The bestseller here for two decades now
Surprisingly complete package — again
It doesn’t leap to top of mind as other such Canadian icons as the Maple Leaf, hockey, maple syrup, Mounties or the inukshuk, but Honda’s seemingly omnipresent Civic — over the years in sedan, hatchback and wagon guises — comes close to achieving cultural status. I mean, 20 consecutive years as Canada’s top-selling car has to count for something, doesn’t it? Plus, it’s built at Honda’s manufacturing facility in Alliston, Ont.
Though a born cynic, I can’t help be impressed by the fact more than 1.25 million Civics have been sold during those two decades.
I was contemplating this success while driving the topline Touring sedan. In base DX trim, the Civic is simple transportation. In Touring form, though, it is anything but. Of course, this comes with a substantial uptick in price, from $16,790 for the 2018 DX to $27,690 for the Touring, with several trim levels in between.
The Touring is a well integrated sedan, one with decent driving dynamics, a strong engine and a sporting attitude. It doesn’t have the same verve that the hardcore members of Civic Nation desire; those are found in the Si and the freakishly fast — and substantially pricier — Type R. Still, it’s a surprisingly complete package. Keep in mind, it has serious sales competition, primarily from Toyota’s Corolla, the Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and Chevy Cruze, all of which have challenged the Civic for the title over the years but have failed to knock it off its lofty perch.
Though the lesser trim levels make do with a 158-horsepower 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, moving up to the EXT or Touring sees an upgrade to a turbocharged 1.5-L four, churning out a more satisfying 174 hp. While not classleading, it’s a strong mill and it delivers slightly better fuel economy to boot. Considering the Touring tips the scales at a trim 1,334 kilograms, the power-to-weight ratio works in the car’s favour; it accelerates to 100 km/h in about 7.5 seconds, quick enough for a compact sedan. The downside is that the engine has a distinct growl to it under throttle. It’s also mated to a continuously variable transmission, which lessens the sporty vibe but otherwise seems a reasonable match. There aren’t any paddle shifters to play with, although the CVT has a Sport setting, and an Econ mode for those wanting to lessen their pain at the pumps. With the debut of the 10th-generation Civic in 2016, Honda engineers upgraded the car’s electric power steering to a dual-pinion setup with a variable gear ratio. The result is a solid weight and an improved feel when cornering. Again, considering the Touring isn’t supposed to be the sporting Civic, it nonetheless kind of is.
As for the suspension, decent-sized stabilizer bars keep body roll in check. The actual ride is skewed toward the firm side.
It’s almost ridiculous how much the Civic has grown over the years. A college buddy gave me lifts to my bus stop a few times in his first-generation CVCC hatchback (sedans weren’t introduced until the secondgeneration 1981 model year); it was obvious that in the mid-’70s Japanese automakers were not building cars meant for 6-foot-2, longlegged students. By comparison, with 2,769 litres of passenger volume, the latest Civic sedan is positively commodious — with one slight caveat. With the front seat back in its track, I am comfortable enough for normal commutes and have good legroom in the rear seat. But on longer drives, I like a little stretch-out room and there is no more to be had. Those of shorter dimensions will not be so compromised.
As for the cabin itself, plenty of soft-touch materials and complementary trim pieces elevate the Civic beyond the norm. The loaded Touring comes with a Display Audio touch screen with Android Auto and Apple Car Play compatibility, along with remote engine start, smart entry with push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front and rear seats, rainsensing wipers and wireless charging.
One minor beef: There’s still no volume button for the radio, just a slider to swipe up or down on the centre console as well as a toggle on the steering wheel.
A full spate of safety technologies is included with the Touring: collision-mitigation braking system, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, road-departure mitigation, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, vehicle-stability assist and traction control.
If, for whatever reason, I was thinking of downsizing my car from mid-size or larger to something smaller (though, frankly, the sedan is sneaking up on being mid-size itself ), the Civic would be one of the top contenders. It’s another solid effort from a company known for getting it right more times than not. Still, a mid-April ice storm had me thinking: Subaru is the only Asian automaker to have an all-wheel-drive compact sedan (and hatchback). Why let it have the franchise? Then again, Honda sold more than 50,000 CR-V crossovers last year in Canada. I think I answered my own question.