battery pack. The mode of the electric motor is indicated in a bar graph in the right hand gauge in the instrument cluster.
As the primary reason for owning a hybrid is improved fuel efficiency obviously gauges that show the fuel consumption are an integral part of the displays. On a 15-mile drive up a grade through 4,000 feet of elevation change we only managed to obtain 20 mpg on the way up, but averaged 120 mpg on the way down! That probably represents the two extremes. According to the readout, we averaged 40 mpg overall during our test drive. This is somewhat lower than the EPA ratings, but most of it was city driving with a lot of heavy accelerating.
Aside from the slight difference in feel from the engine and transmission, the rest of the car delivers well. It offers a smooth ride and excellent steering thanks to a new electrically operated rack-and-pinion steering system. Those who like to drive fast along twisty roads will find that the body tends to roll, or lean, more than they might like. More conservative drivers will have no complaints.
Summary
The 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid does not make a lot of sense, based purely on economics. It has less power than the regular Civic, a slightly smaller trunk and it costs about $2,500 more. Apart from a slightly more luxurious interior it's only advantage is an EPA City fuel-economy rating of 48 mpg compared to about 35 to 40 mpg for an equivalent Civic EX sedan with a CVT. Sadly, this translates to only about $100 in savings per year, based on 12,000 miles and gasoline prices of $1.50 a gallon. Put another way, the higher initial cost is not recovered until the car reaches over 250,000 miles!
Having said that, anyone who wants to help advance a new technology that can improve the environment in the long run should consider the Civic Hybrid. It happens to be a nice, almost luxurious small car that has a different feel to it without giving up any creature comforts. It's a car for people who don't want to follow the crowd and, instead, prefer to lead it.
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