Author Topic: 2008 Civic Hybrid  (Read 6300 times)

$200k

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2008 Civic Hybrid
« on: January 16, 2014, 01:53:08 PM »
Does anyone here have first hand experience with owning a 2008 Civic Hybrid?  I am looking to replace a gas guzzler and found one that is reasonably priced. 

The only hitch is that the seller claims to get only 30-35 mpg.  The fueleconomy.gov estimate is a combined 42 mpg.  Big discrepancy. 

Can anyone here post their experiences with their mpg with this car?  What about your experiences with this car in general?

I was looking for a Prius as an alternative, but the market in San Diego is unfavorable.

Spork

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2014, 02:04:23 PM »
I always check out fuelly for these types of things...  The EPA rules seem to never be "right".  This gives you actual people.


http://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/civic/hybrid%20l4

xocotl

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2014, 03:34:39 PM »
I own a 2008 Civic Hybrid. Over its lifetime I think I've averaged about 42 mpg. Most of its driving lifetime was in New England. Depending on conditions, city vs highway, and how much I care about my gas mileage I think my per-tank mileage has ranged from about 28 mpg to about 55 mpg (I calculated this based on odometer reading and how much gas I put in. It also has built in gas mileage tracking, but this seems to fairly consistently underreport my gas mileage by about 2mpg).

coffeetogo

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2014, 05:13:08 PM »
There was a big class-action lawsuit with the Civic Hybrid because it was only getting 32-35mpg.  Google it and you learn more. 

I have a 2011 Prius and my best gas mileage has been 63.5MPG.  This is because I sit in a lot of traffic and can use the "battery" button.  The car switches from gas/battery to battery only.  I can only do this in bumper-to-bumper traffic.  Once I exceed 10mph, it automatically switches to the "ECO" option which is gas/battery. 

xocotl

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2014, 09:07:02 AM »
There was a big class-action lawsuit with the Civic Hybrid because it was only getting 32-35mpg.  Google it and you learn more. 

Having been a member of the class for that suit, I come to one of two conclusions from it: either there was huge manufacturing variation in the Civic Hybrid or the people who filed the suit drive like total tools. As mentioned in my previous post, I've managed to get gas mileage that low. However, it was when I was doing short trips on hilly terrain in heavy traffic in cold weather.

That being said, there were actually two parts to the suit. One was a complaint about a software update Honda made (in 2010 I believe) that reduces the usable range of the battery in order to increase its longevity. I took the payout for that, as I was pretty annoyed at the change (the car can be a little sluggish when the battery runs out). I did not take the payout for the gas mileage half of the class action suit because I thought the whole thing was ridiculous.

mpbaker22

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2014, 09:25:53 AM »
2007 Honda Civic Hybrid here.

I used to drive 80+  in the country and anywhere from 60-70 in the more urban highways.  Punching acceleration, braking hard, etc.  Only got about 32-34 in those conditions.

I've started doing 55 in the urban highways and 70-75 in rural.  Slower acceleration, etc.  I am only getting 36 over the last 1000 miles due to winter driving (snow, cold, startup times, etc.).  March through September I averaged around 46 with my top mpg on one tank at 52.  So, I'd say 45 is attainable in normal conditions, but you should expect lower 40s if you don't drive like a maniac.

Rural

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2014, 09:31:30 AM »
Does anyone here have first hand experience with owning a 2008 Civic Hybrid?  I am looking to replace a gas guzzler and found one that is reasonably priced. 

The only hitch is that the seller claims to get only 30-35 mpg.  The fueleconomy.gov estimate is a combined 42 mpg.  Big discrepancy. 

Can anyone here post their experiences with their mpg with this car?  What about your experiences with this car in general?

I was looking for a Prius as an alternative, but the market in San Diego is unfavorable.

If you're willing to go older, I reliably got 42 in my 1989 Honda Civic (non-hybrid). Of course, my husband got more like 35, so the way you drive really matters.

wtjbatman

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2014, 10:26:17 PM »
If you're willing to go older, I reliably got 42 in my 1989 Honda Civic (non-hybrid). Of course, my husband got more like 35, so the way you drive really matters.

I think how you drive is a lot more important overall than some people realize. Not saying it will radically change a vehicle's MPG, but it can make a big enough difference. Not to hijack the thread into other vehicles, but when I used have my motorcycle I got wildly different MPG depending on if I was cruising or, um, driving "spirited". I'm talking from 35mpg (spirited) to 55mpg (low RPMs and a lot of shifting).

ritchie70

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2014, 11:00:26 PM »
If you're willing to go older, I reliably got 42 in my 1989 Honda Civic (non-hybrid). Of course, my husband got more like 35, so the way you drive really matters.

I think how you drive is a lot more important overall than some people realize. Not saying it will radically change a vehicle's MPG, but it can make a big enough difference. Not to hijack the thread into other vehicles, but when I used have my motorcycle I got wildly different MPG depending on if I was cruising or, um, driving "spirited". I'm talking from 35mpg (spirited) to 55mpg (low RPMs and a lot of shifting).

How you drive is a big difference. I usually get around 24 mpg on my drive to work. If I try really hard, I can get it up to 31. It's mostly an in-town drive with plenty of traffic. (And I'm assuming the car is doing the math right.)

7 mpg doesn't sound like much until you realize it's a 30% difference.

Clever Name

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2014, 11:28:14 PM »
I bought a 2008 Civic Hybrid about a month ago, and so far I do get around 30-35 mpg on short trips around town (lots and lots of stop signs and traffic signals), but 45-50 for longer trips on the highway (which, in terms of mileage, is the majority of my driving).  I'm sure I could do much better around town if I drove more carefully or if I lived in an area with fewer stop signs.

Junior667

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #10 on: January 18, 2014, 12:27:02 AM »
One thing to consider when looking at the mileage on a car like the Civic Hybrid is whether the OEM tires have been swapped for something non-efficient, like an winter tire or something with an aggressive tread pattern. The OEM tire is a low rolling resistance tire.

mpbaker22

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2014, 04:46:34 AM »
I bought a 2008 Civic Hybrid about a month ago, and so far I do get around 30-35 mpg on short trips around town (lots and lots of stop signs and traffic signals), but 45-50 for longer trips on the highway (which, in terms of mileage, is the majority of my driving).  I'm sure I could do much better around town if I drove more carefully or if I lived in an area with fewer stop signs.

Maybe its time to petition the city/county board!
http://www.alaskaroundabouts.com/mythfact.html

AccidentalMiser

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Re: 2008 Civic Hybrid
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2014, 12:20:46 PM »
I also have a 2007 HCH which was purchased new.  Just replaced the battery for a cost of $2500.  I drive it like a baby and have always gotten 35-38 MPG.  If I could go back, I wouldn't buy it again but only because the premium on a new one wasn't worth it due to the lower than advertised MPG.

Having said all of that, if I could find one for a decent price that had the battery changed out, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.  It's given me zero trouble except for the battery issue.  I wouldn't buy one of that age with the original battery.