I’ve been driving the two-door Civic for almost a month now. My first hybrid car was a 2016 Corolla Hybrid. I bought it mainly because the dream car, the Prius, was just too expensive. So, I settled for the Corolla Hybrid as a practical alternative. I drove it for 7 years without any issues. The high-quality driving experience, cost-effective usage, and impressive power performance of hybrids convinced me to get another powerful hybrid car.

During this time, I test drove the BYD dmi, Leopard Hybrid, Elegance Hybrid, Lynk & Co 01 Hybrid, Breeze L Hybrid, Mocha DHT, and Yize Dual-Engine. However, the moment I drove the Civic Hybrid, I knew it was the one. Its handling was the highlight, giving me a feeling of unity between the car and myself.

With the new car hitting the market, it had high prices, lackluster configurations, and negligible discounts, making it difficult to make a decision. I waited until March when the price cuts swept across the country, even affecting the previously untouched Civic Hybrid’s sales, which were nearly zero per month. Even the test drive cars were unavailable at the 4S dealerships. The high-end Haoyue White model, priced at 180,000 yuan, was being sold for 150,000 yuan as a base model, with the requirement to first register it under the 4S dealership and then transfer ownership. This suited me as a personal user, and given the attractive price, I eventually secured it for 152,000 yuan, including insurance and taxes. After picking up the car, I was even invited back to the dealership for a photoshoot.

Aside from the pseudo Type R styling, the biggest advantage is its power. The low-speed electric drive is smooth in urban settings. It’s so smooth that I hesitate to floor the accelerator like I did with my previous Corolla Hybrid. On highways, it glides effortlessly and speeds up almost unintentionally. The chassis sticks to the ground, and at least up to 155 km/h, there’s no floating sensation. In contrast, my previous Corolla Hybrid would start to roar past 130 km/h and feel like a Wuling Hongguang on the highway beyond 140 km/h. The soundproofing is also a pleasant surprise. A friend of mine owns an Accord Hybrid, and sitting in his car doesn’t feel as poor in soundproofing as some car reviews suggest. The sound insulation in the Civic Hybrid is not much worse than the Accord. Wind noise is well isolated, though the tire noise is a bit loud. I plan to replace the tires with Michelin Primacy 4 tomorrow. When I switched my Corolla Hybrid to Primacy 3ST, the comfort level improved significantly.

In terms of configuration, this generation of Civic models is somewhat disappointing. Not to mention that only the top model has Bose speakers; even the mid-tier ones are stripped of centrally placed speakers. The top model of the two-door hybrid, priced at 179,900 yuan, doesn’t even come with electric seats. Why not remove the fancy but impractical ambient lighting and rear air vents to make room for the seats? The tire pressure monitoring system uses the cheapest wheel speed sensor monitoring solution, and the whole lineup lacks HUD.

The infotainment system is subpar; QQ Music only allows random song selection, and Amap navigation can’t be set to the north-up mode, which is inconvenient. The vehicle settings don’t allow setting the number of times the turn signal button flashes when lightly pressed, preventing continuous beeping during reverse. So, I bought a little box online to convert CarLife to CarPlay for temporary use.

The intelligent driving assistance features are a pleasant surprise. The single-camera visual L2 solution is unexpectedly effective, both in following other vehicles at low and high speeds. It gives me more confidence and comfort while driving. These features not only enhance driving safety but also reduce the burden of driving, making the whole experience more enjoyable. Whether on long trips or urban commutes, the current intelligent driving assistance features meet my basic needs.

In conclusion, I am very satisfied with my two-door Civic Hybrid. It meets my needs for fuel economy and handling performance, and provides me with a stylish and sporty driving experience. I believe this car will become a reliable companion for my daily travels and offer me more enjoyable driving experiences. Whether in the city or on country roads, I look forward to spending many wonderful moments with my two-door Civic Hybrid.