Civic responsibilities

On a recent weekend my wife and I represented Sun Media at the Honda Insight eco challenge in Ottawa. The object was to see which team of media spouses could squeeze the most fuel economy out of Honda’s new 2010 Insight Hybrid.

I thought it would be interesting to drive to the event in another of Honda’s hybrid vehicles, just to compare. So Connie and I borrowed a 2009 Civic Hybrid for the occasion.

We won the eco challenge, averaging 3.9L/100 km, through careful driving on lightly travelled back roads and by rarely getting the Insight above the posted speed limit. Impressive numbers, to be sure, but not the kind of motoring you can do every day in the real world.

Perhaps just as impressive was the fuel economy we achieve in the Civic on our way to and from the Ottawa event.

Economy isn’t really on our minds; we just want to keep up with the fast moving superhighway traffic. Yet we still average 5.6L/100 km for the trip.

While Insight looks every inch a hybrid, with styling similar to Toyota’s popular Prius, the Civic Hybrid is indistinguishable from its gasoline-fed brethren other than for discreet Hybrid badging on the rear deck.

Under their very different skins Insight and Civic share the same gasoline/electric powertrain – a 1.3-litre inline four with integrated motor assist and drive-by-wire throttle married to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Variable cylinder management (VCM) allows deactivation of all four cylinders when decelerating, enabling the car to run on electric power only. And, like all hybrid systems, the nickel-hydride battery pack is recharged using regenerative braking.

Like Insight, Civic Hybrid is a low-emissions vehicle with a Tier 2 Bin 2 rating.

Incidentally, the “S” setting on the CVT’s shift lever doesn’t stand for “sport” – although it could – but for “second,” which shifts the transmission into a lower range of gear ratios for better acceleration and improved engine braking.

It also increases the revs – dramatically. For instance, the tach climbs from 1,500 rpm at 80 km/h to 2,500 when “S” mode is engaged. You can imagine what it’s doing for fuel economy.

This is the second generation Civic Hybrid, introduced in 2006 on the eighth-generation Civic sedan. The multi-level dashboard and digital instrument panel, once considered so avant-garde, seem far less controversial now.

The cabin is light and bright, and there are lots of bins to stash small stuff – way more, in fact, than in many bigger cars. And Civic has better front bucket seats than Insight, resulting in less pain in my tailbone.

Then again, Civic is a well thought out vehicle and the Hybrid is no exception. When all models are combined, it’s still the top selling car in Canada.

Civic Hybrid is well equipped, with CVT, power doors/locks/windows, automatic climate control, cruise, electric power steering, ABS and six air bags – all in Honda’s safe and rugged ACE body structure.

Like all Civics, it handles well and the supple suspension delivers a firm yet comfortable ride. Acceleration isn’t on a par with gasoline models, but it has no trouble keeping up with traffic.

Frankly, I don’t know why Honda decided to introduce the Insight, when it already has the Civic Hybrid. They’re comparably priced, so try them both on for size. The traditionally styled sedan with the hybrid powertrain may be a better fit.