Well, this should be interesting. People are predicting that fuel costs are going to rise during the summer of 2001, to perhaps as much as $3 a gallon. Three bucks! And you know Americans; even a penny extra is cause enough for a congressional inquiry. Already there are reports of consumers wigging out when they see $2-per-gallon prices at gas stations. These people have been screaming at cashiers, damaging equipment and throwing pump nozzles on the ground. While I can understand their frustration, part of me wants to walk up to them and say, "So how do you like your 10-mpg Ford Excursion now?"
If rising fuel prices really irk you and you don't like the idea of sitting on a public transit bus next to a smelly old man who wants to show you his collection of "precious cans," maybe you should consider buying a 2001 Honda Civic HX Coupe. The HX is the latest in a string of specific Civic trim levels designed to offer improved fuel economy, and it is also one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles currently sold in America.
We've generally held the Civic in high regard over the years, and that opinion holds true for the redesigned 2001 models. In our road test of a Civic EX coupe and LX sedan, we were impressed by their roomy interiors, peppy engines and government crash test scores (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Civic Coupe a five-star rating for both front and side impacts). To see how the new HX stacked up, we obtained a test vehicle equipped with side airbags and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The airbags and CVT are included in the vehicle's MSRP, and Honda doesn't offer any factory options on the HX. By comparing the price of our test car to a base HX, we determined that the airbags add $250 and the CVT adds $1,000.
Honda introduced the Civic HX and its optional CVT in 1996. For 2001, Honda has made the CVT quieter, smoother and more efficient. A CVT is an automatic transmission that can select any desired drive ratio within its operating range. Unlike a traditional three-, four- or five-speed automatic transmission, the CVT is an "infinite speed" transmission. It continually selects an optimum overall drive ratio between engine and drive wheels for all operating conditions, whether accelerating or cruising. Unlike conventional automatics, there are no perceptible shifts. During maximum acceleration, the drive ratio is adjusted to maintain peak engine horsepower. At a constant vehicle speed, the ratio is set to maintain an optimum balance of fuel economy and driveability. One big advantage a CVT has over a conventional automatic is that it lacks a torque converter and therefore is more efficient at transferring the engine's power to the front wheels.
According to EPA estimates, a Honda Civic HX coupe with the CVT gets 35 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. With a manual transmission, the HX gets 36 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway. For comparison, a Civic LX coupe with an automatic transmission has a 30/38 mpg rating. As these numbers indicate, the manual transmission is still better than the CVT for maximum fuel efficiency. But an HX with a CVT does better than an LX with auto, especially in the city. While we didn't manage to equal the EPA's numbers during our time with the car (our combined city and highway average was 31 mpg), frugal drivers will likely fare better than we did.
Like all other 2001 Civics (except the forthcoming 2002 Civic Si), the Civic HX features a 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine. Equipped with a special "lean burn" version of Honda's variable valve timing and lift system (VTEC), the HX produces 117 horsepower and 111 foot-pounds of torque. Honda says it was difficult to make the car fuel efficient and clean enough to meet Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) status like the rest of the 2001 Civic lineup. The company's solution was to install special catalytic converters and a revised exhaust manifold.
The CVT has a console-mounted shifter similar to an automatic's, with detents for park, reverse, drive, sport and low. Though the CVT doesn't have fixed gearing, the sport and low selections mimic an automatic's lower gears. There is no clutch pedal, and no special skills are required for operation. Simply twist the key, move the shifter to drive, depress the throttle pedal and you're off.
Keen drivers will find driving the HX an interesting experience. Under light throttle, the CVT continuously changes the gearing to keep the gearing tall (and the revs low) to promote fuel economy. Push the pedal to the floor, and the CVT becomes more aggressive and shortens the gearing for more power. It will then continually adjust the gearing to keep the engine high in the rev band for maximum power output. It will stay like this until the driver lets off the throttle. Shifting into sport makes the gearing even shorter. If the driver brakes, comes to a stop and then releases the brakes, the car creeps forward just like it would do if it had a regular automatic. Honda has also equipped the CVT with a grade logic feature that detects when the car is being driven downhill and automatically shortens the gearing to increase engine braking. Though the CVT's final drive ratio is higher than the manual transmission's (5.81 compared to 3.84), we still found the car and engine to be very quiet during freeway cruising.
We also noticed little derogation in acceleration given the HX's high fuel economy mission. At the track, our test car went from 0 to 60 mph in 9.9 seconds. We got the best acceleration times by starting out with the gear selector in low and then moving it to sport once the car had built up some speed. Both of the manual-equipped Civics we have tested were faster than the HX, but the HX's 0-to-60 time compares favorably to other automatic-equipped economy sedans. And of those economy sedans, none of them can match the HX's fuel economy.
While we were impressed with the CVT's functionality overall, we did have a couple of minor complaints. The first is that the CVT is hesitant to use shorter gearing when left in drive. This can be problematic in certain situations when rapid acceleration is necessary, such as when trying to pass a slow-moving semi on a two-lane road quickly. To remedy this, we found ourselves pre-emptively moving the selector into sport before passing maneuvers were required. We were also annoyed by the CVT's slow reaction times when moving the selector from reverse to drive, a situation that crops up frequently when parallel parking.
The more gas prices continue to rise, the more the Honda Civic HX makes sense. Assuming you drive the HX 15,000 miles a year and gas costs $2 a gallon, the CVT will save about $100 a year in fuel costs compared to a Civic LX with an automatic. It's also creating fewer exhaust emissions since it's burning less fuel. Be aware that if you want a nicely equipped Civic, the HX will likely disappoint. You can't get it with such features as ABS, power windows and locks or a moonroof. But if you like the idea of burning less fuel and saving a bit of cash, the Civic HX is a good car to consider.
If rising fuel prices really irk you and you don't like the idea of sitting on a public transit bus next to a smelly old man who wants to show you his collection of "precious cans," maybe you should consider buying a 2001 Honda Civic HX Coupe. The HX is the latest in a string of specific Civic trim levels designed to offer improved fuel economy, and it is also one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles currently sold in America.
We've generally held the Civic in high regard over the years, and that opinion holds true for the redesigned 2001 models. In our road test of a Civic EX coupe and LX sedan, we were impressed by their roomy interiors, peppy engines and government crash test scores (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Civic Coupe a five-star rating for both front and side impacts). To see how the new HX stacked up, we obtained a test vehicle equipped with side airbags and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The airbags and CVT are included in the vehicle's MSRP, and Honda doesn't offer any factory options on the HX. By comparing the price of our test car to a base HX, we determined that the airbags add $250 and the CVT adds $1,000.
Honda introduced the Civic HX and its optional CVT in 1996. For 2001, Honda has made the CVT quieter, smoother and more efficient. A CVT is an automatic transmission that can select any desired drive ratio within its operating range. Unlike a traditional three-, four- or five-speed automatic transmission, the CVT is an "infinite speed" transmission. It continually selects an optimum overall drive ratio between engine and drive wheels for all operating conditions, whether accelerating or cruising. Unlike conventional automatics, there are no perceptible shifts. During maximum acceleration, the drive ratio is adjusted to maintain peak engine horsepower. At a constant vehicle speed, the ratio is set to maintain an optimum balance of fuel economy and driveability. One big advantage a CVT has over a conventional automatic is that it lacks a torque converter and therefore is more efficient at transferring the engine's power to the front wheels.
According to EPA estimates, a Honda Civic HX coupe with the CVT gets 35 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. With a manual transmission, the HX gets 36 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway. For comparison, a Civic LX coupe with an automatic transmission has a 30/38 mpg rating. As these numbers indicate, the manual transmission is still better than the CVT for maximum fuel efficiency. But an HX with a CVT does better than an LX with auto, especially in the city. While we didn't manage to equal the EPA's numbers during our time with the car (our combined city and highway average was 31 mpg), frugal drivers will likely fare better than we did.
Like all other 2001 Civics (except the forthcoming 2002 Civic Si), the Civic HX features a 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine. Equipped with a special "lean burn" version of Honda's variable valve timing and lift system (VTEC), the HX produces 117 horsepower and 111 foot-pounds of torque. Honda says it was difficult to make the car fuel efficient and clean enough to meet Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) status like the rest of the 2001 Civic lineup. The company's solution was to install special catalytic converters and a revised exhaust manifold.
The CVT has a console-mounted shifter similar to an automatic's, with detents for park, reverse, drive, sport and low. Though the CVT doesn't have fixed gearing, the sport and low selections mimic an automatic's lower gears. There is no clutch pedal, and no special skills are required for operation. Simply twist the key, move the shifter to drive, depress the throttle pedal and you're off.
Keen drivers will find driving the HX an interesting experience. Under light throttle, the CVT continuously changes the gearing to keep the gearing tall (and the revs low) to promote fuel economy. Push the pedal to the floor, and the CVT becomes more aggressive and shortens the gearing for more power. It will then continually adjust the gearing to keep the engine high in the rev band for maximum power output. It will stay like this until the driver lets off the throttle. Shifting into sport makes the gearing even shorter. If the driver brakes, comes to a stop and then releases the brakes, the car creeps forward just like it would do if it had a regular automatic. Honda has also equipped the CVT with a grade logic feature that detects when the car is being driven downhill and automatically shortens the gearing to increase engine braking. Though the CVT's final drive ratio is higher than the manual transmission's (5.81 compared to 3.84), we still found the car and engine to be very quiet during freeway cruising.
We also noticed little derogation in acceleration given the HX's high fuel economy mission. At the track, our test car went from 0 to 60 mph in 9.9 seconds. We got the best acceleration times by starting out with the gear selector in low and then moving it to sport once the car had built up some speed. Both of the manual-equipped Civics we have tested were faster than the HX, but the HX's 0-to-60 time compares favorably to other automatic-equipped economy sedans. And of those economy sedans, none of them can match the HX's fuel economy.
While we were impressed with the CVT's functionality overall, we did have a couple of minor complaints. The first is that the CVT is hesitant to use shorter gearing when left in drive. This can be problematic in certain situations when rapid acceleration is necessary, such as when trying to pass a slow-moving semi on a two-lane road quickly. To remedy this, we found ourselves pre-emptively moving the selector into sport before passing maneuvers were required. We were also annoyed by the CVT's slow reaction times when moving the selector from reverse to drive, a situation that crops up frequently when parallel parking.
The more gas prices continue to rise, the more the Honda Civic HX makes sense. Assuming you drive the HX 15,000 miles a year and gas costs $2 a gallon, the CVT will save about $100 a year in fuel costs compared to a Civic LX with an automatic. It's also creating fewer exhaust emissions since it's burning less fuel. Be aware that if you want a nicely equipped Civic, the HX will likely disappoint. You can't get it with such features as ABS, power windows and locks or a moonroof. But if you like the idea of burning less fuel and saving a bit of cash, the Civic HX is a good car to consider.
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webster4 says:
08:35 AM, 08/08/2011
I get an average 35MPG on my 2001 Honda Civic HX Coupe. I made some minor changes: two coats of undercoating in wheel wells, sound deadening material under the mats and in trunk, pads for the trunk lid and hood, washable air filter (foam), three point platinum plugs, wider all season tires and rerouted intake air to the outside. Zero to sixty is now 8.3 seconds and the car rides much quieter. I shine it every week except in winter. It is still worth $9000.