2017 Honda Civic Hatchback With Manual Gets Smoking Tire Review

It sounds like the 5-door Civic is as nimble as a bee. But what he's actually talking about is the lightness of the steering wheel and 6-speed manual shifter, which don't require a lot of effort. Apparently, this is the first Honda in a long time not to impress him in this regard.

Which is not to say that the Civic Hatch hasn't got a nifty stick that's great for learning how to use your left foot and right arm more. Having a European-style hatchback with a manual gearbox is Honda's whole reason for adding another body style.

The suspension setup is described as being soft, but still good enough to keep itself stable in the corners. As for the 1.5-liter turbo engine, it doesn't have that much power for the fun stuff but offers sufficient daily performance.

Although the output is about the same as the Fiesta ST and it only weighs about 150 lbs more, the Civic 1.5T is not a hot hatch. Matt says it's got a heavy flywheel, which is probably there so you can drive it economically. Around town, he got 22 mpg, which isn't bad.

The long, wide hatchback rides really well, but the NVH levels are supposedly not as good as in the Ford Focus and VW Golf. Matt is also bothered by the fact that he can't get leather in combination with a manual gearbox. While it seems like he's nitpicking, we've heard many people complain about the cheap-feeling fabric, mainly the bolsters. You see, the romance is over!

At a glance, the Civic Hatchback looks like a budget pocket rocket, at least on paper. It's got crazy styling with massive (fake) air intakes, a turbo engine and the paintjob resembling Audi's Nardo Grey. However, it's still an all-rounder underneath, one which is supposed to appeal to a broad spectrum of customers.