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If there any Hybrid owners here, could you give us a little review of your car? I would be interested to find out about handeling, performance, comfort, and what kind of gas mileage you actually get. Thanks!

 
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I'm driving an '05 Civic Hybrid after owning a Pickup with a V6 auto for the last 4 years. My greatest fears concerning the car haven't been realized, that being a wariness that it wouldn't handle the freeway or hilly terrain very well. It does nicely on both, with a comfortable cruising speed and adequate oomph on the uphill.

Road noise is a bit of a distraction but isn't any worse than I expected. This car is certainly a far cry from my first Civic, a 1976 gray hatchback that was fun to drive but pretty basic. I've dinked with the appearance a bit by adding a leather interior and a set of enki 17" wheels and low profile tires, but the car came fairly well equipped from the factory.

The cost of the car is pretty high for what it is and how it performs. Reviews that decry the cost effectiveness of the vehicle are probably correct. It would take many years to break even at current fuel prices and I'm not getting a consistently high mileage result. My best tank to date ran 42 and the one I'm working on now is at a less stellar 34 miles per gallon. Changing the wheels and tires may have been a bad idea as 42 hasn't happened since and I'm experimenting with tire pressures to regain some mileage. I'm told that as the car breaks in the mileage will increase some, but I can't imagine it rising to the level I'd like.

All in all I'd have to say I'm satisified with the car. I didn't buy into this hybrid thing with expectations that couldn't be met, having checked out reviews in advance. I suppose I view this as an experiment, kind of like using Beta software just because it is new and interesting and sometimes a challenge. It is a cinch this won't be the last word in technological advance for long, and I expect this car to be the forerunner of truly fine cars in the future.

No regrets.

 
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props to you for trying the hrybrid. people like you are paving the way for the mob to follow. if the car companies can cost efefctive down their technologies and margialize their costs then maybe in bulk people can use them. The tire pressure info is good, maybe swap out for littler rubber and see how that goes?

 
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Go through the threads here, theres lots of stories and experiences. Some guys aren't that happy with the car, some are really happy.
I think it depends what your expectations are.