New Here- trying to decide on my first vehicle! 2016 Civic vs 2016 Prius

syncro87

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Threads
8
Messages
403
Reaction score
371
Location
KLXT
Vehicle(s)
'16 Civic sedan EX-T, '18 Prius Two, '09 Scion xB, '88 R100RT
Country flag
At $3.00 per gallon you'd have to drive 194,444 miles to break even (276,586 miles at $2.14), if the Prius battery lasts that long.
Dollars and cents-wise it doesn't add up - there must be another reason to consider such a purchase.
Yes, people buy cars for other reasons than purely for fuel cost savings. If dollars and cents was all that mattered, everyone would be driving a base Nissan Versa or a Mitsubishi Mirage.

One little adverse world event and we could easily be back in the $4+/gallon range overnight.

Prius resale value is historically very strong, not that Civics are bad--they have quite strong resale as well. One thing to keep in mind in a discussion like this is that overall cost does not necessarily mean lowest initial cost. A car that cost more up front might retain more value later, meaning the overall cost to own is less than a cheaper car with a lower % of retained value--or that the initial cost difference narrows over the long term. Cost the day you drive it home is only one factor.
Sponsored

 

jks

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2015
Threads
4
Messages
223
Reaction score
148
Location
Idaho Falls, ID
Vehicle(s)
Acura RSX
Country flag
The Prius, especially the new body style, gets a lot of guff, mostly from people who have little clue. People mock what is unfamiliar or stands out from the norm. It's human nature. The Prius looks weird, is relatively slow, and attracts a certain type of clientele. So it is a relatively easy poke fun target, low hanging fruit so to speak...

...Aesthetics? Bah. I'm old enough and secure enough to where I don't really care whether my neighbor or some stranger in traffic thinks my car is ugly...
No clue? No clue to what? What they like and don't like? The new Prius is so ugly even long-time Prius owners are balking at the gen IV styling. My sister was in the market for a hybrid and wouldn't even consider a Prius because she didn't like the styling, so the styling problems are costing Toyota money. She bought a Hyundai Sonata hybrid. Toyota has nailed reliability and durability with the Prius, but they need to outsource the styling. They simply don't know how bad their design looks to western eyes. Prius apologists say that the car has to look that way to be aero, but Hyundai has outed that lie with their new Ioniq which is attractive and just as clean aerodynamically as the Prius. Toyota's HSD was a brilliant design in its day, but it requires two large, expensive electric motors to counteract torque from the ICE which makes the drivetrain quite expensive. Hyundai's hybrid drive sidesteps that problem completely and their design uses one relatively inexpensive drive motor. Many people don't like the rubberbanding effect of CVTs (or eCVTs). Hyundai has bettered Toyota again with a DCT. Fact is, Toyota's HSD is dated and Toyota's NiMHD batteries are completely obsolete. Hyundai's Ioniq punks the Prius in most of the important categories.
 

johnpn1

New Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2016
Threads
0
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Vehicle(s)
Audi A4
And potential battery issues. Even if the turbo dies on a Civic, it's 700$. Battery on a Prius? 3,500+.
I made an account on here just to mention that battery life is not an issue. I don't own a Prius, nor am I affiliated with Toyota or hybrid/EV industry in any way. I'm just a technology-enthusiast and an engineer.

Battery life was a big question when the electric/hybrid cars were first massed produced in the early 2000s. However, 15 years later, we now know the battery degradation is minimal and nearly undetectable in most cases.

There have been numerous studies on this. The link below is just one from Consumer Reports demonstrating that the fuel economy and performance does degrade (as it does to any car over time, hybrid or not), but the degradation for the Prius was found to be minimal. The degradation was so small that it can be considered negligible. A 206,000 mi Prius was compared with a 2,000 mi Prius:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...n-how-does-the-toyota-prius-hold-up/index.htm

The results are quite impressive, especially because a pure gasoline car would have experienced a more dramatic degradation in fuel economy and performance.

Consumer Reports concludes:

"We found very little difference in performance when we tested fuel economy and acceleration. Our testers were also amazed how much the car drove like the new one we tested 10 years ago. It certainly didn’t seem like a car that had traveled nearly the distance to the Moon. We were also surprised to learn that the engine, transmission, and even shocks were all original."
 
Last edited:

Balto

Furfag
Joined
Mar 13, 2016
Threads
2
Messages
287
Reaction score
142
Location
Apple Valley
Vehicle(s)
2016 EX-T, 2000 Honda Insight
Vehicle Showcase
1
I made an account on here just to mention that battery life is not an issue. I don't own a Prius, nor am I affiliated with Toyota or hybrid/EV industry in any way. I'm just a technology-enthusiast and an engineer.

Battery life was a big question when the electric/hybrid cars were first massed produced in the early 2000s. However, 15 years later, we now know the battery degradation is minimal and nearly undetectable in most cases.

There have been numerous studies on this. The link below is just one from Consumer Reports demonstrating that the fuel economy and performance does degrade (as it does to any car over time, hybrid or not), but the degradation for the Prius was found to be minimal. The degradation was so small that it can be considered negligible. A 206,000 mi Prius was compared with a 2,000 mi Prius:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...n-how-does-the-toyota-prius-hold-up/index.htm

The results are quite impressive, especially because a pure gasoline car would have experienced a more dramatic degradation in fuel economy and performance.

Consumer Reports concludes:

"We found very little difference in performance when we tested fuel economy and acceleration. Our testers were also amazed how much the car drove like the new one we tested 10 years ago. It certainly didn’t seem like a car that had traveled nearly the distance to the Moon. We were also surprised to learn that the engine, transmission, and even shocks were all original."
Still don't trust it. Would much, much rather rely on F/I or N/A. I 'guess' it's personal preference.
 

HachiLuver

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2016
Threads
1
Messages
27
Reaction score
40
Location
Seattle, WA
Vehicle(s)
2016 Honda Civic EX-T, 2010 Infiniti G37X, 2013 Infiniti JX35, 2011 Lexus RX350
Country flag
The Prius looks like a villainous Decepticon transformer in disguise. :rofl: Though, the last laugh may be directed back at me when the Prius shows off its high torque take-off from O mph & accelerating, courtesy of its electric motors.
 


LBug

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Threads
3
Messages
127
Reaction score
153
Location
Brookhaven, PA
Vehicle(s)
2016 Honda Civic Touring
Country flag
I was wondering if anyone ownes both, if so how do they compare for MPG or l/100km? What car do you prefer?

For people who do and don't have both cars, can you tell me what you get with you civic for MPG in city (20 km or 13 mile drive, stop and go traffic)

The 2016 Honda Civic EX-T (1.5L engine) is $30,207.72 (everything included, before negotiating) has an insurance cost of $172 monthly

The 2016 Toyota Prius Base upgrade package is $32,639.18 (everything included, before negotiating) has an insurance cost of $142 monthly

I'm hoping to keep the car for as long as I can 200,000km (160,000 miles) or longer if possible. I need a car that will be able to carry 2 kids with convertable car seats that will be rear facing and a stroller, 2-4 duffle bags and possibly a pack&play. i need a car that will get me good MPG on short commutes (work commute is 20km or 13miles 5 days a week) and good milage for highway commutes (max 500km or 311 miles one way)

Thank you for your input ahead of time :)
I strongly considered both, but at the end of the day, the Prius with all the options Civic Touring had was out of my price range. I couldn't afford a car payment over $500 and justify the cost savings in gas. Plus, I couldn't take my eyes off the Civic as it really is the perfect mix of looks, mpg, and safety features. I only have 2,000 miles on my Civic but I'm already averaging 34 mpg, mixing mostly suburb and city driving. Completely satisfied so far. Either would be a solid buy. I suppose if the extra cost isn't a factor and you plan to keep the car several years, the Prius may pay in the long run, but test drive both and you'll have a clear answer. Good luck.
 

benjaminh

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2015
Threads
6
Messages
253
Reaction score
180
Location
KY
Vehicle(s)
2016 Accord EX Orchid
Let's do some math:
Assume the Civic gets about 34 mpg average fuel economy in mixed driving, and the Prius gets 53 mpg. Now assume gas costs $3 per gallon and you drive 18,000 miles a year.

Civic uses 529 gallons of gas per year, while the Prius will use 339 gallons per year. That's a savings of $570 a year.
The EPA estimates that the Prius would save c. $350 a year over the Civic CVT....

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=37075&id=37163
 

bluirv

New Member
Joined
May 14, 2016
Threads
0
Messages
3
Reaction score
2
Location
Atlanta, GA
Vehicle(s)
2016 Honda Civic
Being a 10-year Prius owner, I was looking forward to the newly designed 2016 Prius. But after checking prices, I looked at the 2016 Civic.

I wanted the safety package on the Prius, but that car would have cost me about $4000 more that my Civic Touring fully loaded. The only advantage of the Prius was its great fuel economy, but that $4000 would have bought me a lot of gas!

I visited only 2 Honda dealers on a scouting missing, but wound up buying from the second dealer as I was so impressed with the Civic. It has got so many features usually found on luxury cars (blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist leather seats, etc). All this on a car with a list of under $27000! My discount made it even less!
 
OP
OP
ashleyT2016Civic
Joined
Mar 13, 2016
Threads
3
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
Location
New Brunswick canada
Vehicle(s)
None
I'm going to be getting the Honda Civic. With taxes the Civic touring is too expensive! So I'm looking at getting the Honda Civic ex with Honda sensing or the ex-t. The difference is minimal ex-t has the turbo engine, fog lights, leather rapped steering wheel, and 17" wheels. No matter what I will be getting fog lights... The street which my work place is on can get extremely foggy to the point where you can barely see what's a few feet infront of you.

I'm wondering now if the extra money is worth the turbo engine, leather rapped steering wheel (I loved a lot better then the plastic) and bigger wheels. What do you guys think?If I could get the touring I would but I really don't need the extras that come in the touring and I really liked the cloth seats.

Also I'm having a hard time with a color choice (can't seem to zero in on one that I like most). If you guys could give your opinions on what color is best.
 

bluirv

New Member
Joined
May 14, 2016
Threads
0
Messages
3
Reaction score
2
Location
Atlanta, GA
Vehicle(s)
2016 Honda Civic
Although I bought a Touring Civic, I really wanted an EX-L with Honda Sensing. Only problem was that in January there were very few available. So if I really wanted the Sensing package, I would have to buy the Touring. I wasn't thrilled with the color either, but am now totally happy with the Touring.
 


LBug

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Threads
3
Messages
127
Reaction score
153
Location
Brookhaven, PA
Vehicle(s)
2016 Honda Civic Touring
Country flag
I'm going to be getting the Honda Civic. With taxes the Civic touring is too expensive! So I'm looking at getting the Honda Civic ex with Honda sensing or the ex-t. The difference is minimal ex-t has the turbo engine, fog lights, leather rapped steering wheel, and 17" wheels. No matter what I will be getting fog lights... The street which my work place is on can get extremely foggy to the point where you can barely see what's a few feet infront of you.

I'm wondering now if the extra money is worth the turbo engine, leather rapped steering wheel (I loved a lot better then the plastic) and bigger wheels. What do you guys think?If I could get the touring I would but I really don't need the extras that come in the touring and I really liked the cloth seats.

Also I'm having a hard time with a color choice (can't seem to zero in on one that I like most). If you guys could give your opinions on what color is best.
I think you're smart to get a lower version with honda sensing for sure so you aren't spending more than you can afford. The touring auto wipers and wheels aren't really worth the extra cost, esp if you want the cloth seats. You can put your own steering wheel cover on amd get different wheels later on. Go with the color you like best. I got the white because my last two cars were red. I really like the white, blue, and red in this car but that's personal preference. You have to see it everyday. Whatever you get is a good choice. It's a great car. Congrats.
 

Gavnzdad

Banned
Banned
Joined
May 6, 2016
Threads
15
Messages
1,032
Reaction score
717
Location
...
Vehicle(s)
...
Glad you decided to go with the Civic. The new Prius is ugly, and there's gonna be alot of them in junk yards in about 10-12 years. Way too expensive to replace the battery pack and parts.
 
OP
OP
ashleyT2016Civic
Joined
Mar 13, 2016
Threads
3
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
Location
New Brunswick canada
Vehicle(s)
None
Thank you for your replys!

I forget if I asked this before but I'll ask it again.. Is there a big difference in Real world MPG between the 2.0L and the 1.5T engines?
 

jks

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2015
Threads
4
Messages
223
Reaction score
148
Location
Idaho Falls, ID
Vehicle(s)
Acura RSX
Country flag
Depends on how you drive. If you have a gentle right foot and stay out of boost, the turbo can really excel in economy because it uses exhaust heat energy (to reduce pumping losses) that the normally aspirated engine would waste. Then when you really need the power you have it. Also, at high altitudes the turbo won't lose power as a normally aspirated engine would.

Honda Civic 10th gen New Here- trying to decide on my first vehicle! 2016 Civic vs 2016 Prius t0mi46
 

Attachments

Gavnzdad

Banned
Banned
Joined
May 6, 2016
Threads
15
Messages
1,032
Reaction score
717
Location
...
Vehicle(s)
...
If you have a gentle right foot and stay out of boost, the turbo can really excel in economy...
Yeah, but who's gonna get something with a turbo and then baby it. :)
Sponsored

 


 


Top