Better Buy....a Prius or

if its a just a question of money, then a hybrid will never make sense. with a Prius, there is just so many other reasons that normal cars cant claim. enjoy your new car, for what it is, it is one of the best

 

All things considered if you didn't want a second prius, I think you did ok. I hear the honda hybrid is pretty clunky..... they don't have it down yet in the area of hybrids compared to prius at all, but they do make a good car otherwise.
Myself, I bought two prius's, but If I wanted to save I would do what you did....

Only problem.. I don't think I would drive the Honda and I dont' want my wife stealing my car all the time.. so I bought her one too!

Sometimes the bucks makes it all matter, othertimes there is more to consider than bucks!

 

Just curious -- what is in the LX trim that you chose it over the base, and how much extra did you pay ? And then the flip question, what is in the LX you bought, that is not in the base Prius ?

25K would buy the full trim Prius .. Are you saying that your LX has DVD nav, bluetooth, HID, .. and the rest of the package ?

 

That's a great price if you also got the automatic trans. I might have went for that if I would have gotten that price for an LX auto. I was very much in the same debate. I had my name down on a waiting list while I thought deeply about sticking with Honda (which brand I have always owned since 77).

Well when my wife told everyone she knew that I was buying her a Prius, I didn't have that option anymore. So I paid $23,870 + tax, lic. for my package 3. So with my Tax credit eventually, I can say the differential is 3-4K now from the Honda Civic. But the Prius is in another league and I get the 50+ mpg, HOV lane access, smart key, rear camera, and a great chat room.

So would I have been happy with the Civic. I think so. It would have been my sixth Honda and they have all been good to me. So only time will tell if I will get haunted by the spirit of Sochiro Honda for changing brands. Meanwhile I get to play with EV mode, pulse and glide and fuel tank bladders.

 

Here's the features for the Civic LX (non-hybrid):

LX
• 1.8-liter, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine
• Drive-by-Wire Throttle System™
• ULEV-2 (Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle)
• 5-speed manual transmission
• Available compact 5-speed automatic transmission
• Control-link MacPherson strut front suspension
• Reactive-link double wishbone rear suspension
• Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering
• 16-inch wheels with full covers
• P205/55 R16 89H all-season tires
• Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags (SRS)
• Front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)
• Side curtain airbags
• Active head restraints
• Outboard Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
• Immobilizer Theft-Deterrent System
• Integrated rear-window antenna
• Body-colored power side mirrors
• Body-colored door handles
• Power door locks with auto-lock feature
• Cruise control
• Air conditioning with air-filtration system
• Map lights
• Floor mats
• Power windows with auto-up/down driver's window
• 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, WMA and MP3 capability and speed-sensitive volume control (SVC)
• Maintenance minder system

If think if it were a feature to feature comparison, he would come closer by comparing the DX (which is $19k or 20k if you add Nav) to the base Prius (if you can find any Package 1's). But if he was willing to pay $19k for a Civic, then he may as well spring a couple thousand more and get the Hybrid Civic which has the CVT tranny AND THE TAX CREDIT WHICH COULD KNOCK IT BACK TO $19k-$20k.

But if cost was the ONLY factor, I think he made the right choice with the DX. Civics are a hard bargain to beat. I think Toyota should re-vamp the Corolla to compete better with the Civic. Heck I wouldn't mind a Hybrid Corolla.

 

oic... i thought you traded your Prius for the honda...ok...cool. the honda is a great car...but its not a Prius. and yea i do find it strange that your wife is afraid to drive it.

i think if she ever did try it though... you might be out of a car!

 

I can understand your wife's POV. The Prius puts a lot of technology in one's lap. If your wife finds that distracting, then I'd rather meet her on the road when she's driving the Honda.

Re: Caroms. I played a bit when in India. Fun game.

 

For what it is worth, I just sold a Civic to buy my Prius.

The Civic was a GREAT car. I just wanted to do my dirty gasoline burning cleaner...and have a bit more room. And power. And electronic toys.

 

The new Civic looks great. I thought about it - but I wanted 4 doors and a hatchback. The mpg is a plus too w/the Prius, though of course the price is higher, even w/ the tax break, the the Civic. But I think you will love the Civic if it meets your needs. We also have an Odyssey - Honda makes great cars!

 

There is a couple that come to the portland meeting that did the same thing.. bought a prius and a HCH.... they say when they go for a trip together... its the prius they always get in!....

The Honda is a quality car with good gas mileage... the prius just offers more with extras.... so its funner among other things... but it does cost more!