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CNET Editors' review - 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid
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CNET Editor's rating: 7.8 out of 10
Reviewed by Mike Markovich Review date: 04/16/07 The good: The 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid delivers excellent fuel economy and emissions numbers while not compromising too much in the way of performance. Voice-controlled navigation and satellite radio are good tech options for the price. The bad: The gas engine's automatic shut-off feature causes driveline shudders, making for a rough ride in stop-and-go driving. The gas engine can feel underpowered when working alone. The bottom line: Honda's reputation for practical economy is shown in the Civic Hybrid, well-built and simply designed to sip fuel. Interior tech options are usefully done, making this Honda a great commuter sedan.
The 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid may have relinquished its title as the World Green Car of the Year to the Mercedes E320 Bluetec diesel, but the previous winner hasn't changed much since we reviewed a 2006 Civic Hybrid last year. As then, our 2007 test car was equipped with the main option: voice-controlled touch screen navigation, which remains one of the best such systems we've used (it also appears in Acura models). The combination of a miserly hybrid power configuration and a welcome dose of interior tech make the Civic Hybrid a formidable rival to its only real competition, the Toyota Prius. The redesign of the Civic line for 2006 seemed to take some cues from the futuristic shape of the Prius, notably in the extreme rake of the windshield, but the latest Civics have been as well-received as earlier versions and are comfortable inside.
Test the tech: Welcome to L.A. When we topped up the tank before leaving San Francisco, it didn't occur to us that we would reach Huntington Beach before needing to refuel again, but that's exactly what happened. Having traveled 466.3 miles, it took almost exactly 10 gallons to refill the Civic, for an overall average of 46.6mpg for the trip. This also meant that there was a fair amount of fuel left in the 12.3 gallon tank, and that under the right circumstances a cruising range of over 500 miles should be possible.
 Los Angeles freeway traffic puts our Civic Hybrid mileage to the test.
Interestingly, the average mpg gauge--which resets with the trip odometer and updates every 10 minutes--didn't show an appreciable move either way between extended steady-state cruising around 75mph and the inevitable clogged freeways we encountered on nearing Los Angeles. Also of note, the gauge read low compared to our calculated average over the trip south: 42.6mpg compared to the true 46.6. Our choice of the coastal Highway 101 route over the shorter but monotonous Interstate 5 option may have been beneficial to the mileage recorded. Mostly flat and curvier than the arrow-straight I-5, the 101 is usually taken at around 70-75mph, which is in the Civic Hybrid's sweet spot. This longer route foiled editor Kevin Massy's attempt to get the E320 Bluetec to Beverly Hills and back on one tank of gas, but allowed the Civic Hybrid to make the most of its particular strengths. On our return trip, we struggled through morning traffic back north on the 405 but took the I-5 route from there, and our mileage wasn't nearly as good. The long climb through the Grapevine had the small gas engine revving mightily to maintain momentum, and the increased cruising speeds once on flat ground meant that the northbound trip wasn't as efficient an affair (although travel time was, naturally, shorter). We calculated 42.3mpg while the odometer gauge figured it at 36.2.
In the cabin
The Civic has a unique bi-level instrument cluster.
The optional voice-controlled navigation system is the highlight of the cabin tech in the Civic (Bluetooth cell phone integration is unfortunately not available), and we continue to enjoy using it. We've seen better graphics and resolution (generally in much more expensive cars), but the voice recognition system and the overall ease of use are excellent. Using either the 7-inch touch screen or spoken commands works well for destination inputs, although we again noticed that using the voice system took longer, as each step requires confirmation. Map display is configurable with a split-screen look and audible route instructions have speed-sensitive volume adjustments. Our test car was equipped with XM satellite radio, always a welcome companion for a full day's driving. We actually found ourselves listening to our iPod more this time around, which was easily connected to the audio system's auxiliary input. We also played a few tracks off our Sony Ericsson k790, with similar ease. Sound quality from the base 160-watt stereo was, as we noted previously, somewhat underwhelming but clear enough. MP3 and WMA discs can be played in the single-CD player behind the tilt-out nav screen, with ID3 info displayed for MP3s. Also present is a PC card slot, a feature Honda has been offering for some time but which we've seen little of elsewhere.
 The CD slot and a PC card slot live behind the LCD.
The front seats proved comfortable and supportive, if slightly firm, over the course of the trip. Adjustment is all manual, but effective, and a tilting and telescoping steering wheel is a nice touch in a car at this price. 12V power outlets are placed next to the aux input low in the middle of the dash and in the center console, which is topped with a sliding armrest. We were surprised that the rear seats didn't fold down for trunk access at all, but otherwise the interior is a nice no-nonsense environment.
Under the hood This doesn't sound like a whole lot of power, and on the road the Civic can struggle up grades, especially extended ones where the battery's assist capabilities diminish. The CVT does help by keeping the engine around its low-rpm torque peak until more revs are needed. But under most conditions, the dual nature of the power train is transparent.
 The Civic Hybrid's small engine gets very good fuel economy, but the electric assist doesn't give it enough boost for the hills.
One exception to this is the auto-idle stop feature which shuts off the engine at a stop, and refires it when the brake pedal is released. The cycling produces noticeable vibrations through the car and can produce some bucking when restarting following a brief pause, but worse is the flashing notification light below the tachometer. We still don't understand flashing dashboard "warnings" of normal operation, and hope this "feature" disappears from Honda hybrids in the future. As we noted in the "test the tech" section, the Civic Hybrid returned mpg numbers in the mid-40s over the course of our week with the car. This isn't quite up to the EPA's ratings of 49mpg in the city and 51mpg highway, but is still quite respectable. With fuel prices nosing skyward once again as summer approaches, a hybrid looks more and more compelling as a commuter ride, and the ability to ride solo in less-congested carpool lanes is an added bonus. The Civic Hybrid also scores on the emissions front, with an AT-PZEV rating with zero evaporative emissions.
In sum Our test car--with the navigation system and XM radio options--stickers at $25,234 including destination charges, according to Honda's Web site. A nonhybrid Civic EX with navigation and automatic transmission starts at $21,260, so there is still a premium to pay for the extra tech hardware of the Hybrid. The efficiency gains might not make up the difference in price over a normal ownership period, but the eco-friendly performance and real-world advantages of hybrid ownership, like carpool access and tax breaks, can help swing the deal in the hybrid's favor. (Originally posted on CNET Reviews)User opinions - 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid
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Very good7.1out of 10
Average user rating from 9 users
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9 out of 10 - Spectacular 3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful. 9 out of 10 - Spectacular 2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful. 10 out of 10 - Perfect 2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful. 3 out of 10 - Poor 3 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful. 9 out of 10 - Spectacular 1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful. 2 out of 10 - Terrible 9 out of 10 - Spectacular 8 out of 10 - Excellent 5 out of 10 - Average 0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful. Full specifications - 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid
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Manufacturer:
American Honda Motor Company
Part number: 100825608
Manufacturer Info - 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid
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