HONDA Civic Review

This chapter is the one where the evolution of the Civic brings the most bonus points, as Honda has worked to make the car more refined, enhancing the mechanical side and sprinkling electronic goodies over that.

The engineers reduced the NHV ( noise, vibration and harshness) level by upgrading certain mechanical parts and changing the soundproofing. If we add the fact that the suspension uses a rather soft setup, we end up with a comfortable shell.

As for the seats, these get along very well with your body, as they're pretty large and soft. However, you should go for the cloth upholstery as the leather one uses a synthetic material that will keep you sweaty no matter what you do with the climate control system if the weather outside is hot.

The glass roof of the car, even though it can't be folded to allow fresh air to flow inside, is an extremely nice touch that spells "well lit cabin". Many would expect the complicated shape(s) of the car to bring a difficult cabin/ luggage compartment access, but this isn’t the case, so the Civic is a comfortable car from start to finish.

The range-topping Executive trim level we tested also came with quite a lot of goodies that make life aboard more pleasant, so this built on an already comfortable base, with the result being a pleasant one.

If you take a look at the new Civic, you'll understand that it inherits a lot of features from the one it replaces and it's the same story underneath. This means that we;re still crying for the independent rear suspension that was used two generations ago, but we get the same the same torsion beam.

However, the rear torsion beam has been stiffened, while the engineers also introduced a few other tweaks to improve the comfort and refinement of the ride and we have to tell you that these really paid out.

The 1.8-liter naturally-aspirated petrol unit of our test car is borrowed from it's predecessor, but this shouldn't be seen as a drawback, since its VTEC variable distribution allows the driver to choose as if he had two powerplants.

The variable distribution and electronic lift control, to use the system's full name, lets you perform upshifts lower than 1,700 rpm to save fuel, or to climb all the way to 7,000 rpm in order to let the G-forces tickle him.

However, the peak power comes at 6,500 rpm, while the torque curve is pretty sharp, so you really have to push the unit hard in order to achieve a dynamic drive. The engine has been marginally enhanced, and now offers 2 extra hp and is also a tad cleaner, emitting 145 grams of CO2 per km instead of 152.

The "Executive" equipment level, which is the best one you can have and brings you features such as a start-stop system, a dual-zone automatic climate control system, a multifunctional steering wheel, power windows all-round, foldable rear seats, heated front seats and an artificial leather upholstery (the material will make sweat during hot weather, so a cloth upholstery would be much better).

You also get a keyless entry and engine start system, Bi-Xenon headlights, leather-finished steering wheel and gear shifter, aluminum pedal covers, a classic (non-adaptive) cruise control system, a rear view camera (owners of the previous generation complained about the rear visibility, so Honda not only improved this but also added a camera), a panoramic glass roof (this can’t be opened, but does bring a lot of light inside the car) and privacy glass.

We got to play with the optional satnav-fitted infotainment system on the Civic and this unfortunately proved to be one of those cheap pieces of hardware that brings negative points to China's image. At first, you're impressed by the various functions - it's all there, you've got satnav, touchscreen, a hard drive, a subwoofer in the luggage compartment, Bluetooth connection and so on.

However, once you actually use any of the controls, you realize that you're dealing with a perfect definition of "jack of all trades, master of none". It's not actually a bad piece of equipment, but it is by no means premium.

Of course, having so many toys comes at a price - literally: the Civic 1.8 Executive we tested came with a price of EUR26,028 (USD34,380 at the current exchange rate), while the Sport trim level, the medium one of the three you can have, is offered for a little under EUR20,000 (USD26,400)

The Euro NCAP has recently tested the Honda Civic, with the vehicle offering impressive results. To be more precise, the Japanese compact received a five-start rating ,with a score of 94 percent for adult occupant protection, 83 percent for child occupant protection, 69 percent for pedestrian protection and an 86 percent safety assist bonus.

The protection offered during the frontal impact test was “good”, with the exception of that offered to the driver’s chest and knees, which was rated as “adequate”, due to the fact that the fascia on both sides of the wheel was considered as being too rigid in the event of an impact.

As for the side impact test, the vehicle scored maximum points, while in the more severe pole test, protection of the head, abdomen and pelvis area was “good” and that of the chest was “adequate”. Finally, the vehicle offered good protection against whiplash injury during the rear-end crash test.

When talking about the protection offered to pedestrians, we have to tell you that the only area with slight problems is the bonnet, which offered mixed results for both adults and children. All, in all, the Civic is one of the best compacts to have in the unfortunate case of a crash, and this also goes for pedestrians.

Reporting from behind the wheel, it’s safe to say (no pun intended) that the Civic keeps you on the road, with the soft suspension being the only mechanical side that doesn’t bring points for this chapter.

The Civic is a pretty undecided car these days. It's exterior sends messages that prepare you for a dynamic experience, but the soft suspension and the vague steering offer anything but that.

In fact, the problem is not that the Civic doesn't offer a go-fast experience, since there are a lot of customers that are not interested in that, but the fact that it sacrifices too much of this side in order to be comfortable, when certain rivals manage to offer the same but with a more limited list of drawbacks.

Don't get us wrong, the Civic isn't a bad car, it's just that you'd expect a special driving experience and you receive an honest one instead. If we had to use just one word to describe the evolutionary process. we’d choose “refinement”, as the engineers’ efforts towards this have really paid out. We also have to praise the excellent level of safety offered by the car, with this also being true for pedestrians.

Our test car was dressed in the Executive spec and also came with certain optional extras, which brought it to EUR26,028 (USD34,380 at the current exchange rates). In case you were wondering why we gave it a "6" for each chapter, this is because, despite being capable in certain areas, we didn't find that something special a Civic should deliver.

The Civic’s evolution brings a lot of enhancements in most areas of the vehicle, so we get a much better car, but the competitors have also stepped up their game. Thus, it’s hard to recommend the Civic over its top rivals, as it doesn’t really manage to come with anything special besides the design, which has become an opinion splitter. However, it is an interesting proposal and you can put it on your list.