Honda Civic
An unlikely trendsetter |
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By Richard J. Newman
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Nits: A couple of thermometer-style gauges–rather than traditional needles– can be confusing at first. I failed to recognize that the gas gauge was going down until the "empty" light came on.
G forces: It's not a sports car, but the Civic is perky and holds curves nicely. The engine on most models is a 140-horsepower four cylinder. The hybrid is at least as quick as the conventional model.
Gizmology: The two-tier instrument cluster is trendy, but putting the speedometer up high also helps keep the driver's eyes closer to the road, where they should be. Dashboard controls are cleanly labeled and canted slightly toward the driver, making them easy to reach. There's good attention to detail all around. The cupholders, for instance, have small tension bars inside that allow them to firmly hold bottles of different sizes.
Kidmarks: This is a basic small sedan that nicely accommodates two kids in back, with handy storage pockets in the doors and two cupholders in the center armrest. One nice feature: Vinyl coverings on the front seatbacks, where my kids, for one, love to rest their muddy shoes.
Hot or not: Not. The Civic looks fresh and modern but is still conservative.
Pain at the pump: Mild. Mileage ratings range from 30 mpg/city to 40 mpg/highway. On the hybrid model, they range from 49 mpg/city to 51 mpg/highway. Ranks 250 out of 477 (lower is better) on U.S. News's muscle per gallon index. More info: www.fueleconomy.gov
Crash course: Earns 10 stars out of 10 on the government's frontal crash test, nine out of 10 on the side-impact test, and four out of five on rollover resistance. More info: www.nhtsa.gov. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the Civic a "good" rating, its highest, and calls the Civic a "top pick." Details: www.iihs.org
Standard safety gear: Antilock brakes, side-torso airbags, side-curtain airbags.
Price points: Base prices range from $14,910 to $23,900. Price as tested: $20,130 for the conventional model, $23,900 for the hybrid. (All prices include delivery fees.)
More info: automobiles.honda.com
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Model year tested: 2006
Ordinarily, economy cars don't generate very much excitement. But Honda has found a way to make simplicity sublime.
The new Civic, completely redesigned for 2006, is a car Honda had to get right. Along with the Accord, it forms the mainstay of Honda's lineup and is one of the bestselling cars year after year. It's likely to stay that way. While not lavish, the Civic is clever and trendy. The first thing you notice as you start it up is a set of colorful LED gauges in place of traditional instrumentation, stacked in a two-tiers system in front of the driver. The tachometer, backlit in purple and blue, is centered above the steering column, while vehicle speed is projected in colorful analog digits right above it. Cheap and boring, in other words, don't need to be synonymous. The cabin is smartly designed, too. The emergency brake is a shrunken version slipped in right next to the driver's seat, which saves space in the center console, where the emergency brake usually resides. Storage nooks are lodged everywhere, with not an inch of wasted space inside. The list goes on.
The Civic also pulls off the neat trick of feeling like a car that's more expensive than its list price, about $18,000 for the most popular models. Door handles and many other internal components are plastic, of course, but they feel nearly as solid as metal. Armrests are soft. And on the road, you'll quickly forget this is an economy car–except when you pass by the gas station repeatedly. The Civic isn't as sassy or as primped as sporty sedans like the Mazda3, but it's proficient at every bit of performance that mass-market buyers want. Handling is nimble around town and stable on the highway. The cabin is reasonably quiet at high speeds, and there's none of the rickety rattling found on a lot of econoboxes. Fuel economy is superb–averaging better than 30 miles per gallon and 50 mpg on the hybrid model. And that requires little tradeoff from the 140-horsepower four-cylinder engine, which produces comfortable power for most situations. There's no single thing that blows you away about the Civic. Except the total package.
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