I've had my "new" car now for a little over one month now. Overall, I'm thrilled with my choice, and would make it again if I were faced with it today. The things I don't love about the car are things that it can't control (space and lack of AWD), and I'm the one who made the decision to give up the enormous space of my 2002 Subaru Outback when it proved time and time again that it was unreliable.
I've done a lot of extra driving this month for events, and combined with gas prices (west coast gas prices spiked $.35 over night two weeks ago because of lack of refineries that were operable), I've saved over half of what I would be spending with my Outback. The original advertised MPG for the 07 Civic Hybrid was 49-51. After a class action lawsuit (which was thrown out about two weeks ago), Honda downgraded the MPG to about 45-47 mpg. One thing I've noticed is that the calculated MPG that my car shows on my dash is always MUCH lower than what I actually get. When I fill up, I divide total miles driven that week (I clear my trip meter after each fill up) by the total gallons pumped. When I manually calculate it, I always get at least 2 more MPG than my dash gauge says.
I fill up my car every Sunday regardless of how full the tank is (it was always almost empty in out Outback), and have had the following MPG:
- 44
- 45
- 50
- 47
- Average MPG: 46.5. If you remember, my Outback got 22 MPG on a good week.
Had I kept my Outback, I would have had to put an estimated $1,600 in to it by now, and would have spent countless hours at my mechanic trying to figure out the various check engine lights that kept coming on. Note to self: I need to send my mechanic a card to let them know I purchased the Honda. I'm sure by now they think I'm dead since they haven't seem me in about five weeks.
The Honda also is lacking AWD which was amazing on my Outback. Subarus can eat snow and ice for dinner. We live on a steep hill, and even though it only gets snowy about 5 days a year, we do have ice many mornings during the winter. I'm saving a little bit of money each pay check now to be able to buy studded snow tires come winter.
Someone on my original car post commented about a class action lawsuit surrounding the MPG and lack of power after an upgrade to the computers that was done after purchase. I guess the complaint was the car didn't have a lot of power after the upgrade. My in-laws live at the top of a VERY steep and windy hill, and we live in an area that is almost all hills. My Civic has performed beautifully and been able to go up a hill at my desired speed from a dead stop. I'm pleased with the performance and power.
One thing that I'm not thrilled with, is that my front passenger window (I have power windows) just started not rolling up all the way. It will be fixed by the dealer for no cost to me this week, and the car does have 65k miles on it, so things like that happen.
Overall, I'm happy with my choice, and the money that I'm saving.
Wonderful, glad you're enjoying your new car! (I love cars, and drive a lot so love this post). My dream is to get a used PriusV next year...love my Focus station wagon (28/32 avg) but it is a bit small.
ReplyDeleteThe PriusV gives me hippy wood. It's a gorgeous car in person and I would love to own it at some point!
DeleteI am glad you are happy with the new car!
ReplyDeleteI have a 2006 regular Civic and get 38 - 40 mpg, which is pretty awesome. We travel A LOT. In six years we've put 121,000 miles on it. And I have only had to do regular maintenance type of stuff. I think you will be pleased.
But I want an Outback! We live out of town in a part of the world that is frequently covered in 2-3 foot snow drifts, ice, and mud. AWD is something I am really, really looking into. Sometimes my little Civic doesn't cut it. It's handling in snow and ice improved a great deal when I got rid of the original tires, though. But still. Huge snow drifts? Nope.
This is my 3rd Civic, and I don't remember ever them needing anything more than regular maintenance. One of them consistently got about 45 mpg, but also had ZERO power.
DeleteI'll admit that part of my heart still belongs to the Outback. When/if we ever have a bigger family, if Subaru could improve their MPG, I may go back at some point. We don't have the huge snow drifts though, and in the Seattle area, if it snows, everything shuts down so you don't actually need a car to go anywhere.
You're right; the Civic is more fuel-efficient than the Outback. But your former car has its advantage over the Civic in terms of size, since the Outback is a mid-size car. The good thing about your choice is that it’s a hybrid, and that will definitely help you reduce your fuel consumption significantly.
ReplyDeleteIt’s great to hear that your used car is actually saving you tons of money. Dealing with the smaller space is worth it when you know the car is doing everything you need it to do and helping you with your finances. You’re also now able to drive a lot more because you’re not spending as much on the Honda as you were on the Outback in terms of gas per week, so that’s another convenience. Glad to know your used Honda’s being good to you!
ReplyDeleteIn these times of rising oil prices and falling economies, it’s great to hear that there are people who are managing to save money while still being able to drive a car. It’s just a matter of choosing the right car with the right specs. Nowadays, function should be – and is, for many people – more important than form. It’s always nice to have a flashy modern car of the newest model, but if you’re on a tight budget, then getting a used but perfectly working car that fits your needs is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess, there’s nothing to worry about right now about your car, those are indeed good feedback. And, you’re happy about it, and that’s what’s important! :) In addition, a little reminder about filling up: When you see a filling tanker refilling the gas station, it’s advisable to go to another gas station, instead. When the tanks are getting refilled, it could stir up the stuck sediment, and transfer it to your car. These sediments can clog fuel filters and fuel injectors that may affect your car’s performance.
ReplyDeleteCarry Bacot
It’s great to know that even though there were some things your old car had that your newer car doesn’t, you still are happy with the new car. Considering that you are “frugal by choice,” the fact that your new car saves you marginally more money than your previous car did is one thing that majorly makes up for what you miss about your old car.
ReplyDelete