Purchased: August 2006
Mileage at review: 10,400

Why?
Taxing 3 kids to school in stop-n-go traffic was inefficient for our van. We were getting 18mpg at best with the lightest 'granny driving' we could do. Four people fill a Civic pretty quick, but w/ 20min commutes, we find it snugly comfortable.

What?
Honda's hybrid is best described as an 'electric booster' for their gas engine, meaning it's a gas-powered car 99% of the time w/ an electric assist for acceleration. By contrast, the Prius is a parallel setup w/ full-time electric, full-gas or combinations of the two. With that said, we chose the Honda from brand loyalty (my 9th Honda) and their hybrid system seemed less complex and is purported to run on gas only if the electric-boost were to break (unconfirmed).

Driving for a year:
We love this car. It's a LX/EX Civic sedan with all the coolness that implies. (Electric Win/Locks, Remote, Cruise, Alloy Wheels, etc) You can just get in it and drive; the hybrid system is transparent unless you look for it. A little odd on the acceleration (due to the CVT) and non-linear braking (to recharge the batteries). They feel very strong right down to 10mph, then they go 'soft' which is a scary feeling the first few times. Now we're used to it, but that was the only uncomfortable surprise we found.

Inside there are great seats and seating position (I'm 6 ft and don't hit my head; there is a seat-height adjust of about 4 inches) Ergonomics are fabulous--steering, buttons and switches are "just right", radio is better than most Honda's, but still marginal at best; MP3 input is a nice feature.

I agree this hybrid's drivetrain is a bit sluggish, the car doesn't accelerate as much as it "accumulates" speed--this is mainly from the "1-speed" CVT transmission but if you want the high MPG, you need to drive it soft and smooth. It took weeks to get used to that, but now I love it. Stop-n-Go driving is much smoother and quieter since the engine doesn't rev so high. Hard freeway-ramp accelerating can be a bit unnerving, I've driven 'quick' cars, this is not one of them. However, at speed (60-70mph) it drives and rides great. Crosswinds and grooves are more noticeable as it has rather narrow tires.

Nice trick: the instruments display both Tank-average MPG and "Instant" MPG, so I have instant feed back on my driving and allows me to adjust how efficiently I drive. (Wish non-Hybrids had that) New for Honda's second-gen hybrid, it does allow for limited 'electric only' travel so the MPG can briefly spike to 100mpg! Best tank so far is 54mpg and a range of 550miles. Nice tech feature: Gas engine has "Auto Stop" that shuts off gas when vehicle is stopped (traffic lights, stop signs, RR crossings) weird at first, but very cool know your not polluting waiting for the green light. Also has supplemental electric A/C compressor which stays on even when the engine shuts off which is very nice in the Summer! (older systems kept engine running when A/C was on)

Is it worth the extra $2,000-4,000? Depends on why you want a hybrid. For us it was a combination of fuel efficiency and learning lesson for our kids. We aren't "tree huggers" but we recycle, turn off the lights, and try not to waste resources. At $2 a gallon, hybrids are a novelty, but at $3+, people may look more seriously...

Great site for hybrid info and discussion: http://www.greenhybrid.com
Amount Paid (US$): 22400
Condition: New
Model Year: 2007
Model and Options: Civic Sedan Hybrid (LX/EX trim combination)