Economy Car Nirvana?

It’s a dirty little secret around the car guy water cooler that the seventh generation (2001-05) Honda Civic was but a shadow of its predecessors. Honda Motor Co., in a desire to appeal to the older crowd and gum-chewing high school cheerleaders, turned what was a fun and easily modified small car into a dull, flaccid “upscale” small car. In short, Honda focused more on interior room, fuel economy and panel gaps and less on excitement, which resulted in a mass-exodus of tuner junkie young males from Honda showrooms. As if Honda intended to add insult to injury, in 2002 the Civic Si was introduced, sporting the body of a bread van and a low revving, limp inline-4. Not surprisingly, Honda began to feel the sting when the sales numbers came back. Although the Civic was still a strong seller, it was no longer an unequivocal success story like the sixth generation had been.

For the eighth generation of Honda’s bread winner, the company decided to go back to basics, putting as much emphasis on handling and styling as it did on interior room and EPA numbers. Honda hopes the resulting product sucks young buyers into its showrooms like a Dust Buster (which is no mere hyperbole, since that’s exactly what the 2006 Civic resembles). Observe one in person, and you’re immediately drawn to the incredibly low and pointed nose which sweeps your eyes up to a windshield with a more extreme rake than Acura’s late NSX supercar, and over the now lower roof. Behind this is a rather conventional, but still contemporary back end featuring stylish taillights apparently cribbed from Audi’s latest A4. Like it or not, you will get noticed when driving this new Civic, something that could hardly be said of the old boxy model. Coupe versions of the new Civic look even sportier than the sedans, with a stubbiness to the back end that echoes the more expensive Acura RSX. As with the last generation, there will be a hybrid model, which benefits from the weird styling, since hybrids are supposed to look weird (pull up next to that Prius driver and witness his double-take).

But while the exterior of the new Civic looks mildly like a spaceship, the interior resembles the inside of the Starship Enterprise’s landing craft. Its almost too much for the eye to take in at first, but you quickly notice some interesting details such as the separate pod housing the gear shifter and what must be the shortest emergency brake lever known to man, as well as the optional navigation screen (present and accounted for on my EX model test vehicle). There are also small triangular windows in the A-pillar which are necessitated by the long windshield. One detail that doesn’t immediately jump out at you is the two tier instrument panel, although you’ll certainly notice something is amiss when you see only a tachometer in the place where the speedometer, fuel gauge, and temperature gauge usually hang out. Fear not, Honda isn’t secretly in cahoots with your insurance company to get you speeding tickets. The speedometer and the other gauges have been digitized and moved to their new location at the base of the windshield, where they can better be glanced at without taking one’s eyes off the road. This unorthodox location made it necessary for Honda to shrink the steering wheel down to Playskool size, which means you have to work like fiend to negotiate freeway turnarounds. But more on that later.

Fit and finish are much improved, doing away with the old Civic’s overly plasticky interior. The leading edge of the front door trim was grossly misaligned with its corresponding dash trim, but this was the only boo-boo in an otherwise exceptionally functional interior. Interior space also seems to be improved, although it may be nothing more than an optical illusion caused by the windshield, which from the backseat seems so far away that it might as well be long to the car in front of you. Seat comfort is above-average, and the tiny wheel tilts and telescopes, meaning the new Civic should cater to all shapes and sizes.

Out on the road, the 㤎 Civic immediately distances itself from the old model with its firmer chassis as well as its new 1.8 liter, 140 horsepower VTEC 4-cylinder. One of the biggest complaints about the old model was its less-than-adequate powertrain, and although this new engine (with gains of .1 liter of displacement and 27 horsepower) is no barn burner, it at least wont hang you out to dry during attempted mergings onto busy freeways. A new 5-speed automatic makes the most of VTEC’s newfound power and shifts smoothly if not soundlessly. Whereas previously the EX was the only model equipped with VTEC, now the entire Civic line will use the same engine (except for the Si, which gets a higher revving 2.0 liter four). Fuel economy is projected to average well into the 30s with the automatic, with 5-speed manual versions acheiving better than 40 mpg on the highway (source: thecarconnection.com). As for the much-hyped hybrid, Honda claims 50 mpg for both city and highway driving. But before you get visions of Exxon execs pulling their hair out, keep in mind that real-world results for hybrids have been known to be disappointing, so an extended test drive based on your normal driving style may be in order.

Handling is another area in which the old Civic could have used some elbow grease, and the new model comes to the rescue yet again. With its updated strut front suspension (sorry gearheads, still no double-wishbones), the Civic turns in crisply and has a smooth ride, although slightly more body control on extremely bumpy roads would be welcome. Body roll is commendably absent, although it may have had something to do with the perception from the driver’s seat that this is a tall car, when in reality its a smidgen shorter than the last Civic. Steering is accurate, though quite numb, and the tiny wheel makes for more effort than the average driver is used to (unless he or she drives go karts frequently).

On the safety front, Honda has long been known as a leader, so its no surprise that the 㤎 Civic reflects the latest technology. Dual front, side, and curtain airbags are standard across the board, as is ABS and a front crumple zone that is designed to minimize damage not only to the car itself, but also to other cars and unlucky pedestrians that happen to get in your way. All this new-found goodness doesn’t come cheap, however, as my silver Civic EX test car tickled the underside of $20k. Of course, that comes loaded with the nav system, sunroof and alloy wheels. Skip all that stuff and you can get a nicely-equipped piece of Honda’s legacy for about $17,000. The Civic is back in the limelight, and save for a few minor flaws, is again at the head of the small-car pack.