"L Alpert" <alpertl@xxgmail.com> wrote in message
news:Y8mdnSOgBP293RLfRVn-3A@comcast.com...
> muzz wrote:
>> It might help you to be aware that even tho the Honda people advertise
>> 48 mpg on the civic hybrid, mine gets 33 in the summer and 34 in the
>> winter after 18 months of conservative driving.
>>
>>
>>> Does anyone have any info on the long-term reliability of hybrids.
>>> Any brand. Batteries?
>
> Are you sure? One can get that with a regular Civic. Not impressive at
> all. Maybe there is something qrong?
>
The benefit of hybrids, especially at the current stage of development,
varies a lot with how the car is used. A Civic hybrid gets only slightly
better fuel economy at freeway speeds than a conventional Civic, and that is
only because the engine was downsized when hybridizing the car. The electric
assist is intended to make up the difference in acceleration, but there are
varying opinions how well that works for the Civic.

Much of the disappointment comes from design considerations. Honda wanted to
compete in fuel economy, and to get the very best economy they started with
a base model that did well to start with. They could have taken the other
path, economical power, as they did with their DualNote concept car... but
I'm sure cost would have popped up on that adventure!

Mike