Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Nov 27, 2025, 05:02 PMMy spouse goes back to work in the spring, so we're looking for a second vehicle. Initially in my mind, the Mazda3 GT Turbo was the one to get. I test drove one yesterday, and it was nice. Plenty of power, great interior, TONS of features, great styling, and AWD. I was basically sold. Ready to order one.
Then I figured, what the heck, I should try the Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring. It's in the same price range as the Mazda3. I figured I'd drive it, be underwhelmed, regret the lack of AWD, and just go with the Mazda. The dealership I went to didn't have any sedans, and they had zero Touring of any type, but I was able to drive a hybrid sport hatchback, which will drive the same as the Touring sedan.
I couldn't have been more wrong. It was fantastic. Somehow it felt quicker than the Mazda3, especially at lower speeds. The transition between EV and gas power was completely seamless. Acceleration off the line was extremely smooth. Steering, handling and ride was excellent. The drive was so good that I don't care that it doesn't have AWD. It's got less features than the Mazda3, but I don't care. The drive is just so damn good. And even though I spent 30 minutes test-driving the Civic like a complete asshole, it still returned 4.6L/100km. The Mazda3 Turbo was in the 11's. At one point I was steady state driving at 50km/h and the gas engine was off, with just the EV motor propelling me along.
I don't think I can overstate how good the Civic Hybrid is, especially in the compact car class. For me, I think it will have to be the one.
Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Nov 27, 2025, 08:29 PMThe hybrid gets active noise cancellation. Combined with the fact that the engine is really quiet, and is often just off, it's very quiet. The touring gets the special wheels from the Accord with a hollow channel inside that helps reduce road noise.
So, probably not Lexus silent, but it's quieter than any other Civic I've ever driven.
Quote from: Firm on Nov 25, 2025, 08:00 PMGood used CLK unit is $150 USD on eBay, but the scrapyard in Memphis has two W208's with convertible top pumps for $30. So I am going to scoot by there later in the week and grab one, even if it's just to get my hands on a unit so I can start studying and testing it.