The Japanese Hybrid That Balances Fuel Economy With Good Performance
At a point in the car world, efficiency and performance weren't obtainable through hybrids (HEVs). Take one of Lexus's earliest hybrids, the LS 600h, which utilized a 5.0-liter V8 hybrid engine but only offered a combined fuel economy of 21 MPG. It still sounds like a car you can have some fun in, but you're now at a point where hybrids can offer the best of both worlds. Even performance wasn't a priority years ago on hybrid platforms, but fast-forward to today; the Tundra Hybrid and 4Runner Hybrid offer high-performance power.
Speaking of all these Japanese car brands, it's apparent that multiple brands, such as Toyota, Lexus, and Honda, play a massive part in the hybrid industry. After all, the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius were the first two mass-produced hybrids in 2000. With being in the game for that long, it shouldn't come as a surprise that they're the brands that found a way to balance performance and efficiency on one of their hybrids. The interesting part is that, out of the companies mentioned, only one model was able to accomplish this.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Edmunds, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and EPA.
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How Much Gas Money You'll Save Over 5 Years With The Honda Civic Hybrid
Will buying a hybrid save you money on fuel costs over its counterpart? The Honda Civic platform is here to answer this common question.
The 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Balances Both Efficiency And Performance
2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring Hybrid Exterior Overshot View Of Rear
If you had guessed which Japanese hybrid it could've been, you might have gone with the Honda Civic Hybrid. This is the correct answer, and it only seems fitting with this platform's long lineage in sportiness and performance. What makes the Honda Civic so unique is that it isn't one of those sports cars that offer 400 plus horsepower; rather, it keeps the power in the 100 to 200 range while optimizing other mechanical components such as suspension, providing better handling. You can even take the most up-to-date non-electric Honda Civic Type R, the most powerful Honda Civic ever, producing 315 horsepower. Honda offers several configurations on the current Civic Hybrid, but one setup maintains efficiency and performance at the same level.
The Sport Touring Trim Is The Best Of Both Worlds
Honda Motor America
When it comes to the Civic platform, Honda offers it in six setups: Sedan, Sedan Hybrid, Si Sedan, Hatchback, Hatchback Hybrid, and Type R. Honda didn't just change little details on each model and slapped a different name on them; instead, each model has its own unique features with the significant examples being its performance and fuel economies. If you're looking for the best one that maximizes both performance and efficiency, the Hatchback Hybrid Sport Touring Trim is the only one to do it. The Civic Hatchback Hybrid is available in three trims, but the highest trim is arguably the best model out of the hybrids.
Offering 200 Horsepower With Honda's Twin-Motor Hybrid Setup
Honda
Diving into what you're really here for, the 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Hybrid Sport Touring is powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder hybrid engine. With a name like that, it would get tedious when telling people at car meets what your car is. In all seriousness, though, this hot hatch delivers 200 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque. In today's age, that might not seem like a lot, but it gets the job done. When it comes to it 0-60 mile-per-hour sprint, CarandDriver tested it and estimates it completes it in 6.1 seconds, whereas MotorTrend knocked off a tenth, completing their time in 6.1 seconds. According to MotorTrend, this was 0.7 seconds faster than the other Sport trim on the hybrid hatchback.
Being a Civic, it's no surprise that it utilizes a front-wheel drive system, with a good number of previous generations sticking to that formula. Hondas, especially the Civic platform, are known for their high rev limiters, with this hatchback hybrid having a 6,250 rev limit. Thanks to the infamous VTEC, the 2025 Civic Hybrid was able to sweep in and sit in the small bracket of fast-accelerating hybrids.
2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Hybrid Sport Touring Performance Specifications
Powertrain | 2.0-Liter Inline Four-Cylinder Hybrid Engine |
Horsepower | 200 HP |
Torque | 232 LB-FT |
Transmission | ECVT |
Driveline | Front-Wheel Drive |
Redline | 6250 RPM |
0-60 MPH | 6.1 Seconds (M/T Est.) 6.2 Seconds (C/D Est.) |
Top Speed | 114 MPH (governed) |
A Combined Fuel Economy Of 48 MPG
Honda
You saw that Honda offers several configurations on the Civic platform, with four being non-electric and the rest being hybrids. Each setup comes with different fuel economies and ranges, even changing areas such as fuel costs. The hatchback hybrid isn't the most efficient setup, with the four-door sedan offering a combined fuel economy of 49 MPG. For the five-door Civic Hybrid, which for some reason, at some point in the car world, the trunk was considered an extra door on the hatchback, but the five-door Civic Hybrid wasn't too far off, offering a combined fuel economy of 48 MPG. You can expect 50 MPG in the city and 48 MPG on the highway. Lastly, its range is another impressive feat, providing a max driving range of 595 miles.
2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Hybrid Sport Touring Fuel Economy
Fuel Economy (City) | 50 MPG |
Fuel Economy (Highway) | 45 MPG |
Fuel Economy (Combined) | 48 MPG |
Range | 595 Miles |
blue 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback
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No Other Rivals Offer Optimized Fuel Economy And Added Performance
2025 Toyota Camry SE in red parked
As stated earlier, there aren't any hybrid sedans that balance efficiency and performance as well as the Civic Hatchback Hybrid Sport Touring. Of course, this can be considered an opinion, with people having different views on performance and efficiency. For a hybrid, it's hard to argue against one that nearly sits at a flat 6 for a 0-60 mile-per-hour sprint. Its fuel economy doesn't need any defending either because 48 MPG is pretty impressive, even for a hybrid. While there aren't many hybrid sedans that do it, as well as the Civic Hybrid, there are some that are worth mentioning, such as those that either lean on one side or fall short altogether.
Hybrid Sedans Performance And Fuel Economy Comparisons
2025 Honda Civic Hybrid 5D Sport Touring | 2025 Toyota Camry | 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid | 2025 Lexus LS Hybrid | |
Powertrain | 2.0-Liter Inline Four-Cylinder Hybrid Engine | 2.5-Liter Four-Cylinder Hybrid Engine | 2.0-Liter Four-Cylinder Hybrid Engine | 3.5-Liter V6 Hybrid Engine |
Horsepower | 200 HP | FWD- 225;AWD - 232 HP | 192 HP | 354 HP |
Torque | 232 LB-FT | 163 LB-FT | 139 LB-FT | N/A |
Transmission | ECVT | ECVT | 6-Speed Automatic | Multi-State Hybrid Automatic |
Driveline | Front-Wheel Drive | Front- Or- All-Wheel Drive | Front-Wheel Drive | All-Wheel Drive |
0-60 MPH | 6.1 Seconds (M/T Est.) 6.2 Seconds (C/D Est.) | 6.8 Seconds (C/D Est.) 6.9 Seconds (M/T Est.) | 8.3 Seconds (Edmunds Est.) 8.6 Seconds (M/T Est.) | 5.2 Seconds |
Top Speed | 114 MPH (governed) | 115 (governed) | N/A | 136 MPH |
Fuel Economy (City) | 50 MPG | 44-53 MPG | 44 MPG | Est. 22 MPG |
Fuel Economy (Highway) | 45 MPG | 43-50 MPG | 51 MPG | Est. 29 MPG |
Fuel Economy (Combined) | 48 MPG | 44-51 MPG | 47 MPG | Est. 25 MPG |
Price | $33,150 | $28,700-$36,425 | $31,150-$37,600 | $116,560 |
2025 Toyota Camry
The hybrid that likely has the best potential to match the Civic Hybrid's sportiness and efficiency is the Camry. This Toyota hybrid sedan is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine, making 225 to 232 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. This is where the Camry falls short in performance, producing more horsepower but less torque. Torque is more important than horsepower when it comes to launching, whereas horsepower is responsible for the car's top speed and maintaining speed. This leads to the Camry completing its 0-60 time in 6.8 to 6.9 seconds. While it missed out on some added performance, it made up with being better in fuel economy. The Camry offers a combined fuel economy of 44 to 51 MPG.
It could be argued that the Toyota Camry might fit the bill and balance both areas better, but this isn't the case. Even though the Camry did better in terms of fuel economy, the differences lean more towards the Civic Hatchback Hybrid. To get a better understanding, the Camry was 0.7 seconds slower than the Civic Hybrid. The area the Civic Hybrid lost in was fuel economy, which was only 3 MPG lower than the Camry. While each performed well in both categories, it was the 2025 Civic Hatchback Hybrid Sport Touring that performed better overall.
2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
The 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid comes close to the fuel economy of the Civic Hatchback Hybrid, offering 47 MPG. Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine produces 192 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque. If you're trying to shed any performance, this isn't a hybrid to go after because it comes with an estimated 0-60 run in 8.3 to 8.6 seconds. The 2025 Sonata Hybrid keeps things simple, offering above-average efficiency but misses out on performance.
2025 Lexus LS Hybrid
You've explored hybrid sedans that offer great fuel economies and okay performance, but what about the ones that only provide performance and below-average fuel economy? The 2025 Lexus LS Hybrid is the best example, which packs a punch with its 3.5-liter V6 hybrid engine. This setup throws down 354 horsepower, allowing it to complete a 0-60 mile-per-hour sprint in just 5.2 seconds. That's about a second faster than the Civic Hybrid Sport Touring, but it doesn't do too hot with fuel economy. The 2025 Lexus LS Hybrid offers an estimated combined fuel economy of 25 MPG. If you're just looking for a hybrid to keep emissions down and pack some heat, the Lexus LS Hybrid is a solid candidate.
Side profile shot of a black 2023 Lexus LS500
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The 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring Hybrid Starts At $31,950
Honda
Honda lists the Hatchback Hybrid Sport Touring at $31,950. This isn't that crazy priced, especially when it's the most expensive trim out of all the Civic Hybrids. This means it just pulls in all the speed and acceleration along with all the bells and whistles.
Ultimately, this Civic Hybrid is a steal and provides the best of both worlds with its impressive fuel economy and thrilling performance. There is still some room for hybrids to grow and offer even more speed and efficiency, but for now, this sleek Civic Hybrid will do.
