But I’m starting to get the seven-year itch when I look at it. I’m ready for something new.
Along comes the ninth-generation Civic, an early 2012 model. I recently spent a week at the wheel of the sedan, one of the six completely redesigned models. There’s also the coupe; Si coupe and sedan; hybrid; compressed natural gas; and HF, a new high fuel economy variant with features similar to the Civic LX sedan.
The Civic competes in a field crowded with the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Cruze, to name a few. They all sport the latest technology, plus value-added items like never before.
The thing is, I’m not sure how well the Civic stacks up. It lacks, well, passion.
The Civic has made its reputation by being safe, reliable and affordable. Cumulatively, the Civic has appealed enough to reach 8.8 million buyers in the U.S. through 2010 since its launch as a 1973 model. Honda calls the new Civic a “futuristic and distinctive” compact.
What’s common to all
All ’12 models carry updates to the power steering, information display (all except Civic DX models), stability control system and Eco Assist, a dash display that helps the driver tailor his or her driving style to be more fuel-efficient.
The 1.8-liter engine that powered the previous generation sedan, coupe, HF and natural gas models has been changed to upgrade its emissions and increase fuel economy.
Acceleration, ride & handling
The sedan’s re-engineered 1.8-liter 4-cylinder carries the same horsepower and torque ratings as before, but combined city/highway fuel economy is now estimated to be 32 MPG compared with the ’11’s 29. I averaged 33.9 in 310 miles of driving.
All Civics except Si models are equipped with an ECON button to the left of the steering wheel. Punch that, and the drive-by-wire throttle system gives a more gradual response, shifts are reconfigured on the automatic transmission and there will be less heat or AC being pumped out. It all adds up to better fuel economy. The downside is that you’ll have to be even more careful when moving into highway traffic and allow for more time to merge. Chances are the ride and handling characteristics are going to be judged to be acceptable to a lot of drivers. Not every bump in the road is transmitted to the driver, and that’s fine with me. Handling is far from sporty in the sedan model; drivers looking for that may want to consider the Si trimline.
Style
The new Civic sedan is slightly snazzier-looking outside with a lower side slash that is meant to convey motion. Inside, there’s a new hooded instrument panel that extends over more than half of the dash, with a large speed display in the center that I really liked. My tester’s subdued black and tan interior was neatly done, highlighted by brushed metallic surfaces and a few brilliant chrome bezels. The leather upholstery is tufted and tucked the way I’ve seen in luxury vehicles.
Missing are a few details that I would have appreciated — lights on the visor mirrors and someplace to store sunglasses.
Interior volume has increased slightly and there’s a bit more shoulder and hip room. My EX-L tester’s rear seat splits and folds so items can intrude into the cabin from the smallish trunk.
Safety
The Civic remains a top safety pick from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with two-row side curtain airbags and front side airbags in every model and trim level, head restraints for all seats, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and daytime running lights.
Finally
There’s so much about the new Civic that’s in the ballpark. After a week, I appreciated many of its aspects. It does a lot of things right. I just never found enough of it to be exciting, enough to consider it a hit out of the ballpark.
Amy Rollins is a writer for the Skywrighter at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and is the former editor of Wheels.
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