honda civic or Prius?

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jrtexas
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honda civic or Prius?

Post by jrtexas »

Wife can't decide. She hates the hatchback bar on the Prius. Basically, she only wants
the Prius for the gas mileage. But is 3,000 worth the extra mileage. BTW, the Civic is the
Ex model, and is not the hybrid. Really a better looking car. Thanks
awval999
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by awval999 »

I wouldn't drive a Prius if it was free because of how it looks. Then again I am a 29 year old man.

Full disclosure: I own a Honda Civic EX coupe
sport
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by sport »

The hybrid cars get the best mileage in city driving. On the highway, the advantage is much less. How many city miles will the car be driven each year? If it is not a lot of miles, the economics of the hybrid are less favorable.
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

Best of a Civic Si and a Prius all in one? CR-Z with a 6 speed manual. I drove one and loved it. I need to keep the practicality of a 4 seater so have moved over to used Mazda 3's but I loved the CR-Z that I test drove.
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knowsnothing
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by knowsnothing »

The Civic is a beast. I bought a new one in 2007 and I've put 100k + miles on it and I haven't done anything except the standard maintenance, a new battery (2 actually - battery is an issue with my particular model for some reason) and brakes. It's KBB value is only a bit under half of the original MSRP.
Dimitri
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by Dimitri »

How about the Prius C One? In California you can get one for $15,988.
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countofmc
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by countofmc »

Basically same class of car, probably similar cost of ownership. I'd drive both and decide from there. Also, something I didn't previously care about but I"m appreciating more. If there are no obvious advantages, I might use dealership experience as the tiebreaker. Both Honda and Toyota have tons of dealerships, but if one is a bit closer to your residence or happens to have good service reviews (from Yelp or whatnot) that would be enough to tilt the scales for me. During the warranty period I like to take the car into the dealership for service, and for recalls you have no choice.
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camper
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by camper »

My wife got a 2014 Honda Civic EX last year. She likes it. We are averaging 35.1 MPG.
TravelGeek
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by TravelGeek »

awval999 wrote:I wouldn't drive a Prius if it was free because of how it looks. Then again I am a 29 year old man.

Full disclosure: I own a Honda Civic EX coupe
Really? What kinda Boglehead are you to reject a free vehicle? ;)

Full disclosure: I am on my second Prius (2004 and 2010 models, I.e., 2nd and 3rd generation) and love driving it. And I always liked the look. IMO Honda was stupid to make the Civic Hybrid look like a regular Civic. Personally I wouldn't buy a Prius right now. The current model, the 3rd gen, has been mostly unchanged since I got mine and is due for a "refresh" -- but I haven't kept up with the car rumors to know what Toyota is expected to do for the 2016 model year. Here's one article courtesy of Google:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/109 ... e-sportier

To answer the OP's question, it should be reasonably easy to determine if you'll make the extra cost back in a reasonable amount of time.
slbnoob
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by slbnoob »

Prius' looks will not sell it. But any Toyota hybrid will outperform its EPA estimates (Source: fuelly.com and the toyotanation forum).
TravelGeek
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by TravelGeek »

Ron Ronnerson
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by Ron Ronnerson »

I recently purchased a car and test drove the Prius, Civic, and Corolla LE Eco. Like your wife, I also couldn't stand the bar on the hatchback of the Prius. I loved its efficiency but the car design proved to be a deal breaker for me. I liked both the Civic and the Corolla LE Eco. It was a tough decision but I replaced my 2000 Honda Accord with a 2015 Toyota Corolla LE Eco. I liked some of the Corolla's features somewhat more (such as the location of the screen for the backup camera and location of the USB port) and it also got a bit better gas mileage in comparison to the Civic (42 vs. 38 mpg on the highway). The out-the-door price was $17,800.

I sold my Accord on Craigslist to the very first person interested in the car after having an ad out for just one day. CarMax had offered $1700 but I was able to get $3300 by selling it on Craigslist.

I've had the Corolla for a few months and love it. I'm sure the Civic would have been great too. I know many people like their Prius a lot but it just wasn't quite right for me. Fuel efficiency is definitely important but I wouldn't make it the only factor to take into consideration. You also have to look at the price, safety features, and simply whether or not you like the car since you'll likely own it for a good while.
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mmmodem
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by mmmodem »

I own a Prius and I will never own a conventional engine vehicle again. I've owned Civics and Corollas pretty much my whole life. I resisted a Prius because they are ugly and slow. However, with my 100 round trip commute, I just couldn't say no any longer. I purchased a Prius Plug-in for the sole benefit of carpool lane access not knowing it would convert me to hybrids.

I had an 06 Civic that was giving me a trouble free 40 mpg average. My mom is still driving it at 180k miles. Do the math and the price premium for the Prius will pay for itself in 3-4 years. After that the savings continue. Maintenance and insurance is lower than the Civic. The myth about battery replacement has been debunked. Consumer Reports as well as other publications have found that replacement rates are super low. The hatchback form factor allowed me to carry a 65 inch tv. I could also haul a family of 5 on a 1000 mile road trip for a week. No minivan or SUV needed.

Yes, I miss my Civic. I miss my old Corolla compared to this slow Prius. But I'm saving so much money and it has so much utility that as a family man it just makes sense. I get 70 mpg in my Prius plug-in and I get home from work 1/3 of the time sooner.

My next vehicle will be a Prius or fully electric vehicle if CA no longer has a carpool program.
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dumbbunny
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by dumbbunny »

I was considering the 2015 Prius and the 2015 Honda Fit EX. I went with the Fit. The True Cost to Own (www.edmunds.com) was cheaper for the Fit. Plus the EX model and a lot of goodies. I get 38 mpg. Consider waiting for the 2016 Fit.
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FireSekr
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by FireSekr »

Clearly you prefer the style of the Honda. If everything else about the two cars were the same in your mind, then why are you asking? Is there anything about the Prius that you prefer over the Honda? I'm guessing it's probably the slight efficiency advantage of the Prius but everything else on the honda is likely better.

I'd look at it this way. If you bought the Prius, would you think about how ugly it is every time you drove it? If you bought the Civic, would you wish you had the efficiency of a Prius when you have to get gas?

In my mind, Honda almost always > Toyota, the exceptions being the Lexus LF-A and the Toyota FJ Cruiser
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by FireSekr »

Jack FFR1846 wrote:Best of a Civic Si and a Prius all in one? CR-Z with a 6 speed manual. I drove one and loved it. I need to keep the practicality of a 4 seater so have moved over to used Mazda 3's but I loved the CR-Z that I test drove.
OP, have you looked at the Mazda 3? My dad was considering one so I've test driven it...lots of fun for the price and the ergonomics are far better than a Prius or Civic.
southbay
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by southbay »

Civic would be my choice.
JH in Ohio
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by JH in Ohio »

jrtexas wrote:Wife can't decide. She hates the hatchback bar on the Prius. Basically, she only wants
the Prius for the gas mileage. But is 3,000 worth the extra mileage. BTW, the Civic is the
Ex model, and is not the hybrid. Really a better looking car. Thanks
I have a Prius, love it, and would buy another without a moment's hesitation. And the one Honda I had, I hated.

But guess what? That's not your/your wife's experience. For your own reasons, you like the Honda better, and the only reason you're thinking of the Prius is the lifetime gas savings.

So ... my recommendation is that you get the Honda. Decisions that are made for purely financial reasons, especially when they are different from what you really want to do, are decisions that you end up regretting.
MarkBarb
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by MarkBarb »

I rented a Prius once. It was one of the worst cars I've driven. The dash was a nightmare of distracting and useless information presented tastelessly. The worse part, though, was the handling. I was in Denver during a storm and keeping the car planted in its lane was an amazing amount of work. I think the relatively high profile, light weight, and skinny tires combined in a bad way.
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warner25
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by warner25 »

Buying my first car in 2008 came down to the same decision. I chose the Prius and have no regrets. My reasons: (1) The Prius is less expensive to own and operate over its lifetime (300,000 miles?) due to the fuel economy advantage and rock-bottom maintenance costs (like the Civic) that Prius owners typically experience. It costs more up-front, but it also retains a premium if you sell before the end of its useful life. (2) The Prius, as a mid-size, is larger than the Civic, which is a compact, so you actually get more car for less.

The arguments against the Prius just don't resonate with me. I don't think it's ugly, and I'm a 28 year-old man. The design is more functional than the Civic or other cars in terms of maximizing passenger/cargo space and fuel economy. And I've never been in a situation when I couldn't easily keep up with other traffic or speed limits, so I don't think it's too slow. When 30,000+ Americans are dying in car wrecks every year, I'm of the very strong opinion that "fun" shouldn't have anything to do with driving on public roads.
Last edited by warner25 on Sun Jul 19, 2015 7:27 am, edited 5 times in total.
dc81584
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by dc81584 »

I'd go for the Civic.
nchowrin
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by nchowrin »

MarkBarb wrote:I rented a Prius once. It was one of the worst cars I've driven. The dash was a nightmare of distracting and useless information presented tastelessly. The worse part, though, was the handling. I was in Denver during a storm and keeping the car planted in its lane was an amazing amount of work. I think the relatively high profile, light weight, and skinny tires combined in a bad way.
I own a 2010 Prius and it's hardly light weight with a curb weight of 3042lbs. The Civic comes in at 2868lbs, so its the lighter of the two. The Prius has a height of 58.7" vs. 56.5" for the Civic. I doubt that 2" makes a significant difference. I've never considered the tires on my Prius to be skinny and I doubt the Civic has wider one's. However, tires can easily be changed to your preference. Lastly, most Prius owners love the display of information and can use it greatly improve their mileage. I usually average in the upper 50's for gas mileage. With some mindful effort I boost that well into the 60's. However, if you don't like the display then it can easily be changed or simply turned off.
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by kolea »

Think about the environment and go with the Prius.
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cherijoh
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by cherijoh »

jrtexas wrote:Wife can't decide. She hates the hatchback bar on the Prius. Basically, she only wants
the Prius for the gas mileage. But is 3,000 worth the extra mileage. BTW, the Civic is the
Ex model, and is not the hybrid. Really a better looking car. Thanks
How tall is your wife? I am petite and the hatchback bar on the Prius hits at a really bad spot for using the rearview mirror - so it may not just be aesthetics.

How much of the driving is highway vs. city? The differential is smaller if mostly highway mileage.
stlutz
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by stlutz »

Driving a liftback like a Prius involves using your outside mirrors more than you would in a sedan. That aspect is not unique to a Prius. I wouldn't but a Prius only for the gas mileage--there are quite a few cars nowadays that get excellent mileage (albeit still lower than a Prius). I bought mine in large part because I do like hatchbacks--they are so much more practical than sedans. For some strange reason, most Americans prefer sedans, however.
ktd
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by ktd »

We bought the Prius because I get 2 days extra vacation if I drive a hybrid vehicle at my company.
JerseyKC
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by JerseyKC »

A few people have mentioned the Mazda 3, but you may want to test drive a few used ones if you are planning to keep the car a bunch of years. Lots of rattles in the dash at about 50k miles (several in my family have different generations).

I worked at a dealership in HS. One sales guy always said that if considering a new car, see if you can find a used one in the area with some mileage on it and drive it. Autotrader.com should give you some hits in your area and you can set the make/model and mileage to narrow the search down.
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Toons
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by Toons »

I'd go for the "BulletProof Civic". :happy
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by JDot »

JerseyKC wrote:A few people have mentioned the Mazda 3, but you may want to test drive a few used ones if you are planning to keep the car a bunch of years. Lots of rattles in the dash at about 50k miles (several in my family have different generations).

I worked at a dealership in HS. One sales guy always said that if considering a new car, see if you can find a used one in the area with some mileage on it and drive it. Autotrader.com should give you some hits in your area and you can set the make/model and mileage to narrow the search down.
My wife has a 2010 mazda 3 hatchback. It's not the turbo charged one. Performance wise, it's pretty nice. Plenty of power and the auto tranny will really hold a gear. Gas mileage is pretty bad; however, I understand they have improved quite a bit.

However, I completely agree with the poster who I quoted. We have about 50k miles on it. Although there has not been any significant or major mechanical issues, the car really does seem like a rattle trap. It drives like it's a car with 100,000 or 150,000 miles. Other than the Mazda Miata, I probably would never consider a mazda in the foreseeable future. I'd take my chances in a VW Gold any day if I really wanted a hatchback. Otherwise, I'd buy a honda, toyota, or subaru. honda or toyota for the reliability and subaru for the awd/reliability/safety.

So basically, I wouldn't go out of my way to tell someone not to buy a mazda 3, but I certainly would prefer something else for the money.
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by Stonebr »

We shopped the Prius against the Civic a year ago and decided on the Prius. No regrets.

Reasons:
Civic had vague, sloppy handling. A big surprise for me. I used to be a Civic fan, but the new one is pitiful.
Prius handling was no worse. Yeah, the acceleration is weird, but the car actually handles okay.
Prius has cavernous cargo space. Rear seats fold FLAT. Cargo area is comparable to many SUVs. I'm talking about the regular, plain vanilla Prius. Not the V and not the C.
Civic cabin was small, Prius was more like a mid sized car (think Camry rather than Corolla)
Counting up all the red dots and black dots in Consumer Reports repair histories, I found that the Prius is one of the most reliable Toyotas ever built. And Toyotas are no slouch when it comes to reliability. More recent Civics (and Hondas in general) were not doing as well as in past years with the red dots and black dots.

Neither of these cars is a VW GTi (i.e., a drivers car), so forget the boy-girl racer idea. These are transportation appliances -- a refrigerator on wheels.

If you choose cars based on looks, you have my pity.
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Kaufmanrider
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by Kaufmanrider »

Bought a 2015 Prius 3 last month. Just under 2000 miles and we are averaging 47 miles to the gallon. Very happy with the purchase. I love that it costs as much to fill up my motorcycle as it does the Prius.
sls239
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by sls239 »

Can you put this off? I think Honda is going to come out with a civic sized hatchback, and she might like that even better.
opus360
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by opus360 »

I agree with what Stonebr said. Prius is a better car than Civic. Reliability will likely be better with Prius as well.

Personally, I don't think the Civic looks any better or worse than a Prius. Neither good nor bad. Just average looking cars.

The next generation (MY2016) Prius is around the corner. You can likely get big discounts on the current Prius. But then again, you might want to wait until the new Prius is out to make a decision.
Last edited by opus360 on Mon Jul 20, 2015 2:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
KyleAAA
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by KyleAAA »

Go with a Mazda3 over either of those. It's the non-contest best car in the compact segment right now. Unless it's a Civic SI. Those are pretty fun.
stoptothink
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by stoptothink »

Jack FFR1846 wrote:Best of a Civic Si and a Prius all in one? CR-Z with a 6 speed manual. I drove one and loved it. I need to keep the practicality of a 4 seater so have moved over to used Mazda 3's but I loved the CR-Z that I test drove.
Can't say I've ever driven one, but based upon reading reviews, my first assumption would that the CR-Z provides the pitfalls of both vehicles and little of the advantages. It has the lack of power/acceleration of a hybrid, without the exceptional efficiency. It actually gets similar MPG as the civic, while the acceleration is on par with the sedan and not even close to the SI (~9sec 0-60 compared to 6.5sec). They are supposed to handle quite well though.
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jabberwockOG
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by jabberwockOG »

I'd go with conventional civic or Mazda3 at this time. Either car will be much more fun to drive than the Prius. Paying several thousand more for a hybrid over conventional gas model is almost never a good financial move unless you drive 30k+ miles a year and even then reaching breakeven takes several years.

If you drive/commute over 70 miles a day or if have extreme need for other people to see you driving a hybrid than get the Prius. Most manufacturers discovered early that a many consumers would only pay a premium dollars for a hybrid or electric car only if the car was uniquely styled so that everyone would immediately recognize that they were driving a "green" car. Kinda makes you wonder doesn't it....
stoptothink
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by stoptothink »

jabberwock wrote:Most manufacturers discovered early that a many consumers would only pay a premium dollars for a hybrid or electric car only if the car was uniquely styled so that everyone would immediately recognize that they were driving a "green" car. Kinda makes you wonder doesn't it....
Love to see something that backs this up. The Prius has among the lowest CDs of any vehicle in the world, and everything that has a better CD costs at least 2x as much. It would seem that the odd shape has a lot to do with aerodynamics, and the upcoming version is supposed to be a significant improvement in this department. Other hybrids (Hyundai Sonata, Accord, Avalon, Porsche Cayenne, Lexus RX, Lexus GS...) look exactly like the regular versions.
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by Cheyenne »

...hybrid cars get the best mileage in city driving. On the highway, the advantage is much less...
That's an interesting claim. I wonder if the writer owns a Prius. I have a 2004 with 145,000 miles and the gas mileage is better on the highway than around town because around town you're not moving much so the gas mileage can't be better. I always get over 50 MPG on a long trip on the interstates. The best gas mileage is on flat country roads where you can maintain 35 to 40 MPH. There, gas mileage is as high as 57 MPG. There are many myths frequently hear about the Prius. The other is that they're slow. I've owned sports cars in the past and my Prius it's fast enough. It drives at highway speeds (80 - 90 mph) and electric motors have a lot of torque so the acceleration is adequate for overtaking other cars. I like the way it handles too. And they do have a lot of cargo space and leg room in the back seat. As for looks, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by stoptothink »

trebordet wrote:
...hybrid cars get the best mileage in city driving. On the highway, the advantage is much less...
That's an interesting claim. I wonder if the writer owns a Prius. I have a 2004 with 145,000 miles and the gas mileage is better on the highway than around town because around town you're not moving much so the gas mileage can't be better. I always get over 50 MPG on a long trip on the interstates. The best gas mileage is on flat country roads where you can maintain 35 to 40 MPH. There, gas mileage is as high as 57 MPG. There are many myths frequently hear about the Prius. The other is that they're slow. I've owned sports cars in the past and my Prius it's fast enough. It drives at highway speeds (80 - 90 mph) and electric motors have a lot of torque so the acceleration is adequate for overtaking other cars. I like the way it handles too. And they do have a lot of cargo space and leg room in the back seat. As for looks, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Based upon EPA estimates, the idea that they get better MPG on the street is pretty much the consensus. All three of the Prius' are rated higher on the street. On the street they can use the electric batteries exclusively when moving slow, while the gas motor always has to be working when traveling at highway speeds.
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by poker27 »

ktd wrote:We bought the Prius because I get 2 days extra vacation if I drive a hybrid vehicle at my company.
Woah, I havent heard this before. Interesting
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by Cheyenne »

Based upon EPA estimates, the idea that they get better MPG on the street is pretty much the consensus. All three of the Prius' are rated higher on the street. On the street they can use the electric batteries exclusively when moving slow, while the gas motor always has to be working when traveling at highway speeds.
I've read the EPA estimates too but that has not been my experience. There are other factors to consider. The batteries are not used exclusively when driving slow. It takes a Prius about 15 to 20 minutes to warm-up the catalytic covverter and enter normal driving mode (for my 2004 model year anyway), so the gas engine is running continuously during the warm-up period, and if around town driving consists of short trips of less tan 15 minutes (as many of mine do) then the gas engine would always be running. In addition if the driver accelerates rapidly from stop lights (as many drivers do) the gas engine runs, as it does when the batteries get low which happens frequently when not moving much, especially when the AC is running. On the highway the gas engine is always turning above 42 MPH but when coasting and when drafting another large vehicle, the fuel used is either insignificant or zero. I may be wrong on this (I did a lot of reading on this when I first bought the car) but as I recall because the engine is an Atkinson patient and not an Otto patient, when coasting the valves open to relieve compression in the cylinders and the engine turns but does not burn fuel if I recall correctly. Anyway, maybe it's the way I drive but my highway MPG is higher than city, and flat country roads get the highest because then the batteries are almost used exclusively.
stoptothink
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by stoptothink »

trebordet wrote:
Based upon EPA estimates, the idea that they get better MPG on the street is pretty much the consensus. All three of the Prius' are rated higher on the street. On the street they can use the electric batteries exclusively when moving slow, while the gas motor always has to be working when traveling at highway speeds.
I've read the EPA estimates too but that has not been my experience. There are other factors to consider. The batteries are not used exclusively when driving slow. It takes a Prius about 15 to 20 minutes to warm-up the catalytic covverter and enter normal driving mode (for my 2004 model year anyway), so the gas engine is running continuously during the warm-up period, and if around town driving consists of short trips of less tan 15 minutes (as many of mine do) then the gas engine would always be running. In addition if the driver accelerates rapidly from stop lights (as many drivers do) the gas engine runs, as it does when the batteries get low which happens frequently when not moving much, especially when the AC is running. On the highway the gas engine is always turning above 42 MPH but when coasting and when drafting another large vehicle, the fuel used is either insignificant or zero. I may be wrong on this (I did a lot of reading on this when I first bought the car) but as I recall because the engine is an Atkinson patient and not an Otto patient, when coasting the valves open to relieve compression in the cylinders and the engine turns but does not burn fuel if I recall correctly. Anyway, maybe it's the way I drive but my highway MPG is higher than city, and flat country roads get the highest because then the batteries are almost used exclusively.
Just regurgitating the EPA's numbers and explanation, which I don't necessarily trust.
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jabberwockOG
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by jabberwockOG »

stoptothink wrote:
trebordet wrote:
...hybrid cars get the best mileage in city driving. On the highway, the advantage is much less...
That's an interesting claim. I wonder if the writer owns a Prius. I have a 2004 with 145,000 miles and the gas mileage is better on the highway than around town because around town you're not moving much so the gas mileage can't be better. I always get over 50 MPG on a long trip on the interstates. The best gas mileage is on flat country roads where you can maintain 35 to 40 MPH. There, gas mileage is as high as 57 MPG. There are many myths frequently hear about the Prius. The other is that they're slow. I've owned sports cars in the past and my Prius it's fast enough. It drives at highway speeds (80 - 90 mph) and electric motors have a lot of torque so the acceleration is adequate for overtaking other cars. I like the way it handles too. And they do have a lot of cargo space and leg room in the back seat. As for looks, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Based upon EPA estimates, the idea that they get better MPG on the street is pretty much the consensus. All three of the Prius' are rated higher on the street. On the street they can use the electric batteries exclusively when moving slow, while the gas motor always has to be working when traveling at highway speeds.


Primary reason EPA city score is better than EPA highway score for hybrids is that they spend multiple parts of the EPA city test cycle with engine shut off representing stop and go traffic. Engine runs almost continuously on highway test cycle.
TravelGeek
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by TravelGeek »

trebordet wrote:
...hybrid cars get the best mileage in city driving. On the highway, the advantage is much less...
That's an interesting claim. I wonder if the writer owns a Prius. I have a 2004 with 145,000 miles and the gas mileage is better on the highway than around town because around town you're not moving much so the gas mileage can't be better. I always get over 50 MPG on a long trip on the interstates.
While I am aware of the EPA stats, I can also confirm your observations. I have been driving 2nd and 3rd gen Priuses since 2003. My numbers might be different if I drove around town all day long, but that's not most people's driving pattern. They get into a cold car, drive to the store on city streets, then come back. That won't give you exceptional mileage with a regular Prius. Might be a good use case for a plugin Prius, though.
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mike143
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by mike143 »

We have a 2012 Civic LX auto sedan normal/gas/non-hybrid and a 2013 Prius Two. Prius 110%. In a few years it will repay its price difference. I have been all Honda up to this point. 17k on the Prius and 49.x MPG since new. I can't think of anything the Civic does better unless its the manual transmission version.

Check fuelly for real world results. When I use to check every tank the averages were pretty spot on for the cars I have owned.

* All Honda: 87 Pontiac Grand Prix LE 5.0L, 89 Honda Accord LXi Sedan Manual (200k), 91 Honda CRX DX Manaul (150k), 96 Honda Civic CX (only came in Manual) (390k when purchased, original engine and transmission), 96 Honda EX Coupe Manual (near 200k), 04 Accord LX 2.4L (4 cylinder) Sedan Manual (108k when purchased in 2007). Wife had a 05 Honda Element Auto when we met, yes it had a manual option.

Note: I paid $21.6k and $23k after all fees and taxes in Florida (6%) for the new 2013 Prius in January of 2014. In my expericne of car buying both personally and for the company I work for the difference between actual sale (before legitimate taxes and fees) price and MSRP is about $4-5k. *I have bought about 10 vehicles in the past year.

My wife was averaging 35mpg with the Civic and about 50mpg with the Prius. I was averaging near 40mpg with the Civic and around 50mpg for the Prius. The Prius handles inefficient drivers (my wife) better than the Civic.

Neither are bad choices.
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MildlyEccentric
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by MildlyEccentric »

We own both a Prius (2006) and a Civic (1998). I prefer the Prius as it is roomier than the Civic and gets better gas mileage (45-50 mpg). An unexpected bonus with the Prius has been its very low maintenance costs. I've yet to change the brake pads on the Prius (140K miles) and it doesn't have a timing belt to replace.
Beth*
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by Beth* »

I have a Prius. I generally get the best mileage commuting to and from work, 57 or 58 miles per gallon. My commute is on suburban and city streets and is about 12 or 13 miles each way. On short local errands when the car doesn't really have time to warm up I average somewhere around 40 miles per gallon and on the highway I average around 52 or 53 miles per gallon. Across all the driving I do, I average about 48 or 49 miles per gallon. I know that is different from the advertised results, but it is what I get.

I love my Prius! And I love the fact that I only have to buy gas every two or three weeks and when I do buy gas it doesn't cost much to fill up the car. I had to fill up the gas tank in my previous car every week and it cost more to fill than the Prius does. Even with the backseat up I have room for a couple of suitcases. And, it has some hidden compartments for things you might not want to leave visible in the hatchback. I would not want to put two 6 tall adults in the backseat of the Civic, but I have no hesitation about the backseat of the Prius.
Last edited by Beth* on Mon Jul 20, 2015 6:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mike143
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by mike143 »

MildlyEccentric wrote:We own both a Prius (2006) and a Civic (1998). I prefer the Prius as it is roomier than the Civic and gets better gas mileage (45-50 mpg). An unexpected bonus with the Prius has been its very low maintenance costs. I've yet to change the brake pads on the Prius (140K miles) and it doesn't have a timing belt to replace.
I have replaced a few timing belts and when I bought a 04 Accord I only considered the 4 cylinder model since it had a "lifetime" timing chain.

*Most last the life of the vehicle, a small few do not.

When replacing my wife's Element only consider the 2006+ Civic due to the timing chain.
Nothing is free, someone pays...You can't spend your way to financial freedom.
rakamaka
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by rakamaka »

--how much is total out-of-door(with taxes) price for both cars?
--compare dimensions, engine power etc online..
--calculate break-even on price/gallon paid for price..I think it takes at least 5 yrs to see some monetory gains for prius
---better calculate gallons/mile instead of miles/gallon...a different perspective
---arrive at decision and ACT..
BogleBoogie
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Re: honda civic or Prius?

Post by BogleBoogie »

Civic
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