2009 Honda Civic Hybrid

The Honda Civic Hybrid doesn't promote its green credentials like some other hybrid cars, which is a drawback according to some reviews. Because it shares its sedan body style with the nonhybrid Honda Civic (*Est. $15,505 to $22,105), reviews say some owners may be disappointed that the only visual indicators that they're driving the green-mobile are unique wheels and discreet hybrid badging. Honda fans who want a hybrid may also want to shop the newly-introduced 2010 Honda Insight (*Est. $19,800 to $21,300), with its lower price, higher fuel economy and distinctive styling. But Honda Civic Hybrid owners will benefit from significantly better fuel economy than their cars' conventionally powered doppelgangers: 40 mpg city and 45 mpg highway for the gas-electric versus the standard Honda Civic's 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

Like the regular Civics, the Honda Civic Hybrid is praised for a nicely designed, comfortable interior with more room than many other compact sedans. Fit and finish is called first-rate, and reliability is projected to be excellent. USA Today's James Healey praises the Civic Hybrid's "sturdy, tight feel, as if it were modeled after a sport sedan." The Honda Civic has a sporty personality, with good handling and a firm ride, and reviews say the hybrid car loses only a little of its sibling's cornering prowess because of its skinny, low-rolling-resistance tires, which squeal easily during cornering. One area in which the Honda Civic Hybrid can't compete with the 140-horsepower nonhybrid models is acceleration. The hybrid car's 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine and electric motor make only 110 horsepower, and acceleration is much slower – "miserably slow," according to Inside Line's Josh Jacquot. Edmunds.com says it takes the Honda Civic Hybrid a leisurely 13.5 seconds to reach 60 mph. While some hybrids can run on purely electric power at low speeds, the Honda Integrated Motor Assist system's electric motor cannot launch the car from a standstill without the gas engine. The electric motor provides assistance, but many reviewers expect a hybrid to run silently on battery power at times. The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Taylor sums it up when he writes, "You only feel that it's a hybrid when you're at a dead stop and the gas engine goes off."

The Honda Civic Hybrid's price premium is hard to justify, many reviewers say. A well-equipped nonhybrid model like the Civic EX (*Est. $19,305) is more satisfying to drive for more than $4,000 less, critics say, although the gas mileage will not be as high. An even better value is the Honda Fit (*Est. $14,750 to $18,960) five-door hatchback, which offers more utility, fun-to-drive handling and respectable fuel mileage. Edmunds Inside Line's Jacquot compares the Fit to the Civic Hybrid and concludes, "The clear winner is the Honda Fit, which has a lower price, greater utility and is much more fun to drive." Reviewers point out that adding a few options to the Civic Hybrid puts it into the same price category as the larger, highly rated Toyota Camry Hybrid (*Est. $26,150), which offers more room and stronger acceleration. The new 2010 Toyota Prius (*est $22,000 to $27,270) is also suggested as a viable lower-priced alternative to the Honda Civic Hybrid.