Parents just bought 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid... against my advice. Hmm.

[MetroMPG]

Have you driven one, Xist or Cripple? Just curious.

[user removed]

My Parents both drive Cadiallc Eldorados. At 93 and 89 they are in this position. "The cars will probably outlast us". They do manage to get about 30 MPG on the highway.
With Pop's car doing less than 4 k a year, they don't seem to be interested in anything, even though they could write a check for a new car (Pop's retirement is over 100k a year).

Even though it has been years since they were involved in an accident the last one was being rear ended by a Matco tool truck. They guy lost his front brakes and skidded for over 250 (I went there and measured it) feet before he hit them and knocked them through an intersection. Even in a 4dr Lincoln they got knocked around seriously and had they been in another smaller car, they could have been badly hurt.

Bottom line is the Civic hybrid was the most your Pop was willing to sacrifice for better mileage, more than mine, but for probably different reasons.

It's a catch 22, something happens to them in a small car and you have to live with it for the rest of your life. If they make their own decisions it lets you off that hook a little but there is always that Moron with no brakes. I even found them another Eldo with 25k miles but they decided against that, trying to get them in a Leaf for years, ain't gonna happen.

regards
Mech

[MetroMPG]

Oh they definitely make their own decisions. There are no hooks to be "on" or "off" in that regard.

Funny thing is, I think the Civic is more of a "sacrifice" in many respects than the Prius.

[Xist]

No, I have looked for them, but never found one I could afford, and the only person that I knew that drove one was an eighteen year-old in Germany that quickly got himself kicked out of the Army.

[MetroMPG]

Definitely try one if you get the chance. I don't care one bit about how they're perceived. They're a fuel economy nerd party on wheels!

[Cobb]

Well, well, well... MetroMPG you owns a g1 insight and your parents own a HCH. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

[vskid3]

I <3 my Prius. Good size hatchback that has enough torque to make me regularly curse the overly-sensitive traction control and it averages over 50MPG easily? What's not to like?

I'll have to stop by a Honda dealer and try out one of their CVT hybrids. I've never driven a belt/chain CVT in a car (Prius and Escape Hybrid have eCVT's), only in ATVs and snowmobiles.

[MetroMPG]

vskid: the belt & pulley CVT in this Civic isn't as smooth as the Toyota gearset CVTs I've driven. Starting from a stop there's sometimes a very slight "tugging/releasing" feel to the power delivery as the start clutch engages or the initial ratio starts to change.

But my biggest complaint so far is the frustrating lack of a true "neutral, engine-off glide" when releasing the throttle at speed.

I'll still have fun figuring it out though.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I've never driven a Prius and not really likely to do so. I'd rather be the penny-pincher in a Suzuki.

[MetroMPG]

There's certainly that argument to be made, if ultimate cost savings is the goal.