My 06 HCH Test Ride: Interested in Feedback?

Are any of you interested in feedback after an 06 HCH test drive? If so, please post here -- I'm sure I'll have a lot to share. I'm going tomorrow afternoon and will gladly post unless another PC member beats me to it.

 

Thanks for the reply.

FYI -- this is the dealer's second HCH. They sold the first one right off the truck. A guy saw it after driving the regular Civic -- which he didn't like -- had it unwrapped, test drove it, and then bought it. Per the salesman -- buyer said, "It felt like a Camry." We'll see.

When I first contacted this guy he said HCHs wouldn't be here until January so I was really surprised when I got the call. It's getting cold here, too, and I hope to take it for an extended drive with some hwy/city mix to get some cold weather mpgs.

Will post more tomorrow night....

 

Hi. Well, I was able to drive the 06 HCH. Keep your Prius. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine car but next to the Prius it doesn't hold up. (After I left the test drive my TDI felt like a rocket so if it were between a VW TDI and the 06 Honda HCH I'd buy another TDI.)

I'll just make a list in no particular order-- it's easier. Sticker was $23,900 and the dealer added "paint protection" and other add-ons for around $3K.

engine cover underneath for protection +
no rear seat fold down -
0W-20 oil required
no visor illumination -
sturdy glovebox +
cupholders/console too far back -
gauges with toggle feature controls for temp and mpg +
mpg feedback +
steering feel plus tilt/telescopic +
interior room +
leg and head room +
nav/stereo ergo +
no stealth -
engine only stops at full stop -
44.3 mpg/36.0 miles with no heat used -
hesitation when starting-
slower than Prius when changing lanes on freeway-
torque lower from dead stop -

It looks like a lot of positives but for a Prius owner I think stealth, torque, and mpgs matter. What I notice is that the pros are interior and comfort related so for those of you over 6'3" maybe this car is what you need. The headroom and legroom are awesome and the ergos are nice, too.

What really stood out was the lack of ICE shutdown. It only happened when stopped -- there's no pulse and glide at all! Forget about that. It really bugged me since in my Prius test drives I coasted and did PNG a lot. In addition, in stop and go traffic the engine stays on all the time. I tested this by stopping at the off-ramp, creeping, and then stopping again. The engine stayed on probably to reduce wear when I stopped again.

I only went 36.0 miles and during that time I did not run the climate control or the stereo or the nav. My sales rep -- a very nice young man -- was 210 lbs. It was about 55 degrees and the trip was around 90% highway and 10% city. All I could scrounge out was 44.3 mpg. Maybe summer miles would be better on a broken-in engine. My sense is that long-term most folks are going to get around 45-47 mpg or less but who knows. All I know is that I am totally satisfied with my Prius reservation. The HCH is not fast enough for me nor does it offer the other unique things we all know and love in our Prii. I think we chose a winner with the Prius. At least that's my take.

If you get a chance please check the HCH out. If you're tall and you value interior comfort and space over performance and a few mpgs, the HCH might be the perfect fit. But it's a Prius for me!

Hope this can help some of you. Thanks again for such a great site. My purchase is a direct result of the information gleaned from PC.

 

I did see the mpg and temp bar. When I coasted I noticed the tach dropped down to about 1K but never below and the mpg would rise to the 99.9 or the end of the bar. As much as I could I tried to keep that mode. From 30-40 mph and with very light pedal pressure I still saw the tach at 1K and don't think I was at the 99.9 but maybe I was.

I should mention that the freeway speed was 50-65 mph and I did punch it a few times to test the car. While in cruise control I did see the 99.9 but I wonder why I only got 44.3 mpg. Or is that good for 36 miles? In my Prius test drives I saw the mileage climb but in the HCH it seemed to struggle to keep that average. One clue might be this: In the last mile -- going slightly uphill -- the mpg dropped from 45 to the final 44.3 I suppose that could be sampling error since we're talking less than a gallon of fuel used. Maybe a solo driver in a warmer climate could do better. Probably so.

Regarding the tach: It is too weird there at night and a waste. What good is it? It really pulls your eyes down and there's no use for it. That should be replaced by some display that could be toggled on the steering wheel. Once you drive it you'll see.

The cruise was slow to respond. Picture a neurologist checking deep tendon reflexes and the response taking several seconds. When I either clicked or held the button it took really long to respond. The Prius is faster. The buttons were nice though and very clean.

TP, you mentioned the flat floor. It was very spacious and the back seats left plenty of legroom.

PB, I think the mpg indicator was maxed out in SNG but I was only in that for a few seconds at a time. What I noticed was that if I stopped again after starting the engine would stay on at 1K. If I stopped only once it would shut off until brake release.

One day after the test ride I was thinking about the things that really prevented me from buying this car. I guess I just like the Prius better for its simplicity, economy, handling, and seemingly transparent hybrid operation. That's really it. The HCH -- while a very good car -- just seemed to be a bit too much on the eyes and a bit too "hybrid-feeling" to me. The Prius just goes on its own and you don't really notice the fact that it's a hybrid. It's relatively seamless.

I apologize to those of you who might be considering a HCH. It is a fine car but when you've driven a Prius it's hard to let go of that. As I said earlier, I think it's the perfect car for those who need more room, adjustable seats, and good mileage. I guess time will tell if the HCH gets over 50 mpg but even close to that it's still loads better than an SUV.

 

Fence -- I read the article. Thanks. The brakes were nice -- more linear without that "grab" at the end.

This writer seems to write from notecards and press releases. What I mean is that there's no reference to a test ride or their mpgs. The only review I recall with confirmed real world mpgs is this one:

http://www.autosite.com/content/shared/art...icle_id_int/717

Does anyone know of another link?

 

How much better? Do other Prius owners agree? Please chime in if you have links or data....

I do recall some 05 HCH folks at MSN being disappointed with their mpgs and there were some reflash stories reported with lower mpgs afterwards (???). Many of the Prius people seemed to be happy campers reporting mpg higher than EPA figures.

Maybe someone can milk this car after it's broken in. I really wanted to take it for a few hundred miles but that was not possible. That would have been more interesting.