March 2008
2008 Honda Civic GX CNG: First Drive
This natural gas car is like the regular sedan but cleaner, on a gasoline-free diet, and with a shorter range
Overview. The Honda Civic GX has one trick up its sleeve: Its four-cylinder engine runs on compressed natural gas instead of gasoline.
The resulting emissions are negligible enough to earn the car California's partial zero-emissions (PZEV) status, and the one
we bought has been attaining a gasoline-equivalent of nearly 32 mpg, which is very good.
But this green adaptation of the Civic sedan brings a few compromises. The most serious is that natural-gas refueling stations are few and far between. There are only three in Connecticut, although some other states have many more. Currently, there are about 1,600 CNG stations nationwide, versus almost 200,000 gasoline stations.
The GX's CNG tank also occupies a good deal of trunk space and once filled, it holds the energy of just eight gallons of gasoline. Honda rates the GX's cruising range at 220 to 250 miles, but that might be optimistic. In our car, the low-fuel light has been coming on after only 150 miles of driving. That warning indicates only 30 miles left, which provides little leeway to look for a fill-up location given their scarcity in our area. The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine boasts only 113 horsepower instead of the gasoline models' 140 horsepower, so the GX is a little lazy when merging. The initial price is a little steep—we paid $25,185 for ours—but right now that's offset by a sales-tax exemption and a generous $4,000 federal tax credit.
Initial impressions. The GX drives similarly to a regular Civic, with a good ride and sound handling, although the handling does feel a little
less crisp than in the EX version we've tested. The powertrain, with its five-speed automatic transmission, operates smoothly.
The reduced engine power makes merging onto a highway a little slower than it is with the Civic LX. As in other Civics, road
noise remains pronounced.
As for the economics of running a natural-gas engine, that varies from place to place. Prices per gasoline gallon-equivalent range from $1.65 to $3.49 right now. Some stations keep the cost low, comparable to the price of domestic natural gas, some artificially raise it to the price of diesel.
To fill up the GX, you connect a thin rubber hose from the dispensing pump to a snap-on receiving nozzle on the car. Then you rotate a valve and lift a handle on the pump. The process is just a little slower than pumping gasoline. Consumers in California and New York who have natural gas piped to their home can opt for the "Phill," a device that hooks up to a household natural gas line. Since it has to pressurize household gas to 3,600 psi, it takes the Phill several hours to replenish the GX's tank. The Phill costs about $3,500 to buy. A $1,000 federal tax credit defrays some of the cost, and additional subsidies of up to $2,000 are available from various environmental authorities. The ability to refuel overnight helps address the limitations with fuel pump availability.
CR's Take. If the natural gas infrastructure in your area is well developed, and if you plan to use the car mostly for routine commuting,
then the GX makes sense economically and environmentally. But taking a long trip requires prior knowledge of refueling sites
and the tiny trunk means you'll also be traveling light.
Discuss alternative fuel vehicles in the Cars forum.
But this green adaptation of the Civic sedan brings a few compromises. The most serious is that natural-gas refueling stations are few and far between. There are only three in Connecticut, although some other states have many more. Currently, there are about 1,600 CNG stations nationwide, versus almost 200,000 gasoline stations.
The GX's CNG tank also occupies a good deal of trunk space and once filled, it holds the energy of just eight gallons of gasoline. Honda rates the GX's cruising range at 220 to 250 miles, but that might be optimistic. In our car, the low-fuel light has been coming on after only 150 miles of driving. That warning indicates only 30 miles left, which provides little leeway to look for a fill-up location given their scarcity in our area. The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine boasts only 113 horsepower instead of the gasoline models' 140 horsepower, so the GX is a little lazy when merging. The initial price is a little steep—we paid $25,185 for ours—but right now that's offset by a sales-tax exemption and a generous $4,000 federal tax credit.
As for the economics of running a natural-gas engine, that varies from place to place. Prices per gasoline gallon-equivalent range from $1.65 to $3.49 right now. Some stations keep the cost low, comparable to the price of domestic natural gas, some artificially raise it to the price of diesel.
To fill up the GX, you connect a thin rubber hose from the dispensing pump to a snap-on receiving nozzle on the car. Then you rotate a valve and lift a handle on the pump. The process is just a little slower than pumping gasoline. Consumers in California and New York who have natural gas piped to their home can opt for the "Phill," a device that hooks up to a household natural gas line. Since it has to pressurize household gas to 3,600 psi, it takes the Phill several hours to replenish the GX's tank. The Phill costs about $3,500 to buy. A $1,000 federal tax credit defrays some of the cost, and additional subsidies of up to $2,000 are available from various environmental authorities. The ability to refuel overnight helps address the limitations with fuel pump availability.
Discuss alternative fuel vehicles in the Cars forum.
