2001 Honda Civic GX

A CNG-powered version of the perennial favorite

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Powering through yet another tight turn on California's winding Highway 227 in Honda's 2001 Civic GX, the realization finally settles in—it's difficult not to get passionate about this car. More than 2,000 miles behind the wheel have proved this sedan to be comfortable, capable, stylish, and a snappy performer. What's not to like?

The gaseous-fuel GX is distinguished with a snappy "NGV" (natural gas vehicle) graphic at the bottom of the rear doors. A small CNG graphic is also located at the rear of the vehicle on the trunk lid. Okay, so all this is expected from the seventh-generation Civic, from the entry-level DX to the GX variant we're driving. Honda has had plenty of time to think through refinements in this all-new iteration, and this automaker is noted for its keen ability to anticipate the market. Still, there's reason to be impressed: This four-door sedan is pleasing the senses while running on clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG), all the while achieving California's stringent Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) criteria.

This is especially impressive since we've been filling up with CNG at a local station for about $1.65 per gallon (figured on a gallon of gasoline equivalency—or GGE—basis), on average some 40 cents less per gallon than gasoline. We're saving money big-time.

Well, maybe not. The rub with natural gas vehicles is that they're pretty pricey because of their fuel cylinders and specialized equipment—often $4,000 to $5,000 more than a conventional gasoline-fueled variant. This explains why the GX has a suggested retail price of $20,230, some $2,500 more than the uplevel EX sedan. That's why fleets have been the primary market for these vehicles.

While you can't figure on amortizing away the price differential with fuel savings, an array of federal, state, and regional purchase incentives or tax credits do exist to lessen the incremental cost. Intangibles that speak to the time-is-money axiom include the ability for solo Civic GX drivers in California to use freer-flowing HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes because of the car's SULEV designation.