Hi hybrid

A second trip to the gwinnett place Honda turned up fewer hybrids to
check out. I like this hybrids color paint - but the tan interior
cloth has got to go! : )

First glance

Hi -

I'm currently driving a 2001 Isuzu Vehicross. My gas mileage estimates are in the neighborhood of 15 MPG. I drive between 120 and 240 miles a day. A DAY. Needles to say - GAS PRICES ARE KILLING ME. I'm looking for an ultra high gas mileage or electric car that can get me at least through a 120 mile round trip without needing a refill or to be plugged in until the end of the day.

My first foray was to search for high MPG vechicles in google. There are quite a few on the market these days - so my second thought was to look for 'affordable' high MPG vehicles. Two hybrids, One electric, and One fuel cell vehicle caught my eye. Last week I took my first foray into visiting a dealership in 5 years - out to the Gwinnett Place Honda dealership in Duluth, GA. I took a look at the 5 2008 Toyota Civic Hybrids they had on the lot and came away impressed. I have not yet taken a test drive, but did have the salesman crank one up to hear and see how the vehicle sounded at startup. Embedded are some images taken during my visit.
Although the navigation system was not yet configured for use, I was able to determine that the screen size was appropriate to the vehicle and if it funtions as advertized - is a highly efficient safety feature as well as navigation system. This 'Alpine' built in dash navigation system allows you to voice-control the navigation system, the radio, the built-in XM radio, the CD player, the PC-Card based storage for .mp3 and .wma audio playback as well as control the climate with a robust set of voice commands that ensure you won't have to take your eyes off the road to to change the song, lower the temperature in the cabin, or get advance notice of the next turn.
Colors were limited in my opinion. I would have preferred a nice black and a cherry red model - but the dark blue and silver seem sufficient for my tastes. The tan interior may look roomy - but goes against my religion. If I were to choose a Honda Civic - it would definitely have to be the darker blue interior - again, a nice black interior would have been perfect for me. My only complaint about the Civic so far is that it does not come with the option for a backup camera. There are some questionable options adapters that say the allow you to 'adapt' your factory system to change to a mirror image display whenever you shift into reverse, but they are just as expensive as the factory version would have been if it had been offered. This Civic Hybrid uses the same navigation system built into the CRV - which does have the backup camera option. Which means - maybe there's hope to swing it as an under the table add-on for this baby if I choose this as my next ride. Still a lot to think about and more cars to see. I'll post again after my next look-see. What model will that be ? ... :)