honda civic hybrid

[james]

was checking out the honda civic hybrid on honda's website: http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/civic-hybrid/

i can read a good deal of what's there but i can't seem to find if it's available only in 2wd or if it has at least switchable 4wd..

i don't need full-time 4wd. personally, i think 2wd with a good set of snow tires would be fine in the winter, but it's not me i have to convince, it's my wife.

anyone know?

[Taro Toporific]

was checking out the honda civic hybrid on honda's website: http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/civic-hybrid/

i can read a good deal of what's there but i can't seem to find if it's available only in 2wd or if it has at least switchable 4wd..
i don't need full-time 4wd. personally, i think 2wd with a good set of snow tires would be fine in the winter, but it's not me i have to convince, it's my wife.

It has regenrative electric braking.
The hybrid better damn well have 4 wheel drive since large part of its savings come from the feeding back of of electric power as the as the car brakes. If it would 2-wheel drive, the hybrid would have 1/2 power regenerated and fed back to the batteries.

However, be warned that all this regenrative electric braking savings occur in city driving and on the expressway, hybrid cars get poor mileage that MUCH lower than the manufacturer's claims.
Bottom Line: The Honda Civic Hybrid is a great urban car but you can deride a farmer as a fool in the middle of Kanas for buying one.

[james]

It has regenrative electric braking.
The hybrid better damn well have 4 wheel drive since large part of it's savings come from the feeding back of of electric power as the as the car brakes. If it would 2-wheel drive, the hybrid would have 1/2 power regenerated and fed back to the batteries.

well that certainly seems logical, but it was for that exact reason that i didn't end up buying the prius a year or so ago - apparently it's only available in two wheel drive. peppy little car though.

[yellowlightman]

Is Japan getting the hybrid version of the Highlander? It's coming out later this year in the States and should come with AWD, although it's an SUV not a sedan, albeit a very small SUV.

[Taro Toporific]

Is Japan getting the hybrid version of the Highlander? It's coming out later this year in the States and should come with AWD, although it's an SUV not a sedan, albeit a very small SUV.

Nope. Toyota already sells a hybrid minivan in Japan which the Highlander will share parts. As you may know, most of the full-size truck-ish vehicles sold in N. America are not sold in Japan.

Sort of shame, since I am shopping for a new car that wider than the standard Japanese rollerskate. The Highlander Hybrid will offer "electric four-wheel-drive with intelligence" (4WD-I), where the front and rear electric motors deliver balanced power to all four wheels to provide for regenerative braking. Hybrids recover braking energy and store it in the battery. Instead of just using the brakes to stop the car, the electric motor that drives the hybrid can also slow the car. In this mode, the electric motor acts as a generator and charges the batteries while the car is slowing down.
Periodic engine shut off - when a hybrid car is stopped in traffic, the engine is temporarily shut off. It restarts automatically when put back into gear.

[yellowlightman]

Is Japan getting the hybrid version of the Highlander? It's coming out later this year in the States and should come with AWD, although it's an SUV not a sedan, albeit a very small SUV.

Nope. Toyota already sells a hybrid minivan in Japan which the Highlander will share parts. As you may know, most of the full-size truck-ish vehicles sold in N. America are not sold in Japan.

Yeah, but since the Highlander is on the smaller side of the Toyota SUV-family, I wasn't sure if it would be sold in Japan or not.

Sort of shame, since I am shopping for a new car that wider than the standard Japanese rollerskate. The Highlander Hybrid will offer "electric four-wheel-drive with intelligence" (4WD-I), where the front and rear electric motors deliver balanced power to all four wheels to provide for regenerative braking. Hybrids recover braking energy and store it in the battery. Instead of just using the brakes to stop the car, the electric motor that drives the hybrid can also slow the car. In this mode, the electric motor acts as a generator and charges the batteries while the car is slowing down.
Periodic engine shut off - when a hybrid car is stopped in traffic, the engine is temporarily shut off. It restarts automatically when put back into gear.

When the new generation Prius was released I was working in fleet sales at a Toyota dealership, so this kinda stuff takes me back. I hear you can (almost) actually buy one here in the States now, when I left there was a 6-month waiting list for them.

[mr. sparkle]

Hi Ya'll,
Welp. My cherry '87 VW Golf has been snatched by the parking ticket gods of San Francisco. The BASTARDS!

So now I am in the market for a used import that can handle mind-bending corners, steep hills and bottomless pot holes.

Any sub-$7,000 suggestions?



May get another Golf though. Man, I used to wind that baby out. Especially on Highway 4 in Gold Country, Cali!