2014 Honda Civic Natural Gas, Hybrid on sale this month

Buyers looking to up their mpg will have two more options beginning this month. The 2014 Honda Civic Hybrid goes on sale Wednesday, returning 45 mpg combined, while the 31-mpg 2014 Civic Natural Gas sedan will start selling in 37 states on Feb. 15.

The base hybrid with the CVT transmission will come in at $25,425, including destination. That's a premium of just $275 over last year's model. The top trim with the leather seats and navigation will cost $28,125. The Natural Gas sedan starts at $27,430; the upgraded sedan with navigation costs $30,080. Natural Gas cars are getting a price bump of $175.

That price buys you a 1.8-liter natural gas engine making 110 hp and 106 lb-ft of torque. That has a five-speed transmission.

Natural gas prices are currently around $2.50 per gallon in southeastern Michigan, while gasoline is hovering at about $3.30. That's a 25 percent discount, which is nearly equal to the premium that you'll pay when buying the NG. The basic Civic EX is $21,880. That means you'll need to save $5,550 in fuel to start making a profit on the NG, if that's your only goal.

The Civic Hybrid comes with a 1.5-liter, 110-hp gasoline engine, with a permanent magnet motor adding 23 more hp. The engine is rated at 127 lb-ft of torque, while the electric motor adds 78 lb-ft. The front wheels are driven through a CVT.

A 7-inch touchscreen comes standard on both the Hybrid and NG Civics. It allows drivers to use pinch, swipe and tap gestures as they would with a smartphone, according to Honda. The company's expanded view driver's mirror also comes standard, which features a curve in the glass to reflect more of your blind spot.

You can view, build and price the Hybrid and Natural Gas Civics now at Honda's site.

By Jake Lingeman