See You in the Ditch, Bitch!

It’s a good thing I stay home on Tuesday, because Wednesday sucked. I know I ‘ve ranted and raved about how much I like my Honda Civic Hybrid, but there is one problem. She has a huge fat ass!

Normally, a fat ass is something that is great in the middle of winter when a temperature hits sub zero. Don’t get me wrong, Technomage likes the booty, but not in a car. Let me explain. Almost every car I have ever drive has be front wheel drive. Most of the mass in is the engine and center over the front wheels. This mean the most front wheel drive cars have their center of mass closer to the front. The cars I have driven have been around 2200 pounds (1100 kg). However the Civic Hybrid comes in around 2800 pounds, about 250 pounds more than her little sister, the conventional Honda Civic. Most of this is due to the battery pack and electric motor assist. The gasoline engine in the Hybrid is smaller and lighter than a regular Civic. The net affect, the center of mass of the hybrid is toward the back wheels. The car is heavier, but it “feels” lighter. It is almost as if the front wheels are “floating” and barely touching the ground. There are times when I feel as if she will fly off the road in a strong wind. When the roads are slick with snow, ice or rain the fun really begins.

Since the mass is in the back end of the Hybrid, she tends to swing like a drunken Coed with a huge ass. When turning, the front end moves and the back end thinks about for half a second. When you turn right the back end swings out to the left. When you try to stop the back wheels still want to go. I did there sets of donuts on the way to work: once in Iowa City, once in West Liberty, after sliding through West Liberty’s only light, and once in Muscatine.

I think I need some snow tires, instead of the all weather tire.