Hybrids are hogging the fuel economy limelight, but there's another alternative that's flying below the radar. It's the 2005 Honda Civic GX and it runs on compressed natural gas (CNG).
You probably already know about the Honda Civic itself. It's the ultimate workhorse that gets commuters to work or college students to class. In its common gasoline-powered setup it's already pretty darned fuel-efficient. (And just so we're clear, here, the Civic GX in this review is an '05 model, not the all-new 2006 Civic. A redesigned version of the Civic GX will, however, be appearing early in 2006.)
Now, take the basic Civic; cut the trunk space in half (to allow for the larger natural-gas tank); couple the 1.7-liter, four-cylinder engine to a continuously variable transmission; offer some attractive tax incentives; add a bunch of NASCAR-style stickers touting zero emissions and carpool lane entry; and you have the GX. It stickers for $21,760 and gets the equivalent of about 30 miles per gallon of gasoline (the EPA estimates 30/34 mpg).
So far, you might be really pumped about this car (pun intended). But there are a few bumps on the road to Civic CNG bliss. How much these problems bother you will depend on what you use the car for. We'll tell you up front that, as a commuter car or for around-town transportation, the GX might be a panacea for you. Using it for road trips is not out of the question, but it does require advance planning. But don't worry that the interior dimensions have been reduced; rear legroom is unaffected even though trunk space is diminished by the larger fuel tank.
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