Honda Civic

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Honda Civic Models

The Honda Civic comes in coupe and sedan versions, which differ in appearance but share the same level of features.

Civic four-door sedans come in three different trim designations and two different powertrains. Models include the base Civic DX sedan; LX, which adds power-operated controls and luxury features; top-of-the-line EX, which gets a more powerful engine, body-colored power mirrors and a remote entry system. A four-speed automatic transmission is optional with every trim level.

Honda Civic two-door coupes add a thrifty fuel-economy HX edition along with the DX, LX and EX trim levels listed above. The HX is equipped with an efficient lean-burn engine capable of 44 miles per gallon when teamed to the standard five-speed manual transmission. A continuously variable automatic also works with the HX.

Three engines are available; all are four-cylinder aluminum engines and each earns the government's ultra low emission vehicle, or ULEV, certification. The mileage-leading Civic HX coupe edition uses a lean-burn engine that achieves 117 horsepower; DX and LX coupe and sedan come equipped with a 115-horsepower 1.7-liter engine; the deluxe EX coupe and sedan get a 127-horsepower engine.

Sedan and coupe differ in appearance; in fact, fewer than one-fourth of the body panels are common to both body styles. The coupe comes with a more aggressive windshield rake than the sedan for a sportier look. Sedans and coupes measure identically in wheelbase and share a common structure, although the coupe has steel reinforcements for bulkheads, the floor pan and the front and rear roof pillars to compensate for the absence of the sedan's center side pillars

Driving the Honda Civic

Beneath the styling, the Honda Civic rides on a stiff new structure that carries new suspension elements and larger but more efficient powertrains. We drove several variations of the sedan and coupe on freeways and narrow back roads that wind through the convoluted hills near San Diego. There, we discovered all the new Civics offer competent pavement manners. In certain iterations, they are spunky and fun to drive.

Most fun to drive is the Civic ES with a manual transmission. With its more powerful engine, the ES produces lively acceleration, while the manual gearbox affords more driver control. This engine produces 127 horsepower and its torque extends across a broad rpm band, so the driver gets good throttle response at any speed. Shifting is smooth and precise, due to the revised feel of the stick with notched stop points added between gears. A four-speed automatic also works well with quiet and refined shifts, although the automatic dampens any pretensions of a sporty attitude.

The base engine for Honda Civic DX and LX models produces less power and that translates to flat and tepid performance. This is most noticeable with the automatic transmission; a little more time is needed in the passing lane when trying to pass another vehicle at speed.

Ride quality is smooth and easy with Civic's new suspension that uses MacPherson struts up front and a double wishbone in the rear. Noise, vibration and harshness are reduced, largely due to improvements in structural rigidity, along with liquid-filled engine mounts plus noise- and vibration-damping materials added throughout the Civic's body. Wind noise was diminished through aerodynamic streamlining. The net effect: When driving at highway speed, riders may converse in a normal voice without distractions from mechanical or wind noises.