Honda Civic Rated 'too Low to Recommend' by Consumer Reports

Beliefs which made Honda Civic on of the most popular cars on the market are to be shattered by the latest Consumer Reports test . The U.S. division of Honda Motor Co. is still in trouble regarding supply shortages of the2012 Civic, as a result of the March earthquake in Japan. As if this was’t enough, the manufacturer received an embarrassing rating when Consumer Reports revealed after the road test was finished that the new Honda Civic is “too low to recommend.”

The report points out that the Civic dropped 17 points, from a high score of 78 coming down to an average 61. The older Civic models have been recommended as Top Picks in five of the past 10 years by Consumer Reports and was also the highest rated small sedan. The new model has received the “too low to recommend ” rating after cheap materials were spotted in the interior finishes, along with long stopping distances, loud interior noise levels and the poor ride quality. After the findings were made public, Honda came out and denied the results of the road test.

"In virtually every way, the completely redesigned 2012 Civic is a step forward. The new Civic excels in areas that matter to small-car customers, including fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability," the company’s reply as quoted by autonews.com

The new Civic was rated extremely low, being almost at a the bottom of the list, the last on the black list being the VW Jetta, which has gone under the Consumer Reports ratings after it was redesigned for 2011.