Driving Impressions
As soon as you place the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid’s CVT into gear and set off down the road – which is, by the way, a far less complicated procedure than the different-for-difficult’s sake Toyota Prius – it’s clear that there’s a big difference between this new Civic Hybrid and the old Civic Hybrid. First, this one is comfortable to sit in. Second, it looks funky enough to attract some attention, though that’s more a function of the Civic’s new styling than palpable differences between regular and hybrid models. Third, it is far quieter inside and more refined. Fourth, it’s quick. Not speedy quick, but quick enough to get out of its own way. Finally, we got 47.1 mpg over 55 miles of rural two-lane roads, interstate highways, and congested city traffic. And we didn’t need to baby it to get that number.
