If you’re a fan of clean air and funky fill-ups, then today’s Nice Price or No Dice Civic NGV might be your cup of compressed natural gas. Let’s see if this rare, literally gas-powered commuter car has a price tag that doesn’t make us want to tell the seller to go “blow it out yer’ ass.”
I think it was a missed opportunity in last year’s Barbi movie to have Ken drive a Hummer EV rather than some form of Chrysler K Car. Consider the 1982 Chrysler LeBaron “K Car” convertible we looked at yesterday. Painted pink, it could exude the same sort of “Kenergy” the filmmakers were seeking. Alas, it was not meant to be. Nor, apparently, is a quick sale for our K car at its $5,000 price. Your collective 68 percent No Dice vote ensured that.
There’s a lot of gloom and doom being spread in the media these days over the electric vehicle market seemingly sputtering due to high costs, consumer reluctance, and whether or not you can charge an electric car in the rain. Spoiler alert: you can. This is all even though, in many markets, EVs continue to take an ever-increasing share of sales, and a robust community of fans and fixers has arisen to help them remain reasonably viable for years to come.
Of course, EVs aren’t for everyone. And for those who don’t like the idea of sitting on a massive collection of laptop batteries but still want to reduce their impact on the environment, there are alternatives like today’s 2011 Honda Civic NGV sedan that runs on compressed natural gas rather than liquid gasoline.
At least there once were. Honda stopped producing the CNG Civic in 2015 as the fueling infrastructure failed to grow sufficiently to make the model a national seller. A map maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy shows that even today, only 758 CNG fueling locations exist in the U.S. and Canada. In contrast, there are over 4,400 E85 (ethanol) stations and over 78,000 level 2 and above electric charging stations.
Like many electric cars, the CNG Civic suffered from a more limited range than its gasoline-powered equivalent. The 3,600 psi fuel tank takes up a good bit of trunk space and offers around 200 miles between fill-ups in return. One solution was home fueling, facilitated by a device called “Phill” that would have to be plumbed into a home gas line and could refuel the car overnight. Honda disapproved of this option officially due to the potential for contamination in home gas to wreak havoc on the car’s fuel system.
That said, for an around-town commuter car, this CNG Civic should prove economical (natural gas remains cheaper than regular gas in most areas) and perhaps more environmentally friendly than a gasoline-powered car.
According to the ad, this “beloved” Civic costs only ten dollars to fill up and gets excellent mileage. It’s done 140,000 miles and is claimed by the seller to be the most reliable car they’ve ever owned. At a glance, everything save for the aftermarket LED headlamp units looks to be stock, right down to the NGV decals on the back doors. The gray paint over dark gray factory wheels and heavy window tint lend the car a look that could be construed as either sinister or dour, depending on the mood. The equally gray interior looks decent and includes Honda’s goofy split-level instrument display and Z-handle emergency brake.
As for the drivetrain, there’s a 1.8-liter four making 110 under the hood and that’s mated to a soul-sapping CVT. Newish tires, brake pads, and a recent oil change mean this Civic is ready to rock. It comes with a clean title and a $9,999 asking price.
What’s your take on this fart-swilling Civic and that nearly ten-grand price tag? Does that make for a clear deal? Or does that price fail to live up to the seller’s promise of this being an economical car?
You decide!
San Diego, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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