Road Test: 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid car review: It's not a Honda Insight, but should it be?

Why in the world, one might ask, would someone buy a Honda Civic Hybrid when Honda has just introduced a spanking new hybrid sedan, the Insight? The Insight, though it shares its name with the groundbreaking coupe, is a five-door sedan—one more than the four-door Civic Hybrid—and has a more advanced and efficient powertrain and energy system.

Why indeed? We recently tested the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid, and yes, the current Civic Hybrid has older technology. The Insight has a more compact and lighter though less powerful integrated motor assist (or IMA) motor integrated into its continuously variable transmission.

Furthermore, the Insight’s battery pack is smaller, thanks to thinner electrical insulation within the pack’s cells, and there are fewer cells as well, seven versus eleven in the Civic Hybrid. This, plus a few other advances, allow the battery pack of the Insight to lie under the floor of the trunk and rear seat. In the Civic Hybrid the battery pack stands vertically behind the rear seatback. That doesn’t result in a major decrease in cargo volume but it does keep the Civic Hybrid from having a fold-down rear seat. As a result, the Honda Insight, though smaller, can carry larger objects—even a bicycle—which the Honda Civic Hybrid couldn’t hope to swallow.

See the slide show for more pictures of the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid.

The engines in the Civic Hybrid and Insight differ as well. While both are 1.3-liter four-cylinder engines, the tuning is different. The Civic Hybrid’s engine is rated at 110 hp at 6000 rpm but the equally sized Insight produces 98 hp at 5800 rpm. The difference in maximum output is striking but the Insight’s slightly lower peak rpm comes a wider spread of power, and as a result the engine doesn’t have to visit higher rpm as often. That means quieter operation, less engine speed change and better fuel mileage.

Honda can get away with the lighter equipment in part because the Insight is significantly smaller than the Civic Hybrid. The Insight has a 100.4 inch wheelbase while the Civic Hybrid measures 106.3 inches between axles and is wider inside as well.

Having established that the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid is not a 2010 Honda Insight, what exactly is it? It’s a hybrid compact sedan, not a “dedicated” hybrid but one adapted from the standard four-door Civic with certain aero aids, such as the recontoured front bumper, the flat faced wheels and the tiny spoiler on the trunk lid.

Honda’s IMA hybrid system uses an electric motor to boost performance of the engine, particularly at low rpm/low vehicle speed where an electric motor is at its strongest. That means that the Honda Civic Hybrid can get away with using a 1.3-liter engine that without the booster motor would be a certifiable stone on a flat floor. The smaller engine can maintain speed more efficiently than a larger engine that would otherwise be required for adequate acceleration.

Transmission The Honda Civic Hybrid also has continuously variable transmission (CVT) that transmits power through a steel belt and a pair of pulleys that allow the engine to operate at its most effective and efficient rpm for the task at hand. However, the engine is almost constantly changing speeds almost independently from vehicle speed, and with engine speed, engine pitch. With enough practice one could play Yankee Doodle just by pressing the gas pedal at the right time.

And although the Honda Civic Hybrid isn’t particularly quick, the drivetrain makes it feel slower than it is by, when the accelerator is pushed to the floor, soaring immediately to 5000 rpm and then creeping up to 6000 rpm. It just doesn’t feel like it is accelerating as quickly as it is.

The Honda Civic Hybrid can give an illusion of power in another way, however. The Civic Hybrid’s narrow high-mileage tires squeal at the slightest provocation, particularly accelerating from a stop with the wheels even slightly cocked, or when going even the slightest bit fast around a corner.

INSIDE Inside the Honda Civic Hybrid doesn’t have the fancy hybrid operation screens like the Toyota Prius or Ford Fusion Hybrid, just a digital mpg gauge that, like so many of such gauges, changes so quickly it has little utility. On the other hand, the Civic Hybrid has the funky two-level instrument panel that some drivers love and some drivers feel annoying.

Another way the Civic Hybrid saves gas is with the increasingly common AutoStop feature. When the car approaches a stop, the engine stops running and remains stopped until the driver takes his (or her) foot off the brake, as if to drive away, for which the engine needs to be running, of course. The engine will also restart if the driver put the transmission into Park. The logic behind this is making the Civic Hybrid feel like a “normal” car that does not require relearning. If the engine were stopped with the car in Park, a driver might walk away with the car still “on,” with all the consequences thereof.

There’s no particular subtlety when the engine restarts or when it’s running either.

Performance The Honda Civic Hybrid isn’t particularly spunky with four adults aboard, particularly when there are hills to climb. It’s a can do, but it requires patience and saps power from the energy pack that isn’t necessarily regained on the downhill. Driving in hilly area as we did,will reduce fuel economy numbers, as it did ours. While the Honda Civic Hybrid has an EPA rating of 40 mpg city/45 mpg highway, for our overall week’s mixes local/highway driving, we recorded 35 mpg. That’s still respectable, especially for our almost-worst driving routes, which were at least mitigated by the temperate not-too-hot/hot-too-cold weather we had during our time with the car.

All that said, our top-of-the-line Honda Civic Hybrid with Navigation was a first class piece of work, other than a rather tinny trunk lid. The navigation system is one of the better we have used and the audio—once we discovered that a previous driver had set the treble to max, making it sound like a cheap AM transistor radio with a busted speaker—had good tone.

Overall the Honda Civic Hybrid was comfortable for its class size, with adequate room even in the back seat for a six foot-plus passenger, at least with a little cooperation from the front seat passenger.
The 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid won’t win many drag races, though that’s hardly the intent of this particular automobile. Owners will have more interest in fuel economy and being green. Still, into every life short, obsolete entrance ramps will come and at those times one might wish for a little more zip. Our advice is to plan ahead.

Planning ahead, however, also means giving consideration to the next generation Honda Civic Hybrid. The current Civic generation dates back to 2006, and with Honda’s normal five-year product cycle, one could expect the Honda Civic line to be replaced in the 2011 model year, or about a year from now. Of course, these aren’t normal times. However, a little insight (ahem) into the vintage of the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid might affect purchasing decisions. It’s still a good car, but you know that next will be better. Decisions, decisions.

 Illustration: 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid. Photo by John Matras.

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