
Honda's watched from the sidelines for the better part of a decade as the Toyota Prius left its hybrids in the dust to become the must-have ride of the green set. Fed up with being an also-ran, Honda hopes to take down Toyota with an entry-level hybrid that gets 60 mpg and costs about $19,000.
Price is right, hope the car is, too:
While the next-gen Prius will be bigger and wider than ever, Honda's keeping its new hybrid small with a price to match. It's a bit bigger than the Fit and several thousand dollars cheaper than the Prius.
Interesting article, thanks Marilyn L.
Well, I certainly will be looking into that, in a few years, when I start thinking about a new Honda.
My ' Fit ' was a total of $16,000 after taxes etc. , and it's not a bad car for the size. I still miss my old 'Subaru - Forester' though, because it was small and wagon-like, had a towing capability that allowed me to have a trailer and eliminate the need for a pickup, good engine power/cruise control, comfort and accessories. But it would have been $10,000 more.
I'm on the lookout for a replacement for my Honda Insight hybrid, but not until I can get at least 100mpg. I like seeding about the changes in the automotive industry, and hope to encourage others to go green.
Yes, I've always enjoyed living green myself even after the 70s and it was no longer in vogue. I always enjoy articles and advice like you would find in 'Mother Earth News' and others.
Honda finally established a foothold in the American market in 1972 with the introduction of the Civic—larger than their previous models, but still small compared to the typical American car—just as the 1970s energy crisis was impacting worldwide economies. New emissions laws in the US, requiring American car makers to affix expensive catalytic converters to exhaust systems (noticeably increasing sticker prices). However, Honda embarassed everyone with the clever engineering of their 1975 Civic CVCC. CVCC, a variation on the stratified charge engine, allowed the Civic to pass emissions tests without a catalytic converter.
This Honda Hybrid reminds me of the first Civics....they broke the ice for Honda back then.....were a small, economical and reliable alternative back when we were worried about the price of gas @ what?....$1.50?
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