Truck and Barter: Civic Hybrid: Saving a Penny a Mile

In spring/summer of 2003, Popular Mechanics ran a 3000 mile, cross-country (Manhattan to LA), gas vs. hybrid test on the Honda Civic. Each car drove the same roads under the same conditions, presumably minutes apart.

The results were bad news for those hoping to justify a hybrid purchase on total-cost-of-ownership grounds. At 2003 gas prices, the team saved a penny a mile by using the hybrid. This means it would take driving 144,000 miles to recoup the $1440 additional cost of the hybrid. Discounting future gas prices would make this a much worse calculation, although higher recent gas prices will make this a better one.

The EPA rates the Hybrid at 46 mpg in the city and 51 on the highway. So, theoretically, with a 13-gal. tank, at 51 mpg, the Hybrid will yield 663 miles on one tank. And our 3000-mile journey should need only 4.5 tanks of gas.

By comparison, our Civic EX sedan is the top model in the Civic sedan lineup and features a 1.7-liter 4-cylinder with Honda's VTEC variable valve timing... The EPA average fuel mileage is 32 city and 38 highway. So in theory, the EX should get just under 500 miles per tankful and take about six fill-ups to get to California.

One thing the EPA doesn't take into account, however, is that speed limits of 70 and 75 mph have displaced the "double nickel" in many states. And assuming Buford T. Justice gives you a 5- to 10-mph window, it is not unlikely that traffic will be flowing normally at 80 mph....

The conclusion:

Over the entire trip, the Civic EX averaged 33.8 mpg. The Hybrid averaged 42.0 mpg. So, the hybrid technology was worth 8.2 mpg for our run. That's a 24 percent fuel economy gain. At New York and California prices (at the time we made the drive), we spent $168 to keep the EX in gas and $135 on the Hybrid, or a savings of $33 for 3065 miles--that's a penny a mile.

All said and done, if you were driving the same route, at the same speeds, in the same conditions, it would take roughly 144,000 miles before the Hybrid paid back its $1440 premium over the Civic EX.

Comments

Noah Yetter wrote:

Subtract the enormous federal subsidy from the hybrid's sticker price and the comparison gets even worse... [See below]...

-- June 9, 2004 4:00 PM ∞

Fred D. wrote:

I have the exact car mentioned in the test. Non-hybrid 2003 Civic EX 5 speed. I routinely get low 40's mpg's. I suspect the testers used a brand new car. My Civic got mid 30's brand new, but now with 20k miles on it, it gets low 40's.

If the auto makers put the some of the hybrid technology into conventional cars, the difference would be starker. More gears in the transmission, lower weight components, better aerodynamics, auto-shut off engines, etc. all provide a better payback than hybrid technology does.

The myth is out there that hybrids generate all their electricity from regenerative braking. WRONG. A small fraction of the electricity used is generated from regen braking. The rest comes from the generator running off the gas engine. All in all, it's a net energy loss.

Hybrids are a little annuity system for their makers. A guaranteed $1-2k profit when their batteries need replacing.....

-- June 9, 2004 4:37 PM ∞

Lugo wrote:

Is highway driving the best test? Would there be a greater or lesser disparity in mpg if they were both driven 3000 miles only in the city?

-- June 9, 2004 5:57 PM ∞

Kevin Brancato wrote:

Lugo,

See day 4:
With less than 500 miles left, we make our way back to our old friend I-40 and set the cruise control for California. Unfortunately, Barstow, Calif., ruins our record-speed run through the desert. Las Vegas weekend traffic and road construction make the last 2 hours painfully slow. We do, however, get excellent mileage. Our very last fill-up near Zuma Beach in Malibu reveals that on the homestretch, the EX achieved 38.0 mpg and the Hybrid a full 48.6 mpg.
The difference is 10.6 mpg instead of 8.2 mpg. Let's say that's roughly another penny saved every four miles.

-- June 9, 2004 9:48 PM ∞

Noah Yetter wrote:

I take back the comment on federal subsidies. Upon further investigation no such thing exists, though there is apparently a $2000 tax break for hybrid buyers.

Mea culpa.

-- June 10, 2004 1:19 PM ∞

Mace wrote:

Back in 1998 I drove my 1997 Honda Accord EX (5 speed manual trans) 550 freeway miles on one tank of gas and averaged 41.5 MPG. I didn't go over 65 MPH at any point. And it's a much nicer ride than a Civic.

-- June 10, 2004 2:08 PM ∞

Lugo wrote:

Looks like the hybrids don't live up to expectations...

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-06-11-hybrids-fuel-economy_x.htm

"Poor fuel economy has been among hybrid owners' top gripes"
"Most of our cars get 10% to 15% less than the EPA (rating) in the real world," says Toyota spokesman Mike Michels.

-- June 13, 2004 4:04 AM ∞

Truck and Barter

Civic Hybrid: Saving a Penny a Mile

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