Auto Trader Ten Point Test: Honda Civic

Honda are aiming their new Civic at younger buyers than usual. They are having some success – the average age of Civic buyers has dropped by almost a decade.

On the strength of its look alone it’s obvious why it’s a hit with the younger crowd.

And when you get behind the wheel you realise the seventh generation Civic is more than just a fantastic looking machine – it’s a brilliant drive, too.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance

Running Costs | Reliability | Safety |Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks

Honda should be applauded for avoiding the temptation to tone down the Civic from their earlier concept designs.

The triangular foglights and exhausts, visor-like headlamps and racy, squat forward profile are all present and correct and give it a dramatic, purposeful poise.

Why should buyers of small cars like this be spared such vanities as folding mirrors, or stealthed rear door handles, which make the five door car look like a coupe? There’s no reason why every car in this sector can’t look as good as the Civic does – in fact, this is exactly how cars in 2006 should look.

10/10

2. Looks inside

Inside the self-consciously modern styling is turned up a notch. The rev counter and digital speedometer arrangement is a great example – an excellent balance of futuristic style with intuitive, comfortable ergonomics.

When I drove something other than the Civic I found I missed the distinctive speedometer that is easy to keep an eye on while watching the road.

Everything falls into the drivers’ hands with ease, from the ignition button, to the conveniently high gear stick, to the wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls. The acid test of how well a controls system works is whether you are ever forced to pick up the manual to figure something out – mine remained untouched.

10/10

3. Practicality

The Civic has Honda’s ingenious collapsing rear seats which bury themselves somewhere in the floor of the car and leave a surprising amount of room - 1,352 litres instead of 485.

Another example of Honda’s trademark ingenuity can be found in the glove compartment, which is chilled and is perfect for keeping drinks cool.

The spoiler across the rear window intruded too much on rearward visibility for my liking, especially on motorways, but presented no problem for parking

8/10

4. Ride and Handling

I found the Civic’s handling taut and very responsive with plenty of grip on turn-in to corners. The steering was just on the right side of lightness while still giving plenty of feedback.

It’s a similar story with the ride – the suspension soaked the harshness out of uneven surfaces while giving the driver enough of a feel for how the car is moving and reacting.

8/10

5. Performance

Our test car boasted Honda’s excellent new 1.8 litre i-VTEC engine. Like all Honda VTEC engines, it gives the most power high up the rev range, which takes a little getting used to.

This is twinned perfectly with a six-speed gearbox and a clutch pedal with a short travel to the floor. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to shell out an extra £700 form the automatic when you can breeze through the manual gearbox with no effort at all.

The 0-60 mph time is a disappointing 8.9 seconds, and it maxes out at 127. If it’s serious performance you’re after then best to wait for the Type-R model.

8/10

6. Running Costs

Another benefit of the 1.8 i-VTEC is its frugality, boasting 44.1 mpg combined. The dashboard is adorned with the usual array of gizmos to show how good your fuel economy is at any point of your journey.

The servicing interval is 12,500 miles and the estimated cost of the first service is £82. If the looks don’t date the car too badly (and I wouldn’t expect them to) depreciation shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

9/10

7. Reliability

With Honda’s well-renowned reliability you should be laughing but even if it doesn’t you’ve still got a three-year/90,000-mile warranty to fall back on.

9/10

8. Safety

The EuroNCAP figures for the Civic haven’t been published yet, but Honda are confident of five stars for front and side impacts, three stars for pedestrian safety and four for child protection safety.

Dual front and side SRS airbags are standard, as are anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, vehicle stability assist and emergency brake assist.

8/10

9. Equipment

Standard equipment on our ES model (the second highest of five trim levels) was very good: cruise control, panoramic sunroof, rain-sensitive windscreen wipers and folding door mirrors.

All models include coloured bumpers and chrome door handles, cupholders, electric mirrors and electric windows all round.

Interestingly there is no rear wiper – instead the curvature of the upper window is designed to shed water and the lower portion has a water repellent coating. It seems to work perfectly well.

9/10

10. X-Factor

For the same money as our Civic you could get a top-of-the-range Ford Focus Titanium. But I wouldn’t contemplate a staid Focus for a second after driving this – the Civic quite simply wipes the floor with it

It’s an attractive and comfortable car, bags of fun to drive, and it’s British-built (in Swindon). What more could you want?

9/10

Rivals:
You might also want to consider one of the following

Mazda 3
Toyota Auris
Seat Leon Cupra

First Pictures of the Civic Type R

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