The goals that Honda set for this car have definitely been met. The only negative I have experienced is that the Honda salespeople don't know enough about this car. I did my own research beforehand, and got my information that way.

This car does cost more than the conventional Civic. Will you realize that cost in gas savings? Most likely, no. You will, however, get a $2000 tax savings, which does help to make the Civic Hybrid comparable to the Civic EX.

The Hybrid is quiet, refined, and a pleasure to drive. No one would buy this car who wants sports-car acceleration--that's not what it is designed for. If you consider its purpose, I think it accelerates just fine. It has plenty of standard equipment to keep most people happy, and is comfortable enough to drive on long trips. It has a usable trunk.

This car does, of course, get excellent gas mileage. What does it for me, though, more than the gas savings, the comfortable ride, and the features, is the way the car makes me feel. This justifies the price differential for me. As others have stated, I can sit at a light and be happy that while the large SUV next to me is burning fuel and emitting awful pollutants, my car is quiet and not polluting at all. My biggest hope is that others follow suit and notice that you don't have to sacrifice a lot to help.

Stand up and really *do* something for the environment. Buy a hybrid today!

UPDATE 8/19/03

I've now had my hybrid for just over a year, with 20K miles on it. I'm happy to report that I've not had a single problem with it, and have had it in to the dealer for the 5K, 10K, and 20K service. I've been very happy with the routine service from Performance Honda in Cincinnati. Courteous, prompt, and they do what they say they will do.

I'm averaging 53.1 mpg (calculated) over those 20K miles, but the dash indicator always is about 8% high on mpg.

LIKES

10K miles between oil changes, going 750 miles on a tank of gas, quiet, extremely smooth

DISLIKES

The car takes 0W-20 oil, which is just now coming out in the stores. If you're taking it to the dealer for oil changes, it's not a problem, but a do-it-yourselfer would be annoyed. You can use 5W-20 if you want, according to the user manual. The fan (and A/C, if it's running) turns off if the climate control is on automatic and the auto-stop turns on (that's when the gas engine is turned off when the car comes to a stop). You can turn the fan speed from "auto" to a speed level and prevent this, but it's a little annoying.

1-year Conclusion

So far, so good. The gas efficiency seems to get better after 5K miles or so, and just keeps going up. No rattles have developed. All in all, I'm extremely satisfied with its deliverance, and I had very high expectations to start.
Amount Paid (US$): 20010
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: 5-speed