If you do not like in Northern Virginia this may not be a big deal for you - but in NoVA the hybrid is allowed on all Interstates where there is HOV2/3 (High Occupancy Vehicle) limits on minimum number of passengers.

The hybrid is a greater commuter car - gives decent mileage (better than my other 3 cars) and drives really well. Both my wife and I prefer driving it if we are driving alone as it is comfortable and quite easy to drive.

I have owned numerous cars, including 3 Toyotas, Mazdas and a Benz. I have always wanted to own a Honda, but never seemed to get around to buying one until the Hybrid came along. Seeing gas prices skyrocket and the conservation angle, I decided to get the Civic Hybrid. Prior to buying the Civic Hybrid I drove the following cars - Toyota Prius (too space age for conservative me); Toyota Corrola (drives funny); Toyota Camry (I own a 1993; but 2003 did not drive well- the 2004 looks better though); Hyundai Sonata (not bad); Kia Amata (the 10 yr angle- you get what you pay for). The Civic drove well; accelerated moderately and was maneuverable.

It's been a year, and I must say all the expectations that I had have not been made - but most have.

First, I never hit 46+ mpg -ever. Best I could get in NoVA was about 38 - I average 36. I have driven over 10,000 miles in 9 months of ownership.

The auto stop feature takes a little getting used to. You feel initially that you have lost the engine. But it works great, seamlessly starting the car back up when your foot goes off the brake. The transfer between the battery and the engine is seemlessly - sometimes I actually wonder if the battery ever works (I am sure it does - otherwise there is a class action looming).

Also unnerving is that the A/C system shuts off if you set for the economy mode and in the automatic preset. I would recommend this. Sometimes though the AC blasts you trying to get the preset right - if you are not to finnicky then you do not have an issue. Also I should mention both AC and heating are quite good and takes almost no times in cooling or heating when set manually.

One of the complaints I read about the car from reviewers prior to buying it was the acceleration. I see no problems with it and actually I find it quite good - so I am not sure what folsk were looking for. Also if you are trying to save fuel should you be accelerating.

The brakes are very good and I keep using them all the time and once I had to use to save myself for a crash.

The music system is decent i have seen better and some have been worse. The complaint I have is that it would have been nice to get a tape (as I still have tapes that I play all the time). Also being a commuter car I could have used some of the books-on-tapes that are available in the local library - I guess I have to find books-on-CD now ;-)

The car’s remote entry system is a bit to loud. When you lock the doors, it beeps the car horn once. When you unlock, it beeps twice. It is a bit too loud, very annoying - this really makes the car look/sound cheap.

The trunk is a little smaller than almost all sedans as the battery's take up space. So if you need a huge trunk then you should be concerned. I usually keep my golf clubs, golf pull cart, shoes, couple of cases of golf balls, sports bag, tennis rackets and maybe a couple of magazines. I still have space for about 10-15 grocery bags - works for me.

The seats are fabric. In my case I loved the external color (desert sand metallic or whatever Honda calls it) but I had to get tan seats. I must admit I have a couple of coffee stains already. I would have preferred a darker chocolate or dark tan option -this was not an option. Also the seats are not the most comfortable that I have sat on - a litte bit of americanization is required here. I spend over 1.5 hrs in the car each way - 3 hours a day - I would like more comfortable and ergonomic seats with lumbar control (yes it could be an option).

One thing that drives me crazy about this car is the coffee mug holders. I am not sure what the mfgrs were thinking as if you have 2 coffee mugs you have to take your phone charger out as the top of a large mug would hit the charger plug. Also two full Starbucks Venti cups hardly fit. Also if you use a phone-jack extender or a speaker/ microphone contraption - you cannot use the mug holder at all. Also the top of the console curves forward - so no chance of putting a 7-11 Big Gulp without fearing that you will tip it over. Some serious thinking needs to be given to the serious commuter that it using this car - coffee mugs and big mugs need to be accomodated together with a phone system.

The other thing is the lack of any tinting in the windows. I would think that itself would help conserve energy as it would keep the heat rays out in summer.

That takes me to options - there are none. Only option was side impact air bags - which I chose. Alloy wheels are standard, CD/Radio (AM/FM) is standard. Options I would have liked are leather seats, or darker fabric seats; CD/Radio/Tape (XM in the next 3-4 years); ergonomic seats with lumbar control; superior carpets; cup holders in the back; tinted glass.

If the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry was available as Hybrid I would have most probably purchased it.
Amount Paid (US$): 19,600
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: HYBRID CVT Side Air Bags