Why does Civic Hybrid have that Roof Antenna

The subject line says it all. I refused to buy a VW because of that ugly
antenna sticking up, and now the Civic Hybrid has one. There must be
something really good about them, because they sure look ugly compared to an
antenna that's imbedded in the read windshield. So, what's the reason for
it? Anyone know. Anyone else have an opinion about it?

 

It is listed as a prime identifier of the Honda Civic Hybrid in the
"Emergency Response Guide", so that emergency crews can quickly identify
the car as being a hybrid, and treat the high voltage electrics properly.
For a while, I thought that might be some obscure safety requirement. The
Ford Escape has only a different left rear window as an identifier, so
maybe that isn't a hard requirement.

The stock Civic has a window-embedded antenna. Maybe that's too
electrically noisy in the Honda Civic Hybrid.

 

Did the Civic Hybrid always have the roof antenna? Or only the 2005
model?

It seems strange to me that a hybrid would have an external antenna.
Usually, the manufacturers try every trick to increase the gas mileage
in these kind of cars. If they can save 0.5 mpg by eliminating the
antenna, they would do it.

 

Are we in agreement that the external antenna looks UGLY. And it certainly
doesn't help mileage.

 

I just want to know where it should be pointed.
Does it matter?
I go for the "in line with the rake of the windshield" look, but I fear
that I'm hampering my long distance reception.

But if I put it up any higher, it _really_ looks dorky.

;-)

 

You'd rather it was dragging on the ground?

 

Doesn't bother me a bit. Looks like the antenna my '93 Civic Coupe
EX had; I didn't have any problem with that one, either.

 

Nope. Just buried in the rear windshield. Out of site and impossible to
break off.

When you rent a car in Europe they often charge more for a car with a radio.
Something to do with more taxes/duty when there's a radio. If you opt to not
have the radio, they just remove the antenna. Simple. Seems dumb to us, but
we'd have a different attitude about it if the states decided to charge a
special $100 tax on radios in new cars. I wonder if the dorky antenna has
something to do with that.

 

fashion. the scion xA and toyota corolla do the same thing.

 

I don't see the external antenna when driving. And I'm sure not paying much
attention to it when the car is parked in my garage or the lot at work.

 

Windshield antennas suck.

I'd rather have it exposed than have a radio with the performance of a
$5 kid's toy.

You might as well just cap off the stock antenna and do without if looks are
more important than performance.