While reviewers are impressed with the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid’s improved fuel economy ratings, they are disappointed with its bland interior and predictable exterior.
In preliminary EPA tests, Honda also reports that the Civic Hybrid’s fuel economy has increased to 44/44 mpg city/highway, up from the 2011 model’s 40/43 mpg city/highway. There aren’t many affordable small hybrids that compete with the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid. It’s a midsize car, but costs about $23,000, which is about $1,000 less than the Civic Hybrid. For a hybrid with better performance, try the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. It makes 166 horsepower, 56 more than the Honda Civic Hybrid.
The 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid is completely redesigned for the 2012 model year, and reviewers talk about the Honda Civic Hybrid’s improved fuel economy ratings most. It gets 44/44 mpg city/highway, up from the 40/43 mpg city/highway the 2011 model got, according to Honda.
Because the 2012 gasoline based Honda Civic and the Honda Civic Hybrid have identical interiors, this review uses reviews from the gasoline version.
To find out how Honda's latest stacks up against Toyota, we devised a two-day, two-route, 550-mile test to challenge the two fuel economy all-stars. Can the Prius hold onto its top spot as the reining fuel economy champ?
This system allows the Prius to use several combinations of electric and/or gasoline power—including an all-electric mode. There's even an EV switch that locks the Prius in battery mode until the range of the 6.5 amp hour nickel-metal hydride pack is used up. Toyota delivers a total system horsepower of 134.
Honda's system, meanwhile, is very similar to the last Honda Civic Hybrid and the current Insight. The electric motor sits in between the CVT and the gasoline engine. So, unlike the Prius, the gas engine in the Civic must always turn—when in electric cruise mode, the gas engine essentially freewheels. The Civic's four cylinder has grown to 1.5-liters from 1.3-liters.
The EPA rates the Prius at 51mpg city and 48 mpg on the highway, while the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid is rated at 44 mpg for both city and highway.
In out test, both hybrids exceeded their EPA ratings. Averaging our two loops, the Prius delivered 50.8 mpg while the Civic returned 45.4 mpg. The Prius remains the unequivocal hybrid fuel economy king, but the Civic is closing the gap.
It has after all become almost synomymous with hybrids and remains the world best selling hybrid car. As with the 2011 model, the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid continues to receive rave reviews thanks to its excellent fuel economy, futuristic and stylish exterior, quality interior, and extensive list of standard and optional features. New for 2012 is a larger 1.5L 4 cylinder engine, a lithium-ion battery pack, and improved EPA estimated fuel economy ratings of 44 mpg city/44 mpg highway/44 mpg combined (roughly a seven percent improvement over the 2011 model's 40 mpg city/43 mpg highway/42 mpg combined).
On the exterior, the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid continues to be sleek and turn heads. As in the past, the Honda Civic Hybrid's four-door body style delivers the same practicality as the basic Civic sedan. Apart from the vehicle's 15-inch aluminum wheels and the hybrid logos, the Honda Civic Hybrid is virtually indistinguishable from the regular Civic.
In terms of pricing, US News ranked the 2011 edition of the Honda Civic Hybrid 9th out of 32 Affordable Small Cars. The Insight's fuel economy rating of 42mpg on the highway is also below the Honda Civic Hybrid's 44mpg.
The 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid retains many of the features it had in prior models. The Civic Hybrid's Satellite Linked Navigation system with Bluetooth connectivity has also been reviewed positively. Reviewers have point out that the Civic Hybrid is not fast or powerful. For the 2011 model, Cars.com describes the Honda Civic Hybrid's acceleration to be adequate but "not especially quick". In terms of fuel economy, some test drivers of the new Civic Hybrid have reported achieving well over the estimated 44 mpg on the highway but, regrettably, well below 44 mpg in city driving. When compared to the Prius, the "Honda Civic Hybrid" has a smaller but more powerful gasoline engine but the Prius has a more powerful electric motor.
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