The band containing the headlight enclosures and grille sets up a demarcation between the molded bumper and the upper body work. The hood and fenders seem to float above the grille band.

There is little to indicate from the exterior that this car is a hybrid. But the five-blade wheel covers are unique to the hybrid.

The badge on the rear of the car also denotes that it is a hybrid.

The interior of the Civic is well constructed but basic, befitting its class. However, the Civic gets some interesting buttons when it comes with a GPS navigation system.

Trunk space is what we would expect for a small sedan such as the Civic. It's not overly capacious but will hold groceries or a few suitcases.

Honda's navigation system is excellent. Its POI database offers the same listings you might find in the yellow pages, such as restaurants and retail stores.

Route guidance works very well in the Civic. It calculates routes quickly and gives prompt notification of upcoming turns.

The electric motor assist in the Civic isn't particularly strong, but we still got 46mpg on a trip to Los Angeles.

The Civic's stereo plays MP3 CDs, and includes this informative display.

The XM satellite radio display works well as an interface for choosing stations and seeing what's playing.

The sound system in the Civic isn't spectacular and could benefit from a subwoofer.

The Civic, like most hybrids, uses a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Honda uses a very interesting instrument cluster, with a big tachometer front and center and a digital speed readout closer to the windshield.

The steering wheel has buttons for the stereo, cruise control, and the voice-command system embedded in its spokes.