Honda hybrid vehicles have been around since the 1999 Insight Hybrid. Since then the Oddesy, Fit and Civic have been also offered in ICE and Hybrid versions.
Honda Insight Hybrid
The 1999 Insight Hybrid was a great car, well built and well built. The car could be confused for an EV1 of the same year.
The 2011 Insight Hybrid is called the most affordable hybrid on the US market. That said, the car turns in 40/43 economy numbers. Compare this to 51/48 mpg of the Prius. The Prius however costs $7,000 more.
The difference between the Prius and the Insight is then around 10 mpg. At $4.00 per US gallon, $7,000 buys 1,750 gallons of gasoline. That 1,750 gallons provides 70,000 miles at 40 mpg, so the price difference is unlikely to make much real difference.
Honda CR-Z Hybrid
Next in the Honda Hybrid lineup is the snappy CR-Z. The CR-Z is powered by a 1.5 liter 4 banger linked to a 14 hp electric motor. Total power output is around 122 hp.
The CR-Z is designers as a sports hybrid, and reportedly handles like a sports car. The car can be had with a recommended 6-speed transmission, and 3 modes of operation from economy to sport. Fuel economy will reflect the sportiness however, at 31 city and 38 mpg highway. CRV is priced well for a quick car however.
Honda Fit - Jazz Hybrids
The Fit hybrid is not available in all markets. The Fit has been released in the Japan market for 2011. The Car begins to close the fuel economy gap between Honda hybrids and the Toyota Prius.
The Fit is reported to drive well, produce low emissions, and it comes with a nice price tag in markets where sold. Technically, the Fit borrows the Insight's powertrain. The Fit is avaliable with a 6-speed or continulusly variable (CVT) transmission as well.
The Honda Jazz is the European version of the Fit. The Jazz is configured to produce nearly record low emissions. Visually, the Jazz comes in the same lime green as the Fit. The car is not to be imported to US markets as of yet.
Honda Civic Hybrid
The Honda Civic Hybrid is a good looking ride with its raked windshield. The car is form and function, especially compared to its competitor the Toyota Prius. The Civic escapes that ladybug look ot the Prius and a few other EVs.
The current Civic is the 4th in a series of designs. The gas motor is a 4 cylinder 1.3 liter mated to a 20 hp electric motor. The gas motor features 2 spark plugs per cylinder for complete combustion. The cars software allows all cylinders to be de-activated and allow the car to run on electric power alone.
However, with a 600 Watt (0.6 kWh) battery pack, the Civic is only going a few miles on battery power alone. The Civic compares well with the Prius on price, gets a bit less distance to the gallon, but looks a whole lot better than any Prius.
