HONDA in trouble...again!

[Joe Walsh]

Looks like this woman is going to give Honda a lot of trouble over a POS Hybrid Civic.

"A woman who expected her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid to be her dream car wants Honda to pay for not delivering the high mileage it promised."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45855282/ns/business-autos/

.....:hmmm:......she was buying her dream car.........a Honda Civic???.....WTF??.....:shake:

Being forced to drive, and worse, to be seen driving that POS Civic would be my nightmare car!!.....:eek:

[Timw286]

I would buy a Honda lawn mower..that's about it.

[Joe Walsh]

I would buy a Honda lawn mower..that's about it.

Would that be your dream lawn mower?....:D

[babbage]

She was getting 30 MPG with a Hybrid?? My V8 320HP car gets 24!!

[ROCOB]

I've got an 86 Mustang GT, speed density car, with over 285,000 miles on it that still gets 24 mpg HWY. In her prime, she routinely averaged high 20's on the highway and once she managed 30 MPG cruising through Texas. 2:73 gears and 5 speed and of course it helped that my Mom was driving. :)

Dream Car for Me: Trilogy #92 :D

[05crownsport]

She probably didn't realize she would have to drive with her foot to the floor just to keep up with the normal flow of traffic.

[Timw286]

I would buy a Honda lawn mower..that's about it.

You bet your A$$ it would be!!:coolman:

[Timw286]

Ooops ^^ :eek:


Would that be your dream lawn mower?....:D

You bet your A$$ it would be!

[Haggis]

Attention Wal-Mart shoppers and Honda dream cars go hand in hand.

[guspech750]

While I agree with what she is doing and a product not living anything close to what's claimed.

Honda Civic a dream car?? Really?Hmmmmmmm. Must be a really nice car......................


---
- Sent from my iPhone
Eaton Swap + 4.10's = Wreeeeeeeeeedom!!

[yjmud]

I hope she gets laughed out of court
even better have to pay for honda's lawyers

[TFB]

I would buy a Honda lawn mower..that's about it.

Well I would never buy one new but since I was given a rusty 2004 Crapsman mower with a good Honda engine on it, I installed it on a nice '83 Snapper deck I had... Gotta say it beats the Hell out of the original old B&S engine that was on it, much quieter and a noticeable improvement in power as well...


Would that be your dream lawn mower?....:D
Can't say as I've ever had a dream mower, sounds a bit dysfunctional to me...;)

[TFB]

I hope she gets laughed out of court
even better have to pay for honda's lawyers

Didn't read the article huh? Lawyers aren't allowed in small claims court...

She should be suing the EPA though, they're the one who published the figures...

[yjmud]

she ended up winning her case and was awarded just under 10k

[SC Cheesehead]

The issue with Hybrids is the EPA mileage claims are azz backwards from what we're used to in "traditionally" powered vehicles. (i.e. higher in-town mileage and lower highway mileage which MAY yield a higher composite average mpg depending on your driving conditions).

Hybrids are supposed to deliver higher mileage around town (where they will run 'primarily' on battery power), and less on the highway where the gasoline engine must power the vehicle, but still 'superior' to a straight gas powered vehicle. The above will be true IF you maintain speeds under 30 mph (typcial electric motor operating range) and IF you accelerate like you've got a raw egg under your right foot, and IF you don't have the A/C set to operate under 30 mph or at stop signs. Also, highway mileage will be good IF you stay under 65 mph. My wife has an Escape Hybrid, and can get around 36 mpg around town under those operating parameters; however, that's real seldom. Under NORMAL driving conditions, her mileage is closer to a constant 30-32 mpg city or highway.

On the highway, if we can maintain a constant speed on flat roads between 60 and 65, the vehicle will run around or just under 2,000 rpm and will get around 34 mpg. If we have to accelerate alot, or if speeds get up over 70, rpms will jump, running close to or just over 3,000, and mileage drops to 28-30.

Overall, we like the vehicle, but my wife's disappointed with the mileage. If I was going to replace it, I'd go with a straight gas powered I4 Escape, composite mileage comparisons are similar, but the gas model is around $6K cheaper.

[Granddaddy Marq]

I would buy a Honda lawn mower..that's about it.


I would buy a Honda generator. That would be my dream generator. John Deere would be my dream lawn mower.

[Fosters]

She was getting 30 MPG with a Hybrid?? My V8 320HP car gets 24!!

The new guy on here with the 2011 crown vic was at 31.4 average hwy...

Hybrids only serve a purpose around town. And it's not that the battery power is more efficient, it's more the fact that it doesn't use any energy while being stopped, and it recaptures some of the energy from regenerative braking, both of which happen more during city driving.

However, most of our commutes are not considered "city" driving. The typical commute is drive to the nearest freeway, get off at the exit nearest to your work place and drive thru the city to get there. For the drive to and from a freeway, the hybrid isn't gonna pay off. The reason some hybrids - prius, insight, etc - get significantly better mileage has nothing to do with hybrids at all, it's all about weight, tire rolling resistance, and aerodynamics.

Check out this article: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2008/03/de-hybridized-insight-how-cool-is-that/

cliffsnotes: honda insight, hybrid removed, 200hp K20A motor put in (type-R, yo!), and go figure, it still gets 48mpg.

Another thing, the higher the mileage comparisson starting point (between a hybrid and comparable non-hybrid), the more returns on improved mileage diminish. A prius may get better mileage than a comparable sized corolla, but the lower starting price if the corolla (and lower taxes/interest paid) will often move the breakeven point beyond the useful life of the cars, thus rendering the cars obsolete. If you go from a 10mpg hummer to a 20mpg panther, you'll gain a helluva lot more than going from a 35mpg corolla to a 45mpg prius, even though in both cases you went up 10mpg.

[SC Cheesehead]

True statements, Fosters.

If we lived in NYC or other large metro area and did primarily city driving, then the hybrid would make more sense (last time I was in NYC, noted a lot of Escape Hybrids being used as taxis), but for most folks that do a combination city/highway driving, not so much.

And as you mentioned, the economics just aren't there. I ran the numbers for Momma, but; well, that' water over the bridge now, and I learned long ago that "I told you so" isn't a real smart response with spouses... :rolleyes:

[CBT]

True statements, Fosters.

If we lived in NYC or other large metro area and did primarily city driving, then the hybrid would make more sense (last time I was in NYC, noted a lot of Escape Hybrids being used as taxis), but for most folks that do a combination city/highway driving, not so much.

And as you mentioned, the economics just aren't there. I ran the numbers for Momma, but; well, that' water over the bridge now, and I learned long ago that "I told you so" isn't a real smart response with spouses... :rolleyes:

That's why I let the back of my hand do the talkin'!

[Fosters]

I ran those same numbers for myself going from a 12mpg excursion to a 47mpg tdi jetta... While it made sense and then some, I didn't run the numbers further and compare it to a focus before the purchase. A 30mpg focus would have damn near broken even with the jetta due to maintenance costs... And despite those numbers, after realizing how incredibly boring a jetta, focus, civic, yaris, etc are to drive, I went out and bought a marauder 8). I do wish I would have kept the jetta though, at least for a winter beater. If I ever own another eco shoebox, it'll be either a TDI modded up to make another 50hp/100tq (mods are surprisingly cheap compared to the maintenance costs), or something along the lines of a Focus ST / SVT / etc.

I need something fun to drive more than fuel economy :D

[Fosters]

True statements, Fosters.

If we lived in NYC or other large metro area and did primarily city driving, then the hybrid would make more sense (last time I was in NYC, noted a lot of Escape Hybrids being used as taxis), but for most folks that do a combination city/highway driving, not so much.

And as you mentioned, the economics just aren't there. I ran the numbers for Momma, but; well, that' water over the bridge now, and I learned long ago that "I told you so" isn't a real smart response with spouses... :rolleyes:

I ran those same numbers for myself going from a 12mpg excursion to a 47mpg tdi jetta... While it made sense and then some, I didn't run the numbers further and compare it to a focus before the purchase. A 30mpg focus would have damn near broken even with the jetta due to maintenance costs... And despite those numbers, after realizing how incredibly boring a jetta, focus, civic, yaris, etc are to drive, I went out and bought a marauder 8). I do wish I would have kept the jetta though, at least for a winter beater. If I ever own another eco shoebox, it'll be either a TDI modded up to make another 50hp/100tq (mods are surprisingly cheap compared to the maintenance costs), or something along the lines of a Focus ST / SVT / etc.

I need something fun to drive more than fuel economy :D



That's why I let the back of my hand do the talkin'!

:lol:

[SC Cheesehead]

That's why I let the back of my hand do the talkin'!

Yeah, and I know exactly how Amy responds to that...

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/images/smilies/nutkick.gif

[Granddaddy Marq]

That's why I let the back of my hand do the talkin'!


And witch end of that AR 15 you baught her was talkin' back to ya.

[PonyGuy]

I ran those same numbers for myself going from a 12mpg excursion to a 47mpg tdi jetta... While it made sense and then some, I didn't run the numbers further and compare it to a focus before the purchase. A 30mpg focus would have damn near broken even with the jetta due to maintenance costs... And despite those numbers, after realizing how incredibly boring a jetta, focus, civic, yaris, etc are to drive, I went out and bought a marauder 8). I do wish I would have kept the jetta though, at least for a winter beater. If I ever own another eco shoebox, it'll be either a TDI modded up to make another 50hp/100tq (mods are surprisingly cheap compared to the maintenance costs), or something along the lines of a Focus ST / SVT / etc.

I need something fun to drive more than fuel economy :D




:lol:


Back in 2004, I decided to return to college; I was commuting to the University 5 days a week... driving about 500 miles weekly. The fuel costs (for driving my 1995 Sable Wagon with a 3.8 V-6) became too much to fit into my budget. I still needed a vehicle to be able to haul stuff on weekends when necessary, so I began researching an inexpensive pickup truck, but one that would still deliver livable fuel economy. I decided on a Ford Ranger Regular Cab with the standard 4 cylinder and a stick shift. On paper, this sounds like a NAPA parts truck or maybe a truck used by "Otto the Orkin Man"...
But the one I came across was a deluxe XLT model loaded with about all the toys anyone could want... Alloy wheels, Cruise, Power windows/Locks, A/C, CD-cassette-AM-FM-mp3 player, and a few more gizmos. And I could usually drive all week (and a little on the weekend) on a single 17 gallon tank of gas. And along with the 30+ MPG average, it's a stick shift, so it's really a lot of fun to drive... a lot more than I could imagine from a Corolla or a Fit...

[MyBlackBeasts]

My 1982 VW Rabbit got 40mpg and it only cost me $100. I miss that car...:(

[SC Cheesehead]

Back in 2004, I decided to return to college; I was commuting to the University 5 days a week... driving about 500 miles weekly. The fuel costs (for driving my 1995 Sable Wagon with a 3.8 V-6) became too much to fit into my budget. I still needed a vehicle to be able to haul stuff on weekends when necessary, so I began researching an inexpensive pickup truck, but one that would still deliver livable fuel economy. I decided on a Ford Ranger Regular Cab with the standard 4 cylinder and a stick shift. On paper, this sounds like a NAPA parts truck or maybe a truck used by "Otto the Orkin Man"...
But the one I came across was a deluxe XLT model loaded with about all the toys anyone could want... Alloy wheels, Cruise, Power windows/Locks, A/C, CD-cassette-AM-FM-mp3 player, and a few more gizmos. And I could usually drive all week (and a little on the weekend) on a single 17 gallon tank of gas. And along with the 30+ MPG average, it's a stick shift, so it's really a lot of fun to drive... a lot more than I could imagine from a Corolla or a Fit...

I had a '96 Ranger flareside with a 4 cyl and 5 speed manual trans that I used to commute down to Greenville with before moving here. Regularly averaged 30+ MPG with mine as well. Had 130K+ plus on it when I traded it in and it still ran like a champ. Other than routine maintenance had zero repair cost on it; one of, if not the best, vehicle I ever owned.

[Haggis]

That's why I let the back of my hand do the talkin'!

Is that why you were talking like Mickey Mouse during MV9?

[RF Overlord]

I would buy a Honda generator. That would be my dream generator. You might consider the Subaru Robin series. When we needed a generator for my M-I-L's oxygen machine, we got a 4300W Subaru inverter generator that it does everything the Honda does, even the sound level, for a lot less money. Honda's a good machine, but they're VERY proud of them.