Honda Civic
Engine: petrol LiVTEC
Displacement - 1790 cm3
Number of cylinders/valves - 4/16
Power - 140 hp/6300 rpm
Max. torque -174/4300 Nm/rpm
Top speed - 200 km/h
Fuel consumption:
City - 8.7 l/100 km
Highway - 5.5 l/100 km
Combined - 6.6 l/100 km
Transmission: 5-speed automatic.
Drive - front
Dimensions:
Length - 4545 mm
Width - 1750 mm
Height - 1435 mm
Curb weight: 1291 kg
Tire size: 195/65 R15
Amir Gatin, 10 years of driving experience, director of the company «Avtomakiyazh»
I confess honestly: lately I have been increasingly drawn to Honda products. Their appearance unmistakably exudes dynamics, a sporty character, strength and confidence. This really gets to me, because I love the feeling of speed when the car completely obeys your will. Previously, I had never gotten behind the wheel of cars from this renowned brand, so I accepted the offer to participate in the Honda Civic test with great enthusiasm. It must be said that the Civic looks quite restrained, even ascetic, on the outside, but its interior pleasantly surprised me. The compact sporty steering wheel, the instrument panel, and numerous well-thought-out compartments for small items — all of this is done with great taste and looks very decent. At the same time, everything here is convenient and functional. A true ascetic, whose rich nature you only come to appreciate upon closer acquaintance. Naturally, driving this car gave me immense pleasure. All I had to do was press the accelerator pedal harder, and my «steed» surged forward easily and swiftly. The «automatic» shifted gears smoothly and almost silently. Only the speedometer reminded me of high speed, which is conveniently placed in a separate window on the instrument panel for the driver.
The large bluish numbers on it rapidly replaced each other, clearly demonstrating how quickly speed grows. This solution seemed very convenient to me: the driver is always aware of the speed at which they are moving, which helps maintain a safe pace. Smooth «swallowing» of road irregularities, excellent sound insulation, and superbly tuned brakes — these are the main trump cards of this car. And one more thing. I am sure the Honda Civic is made for those who do not need ostentatious luxury, who prefer to remain inconspicuous in traffic. For those who value real drive and the thrill of speed.
Vadim, 8 years of driving experience.
What a sweet word — Honda! At least three models — Civic, CR-V, Accord — have become legendary and incredibly popular, succeeding each other from generation to generation. Therefore, my interest in the new Civic is quite understandable. First impression — the car has noticeably grown, it is no longer the familiar compact of class C, but a quite solid sedan. In width (175 cm) it is only one centimeter behind the Accord. True, the front part of the body did not visually appeal to me, but that is subjective. For a couple of days after the test, I painfully tried to remember where I had seen a similar recess under the headlights. And I remembered — on the new Passat B6! What can you do, globalization, unification, and borrowing successful solutions are common practice. But in the cabin, everything is convenient, solid, materials are expensive and high-quality. Pleasantly surprised.
Most of all, I wanted to test the newest 1.8-liter engine. The main competitors' engines of this size produce from 116 to 129 hp, while the Civic has as many as 140! Peak torque is 174 Nm at 4300 rpm. The Honda folks did their best. They almost managed to catch up with the newest Opel engine (same power, but 175 Nm at 3800 rpm). For the full picture, it is worth noting that the previous generation's 2.0-liter engines developed 130-140 hp, while ultra-modern ones (for example, FSI) — 150 hp. At the same time, the Civic has surprisingly low fuel consumption in the city — only 8.7 l/100 km. After 3000 rpm, the car becomes truly aggressive, dynamic, and obedient. You constantly feel the power reserve, which gives confidence and invigorates like a sip of cold spring water in the summer heat. But at 2000 rpm, we get only ordinary traction, not much different from competitors with the same displacement. Now a few words about the automatic transmission. At first, its behavior did not appeal to me. No, the gearbox itself is modern, five-speed, shifts are almost imperceptible. But the settings clearly lean towards calm driving: there is a noticeable delay when pressing the gas, and in this mode, overtaking on the highway is somewhat difficult.
Everything changed when I switched the gearbox to «S» mode — that's where you feel real drive! If you want more, you can also use the «manual» mode: the +- paddles are hidden under the steering wheel, which is somewhat unusual for a production car, but very convenient. However, «S» mode is so good that the «manual» will only be needed occasionally, for example, to take a corner faster. After experimenting with «D», «S», and «manual» modes, and then returning to «D», I realized that I really like this automatic transmission. You choose the driving style for the moment (leisurely, fast, or aggressive), and the «automatic» perfectly helps to implement it. And finally, about the price. It is considerable — $24,200. For this money, you could get a Mazda 6 or Toyota Avensis, but the Civic's equipment is also the richest, it has almost everything. So, I think it will have many fans.
Alfred, 11 years of driving experience
When this car first appeared on the market, it caused a real mini-revolution in the usual idea of how cars should look outside and inside. Against its background, even the much-advertised Citroen C4 pales. The eighth-generation Civic seems to have stepped off the screens of Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters. I think it will open a new page in the automotive industry and become a trendsetter. Many companies in the last decade have tried to experiment in this direction, there were both successful solutions and not so successful ones. But the Honda Civic stands apart: its design is interesting to everyone, and the engineers' efforts have clearly not been in vain.
It is a pity that the test featured not a hatchback, but a sedan, but even it is a champion in interior design. The pronounced two-tier front panel combined with the steering wheel and automatic transmission selector creates the feeling that you are inside an alien ship capable of miracles. The engineers' idea was that the readings of the electronic speedometer (located a tier above the huge tachometer) could be read without taking your eyes off the road. And, as practice shows, they quite succeeded. The large bright numbers under the visor are perfectly readable even in bright sunlight. The steering wheel is a separate topic. The aura that the new Civic creates is not easy to describe in words.
The feeling of fairly large external dimensions turned out to be correct: in terms of interior volume, the Civic has already come close to its older brother Accord, and it looks no smaller on the outside. Only when you sit in the Accord do you begin to feel the difference in cabin length and... how dull its interior looks, although a minute ago it seemed the height of perfection. Hmm... And the Civic really can change your perception of cars. Sitting inside, you involuntarily note not only the breathtaking design, but also the excellent quality of materials — this applies to both the upholstery and the plastic.
The five-speed automatic transmission is a rarity for this segment, and it is this that makes the car especially attractive. I will not argue with those who say the automatic is thoughtful, but I will stick to my opinion: the engine pulls excellently, allowing you to start sharply so that neighbors in traffic will not even suspect the presence of an automatic transmission.
When I stayed in the Civic alone, without passengers, it revealed itself completely differently. The suspension seemed to become more responsive, the dynamics are simply excellent, and the handling remained the same — as impeccable as when fully loaded. It is this quality that is most valuable to me in this car. Even on not the best tires, the car remains predictable and confidently holds the cornering arc. The right lane is not its element; this car is made for drive and is fully tuned for the driver. Although, of course, a manual would add even more emotion. The Formula-1 style paddle shifters add their own zest, but their algorithm is not entirely honest — the automatic noticeably interferes in the process. As for the steering wheel, its transparency and informativeness are beyond praise — the feeling of complete control does not leave for a second.
Brakes are exactly what you need. They require a confident, not superficial, press on the pedal. The effort is perfectly calibrated, and I like this character. And from a safety point of view, in my opinion, "grippy" brakes are much more dangerous than those installed on the Civic.
The fact that other test participants complained about the stiffness of the suspension, I would explain by over-inflated wheels — they are like stone on bumps. Even by touch, it is clear that the tire pressure exceeds the norm and is most likely about 3 atmospheres, as is often the case on new cars.
To sum up, after getting acquainted with the Civic, the bar of my assessments has noticeably risen. I involuntarily catch myself thinking that many cars in the flow have ceased to please the eye and awaken the imagination — a solid multi-colored mass of faceless cars with rare bright spots. In this constellation, the star of the Honda Civic occupies a quite worthy place.