Published January 18, 2010
Car Review: Honda Civic GX
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A consumer natural gas vehicle.
Chris Langer


Chris Langer


Chris Langer


Chris Langer


Chris Langer


Chris Langer

Natural Gas Vehicle | Honda Civic GX | $25,340

The Honda Civic GX natural gas vehicle is the only commercially sold vehicle in the U.S. that runs on compressed natural gas. With hardly any carbon emissions, it is one of the greenest cars available on the market, producing less than any other hybrid. There is no need to stop at a gas station with this vehicle. It doesn’t take traditional gas at all, and there is a home fueling station available. Unfortunately, all of these features come at a cost, it is $6,000 more than a normal civic and $1,000 more than a hybrid civic, but a federal tax credit for up to $4,000 is available. Some states also offer special incentives such driving in the HOV lane, even if there is only one person in the car. All this seems perfect, but is it really worth it?

Comfort

The normal Civic is a very comfortable car with good seating. The NGV is no exception to this, with the interior being identical to other Civic models. The NGV, however, does not come with additional options like leather seats, a rear armrest or a sunroof. There currently is only one model available, and it is equivalent to the Civic LX.

Performance

The NGV comes with the same 4-cylinder 1.8L engine as a standard Civic, but it produces less power. It produces 113 horsepower and 109 pounds of torque while the normal Civic produces 140 horsepower and 128 pounds of torque. Because of the extra weight and less power, the NGV goes from 0 to 60 mph in 12.6 seconds.

Quality

Honda is known for producing high quality cars. Their interiors are exceptional with a digital speedometer and a fancy stereo, but the dashboard in the NGV is made of plastic. There is only one model, so you don’t have the option to upgrade.

Handling

It drives and handles like the normal Civic. As long as you don’t open the fuel tank or the trunk, you won’t even notice that you are in the NGV.

Practicality

Once you pop open the trunk, prepare for a shock. You'll see just how small the interior trunk space is. The compressed natural gas fuel sits in a huge tank that fills up most of the trunk space, leaving just enough room for a few grocery bags. If you are planning to go to the golf course with your friends, then you’ll have to pick between your friend and your golf bag.

Additionally, with out many places to refuel, you can forget about traveling in this car. A full tank will only get you 220 miles, but at least you won’t have to worry about where your luggage will go.

Usage Costs

In addition to the price of the car, you‘ll need to pay $6,000 to set up a home fueling station, unless you live near a natural gas station. The Phill home fueling station made by Fuelmaker is a device that takes the fuel from the natural gas pipe you use for your heating and compresses it so that it can go into your car. Fueling at home, you spend about $15 to fill up your tank, but it takes up to six hours. Considering the cost you pay for it upfront, it will take several years to break even. If you do live close by to the only natural gas filling station in Rochester, you can fill up in three to five minutes. You will pay a little more, but it is still much cheaper than normal gasoline. The down side is: if you live in cities that use electric heating systems, like Fairport, then you cannot install the Phill unit.

Do not expect the mileage to be as high as a hybrid car. In fact the NGV gives 24/36 mpg in the city/highway, which is almost the same as a normal Civic’s 25/36 mpg. So running costs for the first couple of years is much more than the normal Civic if you buy the home filling station.

Coolness Factor

Yes, it is cool to drive a natural gas vehicle if you’re one with the environment. (Go green crowd!) But if you are a college student who wants to show off your ride to the ladies, then this car may not be so cool.

If you really want to pay $12,000 more to buy a NGV and a home filling station that will take six hours to fill up your car, then this is the perfect vehicle for you. The NGV is almost like the normal Civic in comfort, performance, quality and handling. So before buying the natural gas Civic, ask yourself one question: Is the additional cost worth it for a car that is not very practical, just to save the environment from carbon emissions?


Comments

Comments solely the opinion of the readers who post them.

Comments FAQ
 
Tue, Jan 19 2010 @ 1:50 am
when can i have it in INDIA? ;)
Krishna Chaitanya
 
Tue, Jan 19 2010 @ 2:30 am
Is it safe?
Dev
 
Tue, Jan 19 2010 @ 7:40 pm
Nice pictures
Sid
 
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