Honda Civic Hybrid

The Civic Hybrid looks almost identical to the conventional gas-powered sedan, which was redesigned—to rave reviews—for the 2006 model. Honda has made few changes to that winning design. Standard equipment is on par with the gas-powered Civic's top EX trim level. The Hybrid comes with power-assisted doors, windows, and mirrors—although the seats must be adjusted manually. A navigation system is the only factory option.

The blue backlit instrumental panel is split into two tiers. The top level, in line with the driver’s view above the steering wheel, features a digital speedometer, fuel gauge and engine temperature readout. In the lower tier behind the tilting, telescoping, and relatively small steering wheel is the tachometer, fuel economy readout, and a hybrid gauge—showing how much the hybrid batteries are being recharged (via regenerative breaking) or being used to assist the gas engine. An Idle-Stop indicator flashes when the gasoline engine has completely shut down to prevent burning fuel when the vehicle is at a stop. Gear-shifting is standard issue, unlike the Prius’s bounce-back joystick.

While the Civic Hybrid scores high points for style, finish and ergonomics, the cabin doesn’t rank as well for cargo space and comfort in the back seat. The rear-seat legroom was cut by 1.4 inches with the 2006 redesign, making it cramped when loaded with three adults. The Honda Civic Hybrid has 10.4 cubic feet for cargo space. To make room for the hybrid system’s battery pack, Honda has eliminated the rear folding seats on the Civic Hybrid. As a result, storage of long objects cannot be shared between the trunk and the back seats.