TORRANCE, Calif. — Lawyers for American Honda returned to court Thursday to try to overturn a highly publicized small claims court award to a woman who sued over the fuel economy of her hybrid Civic.

Superior Court Judge Dudley W. Gray II was hearing witnesses from both sides as Honda sought to reverse a court commissioner’s award of $9,867 to Heather Peters, who opted out of a class-action settlement designed to give some 200,000 owners between $100 and $200 each, plus a rebate if they buy a new Honda.

Peters said she might never have brought the case if it wasn’t for the puny amount offered in the class-action suit.

“$200 and a coupon? That was worth fighting,” she said. Her success in small claims court has led some 1,700 other owners to follow her example.

Honda called as a key witness Karen Takahashi, service manager at Honda Hollywood, where Peters bought her car.

Takahashi testified she took a Honda hybrid out for a 115-mile test drive on freeways and streets and was able to achieve 53 to 55 mpg. She said she is a conservative driver and did not try to manipulate the car to achieve better mileage.

Peters’ husband, Michael Cassadine, testified the car had performed well when he first met Peters in 2008, but it quickly deteriorated and a software update made it worse.