Gas-pump prices have made the automotive world “green” conscious. So much so that even cars with fuel-friendly histories have gone hybrid. One of those automobiles, the Honda Civic, has been a conservation car for 35 years, and it has evolved from being a no-frills transportation vehicle to a stylish, high-tech driving pleasure.
Many people believe the name Civic came from its CVCC (Controlled Vortex Combustion Chamber) engine, but that powerplant debuted in 1975, in Civic’s third year.
In 1973, Honda was better known as a motorcycle company than as an automaker. During that year, the $2200-Civic was introduced with the matter-of-fact slogan: "It will get you where you’re going." This efficient compact offered 40mpg on the highway.
For nearly a quarter-century, Civic was a 40mpg-or-better car, and reached 55mpg on the highway with its 1982 FE model. In 1996, a larger-model Civic only rated 39mpg, but the 21st century has seen Civic get back into the 40s. My Magnetic Pearl 2009 Civic test vehicle was manufactured with a hybrid system that is EPA rated at 40mpg in the city, 45mpg for highway driving and a combined fuel economy estimate of 42mpg.
Now, in its eighth generation, the Civic is assembled in Suzuka, Mie, Japan, but consists of 60 percent U.S/Canadian parts and 30 percent Japanese parts.
{A perfect earth-friendly candidate for tweaking into a tuner car or a performance-and-style showcase, the front-wheel-drive Civic Hybrid uses its 1.3-liter SOHC 8-valve i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine with integrated motor assist to maximize mileage on the highway. Unlike many hybrids, it only cruises into electric mode when coasting on a flat highway or moving at a constant speed near 65mph. That scenario charges the battery pack, but at low speed and from a stop, the gas engine is in full force. The aluminum alloy engine puts out 110hp and 123 lbs.-ft. of torque while the electric motor generator provides 20hp and 76 lbs.-ft. of torque. Electric storage measures 158 volts (output).
While you don’t have to hypermile to achieve great fuel economy with the Civic Hybrid, it doesn’t hurt to try to become a self-fulfilling prophecy by accelerating slowly and steadily, avoiding the jack-rabbit starts and stops and keeping the speedometer at the speed limit. For those of you who are not familiar with hypermiling, it has become a competition sport in which drivers maximize their fuel economy by utilizing techniques (some of which are illegal and also not recommended due to safety concerns) such as coasting in neutral (sometimes with the engine off), drafting, reducing weight load, slightly overinflating tires, avoiding idling, avoiding hills and staying on flat paved roads, smart parking, ridge riding during inclement weather (driving on painted lines or the crown of the roadway), and using pulse and glide techniques in which one accelerates to an efficient speed and then coasts.
Driving normally, safely and legally, I found the EPA estimates to be a trifle high, as my 500 miles of testing on Pennsylvania and Maryland Interstates and the country roads, township streets and city boulevards just a bit north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line resulted in an average of 40.2mpg, with highway miles making up about two-thirds of the examination.
Exhibiting style as well as substance, the 2009 Civic Hybrid shows off attractive lines, including a tiny, trunk-top spoiler -- it seems that every vehicle today has a rear foil, whether it helps aerodynamics or not.
With a curb weight under 3000 lbs. at 2877 lbs., the Civic will not set any speed records, but seldom are hybrids purchased to become track stars. During my tests I ran zero-to-60mph times in the 11s and quarter-miles in the high 18s.
I found that the move from electric motor to gas engine is not a seamless operation – drivers and passengers can feel and hear the switch from gas to CVT motor. I also found that road noise was surprisingly loud, handling was sound and the suspension was stiff. On the test track, during high-speed turns and maneuvers the Civic exhibited marked understeer.
Rated as one of the safest vehicles in its class, the Civic 4-door was awarded 5 stars in NHTSA frontal crash tests for driver and passenger, 5 stars in rear seat side crashes, 4 stars in front seat side crashes, and 4 stars in rollover tests.
The Blue interior is a tech-and-comfort road show, accessorized by such standard equipment as Honda’s Navigation system, XM Satellite radio, 160-watt 6-speaker audio system, Bluetooth hands-free link, leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, heated front seats and automatic climate control with air filtration system.
Interior room is adequate for five, but not roomy, at 39.4 inches of headroom up front (37.4 in row two); legroom of 42.2 inches and 34.6 and shoulder room of 53.6 and 52.3.
Base priced at $26,750, the 2009 Civic Hybrid comes fully loaded. The only add-on is the destination and handling fee of $670, bringing the price as tested to $27,420 – a very basic Honda Civic Si stickers at $19,600.
Hybrid capabilities and Honda style … it’s what we’ve come to expect from Civic.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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