I drive 500 miles a week and the E isn't exactly a great commuter vehicle... So I'm looking at getting one with the next check I get from my investors (along with some help from my parents). It won't replace the E in our family, but it will become my daily commuter vehicle and the E will be given to my mom for her daily 20 mile commute (mine is 60) and all her errands. It will still be "my" Element for when I need it but for the most part I'll probably be in a smaller vehicle.

Anyway, with that said, is anyone here considering a 2006 Civic in any trim or body style?

I've been doing the math on the EX Sedan and the Hybrid version of the 2006 Civic and without getting into the "Do Hybrids save money/the environment?" argument:

At 500 miles a week in my commute, meaning that taking the EPA City MPG rating for the standard EX sedan of 30mpg, I would need 866.6 gallons of fuel per year. With the hybrid city MPG rating of 50mpg, I would need 520 gallons of gas per year.

Now at $2.50 a gallon, I would spend $2,166 a year in gas for the EX sedan, and $1,300 a year for the hybrid.

That means within 3.5 years I've saved enough to offset the hybrid premium.

In my family, we've kept our cars for at least 15 years.

Assuming the maintainance costs are the same for both vehicles. Let's even go on to say the hybrid costs an extra $5,000 over the course of 15 years to maintain, I would have saved $4,959 after the initial 3.5 years required to recoup the cost paid for the hybrid premium, not counting the extra assumed $5k in hybrid-only maintainance.

So now the math makes sense (well, of course not counting the monthly car payments, but that's another story).

Now it's onto fit and finish. My E was around the 18,000th E off the line and I have a few issues such as rocking seat, clunking brakes, A pillar rattle, but I guess it was to be expected with a 1st year vehicle.

Since the 8th generation Civic is a 1st year vehicle of sorts (a complete redesign that has garnered Motor Trend's Car of the Year Award), I'm wondering if I should hold off on getting it or trust Honda's reliability (and my own experiences with Hondas)?

Anyway, if anyone else is considering a 2006 Civic, please let me know your thoughts on the vehicle. I went to the dealer where I bought my E and sat in the coupe version and the interior is gosh-darn nice... and I really LOVE the nested dual instrument pods...

Something you need to look at is the cost to replace the batteries in the Hybrid Civic and how often they need to be replaced. For example the Prius batteries; which so far Toyota has refused to even stock or give official prices on I have on very good authority they will cost $6,000 for the batteries plus labor to replace! That alone makes the Prius so far more costly than a gas equivalent. Toyota expects a lifespan of 3-5 years for the Prius batteries all depending on usage. It would cost less to replace a Civic engine over the same time period.

I completely understand the gasoline savings, but if you truly do all of the math a hybrid will always cost more to own/operate over it's lifespan. You need to take everything into including monthly payments, fuel, true repair costs and replacement cost of batteries, etc.

Lego bought a 2006 Civic after he totaled his E. He still posts on here and says he loves the Civic.

I'm waiting for the Fit next year! I do love the look of the new civic though, and personally I don't think the hybrid would live upto it's numbers in real world driving. I'll take 30/40 anyday from a fuel only civic, I'll bet the new 145hp engine is a blast with a stick!

Shen...

Honda is quality, but I think you answered your own question. A lot of the Element's issues have been solved since that first run of them (granted, some not, but those are design flaws not quality control).

I'd sit tight until the 2007s are ready.

Something you need to look at is the cost to replace the batteries in the Hybrid Civic and how often they need to be replaced. For example the Prius batteries; which so far Toyota has refused to even stock or give official prices on I have on very good authority they will cost $6,000 for the batteries plus labor to replace! That alone makes the Prius so far more costly than a gas equivalent. Toyota expects a lifespan of 3-5 years for the Prius batteries all depending on usage. It would cost less to replace a Civic engine over the same time period.


I just replaced my Element with an 06 Civic Hybrid after the E was totaled a few weeks ago by someone who ran a red light. I love the new Civic! There is a lot of misinformation out there on Hybrids. Honda says that they have replaced less than 10 batteries on the Insight, and it has been around for 6 years. Toyota says that not a single Prius owner has had to pay to replace their battery out of pocket. Honda and Toyota say that they expect the batteries to last the life of the car..... not sure where the 3-5 year life span came from by the poster above. The 06 Civic has an 8 year - 80,000 mile warranty on the battery. Dealers say that the Prius has been more dependable, and less expensive maintenance wise than other Toyota's, since drivers tend to drive Hybrid's less aggressively, and the regenerative braking saves on break wear...... causing brakes to last upwards of 80,000 miles.

As far as cost savings, the new Civic Hybrid costs $2,500 over the comparatively equiped EX. There is a $2000 tax deduction if you buy it this year, and if you buy next year you can get a $2100 tax credit, which helps close the gap. See here:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/3408619.html

My wife commutes 60 miles to work, and we figure we will save enough to close the gap in a few years, not including the tax deduction. We didn't go the hybrid route purely based on saving gas money... we also like the environmental side of the issue, and like to support new greener technology.

Keep in mind that the EX has a sunroof, nicer rims, and fold down rear seats, all not available on the Hybrid, and still gets 40mpg highway. You will be pleased either way. Motor trend just anounced that the new Civic line is their car of the year.

Also, I forgot to mention that in California, if I do end up going with the Hybrid over the EX Sedan... I'll be able to cruise the HOV lanes alone.

The hours and hours of sitting in traffic saved alone is something to consider.

I know that finding a Hybrid in California can be frustrating, as there are sometimes waiting lists and some dealers are marking them up over MSRP. Here is a good resource for forum advice and other info, there are a lot of California owners on the message boards.:

http://www.greenhybrid.com

I just replaced my Element with an 06 Civic Hybrid after the E was totaled a few weeks ago by someone who ran a red light. I love the new Civic! There is a lot of misinformation out there on Hybrids. Honda says that they have replaced less than 10 batteries on the Insight, and it has been around for 6 years. Toyota says that not a single Prius owner has had to pay to replace their battery out of pocket. Honda and Toyota say that they expect the batteries to last the life of the car..... not sure where the 3-5 year life span came from by the poster above. The 06 Civic has an 8 year - 80,000 mile warranty on the battery. Dealers say that the Prius has been more dependable, and less expensive maintenance wise than other Toyota's, since drivers tend to drive Hybrid's less aggressively, and the regenerative braking saves on break wear...... causing brakes to last upwards of 80,000 miles.

As far as cost savings, the new Civic Hybrid costs $2,500 over the comparatively equiped EX. There is a $2000 tax deduction if you buy it this year, and if you buy next year you can get a $2100 tax credit, which helps close the gap. See here:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/3408619.html

My wife commutes 60 miles to work, and we figure we will save enough to close the gap in a few years, not including the tax deduction. We didn't go the hybrid route purely based on saving gas money... we also like the environmental side of the issue, and like to support new greener technology.

Keep in mind that the EX has a sunroof, nicer rims, and fold down rear seats, all not available on the Hybrid, and still gets 40mpg highway. You will be pleased either way. Motor trend just anounced that the new Civic line is their car of the year.

I never mentioned anything specifically about the Civic Hybrid and it's warranty because I don't know what it is. The Prius information I got as I said from a very reliable source. I have a friend in the automotive trade, he is one of the top analysts in the world, he works with just about every manufacturer in the world. He sees every future vehicle years before the "spy photos" are plastered in magazines and online. He got the hybrid information directly from Toyota, that is where I got the information from.

The Prius in this current configuration is only a couple years old... give them time to get to the point of needing new batteries then see what things cost.

I never mentioned anything specifically about the Civic Hybrid and it's warranty because I don't know what it is. The Prius information I got as I said from a very reliable source. I have a friend in the automotive trade, he is one of the top analysts in the world, he works with just about every manufacturer in the world. He sees every future vehicle years before the "spy photos" are plastered in magazines and online. He got the hybrid information directly from Toyota, that is where I got the information from.

The Prius in this current configuration is only a couple years old... give them time to get to the point of needing new batteries then see what things cost.

Didn't mean to sound like I was bashing your post. I've done a lot of checking at different Hybrid forums online, and there are many happy Prius and Insight owners with 100k + miles on there car without any battery issues. I haven't seen post about anyone actually having to replace a battery. I think the Prius also has a 8-10 year warranty on it's battery. I wouldn't think they would warranty a $5000 battery for 8 years if there was a high chance of failure in 3-5 years. Toyota's website says that the batteries have been tested to 180,000 miles with no deterioration. With the amount of Hybrids hitting the market next year I also suspect that the price of the batteries will have plummeted in the next 5 years.

The battery issue was my main reservation about buying a hybrid. I did a lot of research and my concerns were alleviated. Just my 2 cents.

The '06 Civic line is the first I've been exited about since the wonderful 88-91 series --- one day an example might replace my CB7 (CB7 = '90-'93 Accord) if I go back to a smaller car.

I test drove a 4 door LX Civic in October and loved it. I would like to replace my minivan with a Civic, maybe in the spring.

I would forget the Hybrid Hype and go with a 5 speed Civic SI!!!!

They look so sweet and almost 200hp...sounds fun..they look great and gets decent gas mileage!!!! Just my 2cents....

Given how long you own cars, I wouldn't even consider a hybrid.
It is very likely that you will have to replace the batteries within 15 years.

Honda has a 8 year 80,000 miles warranty (Prius is 8yr 100,000 mile) on the batteries.
Imagine what happens to the resale value at 7&1/2 years or 79,000 miles.
Honda's website says that they are designed to last "10 years under normal driving conditions" but they fail to explain exactly what they consider normal.

I have heard complaints that you cannot leave the Prius parked for extended periods of time (two weeks)
without starting the engine for at least 30 minutes to charge the batteries.

I have no idea if this applies to the Civic as well, but apparently this is in the Prius manual and is often left out of the sales pitch along with the fact that it voids the battery warranty if you do not follow the guidelines set forth in the manual.

I know you take trips overseas so this may be something to consider.

I feel a demotion for Shen coming on... ;) lol

Elaine and I are seriously considering the coupe as a replacement for the POS Sunfire.
Hopefully it'll survive until the new year, and I can still get a decent resale on it.
I like to look of the new coupe, but haven't driven one yet....

I think you should wait...they've recalled the first batch of '06 Civics due to pedals that fall off and can cause an accident.

... The 06 Civic has an 8 year - 80,000 mile warranty on the battery. ...

Do you know how long that 8 year/80K Mile warranty will actually last in real world time doing Texas driving? Good luck gettin 4 years outta that warranty....I think that'd fit in well with a 4-5 year estimate. Mileage vs. Time estimates on warranties and resale are total BS for the majority of America anyway...and everyone knows it.

Do you know how long that 8 year/80K Mile warranty will actually last in real world time doing Texas driving? Good luck gettin 4 years outta that warranty....I think that'd fit in well with a 4-5 year estimate. Mileage vs. Time estimates on warranties and resale are total BS for the majority of America anyway...and everyone knows it.

The point is though that I'm not even worried about the warranty for the following reasons:

-The price of battery replacement is often grossly overstated in the media. Over the last few years the price of Honda's batteries have dropped around 35%, and with the ammount of Hybrid's coming out in the next year or two, I would imagine huge drops in the price of these batteries in the next 5 years.

-There have been only a couple of documented cases that I am aware of where Honda Insight owners have had to replace their batteries, and they have been around for 6 years. Many people on a hybrid message board that I frequent have had their batteries tested at over 90% capacity after 100,000 miles.

-It seems unlikely that Honda would offer an 8/80 warranty on the battery if they expected them to be undependable.

-The extended warranty (10 year 120k) was the same price as on the Element, which makes me think that Honda isn't expecting major things to go wrong in the IMA drivetrain.)

-Do you expect the engine in your Element to fail after 60,000 miles, since that is all that the drivetrain warranty covers?


Not saying that the Hybrid is right for everyone, The EX is a great vehicle and I would recommend it.... just would like to clear up some of the misinformation out there....

Given how long you own cars, I wouldn't even consider a hybrid.
It is very likely that you will have to replace the batteries within 15 years.



15 years??? It is very likely in many cars that you will need to replace the engine after 15 years!!

Cool thread. My fiancee' is thinking of replacing her '00 Chevy Crapalier with the new Civic.

Being rabid, left-wing, tree-hugging types, :D we considered going hybrid, but her commute (the bulk of her driving)is, like, 95% interstate, so the fuel savings just weren't there - the better numbers were actually "city"!

She looked at the Prius, but the whole battery issue scared her and I both off. She also hated the almost complete lack of rearward view with the funky rear window.

...Lego bought a 2006 Civic after he totaled his E. He still posts on here and says he loves the Civic.

^^What he said! :)

Hey guys, whassup? Sorry, I must've been asleep to have just read this post!

Yes, I am enjoying the '06 Civic EX thoroughly! With 2,000 miles under my belt I can safely say that the Civic is about as near to perfect as I had hoped. It is really difficult to offer a comparison of the Civic and Element since they are such different vehicles, but nevertheless, here are some of my observations thus far;

The Good:
1. Very comfortable and roomy interior. My kids still use booster seats in the back, and they have plenty of leg room without kicking the front seats on long trips. Of course, it doesn't compare to the leg room found in the Element, but I can seat 5 passengers now in a pinch.
2. No more having to unbuckle my seat belt when the rear passengers get out.
3. SLIGHTLY Better gas mileage than the "E" (Don't believe the EPA Sticker! - See "The Bad" below)
4. Sunroof up FRONT!! :)
5. Kick-a$$ instrument and display panels - I really dig the bright blue and "?ockpit" feel.
6. Remote keyless and trunk release on the key.
7. Arm Rest Kicks @SS!! It is adjustable forward/backward and is just the right height to rest my elbow on. Plus it is a storage compartment with an additional 12V POWER OUTLET INSIDE!
8. Quiet ride. Road noise is nearly absent in the Civic... not that I'd notice since I usually have the stereo cranked!
9. iPod connection and control through steering wheel is coming soon with Honda Music Link!! (EX Model Only - Beware)

Other perks on the 06 Civic EX (which may appear on the 06 Element EX, I'm not sure) include:
10. Outside temperature gauge
11. Oil Life Meter - no more guesswork when deciding when you should change your oil. The meter on the dash will tell you in increments of 10% how much life is left in your oil based on your driving habits (acceleration, RPM's, etc...) AND mileage.
12. Daytime running lights (yeah, some people don't like 'em but it equals cheaper insurance rates with some companies)


The Bad:
1. Carpet. I dread having to vacuum out my car on the weekend. Who has time for this anyways? Of course, road noise is nearly nill as mentioned above. Just pray you don't have messy kids or dogs.
2. Mileage (so far at 2,000 miles) is NOT what the EPA Sticker of 30/40 claims! I've been getting about 25 MPG the way I drive (mostly city miles). Hopefully this will improve some, and your mileage will vary. Just beware that the EPA sticker lies every time.
3. Hauling Capacity. I can't haul nearly as much stuff with my Civic (though I do have the pass through rear seats, it just isn't practical to haul really large items like furniture, topsoil, shrubs, etc...).

As I said at the start the Civic and Element are two very different vehicles, and I love 'em both! :) If you like what you've seen of the 06 Civic, test drive one and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Just keep your Element as a second vehicle if you can! :)

LEGO

I drive 500 miles a week and the E isn't exactly a great commuter vehicle... So I'm looking at getting one with the next check I get from my investors (along with some help from my parents). It won't replace the E in our family, but it will become my daily commuter vehicle and the E will be given to my mom for her daily 20 mile commute (mine is 60) and all her errands. It will still be "my" Element for when I need it but for the most part I'll probably be in a smaller vehicle.


That's what I'm thinking right now my self, though I only do half the weekly milage... We need a second car as it is, definaly keeping the element, and getting a commuter for me so I have eyeballed the '06 civics, I was diggin' them until I saw the 06 civic 5door that they get in Europe... OMG I want one! That's one sweet car, of course all honda wants give us is boring ole sedans :-x

http://world.honda.com/Frankfurt2005/photos/civic/01.html

Kinda think the Euro Civic is ugly/busy/over stylized. For example, triangular fogs and exhaust, and super-bling front end. But it has some interesting ideas. The rear seats and storage look quite configurable.

The 18th photo finally shows where the rear door handle is. Took me awhile to realize I was seeing a 4-door (and secretly hoped the rears were suicide doors. Where'd I get that idea from?)

15 years??? It is very likely in many cars that you will need to replace the engine after 15 years!!

Maybe in your cars.
I've got a '92 Ford truck that's been on the road since '91 and the motor is fine.
In additon to that, me or my family members have owned an '80 Datsun, an '80 Blazer,
and an '84 Thunderbird, all of which still have their original engines and ran fine at over 15 years old.

But lets say you're right.
Aside from the fact that now on a hybrid you have to replace two motors (one gas, one electric) and the battery packs.
What is the current price difference for rebuilding an engine verses replacing the batterys?

Not to mention that I can replace/rebuild a motor on a 15 year old car on my own, negating any labor charges.
Not something that can be done on with a hybrid drivetrain or a battery pack.

You're assuming that the battery price will keep dropping and you're probably correct.
I'm sure it will drop some, but how much is up in the air.
But you're also forgetting about all the other expensive parts associated with the hybrid drivetrain.
All of which are pricey and cannot be worked on by a "shadetree mechanic."

I drive 500 miles a week and the E isn't exactly a great commuter vehicle... So I'm looking at getting one with the next check I get from my investors (along with some help from my parents). It won't replace the E in our family, but it will become my daily commuter vehicle and the E will be given to my mom for her daily 20 mile commute (mine is 60) and all her errands. It will still be "my" Element for when I need it but for the most part I'll probably be in a smaller vehicle.

Anyway, with that said, is anyone here considering a 2006 Civic in any trim or body style?

I've been doing the math on the EX Sedan and the Hybrid version of the 2006 Civic and without getting into the "Do Hybrids save money/the environment?" argument:

At 500 miles a week in my commute, meaning that taking the EPA City MPG rating for the standard EX sedan of 30mpg, I would need 866.6 gallons of fuel per year. With the hybrid city MPG rating of 50mpg, I would need 520 gallons of gas per year.

Now at $2.50 a gallon, I would spend $2,166 a year in gas for the EX sedan, and $1,300 a year for the hybrid.

That means within 3.5 years I've saved enough to offset the hybrid premium.

In my family, we've kept our cars for at least 15 years.

Assuming the maintainance costs are the same for both vehicles. Let's even go on to say the hybrid costs an extra $5,000 over the course of 15 years to maintain, I would have saved $4,959 after the initial 3.5 years required to recoup the cost paid for the hybrid premium, not counting the extra assumed $5k in hybrid-only maintainance.

So now the math makes sense (well, of course not counting the monthly car payments, but that's another story).

Now it's onto fit and finish. My E was around the 18,000th E off the line and I have a few issues such as rocking seat, clunking brakes, A pillar rattle, but I guess it was to be expected with a 1st year vehicle.

Since the 8th generation Civic is a 1st year vehicle of sorts (a complete redesign that has garnered Motor Trend's Car of the Year Award), I'm wondering if I should hold off on getting it or trust Honda's reliability (and my own experiences with Hondas)?

Anyway, if anyone else is considering a 2006 Civic, please let me know your thoughts on the vehicle. I went to the dealer where I bought my E and sat in the coupe version and the interior is gosh-darn nice... and I really LOVE the nested dual instrument pods...
i had one with 1000 miles on it for a week, it let me sit at the movies. not impressed. the interior to me is very ionish (not good) the display looks like buck rogers. the doors dont shut very well. i liked the aux input location.