NOTE: Pricing based on data collected October 2008. Costs of hybridization and forced features are UCS estimates based on information available on manufacturer websites.
See full Hybrid Scorecard methodology
Vehicle Summary
Honda first introduced the Civic Hybrid in model year 2003 and redesigned it in model year 2006 to reduce both global warming and smog-forming emissions while improving overall vehicle performance. The 2009 Civic Hybrid is a compact car that seats five people and gets a combined EPA estimated fuel economy of 42 mpg, second only to the Toyota Prius’s 50 mpg fuel economy. It is a mild hybrid, offering idle stop/start, power assist, and regenerative braking; however, it cannot run on electric power alone.
Environmental Score
With a 31 percent reduction in global warming emissions compared with the conventional Civic, the Civic Hybrid gets high marks for environmental performance. Only the Toyota Prius beats this total, while the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Lexus HS 250h, and Lexus RX 450h AWD all match it. Both its overall fuel economy and relative reduction of global warming emissions are greater than those of Honda’s dedicated hybrid, the Insight. While Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system does not offer electric-only drive, the fuel savings that Honda achieves with the IMA system is comparable with full hybrid systems. This shows that so-called mild hybrid drivetrains should not be considered inferior to “full” systems—the proof of the technology is in the results. The smog-forming emissions performance of the Civic Hybrid is very good, earning it an EPA air pollution score of 9.5. This score combined with the global warming emissions reduction give the Civic Hybrid an environmental score of 7.8, tied for second with only the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid.
Scorecard Environmental Score methodology
Hybrid Value
Honda is charging $3,983 for the hybrid system (1) in the Civic Hybrid. With a solid 31 percent reduction in global warming emissions, this gives the Civic Hybrid a Hybrid Value rating of “High.” This is an interesting contrast with the Honda Insight, which, while coming in at under $20,000, merits only a “Medium” because it has both a lower global warming emissions reduction (24 percent compared with the Honda Fit) and a higher hybrid system cost ($4,100).
Scorecard Hybrid Value methodology
Forced Features
Honda does not offer the Civic Hybrid with standard features similar to the base-model Civic. Instead, Honda offers the Civic Hybrid with standard features similar to the Civic EX—the highest trim level available on the Civic. This means Honda forces consumers to spend $3,362 on features they may not want when they purchase a Civic Hybrid, giving the Civic Hybrid a Forced Features rating of “$$$.” It appears it is the forced features, and not the cost of the hybrid drivetrain, that drives the sticker price of the Civic Hybrid so much higher than the Insight. Finding the happy medium between the Civic Hybrid’s “High” hybrid value and the Insight’s lack of forced features could enable Honda to make both cars even more attractive to consumers. Sample forced features on the Civic Hybrid include cruise control; security system with remote entry and trunk release; deck-lid spoiler; and vehicle stability assist with traction control. Click to see full list of forced features.
Scorecard Forced Features methodology
Hybrid Scorecard Home
Additional Info
Visit the Who’s Got Hybrids section to read comments and stories from actual hybrid owners.
Visit the Reviews page to see what popular automotive websites think of this hybrid.
1. To calculate the cost of the hybrid system, we compared the Civic EX and Civic Hybrid because their standard features were the most similar. One glaring difference, however, is the Civic EX comes with a moonroof, while the Civic Hybrid does not. Since Honda does not offer a standalone moonroof option, we had to look at other manufacturers that offer this as a standalone option in order to discern an accurate cost estimate. Based on our findings, we estimated the cost of the moonroof to be $825 and we used that amount in our analysis.
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