CleanMPG Reviews the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid

[xcel]

Hi All:

A quick note to say it has arrived and I am heading out in a just a few for its maiden voyage.

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid


G. Schmitz' Mr. Joclain drops off the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid.

Wayne

[Harold]

This is going to be interesting, I hope. H

[FXSTi]

Wayne,

Way off topic here. I'm curious about a couple of things. I've never had the ear of an automotive press journalist, so I've never been able to ask.

What happens to press cars when they are finished with them? I'd hate to buy a slightly used car that had been in the hands of so many journalists. With every one of them trying to squeeze the fastest quarter mile, zero to sixty, and highest skid pad, I'd imagine they are pretty beat when finished.

My other question is, are the press vehicles just production cars or do they tweak them for the press? I guess what I'm asking is, if I read reviews and they all give glowing marks for how quiet the car is, is it going to be the same for a show room example?

Thanks,
Kirk

[xcel]

Hi Harold:

It provides but not for the reasons you would think. In fact, it is kind of frustrating knowing that some of the engineers know exactly what to do and other more senior engineers are getting in the way to game the EPA 5-test, NEDC dual and Japan JC08 cycle(s).

Kirk, if the vehicles are not prototypes but full production units, most manufacturers will send them to auction. If they are preproduction prototypes, they get crushed as they are not warrantable. I do not know if you read the Preview of the Civic iCDTi from 4.5 years back before we did the full review. C&D had that car just before we received it and with < 2,500 miles on it (IIRC), the edges of the tires were worn beyond belief! It kind of pissed me off knowing full well what those guys were doing to that beautiful car

Most of the vehicles we drive are full production and even the pre-production are 99.7% complete with only minor cosmetic’s not yet installed or decided upon. For example, there is a 2012 VW Passat TDI SEL w/ the 6-speed DC AT that is moving around the Chicago Press fleet at this very moment. It lacks a sun roof whereas the 12 Passat SEL’s showing up on dealership lots include one. Minor stuff like that but as far as the mechanics, they are pretty close if not the final. I have driven some vehicles prior to them reaching the press fleet that were only one ECU flash away from production so as to give you an idea as to how the press fleets work. The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid I drove from the Pacific to the Atlantic between Christmas and New Years last year was one of those.

The 12 HCH-III, 12 HF, 11 Elantra GLS and Limited, 12 Focus SE and SFE were full production units as they hit the national press fleets after the dealerships began receiving their allotments. The 12 Focus Titanium may or may not have been a full production prototype? The Super Duty I drove back from Phoenix last year was surely a pre-production unit as well with the final production units being even more fuel effcieint! The 11 Cruze ECO(s) were more than likely production units whereas the previews I attend are almost all pre-production prototypes.

In all cases, the FE, Speed and odometer data are usually dead on with the production units that will come out months after but that is why there are Previews and Reviews.

I hope that helped?

First day is over…

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid


First top off fill

The 2012 HCH-III in the drive had only 337 miles on its ticker when I filled it up this afternoon.

Wayne

[xcel]

Hi All:

First sign of traffic just 10-miles out on the IL – Milwaukee RT FE loop.

Temperatures ranged from 75 to 79 degrees (in other words, perfect) with SE winds between 5 and 15 mph.

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid

By this point, I am headed north bound towards Milwaukee and the tail wind, traffic side and slower speeds with heavy traffic have already pushed the 2012 HCH-III beyond 80 mpg and it was still climbing. Notice the parallel rain grooves I do my test run on? The HCH-III tramlines like most with thinner 15's and 16's.

39.9 miles out and entering Milwaukee proper.

Now here is where it gets interesting. As you can see, this is a classic Midwest large city stop and crawl with construction on the I-894/I-43 bypass bottling things up tight. Just as I hit this mess, the HCH-III was showing 82.7 mpgUS at 39.9 miles out. And I know this is short of the actual by some margin to be determined at the calibration fill an hour and fifteen minutes or so later… At least I thought it would be that short a period of time.

For the next 5-miles over the next 45-minutes, I stopped, crawled, glided to the best of my ability, FAS’ed, used the built in AS, opened up buffers and glided whenever I could. And in just 5 miles, I saw the aFCD tank from 82.7 mpg to a just 75.9 mpg by the time it cleared half way to my turn around point at I-43 and Highway 100.

Doing the reverse FE calc through that segment reveals just 45.45 mpg through that section and I was working my tail off for it. A Prius would have busted out 80 + mpg through the same section and would not have had to be “driven” to do it

More in a minute…

Wayne

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by xcel

A Prius would have busted out 80 + mpg through the same section and would not have had to be “driven” to do it

More in a minute…

Wayne

I can personally vouch for that. I hadn't owned my '07 Prius for very long but, on a trip home from your house, my FCD was reading 70.0 mpg by the time I reached Chicago and the obligatory Saturday afternoon/early evening traffic jam started somewhere just north of Skokie. By the time I got to the I-94/I-57 split, I had increased to 72.5 mpg. Coincidentally, I believe it may have been the trip home from when we had attended the event in Milwaukee. Hmm. Great work with the HCH!

[xcel]

Hi Larry:

You would know all about the Prius' capability in that kind of scenario

Just before pulling into the Speedway gas station (you can see it just across the street), I pull up to an HCH-II. Notice the passenger side rear window is cracked... I wonder if they had their A/C off and using the most efficient way to ventilate the cabin in 75 degree temps

The Mr. Carrot or bird toy in the rear window probably makes them fun too!

Wayne

[xcel]

Hi All:

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid Second top off fill...

Odometer Offset Study

Odometer offset calibration was completed as follows: I reset Trip B at MM 346.0 and traveled to MM 321.0 for a 25.0 mile distance. Trip B showed just 24.1 miles covered leaving a 3.6% under report of miles traveled.

This correlates well with the 97.3 miles per the Google map routing (minus the .5 miles for the I-94/I-894/I-43 construction shortcut) vs. the odometer reading of 92.6 miles.

Somewhat final Fuel Economy and aFCD calibrations. The fill procedure like all fills included a total of 15-minutes with 5-minutes between each top off and a bounce of the car for another .05 gallons to be added until no more could be...

(92.6 miles * (25.0/24.1))/1.193 gallons) = 80.518 mpgUS vs. the 75.5 mpgUS displayed. That seems like a lot as I expected no more than 2.5 mpgUS but with such a short distance… Maybe Kacey can chime in as to his 2012 HCH-III’s actual vs. displayed?

Wayne

[xcel]

Hi All:

Here is the HCH-III earlier in the week over a somewhat short 5.6 mile loop…

I saw the same thing again after leaving the gas station and pulling into my subdivision before I took an off-road excursion to take pics

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid


The Obligatory Grass shot.

And something new to me… The Moon Shot

That really is the moon in the sky at dusk!

Wayne

[xcel]

Hi All:

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid


As the sun sets to close out another day, it is time to say good night.

Since it is already so late, I will hold off on the steady state FE vs. speed driving tests until maybe tomorrow if conditions improve as I am pretty tired right now.

Wayne