Buying the slowest available Civic with the least amount of cargo room and the steepest price might not initially smack of genius, but the $25,000 Civic GX has its upsides. First, according to the EPA, it is the greenest car for purchase in showrooms today (as long as those showrooms are in New York or California, the only states where the GX is sold). Second, it burns compressed natural gas, which is about two-thirds the cost of gasoline if you buy it at a pump (if you can find one—do you know where your nearest CNG pump is?). Buy the in-home refueling device, the price of which is mostly offset through federal tax credit, and the cost drops further. Even using pump pricing, the EPA estimates it will cost you $1.47 to drive 25 miles in a Civic GX versus $1.91 in the gold-standard Prius.
Natural gas has lower energy density per unit than gasoline, but the Civic GX still manages an admirable 36 mpg on the highway, although acceleration suffers. Horsepower for the 1.8-liter engine falls from 140 to 113, and torque barely breaks into three digits with 109 pound-feet. The natural gas sits in a trunk-mounted tank that cuts available space in half; it and the associated hardware add more than 200 pounds to the Civic’s curb weight.
Yes, the Civic GX gives up some functionality and grunt, but for about the same price as a Prius, you can buy something that pollutes less, will get you in the carpool lane in California—an honor no longer conferred on newly purchased hybrids—and doesn’t come with the stigma of the Prius. Yes, Prius drivers, we appreciate that you’re hoping to get your city mileage into the 60s by scarcely grazing the accelerator and keeping it under 40 mph; appreciate that your green fun makes people hate you.
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