2005 Honda Civic Review

Specifications

Saving the World Can Be Expensive

The other day gas peaked at $2.72 for a gallon of plain ol regular unleaded. As with any other car with a needle drooping into the red, I pulled into the local refueling station and proceeded to pump away. I was the only person amongst a half a dozen smiling. I can envision it now, played out by the attendants inside. “Is he crazy? Who smiles when gas is nearly three dollars a gallon? Profit margins and taxes must not be high enough.” I smugly grabbed my receipt from the counter and walk away. Normally, this scenario would have played out with a personal-sized thundercloud over my head and me begrudgingly handing over my hard earned cash for another fix of go-juice, but Im in luck. This week, Im behind the wheel of Hondas Civic Hybrid, the cleanest and most efficient member of Civic Nation.

It turns out that with the growing cost of gasoline and some expression of concern for the air we breathe hybrids arent only for tree-hugging environmentalists anymore. Honda has smartly caught on, realizing that theres plenty of potential to spread its environmental cleanliness to a market full of everyday people such as you and I. The Civic Hybrid is Hondas second electrically-assisted vehicle and one with actual market potential. It may be true that the Insight is the cleanest and most economical mass produced vehicle on the planet, but it found too few takers with its ungainly styling, impractical two-door, two-seat configuration, let alone its high price and the burdens of compromise it puts on buyers.

After passing the rather expensive acid test of selling the Insight to see if there was a market for Hybrid vehicles in North America, the plan to add hybrid assist to the Civic was green-lighted. Frankly, there isnt any better place to start than with the Civic, its a natural candidate. You dont need to turn the history book pages too far back to see the innovations that have been put in place with the Civic name. With the exception of the EV Plus, the new hydrogen-powered FCV, Honda has always experimented with fuel-efficient R&D tech with the Civic. Examples include the US-only natural gas powered Civic GX NGV, the economy special Civic HX Coupe with its lean-burn engine and CVT gearbox and the car that started it all, the super efficient Civic CCVC of the 70s. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Canadians have regularly voted in numbers with their wallets, that the Civic is their favorite car?

Aside from being based off a vehicle whose strengths are in every desirable trait, the Civic has an unprecedented advantage over the Prius or Insight by having a face thats familiar to its production sibling. Jellybean curves and UFO body styles that afflict - and alienate - the futuristically styled early hybrids are absent in this simple, plain four-door sedan. In a quest to further improve its aerodynamics, Honda tailored a new front air dam and rear spoiler, as well as revising underbody panels to reduce drag. With thinner 185-width tires on distinctive 14-inch alloy wheels, the Civics drag coefficiency drops from 0.30 to 0.28, reducing energy loss by some six percent. There are a few additional giveaways to the Civics secret identity, namely the interstellar-sized rooftop antenna and a hybrid badge, outlined in clever green trim. With details so tiny and understated, it takes a keen eye to pick this one out from a crowd. At one point in time or another, youve probably been next to a Civic Hybrid in traffic and didnt even notice.

But as a radio personality will tell a TV personality, anonymity often has its advantages. Call this Civic boring, call it understated, call it what you wish: I call it a relief from the spotlight of driving a hybrid as people dont stare or bother to ask questions. Its nice to finally be in a vehicle inconspicuous enough to not be the center of attention every time I hit the road. I would imagine most buyers would like to enjoy a little peace and quiet while saving the planet one mile at a time.

Behind its conventional styling is a powertrain thats anything but conventional. Being that the Civic is a larger car, it gets beefier hardware. Undermined by the principle goal of minimizing fuel consumption, the Civic ditches its 1.7-liter inline-four for a more efficient, purpose-engineered 1.3-liter unit. Despite its small size, the engine is a high-tech masterpiece, packing new i-DSI technology. With i-DSI (short for intelligent Dual and Sequential Ignition), there are as many spark plugs as valves in the engine (eight), helping to promote complete combustion, reduce fuel consumption and cut emissions. I-DSI also allows the Civic to run on an extremely lean 22:1 air to fuel ratio under low strain. Additionally, its worth noting that this is the smallest engine on the market to feature cylinder deactivation, which cuts fuel flow to three of the four cylinders by shutting down valves. Under de-acceleration it enables 30 percent more energy to be recaptured by the IMA system.

“Waste not, want not.” Its the return of that virtuous saying once uttered by our dear mothers, and its been instilled into every last Civic Hybrid detail by Hondas engineering team. Energy left over from inertia isnt wasted by heat or friction; the electrical half of the IMA system recaptures it. As with the Insight, most of these magical components arent visible from under the hood, with the electric motor sandwiched between the gasoline engine and transmission, while the more space efficient 63 pound all in one battery/power unit is wedged behind the rear passenger seat. The thin, pie-sized 10 kW motor is a step forward from the Insight. For the slight gain of a 1/4 inch in width, it is capable of generating 13 horses and 46 lb-ft of torque, three additional horsepower and 10 lb-ft more torque than in the Insight. When not providing forward thrust during braking or coasting, the electric motor operates to charge the 120 1.2-volt NiMH batteries. New technology allows the pack to charge and discharge quicker and more effectively.

The batteries in the IMA system are also used to power the high-output starter that instantly kicks the car to life, and is the principal component of the “Idle Stop” mode. Provided youve met the conditions of having enough power for the IMA system to restart the motor, by having your foot on the brake pedal, gear lever in neutral or reverse and the “Eco” mode on the HVAC cluster selected, the bright red needle on the tach will plummet like a rock. A blinking green light informs you that you havent actually stalled. All the while, your tunes dont stop; the power windows still function, as does the interior fan, but if its humid outside you will notice that the A/C temporarily stops blowing air of Arctic Circle temperature. Let go of the brake and without hesitation the car “awakens” from its temporary slumber, having consumed no additional fuel.

Coupled together, the IMA and gasoline engine create a total of 93-horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque. The sums dont quite add up as the two different motors provide peak power at different revs per minute. It takes about 12 seconds to reach 60 mph on a fully charged battery, though that figure will quickly drop depending on the batterys charge level. For most purposes, as a daily commuter, the Civic is powerful enough to keep most drivers satisfied, having no difficulties keeping pace with surrounding traffic. What little you trade off in speed, the Hybrids IMA system makes up for in sublime fuel consumption. In DX or LX guises, the Civic is a fairly economical car, consuming 30 mpg in the city, and 44 mpg on the highway. The Hybrid bests this by claiming a thrifty 51 mpg on the highway, and probably more importantly, a stunning 48 mpg in the city, where it will be used most. In a little more than 560 miles of mostly urban driving with A/C on full blast, I managed to average 44 mpg. Not bad at all.

Perhaps its the fact that the Civic Hybrid is one of the few cars you could buy today and not worry if gas prices doubled or tripled over night, or my lack of a normal childhood coming back to haunt me, but I find the fuel-saving benefits of hybrid technology quite exciting.

From the drivers seat, there is little new to report in the Hybrid. Business as usual for the Civic: its beige and charcoal themed interior is spacious, roomy and well constructed with durable soft-touch plastics. All controls are simple and intuitive to use, particularly the vertically stacked automatic climate control, a Hybrid exclusive. As the top model, the Civic comes stuffed to its mechanical gills with all the creature comforts you would expect, such as power windows, power heated side mirrors, cruise control, keyless entry and a CD player. The only thing missing is a moon roof, which Honda excluded to trim the cars weight. Vivid blue backlighting on the instrument panel adds a high-tech touch, displaying the standard gauges plus instantaneous fuel consumption readout, mileage calculator and the Insights unpretentious Chrg/Asst/Fuel/Temp LED bar readout.

It looks the same, its cabin is the same, but the big question is, is it the same to drive? In short, yes, its just like any other Civic. With electrical power steering, but the same strut and double-wishbone suspension layout, the Civic Hybrid handles much the same as its conventionally powered sibling, with a lightness that promotes maneuverability making for easy traffic navigation. Because of its heftier curb weight and normal body shape, this is one hybrid that wont be blown off course by a passing semi, a sworn mortal enemy of the Insight. But like economy-biased hybrids, the weakest chink in the Civics armor is the rubber that hits the road, and in this case, the skinny high sidewall Dunlop SP20FE (FE for Fuel Economy or Efficiency) low-friction tires. Its easy to make them cry uncle on corners I wouldnt even describe as sharp, but their softer sidewalls mean that the car doesnt have the same brittle hardness as the Insight and doesnt tram off course as easily. Front discs and rear drums with ABS and electronic brake force distribution do an excellent job at hauling the Civic to rest.

There are a few bugaboos that also come with the Civic Hybrid package; thankfully most are easily forgivable. When undertaking passing or heavy acceleration, a high-pitched electric whine - much like that of an electric remote controlled car - can be heard. Aside from drawing a few strange looks, cranking up the stereo is a quick and efficient cure to this. Slightly more intrusive is the tire noise from those skinny tires, which transmit more noise than usual over paint, tar strips or uneven pavement. The Hybrid features additional underbody insulation over the regular sedans, however, but not enough to squelch the tires.

If anything, the only thing that might throw drivers off is the odd character of the CVT transmission. It works wonders around town; theres no lurching to be felt off the line, and its as smooth as silk without gear changes. To mimic a true automatic, it even creeps up at stoplights to prevent it from rolling back on hills. Dip your foot into the throttle a little more and the CVT will begin to show its true colors. Under full throttle, the needle shoots wildly up to 5,500 rpm, where it stays planted. As the gearbox scrambles to find the perfect ratio, the cars speed slowly catches up. The whole effect can be kind of alarming at first, and mildly embarrassing: romping on the gas pedal sounds like youve got a massively slipping clutch. Aside from Drive, the CVT has two other gears, S and L which limit the ratio hunting to lower levels for improved responsiveness. The CVT might not be to everyones tastes, but nevertheless Canadian Civic Hybrid buyers will have to live with it as the sole transmission option. A five-speed manual gearbox, while standard in the States, is not available here.

The biggest challenge that Honda will face with the Civic Hybrid isnt making consumers aware of the advantages of hybrid drivetrain technologies, but its price. At only $560 more than the Insight, the Civic is a better value with much greater practicality and capability. On the other hand, its option-free $19,900 MSRP also makes it one of the most expensive Civics on the market, rubbing uncomfortably close to the much larger Accord.

Incidentally, it is not the most expensive Civic. The Civic GX CNG actually costs more. A CVT gearbox, as tested, costs $1,000 extra, and is the only option. While it may take twenty or thirty years to recoup the thousands extra needed over an equivalently equipped conventionally powered Civic, the extra money gives you a sense of satisfaction that cant be bought. What you get is the latest in lab-grade scientific research technology, allowing this reasonably sized four-door sedan with the ability to carry five plus luggage in comfort, to have an ecological footprint of a poorly maintained 70s era Husqvarna two-stroke chain saw. Now, if that doesnt make you feel good, I dont know what will.