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February, 2008

The 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid

Fall, 2007

Some views of t he Volvo C30

(cont) . . .

The Honda Civic Hybrid doesn't supply a head-turning, eye-candy kind of attention, but instead delivers an unreasonably attractive and practical kind of allure.

The best thing about the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid is that driving it is not all that different from driving the conventional Civic the world has come to love. Cute body style, a practical, yet well-appointed interior, and great visibility are the trademarks of Honda styling in these new models too. Just turn the key and you are on your way, albeit with less of a foot on the pedal. On a recent weekend, we drove a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid around mid-coast Maine and found it to be everything it was cracked up to be. We loved it!

While test-driving the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid, the second thing we learned is that hybrids recharge their own batteries. The recharging occurs three ways: when you lift off the throttle, hit the brakes, or when cruising if the computer determines that the battery needs charging. A cute digital display on the dash always keeps you informed as to the amount of juice left in the battery. No worries there. When you let off the gas, the primary source of deceleration is the electric motor, not the gas engine, as in a conventional car. The Honda Civic Hybrid uses a special electric motor that operates as a generator. Using the car's momentum to spin this motor creates electricity, which is sent to the battery pack in the trunk.  Yes, at first it all felt really weird, but after bit of driving it was easy to get used to.

The ultimate benefit of the Civic Hybrid is that the gas engine shuts off when you come to a full stop, saving fuel. However, this takes some getting used to. No vroom, noise, or idling sound when you are at a complete stop. As soon as you lift your foot off the brake, the gas engine whirs to life again, but ever so quietly. The resulting quiet inside the cabin is a nice change. It was especially noticeable when we returned to our own car.

Under close monitoring and scrupulous attention to record-keeping, the EPA trials testify that the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid gets 49 mpg in city driving and 51 on the highway. Those numbers are rarely achieved by normal drivers, but we have a gear-head friend who has achieved close to that that mileage with his 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid. By applying gradual acceleration and obsessive cruising techniques, he has achieved the actual EPA ratings. Admittedly, when he was not concentrating on driving his fuel economy suffered. Most of us in Maine don’t want to drive more slowly as we are always in a race against time on back roads. Plus, lapses in driving concentration while taking in our great scenerycan prevent constant focus on our driving, so one can expect to get 45 mpg for basic Route 1 driving. That’s still an impressive picture.

Despite the love we developed for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid, there are a few drawbacks that we need to share with you, dear reader. The seats need to be redesigned. For short trips around town, they are more than adequate; but for longer periods of driving, there is definitely room for improvement. Also, larger size bodies will not find it a comfortable seat platform or back rest. The cushions are hard and not contoured properly creating an uncomfortable position for all three of us who took turns driving. For those who need extra space in the trunk, the Hybrid model create a challenge as the batteries take up a fair amount of space. When the car is not turned on it is impossible to recharge cell-phone batteries as the system shuts completely down. This is off-putting since most of us are used to recharging our phone batteries even when our car is not in use. They also need to offer heated seats. It can get cold out here in Maine where we love heated seats. True, it’s not a green thing, but a huge convenience that brings comfort to our very cold days.

On a final note, let’s hope that Honda introduces some zippy paint exterior colors into the offerings. Fun colors, with creative inside appointments would be a simple, cool way to ramp up the visuals. Especially if they want to appeal to younger consumers and women, many of whom have been attracted to the BMW Mini-Coopers just because of the cool offerings. Yes, greenhouse gas emissions, fuel economy, and being responsible is the order of the day, but some of us just wanna have fun!

Overall, the price of a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid adds $5,000 to the cost of a traditional Honda Civic. That additional money is for the battery pack which helps fuel the car. Considering that the regular non-hybrid 2008 Honda Civic already gets very impressive mileage, this extra bite presents an interesting dilemma when buckaroos really matter. If you can afford it, do a lot of driving, I say, "Go for it!" It’s a responsible purchase. Conversely, if money is an issue, and your driving needs and the status thing don’t really matter I think that sticking with the traditional 2008 Honda Civic will work just fine. But if voting for Obama, being green, eating your veggies, and wanting to be part of the new generation of car owners is for you, the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid is your car. 

Fall 2007
2008 Volvo C 30

I love cars and trucks. Always have. The design, the technology, the speed (ahum, yes, those tickets!). Needless to say, I’m always looking at anything with a cute backside that has a motor and four wheels. On a recent road trip to Boston my heart began to flutter when I saw a new 2008 Volvo C30 taking the turn onto Storrow Drive. It was so cute, so retro, so practical. Unlike other hatchbacks in its class this car screams sporty, hip and zippy. And, it obviously is not your made-for-politically correct Volvo-driving Mainers. But it does take a cue from the vintage Volvo 1800 ES wagon from the 70’s. Remember that ultra-cool rear window that model had? You know, the one my sister’s boyfriend drove.( The one I lusted after…the car, not the guy.)

I had to take it for a test drive so at my first opportunity so I hightailed it to Goodwin's Volvo in Topsham once I was back in Maine to check it out. (Incidentally, they have the best dealer service department in the state.) As you may have guessed I’m not that cute babe in her twenties looking for a practical, hip car but I have to say I looked pretty good in the rear view mirror once I sat in the seat. Once inside, the car was missing the standard luxury items that I’ve gotten used to in my Audi A4 3.0 wagon like heated leather seats, GPS, Xenon headlamps, cruise control, sunroof, rain-sensing wipers and trip computer. None of that seemed to matter once I was cruising along Route 1 towards Freeport. The 1.0 version I was driving proved itself to me in performance, agility and visibility. The car hung onto to the turns, found a comfortable balance between edgy and racey and delivered a ride that was both quiet and smooth. The ride is considerably better than its rivals like the boy-racers Volkswagon GTI or the Mazdaspeed3. The brakes were efficient and responsive as one has come to expect from Volvo, but after a bit of healthy use they were squishy, offering lower than average power and sinking near the floor. Certainly better than the brakes in our GMC Sierra, but not what one expects from a Volvo. The engine delivered the power one expects from a five cylinder that was both quiet and eager. The steering was solid and the visibility excellent with an enormous windshield and slim roof supports. The front buckets are generous and comfy, with the back seat rather narrow, but could hold three petite ingénues comfortably in a pinch for a short haul. The glass on the back hatch was as light as air when I lifted the rear window, but I did notice that the severe angle of the window could limit any larger hauling. Forget that weekend trip to Ikea to pick up a Poang Chair. It just won’t fit. Gas mileage is acceptable at 19 mpg city and 27 on the highway, but not respectable for those seeking a more green, responsible gas vehicle like a Honda Civic or other hybrid.

The Volvo C30 1.0 version that I drove had a price tag of $25,295. Expect to pay about $28,295 for the 2.0 version. Another $10,000 will get you all the luxury trimmings. The true small-car believer will easily add this sporty rig to the line-up. Will America fall for a Swede that is not blonde, tall and lanky, but short, pudgey and metallic blue?  Time, the price of gasoline and the ability to divorce ourselves from the gas guzzlers will tell.