Hybrid Comparison Test: 2006 Honda Civic vs. 2005 Toyota Prius

Every office has one.

You know, the employee who has seemingly done no wrong since coming onboard. Every decision he makes turns into profits and every review comes with a healthy raise or promotion attached.

At first, the Golden Boy is loved by all. But after a few years, the mountains of praise start to annoy coworkers. Soon resentment sets in. His nicer attributes fade into the past while his flaws start to irritate you.

So when a worthy challenger emerges from the ranks, it's no surprise people are pulling for the new guy.

And so it is with our latest matchup between front-wheel-drive four-door sedan hybrids. It's the reigning champ, the 2005 Toyota Prius, versus the all-new 2006 Honda Civic. (The 2006 Prius was not available for testing, according to Toyota. But the 2005 version is virtually the same vehicle.)

The Prius was the old stand-by. The Civic hybrid was the upstart. The Prius seemed old. The Civic seemed exciting and fresh. But who was the best?

History repeats itself
Among hybrids, the second-generation Toyota Prius has had an inspired run since its introduction in 2004. It's not an overstatement to say that the eras of hybrid cars in North America could be described as "Before Prius" and "After Prius": B.P. and A.P.

B.P. hybrid buyers faced huge compromises in driving performance and comfort for better mileage. They got smirks from others on the highway for the strange look of their car. In short, they got no respect.

A.P. hybrid buyers could top 50 miles per gallon in comfort, accelerate to highway speeds without causing a backup, see their car make appearances on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and pull limo duty at the Academy Awards.

The Inside Line staff logged thousands of miles in its long-term Prius since 2004. And dependable Toyota performance, incredible mileage and surprising high-end features became just another part of daily life. Keyless entry? Of course. Electric-only mode up to 20 mph? Sure. Just another day in our hybrid. The Prius had lapped its predecessor, which suffered from a lack of acceleration and a conventional design. The A.P. era had begun.

With the new era upon us, Honda had its work cut out for it with the new 2006 Civic hybrid. With gas prices well over $2 per gallon, the company now had the immediate interest of a large pool of curious consumers who expected nothing less than perfection from their hybrid.

After the conventional 2006 Civic passed through our garage, we had high hopes that this new Civic hybrid would leapfrog its first generation just as the Prius had done to its predecessor.

Close, but no (eco-friendly) cigar
At first blush, it appeared the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid would not only jump past the 2005 model, it would win our hearts away from the champ Prius — keyless entry and all.

From the moment we climbed in and turned the key, the Civic helped us forget about how great a leap the Prius was only two years ago. And it reminded us of all you didn't get with the Toyota: world-class handling from a tighter overall suspension and, more than anything, a design that left people knowing you were driving a new car — not an escape pod.

Scuttlebutt around the office was that the Prius was about to get its walking papers. But just as any office rumor, this one was eventually proven false. After "upper management" got its hands on the facts — the Prius was 2 seconds quicker from zero to 60, got better overall fuel economy, and offered a plethora of cool features not available on the Civic — the gossip mill was shut down and the Civic was passed over for promotion while the Prius kept its corner office and parking space.