Honda Civic IMA Saloon (03-05) - Review

Review by Parkers on
This is the future for petrol cars (or not): a conventional petrol engine linked to an electric motor. The battery is charged when you're coasting or braking and fed back to the engine under acceleration; it's essentially free power. It may have a conservative look, but there are many innovations (as well as the engine), such as a natural driving position, roomy interior and clear dash.
3 out of 5

Other Honda reviews

3.5 out of 5

Running costs

A special 8 year/100,000 mile warranty covers the battery and the systems associated with it. The battery is maintenance-free. Consumption purely from the petrol engine is only average, even with electrical assistance, it's only fractionally better than a good diesel.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

1 year / 12,000 miles

Warranty

Mechanical 3 years; body 6 years.

Road tax (12 months)

£20.00 - £20.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
    116
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

Civic is very eco-friendly and easy on the environment. It does feature a hybrid engine, which is essentially a petrol engine linked to an electric motor, which, when you brake or coast, captures energy to charge the battery for the electric motor. That means you get power without the added fuel bills. With an average of 116 g/km CO2 across the range, its emissions are impressively low for a small family saloon. It's worth noting that the line-up does not feature any diesel models, which typically produce less carbon dioxide than petrol engines with similar power outputs. Eco-conscious buyers should consider the 1.3-litre hybrid, which is one of the greenest models in the range. The range is extremely frugal, averaging 57 mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2