Sometimes things do not go entirely as planned...
Because of long delivery times (> 1 year, depending on your choice), I started to look around for my next car in February. Why? Probably midlife crisis
. But the usage of the Crosstar changed considerably. No short distances any more, due to another job that came with a public transport business card. Only longer trips to family and during holidays, no more cramped parking in city centers (at least, not that often). So more comfort, more economic on higher speeds and more luggage space would be welcome. And very important: no SUV.
First I went to Toyota. Looked at the new Prius; very cramped inside and after depleting the battery it is not that economic any more (WLTP says 4.6 l/100km). Then looked at the Corolla Touring Sport. Very nice car, roomy, good pricing, also around 4.6 l/100km. And then I went for a test drive
. The fifth generation of the Toyota Hybrid Drive does something similar the e:HEV does: charging the battery at constant speeds and then depleting the battery by driving bits on EV only. This was quite a shocking experience (literally). You could easily notice these switching moments. Not as smooth as an e:HEV at all. Bummer! Also a lot of road noise entered the car at highway speeds, even with the more comfortable smaller tires. So this was an absolute no-go.
After coming home, I made a list of optimal combinations I would like to have: preferably e:HEV, larger than the Jazz, a bit lower and longer, as comfortable and nice to steer as the Corolla. I did not even consider a Honda Civic, but while driving around in the Corolla I saw one 'in the flesh' and it stuck in my mind. And I looked up the specifications: the elegance model has other tires and is much more into economy and comfort than its more sporty versions. But there is a problem: it went on sale in September 22 (in NL) and was cancelled in November 22 due to shortages and very high demands in other parts of the world. Only a handful were delivered in The Netherlands. Elegances for sale in NL: 0. And you cannot order a new one any more. Damn!
A few weeks later I saw an elegance model for sale, imported from Denmark. 1 year old, 10,000 km on the clock. I went there for a test drive: I was amazed at how well this actually drives, the engine is more refined than the 1.5 and really goes when you want it to. But wat impressed me most: I drove the exact same route as I did with the Crosstar on the exact same day and it was 0.2 l/100km more economic
.
Unfortunately the dealer was not very willing to sell the Civic. They did not offer a reasonable amount for the Crosstar, so there the story ended.
After a good night's sleep, I decided to try another option: I emailed my own dealer (Wesselink Apeldoorn) and told them I test drove a Civic. I asked if they could help import a Civic elegance, preferably in blue or if they knew when it would be for sale in future. Their response was unexpected: "we have but 1 Civic in stock, it came in a few weeks ago, but the customer who ordered it in September 22 became tired of waiting and cancelled the order (and went for an HR-V). It is blue and it is an elegance! You can have it for the original 2022 pricing".
Combined with a much better offer for my Jazz Crosstar I now have a new blue Civic
.
A few pics:
I will be around on this forum (because I like the friendly people, their helpfulness, politeness, the jokes and overall coziness) to share my experiences.
Thank you, Crosstar, for being my car for 2,5 years and 40,000 pleasant kilometers. You will find a new caring owner soon.