Honda Civic Hybrid (2006 – 2011) Review
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Honda Civic Hybrid (2006 – 2011) At A Glance
Congestion charge exempt if registered before January 2011, cheap car tax.
Rolls a lot in corners, no longer congestion charge exempt after 2011.
The UK market Honda Civic IMA was always a bit of an oddball. An Integrated Motor Assisted 1.3 engine, 5-speed manual transmission and a four-door saloon body.
The new one, now called Honda Civic Hybrid, has a Jazz 1,339cc engine modified with self closing valves. And, taking a leaf from Toyota's Prius book, a CVT rather than a manual transmission.
Reviews for Honda Civic Hybrid (2006 – 2011)'s top 3 rivals
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Honda Civic Hybrid (2006 – 2011) handling and engines
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 35–58 mpg
Like the old car, leather seats are the only option. Unlilke the old car, and like the UK built Civic 5-door, you get a superb line-of-sight digital speedometer and a rev counter seen through the steering wheel.
The idea is that on start-up and acceleration the petrol engine operates in low-speed valve timing mode with electric motor assist. During low-speed cruising the engine valves close and the car runs on electric motor alone. During gentle acceleration and high-speed cruising the petrol engine operating in low-speed valve timing mode powers the car. During hard acceleration the petrol engine operates in high-speed valve timing mode with motor assist. During deceleration, for example descending a hill with foot off the accelerator, the petrol engine's valves are closed and the electric motor becomes a regenerator, recovering the maximum amount of energy and storing it in the battery. And if you stop in traffic the engine shuts down altogether, starting again as soon as you touch the accelerator.
With a CVT transmission and electric motor assisting the petrol engine, that rev counter performs some peculiar tricks. On hard acceleration it flicks round to 6,000rpm and stays there while the car gathers speed. Alternatively, it will cruise at 30mph per 1,000rpm, and more than 30mph per 1,000rpm descending a long hill, foot off the beans, where you can be travelling at 95mph, at 100mpg and recharging the electric motor's batteries at the same time.
With more conventional controls than a Prius II, the Honda Hybrid seems to be more sporty, and will pick up speed with some alacrity. But the illusion disintegrates on twisty, hilly country roads when a sort of inertia sets in to the way the car handles. It just isn't sprightly.
And progress is certainly far from jerk-free. In the badly signposted, speed camera-festooned traffic nightmare that is Northamptonshire (try following the A43 from Towcester to Corby**) it was roly-poly rounding roundabouts and almost impossible to start smoothly from the umpteen thousand sets of traffic lights. Part of the problem here seems to be the flywheel effect of the electric motor requiring more braking than you would otherwise need. As Andrew English pointed out in his Telegraph test, you are never quite sure how much braking you are going to need with the result that a minor braking drama can quite suddenly turn into a crisis. Then when you are stopped in Drive, the motor shuts down, so you are forced to apply the parking brake or footbrake to stop the car rolling back on a hill.
Fuel economy was good, though not brilliant. Over 281 miles we averaged 42.7mpg. So it looks like the main benefit of the car will be avoiding city centre congestion charges. Or, if you want to put it in more environmental context, avoiding emitting harmful NOX that is the big disadvantage of a diesel engine.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 IMA | 61 mpg | 12.1 s | 109 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Honda Civic Hybrid (2006 – 2011)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
76%
Real MPG
35–58 mpg
MPGs submitted
76
Honda Civic Hybrid (2006 – 2011) interior
- Boot space is 350 litres
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4545 mm |
| Width | 1750–2012 mm |
| Height | 1430 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700–2702 mm |
The seating and driving position are very comfortable, though. With about the best, most convenient parking brake I have encountered on any car recently. It's perfectly positioned and angled on the driver's side of the central console and a pleasure to use. I like the steering wheel too. It's leather bound, quite small, slightly octagonal, with easy to use radio and cruise control buttons set into the spokes.
Whereas the Thai market Civic 1.8 saloon has fold-down rear seats so luggage can poke through from the boot, there's no such thing on the Hybrid because the space over the back wheels is occupied by the batteries. So it's a lot less versatile than the Prius hatchback. That said, it is a proper five seater with a completely flat rear floor.
Honda Civic Hybrid (2006 – 2011) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4545 mm |
| Width | 1750–2012 mm |
| Height | 1430 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700–2702 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1297–1324 kg |
| Boot Space | 350 L |
| Warranty | 3 years / 90000 miles |
| Servicing | 12500 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £18,975–£21,970 |
| Insurance Groups | 16 |
| Road Tax Bands | Alternative fuel, B |
| Official MPG | 61.4 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | 4 |
| Child | 4 |
| Pedestrian | 3 |
| Overall | - |
On sale until December 2018
| Saloon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.4 IMA ES CVT 4dr | £19,380 | 61.4 mpg | 12.1 s |
| 1.4 IMA EX CVT 4dr | £21,970 | 61.4 mpg | 12.1 s |
On sale until November 2010
| Saloon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.4 IMA ES CVT 4dr Auto | £18,975 | 61.4 mpg | 12.1 s |
| 1.4 IMA EX CVT 4dr Auto | £21,510 | 61.4 mpg | 12.1 s |
Model History
September 2005
All-new 4-door Civic Hybrid world debut Frankfurt Show September 2005 promising world-leading emissions performance and even more economical motoring than its predecessor, in addition to modern and distinctive styling. 4,545mm (14' 11') long x 2,012mm (6' 7") wide, including mirrors.
New 1.3-litre 3-stage i-VTEC engine with a more efficient Integrated Motor Assist system (IMA), which can improve the recovery of braking energy by 10% compared to the current Civic IMA. In addition, the new Honda Hybrid System achieves an approximately 20% greater output over the current system – and its performance is equal to that of a 1.8-litre engine – while improving fuel economy by 5%.
August 2007
High-spec, Sat Nav-equipped Civic Hybrid EX available to order from late August 2007. EX also features leather upholstery and Honda’s Hands Free Telephone (HFT) equipment, which uses Bluetooth technology to allow mobile phone calls to be made safely on the move. Civic Hybrid EX is priced at £19,300 OTR. With its level of equipment, the closest rival to the EX is the Toyota Prius T Spirit, priced at £20,677. Controls for the HFT kit are mounted on the steering wheel, while the DVD Navigation unit in the Civic Hybrid EX replaces the existing 6 CD changer, mounted in the dashboard, above the air conditioning controls.
As well as offering maps of the UK and Western Europe, it can monitor traffic congestion and advise the user on alternative routes. In addition, the Honda Sat Nav system can be controlled by voice recognition. Just hold the correct button, say the word ‘Restaurant’ and the system will locate the nearest places to eat, and then direct you to them.
What to watch out for
DO NOT JUMP START. Hybrids should be trickled charged, not jump started (bulletin from Toyota how to do it correctly). If a recovery agent connects jump leads directly to either hybrid battery and than to his battery the sudden charge can damage circuits with in the hybrid system (not necessarily the ECU). It seems that not all recovery companies are familiar with the correct jump start process . Damage can be caused which will not be apparent at the time.
19-09-2019:Report of intermittent engine management light on otherwise immaculate 66k mile 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid. Honda diagnostics showed that Hybrid battery capacity is at 15% and requires new battery, at a cost of £1,954.24. Googling <Honda Civic Hybrid Battery> found some salvaged hybrid batteries for sale from £325 and also some tricks to revive a low hybrid battery.
