Cut Driving Costs With Natural Gas
Fill up a Honda Civic for 40% less than the cost of gasoline.

Drivers fed up with sky-high gasoline prices have another option as of late October. The 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, which runs on compressed natural gas, is now available in 37 states (Honda’s previous natural-gas offering, the Civic GX, was available in just four states). Jimmy Spaulding of Charlotte, N.C., has been banking the savings from driving a GX since 2008. Back then, he was paying $85 a week to gas up his Toyota Tundra. Now he pays $70 or less per month to fill up at a local station—about $1.65 per gasoline-gallon equivalent of compressed natural gas (CNG). “It was a leap of faith,” says Spaulding, who hasn’t looked back since.
SEE ALSO: Do Hybrids Really Save Money?
The redesigned Civic Natural Gas, with a starting price of about $26,000, boosts fuel economy to 27 miles per CNG “gallon” in the city and 38 on the highway. You can also get satellite-linked navigation to guide you to nearby CNG stations (find stations). If there isn’t a station nearby, and you have natural gas at home, you could fill up there. But even with tax incentives, installing a compressor runs thousands of dollars, and fueling is a slow process. With nearly zero smog-forming emissions, the Civic Natural Gas is the cleanest internal-combustion vehicle certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

-
Are You Jeopardizing Your Future to Help Your Adult Kids? An Expert Guide for How to Not Do That
If your adult child needs financial help, of course you want to provide it, but crafting a plan that also protects your financial and emotional well-being is vital.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Slip Ahead of Big Earnings, Inflation Week
Perhaps uncertainty about tariffs, inflation, interest rates and economic growth can only be answered with earnings.
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online Bargains
Feature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb
real estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute Vacation
Travel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
-
When Is Amazon Prime Day? Everything We Know, Plus the Best Deals on Apple, Samsung and More
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime Day is four days this year. Here are the key details you need to know, plus some of our favorite deals to shop during the sale.
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Steps
insurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
-
Five Ways to Shop for a Low Mortgage Rate
Becoming a Homeowner Mortgage rates are high this year, but you can still find an affordable loan with these tips.