Here is Edmunds comparison:  They compared the 05 Prius to the 06 Civic
Hybrid, but both cars have had little change for the 07 models.

<http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=108445>

Motor Trend's comparison of the 06 models (along with two other hybrids):
<http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hybrid/112_0604_hybrid_sedan_compari
son/>

Depending on where you live, there are many 4 door hybrid choices for
you.  Also, are you looking for a new vehicle, or will a used vehicle
be OK for you?  (If you want a 4-door with a manual transmission, you
can only get that in a used Honda Civic Hybrid.)  What size vehicle
are you looking for?

I think the only hybrid that isn't a 4 door is the 2-seater Honda
Insight (coupe), but that's only available as used now (no longer
offered new).

The Civic Hybrid is currently alone in the compact car size category.
(The older Classic (sedan, model NHW11) Prius was also a compact, now
only available as a used model.)  Be aware that the HCH underwent a
design change recently (often the newer one is referred to as a HCH II
in online groups), so not all of the information you may read only may
be current.  (For example, there are some times when the car is moving
that the gasoline engine is not required to be on/you're in electric,
in the newer HCH.)  The HCH I compared pretty well in price and
options and fuel economy and emissions to the Classic Prius, so it
pretty much was whatever one you personally liked better on a test
drive or for brand reasons.

In the midsize car category, there's a lot of choices:
The Honda Accord Hybrid was a performance hybrid (with all the high-
end gadgets as well), and not an effiency hybrid, so its sales were
lackluster and also will soon no longer be offered new (but there are
still some on the lots).

Then you've got the new Nissan Altima Hybrid.  I haven't been
following it much...  but sales of the hybrid model is limited to 8
states at the moment.

The current NHW20 model Toyota Prius, which is a hatchback.  Since it
is a different size class than the Civic hybrid, I don't think that it
is fair to compare it to the Civic.

The Toyota Camry Hybrid.

The Lexus GS450h.  (Again, a performance hybrid...)

The Saturn Aura Hybrid (new model for Saturn, soon out as a 2008
model)  Again, I don't know much about it, only that it is using the
GM "hybrid" system and is fairly lackluster in efficiency...)

And then the SUV category is getting pretty full:
Ford Escape
Mercury Mariner
Mazda Tribute (soon out as a 2008 mpdel)
Lexus RX400h (performance, again...)
Saturn Vue Green Line (barely better fuel economy than the Lexus
RX400h!)
Toyota Highlander Hybrid

I don't think that the "hybrid" pickup trucks are 4-door models, nor
do I really consider them much of a hybrid (all GM products), so I
won't mention them...

(Note that if you're looking for a hybrid tax credit on your US
Federal income tax returns, that there is a sunset provision on the
available credits.  Toyota/Lexus already passed their trigger point,
and no credit will be available for deliveries of new Toyota/Lexus
hybrids on/after Oct. 1, 2007.  I'd also suggest earlier rather than
later for purchases of other makes of hybrids, to get the full credit
as well.  http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=157557,00.html )

I'd suggest that you just go out and test drive the available hybrids,
and see what fits you and your needs better.  And more research.  Good
luck!

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybrid_sbs.shtml
http://www.greenhybrid.com/
http://www.hybridcars.com/

Not very current, so it may not apply as well to the current generation
Prius: the "conventional wisdom" was that the Civic Hybrid was better suited
to freeway travel while the Prius was the champion around town. The Prius
has some reputation as being tiring to drive on freeways, but I don't find
that particularly so.

Mike

I love my Hondas.  I, too, am a 25+ year Honda owner.  I have a superb
Honda dealership with the only technician I've allowed to touch my Honda
cars, ever.  Honda cars have never let me down.

That being said, I recently got a company car--a Prius.  (The other
choice was a GM; no thanks, buddy, no thanks.)  As I drive the car and
look into it further, I am convinced that Toyota put some serious genius
into this entire situation.  They look at it as a system, found the weak
spots, exploited the technology, and built one helluva package.

It's so good, both my wife and I have decided that we'd spend our own
money on one.

Honda's system isn't bad, but Toyota's is so good, it makes Honda's
system look all the worse.

Toyota's system leads to less maintenance.  It has no starter, no
transmission (those are expensive repairs nowadays), a straightforward
efficient engine tuned to the task, the engine is disconnected from the
wheels by the very ingenious Power Split Device (which replaces your
transmission), the air conditioner is run off the battery and not off
the engine, and so on.

In fact, disconnecting many accessories from the engine is part of what
makes a hybrid good.  When you choose not to disconnect these things
from the engine, as Honda chose not to, you're giving up efficiency.

Imagine crawling through downtown during summer rush hour, the engine is
completely off, you're idling from light to light using only the
batter--and you're staying perfectly cool because the AC is running at
full blast.  It's not running at that half-blast that a normal idling
car gives because it can't turn the compressor fast enough and power the
cabin fan enough.

Imagine getting full power out of the system on demand because the
engine isn't running the AC compressor directly.

The Prius is a large car, surprisingly so.  Yet it turns on a dime.  Try
it.  I don't know how they violated the laws of physics, but they did.

I just wish the Prius came with a trunk instead of a hatchback--but
that's just me and my particular situation.  For my own non-work
purposes, a hatch would be fine.

The Prius is available with more high-tech goodies.  If you're a geek,
you love that.

s