If greater efficiency is desired, there's an Econ button that softens up throttle response. Engine noise is barely there, and it starts petering out once the revs climb beyond 4,500 rpm or so, but when you're low down, this Civic hustles. Low revs produce torque in a way no Civic ever has. The 180-horsepower, 177-pound-foot, 1.5-liter turbocharged four cylinder is a great engine. The stock tires, Continental ContiProContact all-seasons measuring 235/40/18, did a fine job handling this oddly warm winter. The steering is fine - it's numb like many other electric setups, but a quick(ish) steering ratio keeps the fun factor up. It's not necessarily soft over bumps, but very little sound actually makes its way into the cabin. It drives like a Civic should, on the firm side without being a stiff, uncomfortable mess. Rearward visibility is lacking, thanks to the hatch - the rear window is small, and the C-pillars are massive, which doesn't do blind spots any favors.ĭriving is damned good, though. Forward visibility is excellent, due in part to a driver's seat with a wide range of height adjustability. The Civic Hatch Sport kicks off the driving experience with a great first impression. Since I can stream my own personal SiriusXM account over Bluetooth, I didn't even bemoan the lack of satellite radio on my base Hatch Sport tester. Honda's lack of a physical volume knob on the Civic's touchscreen system has always bothered me, as it doesn't exactly work very well, so the base system is fine in my book. That system also adds a host of connected features, including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio and Pandora streaming. Move up to the Sport Touring model, not shown here, and you can get a touchscreen navigation and infotainment system, and Honda's novel LaneWatch passenger-side camera. That said, even with brake hold off, the Civic's hill-hold will still keep you steady when shuffling off from an inclined stop. I didn't use it, because I don't see the point, but I like that it goes a step beyond a traditional hill-hold system. Engaging it means the car holds its brakes at every stop, so you can take your foot off the brake. For the 10th iteration, Honda has leapt across the design spectrum and opted for something significantly more wild than mild - and not to everybody's enjoyment.Īnother interesting inclusion is the brake-hold system. The last Honda Civic had all the trademark contours of a Mr. In its Sport trim, it proves once again that Honda can build one hell of an entertaining, affordable car. It has some wacky styling, sure, but it once again attempts to stand out in a very crowded segment using Old Honda's tricks - a blend of efficiency and sportiness that's hard to match.Įven the hatchback has returned, once again offering expanded cargo space without sacrificing any of the aforementioned qualities. What a breath of fresh air it was, then, when Honda debuted today's 10th-generation Civic. Matters improved with the eighth-gen model in 2006, but the Civic that immediately followed it was so bad that it necessitated a substantial refresh after just one year. The seventh generation seemed to lose any semblance of the fun it once possessed, rendering the Civic just another bland econobox with little to offer families beyond two rows of seats and a trunk. Right around the turn of the century, though, something felt.
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