2007 Honda Civic Hybrid Reviews
2007 Honda Civic Hybrid
The 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid may have relinquished its title as the Mercedes E320 Bluetec diesel, but the previous winner hasn't changed much since we reviewed a 2006 Civic Hybrid last year. The combination of a miserly hybrid power configuration and a welcome dose of interior tech make the Civic Hybrid a formidable rival to its only real competition, the Toyota Prius. Hybrids are generally acknowledged to realize their best mileage gains in city driving, where frequent regenerative braking and low-speed electric-only operation can be exploited (the Civic Hybrid can operate electric-only under very specific circumstances, which we never encountered). Having traveled 466.3 miles, it took almost exactly 10 gallons to refill the Civic, for an overall average of 46.6mpg for the trip. We calculated 42.3mpg while the odometer gauge figured it at 36.2.
In the cabin
Inside the "Civic Hybrid", there is the impression of forward thinking thanks to some unconventional split-level gauge placement and the two-spoke steering wheel. The Civic Hybrid uses a 1.3-liter four-cylinder gas engine with iVTEC valve timing working eight valves, a continuously variable transmission, and an electric motor mounted between them. As we noted in the "test the tech" section, the "Civic Hybrid" returned mpg numbers in the mid-40s over the course of our week with the car. The Civic Hybrid also scores on the emissions front, with an AT-PZEV rating with zero evaporative emissions.
In sum
The 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius are still the only compact hybrid sedans on the market, with other manufacturers preferring to make their larger sedans and SUVs more efficient via hybrid technology. Our test car--with the navigation system and XM radio options--stickers at $25,234 including destination charges, according to Honda's Web site.
For 2007, XM Satellite Radio is standard on Civic Hybrids with the navigation system.
Exterior
The redesigned Civic sedan looks futuristic compared to its predecessor. In addition to the wheels, a rear lip spoiler, hybrid badges and redundant turn-signal indicators in the side mirror housings serve to differentiate the Civic Hybrid from conventional models.
Interior
There's room for five in the Civic Hybrid, which has two-tone cloth seating surfaces. The Civic Hybrid has an interesting-looking instrument cluster that's similar to the regular Civic's. The hybrid's 10.4-cubic-foot trunk is slightly smaller than the regular sedan's 12.0-cubic-foot cargo area. Under the Hood
Featuring a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine teamed with an electric motor, the Civic Hybrid makes 110 horsepower and 123 pounds-feet of torque. Safety
Standard safety features include antilock brakes, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags and active front head restraints. While driving the Civic Hybrid, the battery meter and charge/assist gauge provided instant rewards in exchange for efficient driving. Though it's not especially quick, the Civic Hybrid accelerates adequately.
Front-seat passengers get the Si coupe's sport seats. The 2007 Honda Civic is available in coupe and sedan versions. The Honda Civic DX coupe ($14,810) and DX sedan ($15,010) are the base models. The coupe gets a rear decklid spoiler. Brakes are disc in front, drum in rear. The coupe has a rear seat walk-in feature that remembers the front passenger seat's setting. The Si coupe ($21,090) and the new-for-2007 sedan ($21,290) come with all the gear found on the LX coupe and sedan plus leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, amber-tinted headlight trim rings and a body-colored rear wing spoiler. New for 2007 and standard on both coupe and sedan is electronic vehicle stability assist system with traction control. The LX and EX HFP package for the coupe ($3118) and sedan ($3197) substitutes 17-inch alloy wheels, drops the muffler and adds a rear spoiler. The sedans and coupes don't share any body panels. The Si coupe wears an i-VTEC label just forward of the rear wheel well, the Si sedan the same on the lower rear side door.
