seeking insight on pre-2004 Prius vs. Honda Civic Hybrid

The Classic Prius can suffer under the stop-n-slow conditions as well. An MT HCH will reengage auto-stop without the 10MPH rule; a Classic Prius will wear down the battery charge and cause the engine to run all the time until the battery is recharged. An HCH *will* Auto-Stop even if the hybrid battery is low.

See above.

So it says in the manual, but that's not always reliable. I know I went over this with you last winter, John! It hasn't changed. You can enter Auto-Stop in much lower temperatures than 40 degrees, depending on your climate control settings.

Not exactly true. The fan in the HCH will stop if fan speed is set to Auto, but if it's set to a speed, the fan continues to blow during Auto-Stop. The compressor for the AC does shut down, respecting the driver's wish for Auto-Stop (if you want the car to continue running, turn off the Econ button). The original poster is comparing the Classic Prius, so your comments about the 2nd Gen Prius AC aren't applicable. The Classic Prius also loses the AC compressor when the car shuts off; however, if the cabin temp rises, the engine will turn on to fuel the compressor. The HCH engine remains off until you ask it/let it turn on again.

Only half right. The "three-bar charge" does not cause a noticeable MPG hit.

I own both an '01 Prius and an '03 Honda Civic Hybrid. Both are excellent cars; both have their strengths and weaknesses. Your responses here will be skewed toward the Prius, since this is a Prius forum -- what are your specific questions?

peace,
Linda 8)