David Kasama, of the Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, apparently is happy with his 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid, in Rocklin, Calif.

Michael allen Jones / Sacramento bee

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Honda's decision to park the gas-electric version of its Accord sedan amid soaring hybrid-car sales has some scratching their heads, but those who build and sell the vehicle said it boils down to numbers: It wasn't selling.

"I actually can't remember the last time we sold one," said Katina Rapton, general manager of Mel Rapton Honda in Sacramento. A quick check of records by Rapton confirmed that the dealership sold no Honda Accord Hybrids in either April or May.

Honda officials in Japan announced June 4 that the company will discontinue the hybrid Accord at the end of the current model year. The automaker sold roughly 25,000 of the cars, offered only in North America, since the model went on the market in 2004. Slightly more than 6,000 were sold last year.

Auto industry analysts characterized the car's brief run as a cautionary tale, with the lesson being that only a small segment of the public will buy a vehicle that carries a high price for hybrid technology but delivers limited fuel economy compared with other gas-electric vehicles.

Federal fuel-mileage estimates on the 2007 Honda Accord Hybrid came in at 28 miles per gallon in the city and 35 mpg on the highway — only marginally better than 26/34 mpg ratings on an Accord sedan with a four-cylinder gas engine and a five-speed manual transmission.

Yet the '07 Accord Hybrid ranged from $31,000 to $33,000 in price, compared with $18,500 to $29,500 for gas-fueled Accord sedans.

"What we found was that most (buyers) were dissatisfied with the Accord Hybrid's fuel economy," said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research, an Oregon firm that tracks auto trends nationwide. "The Accord buyers tend to be older (55 and up), and they honestly thought they were going to get excellent fuel economy. But the reality of it was something different."

Both the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius have exceptional federal fuel-mileage ratings — 49/51 mpg for the Civic and 60/51 mpg for the Prius.

The Prius has been a monster seller for Toyota. Of the 45,000 hybrid vehicles sold in the United States in May, more than 24,000 of them were Priuses, according to an analysis by the Detroit Free Press. With high gasoline prices spurring rising hybrid sales, Toyota captured 80 percent of all new hybrid customers, according to the analysis.

Spinella, noting that the midsize Prius has seen a popularity rush prompted by numerous environmentalist celebrities owning them, believes the Accord Hybrid's reputation as something less than a fuel-sipper has long made it an underdog at the sales lots.

"It wasn't a fashion statement," he said. "It didn't scream at you that it was a hybrid like the Prius."

Many Accord Hybrid drivers interviewed for this article fit the niche that Honda originally sought when it introduced the model: motorists wanting slightly better fuel economy from a strong-performing engine. (Accord Hybrids come with a 3-liter V-6 rated at 253 horsepower.)

"I drove the Prius and the Civic, and although they were great on gas mileage, I just couldn't downgrade from a V-6," said David Kasama, a Rocklin, Calif., resident who commutes to his job with the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce. "It's just a preference. I'm saving some gas on the freeway in my commute, but I also like the power the Accord has."

Kasama said he bought his used 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid on June 4 and learned the next day of the automaker's plans to stop making the vehicle. That, however, did not prompt him to change his mind.

Several Accord Hybrid owners were curious about whether parts would be available in the future and whether warranties would be affected.

"There's no impact," said Sage Marie, a spokesman at Honda offices in Torrance. "We will continue to supply parts. The warranties are good."

Marie said consumers should not look at the Accord Hybrid's disappearance as a sign that Honda is backing away from hybrid technology.

He cited the Civic Hybrid's continued run and Honda's previously announced plans to introduce a high-volume family passenger car with hybrid technology and fuel mileage rivaling the Civic Hybrid within two years. "We continue to have faith and optimism in hybrids," he said.