MODELTESTED: Honda Civic 1.5 VTEC CVT Sport
PRICE: £24,980 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 180bhp
HONDA’S 10th-generation Civic is the best yet. We know from previous tests that it delivers much of what buyers in the family hatch class are looking for – but how does it fare in £24,980 1.5 VTEC CVT Sport guise against its new Japanese rival?
Design & engineering
FOR this latest Civic, the company went back to the drawing board. Beneath the car’s unusually proportioned skin sits an all-new platform.
Honda chose a multi-link rear suspension design for the Civic after a few generations with a torsion beam, which should have positive effects on the handling and ride comfort. There are Macpherson struts at the front and, while our pictures show a Sport Plus model with adaptive dampers, they’re not available on the Sport trim we’re testing here.
The engine is a 1.5-litre petrol, turbocharged to produce the most power here at 180bhp and 220Nm of torque. This motor is linked to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), as in the Subaru, but here it only sends power to the front wheels.
The electronic engineering inside a family hatch like this is as important as the mechanical make-up, and inside the Honda it’s undoubtedly an individual approach when it comes to design.
Material quality is not quite on par with the VW’S, but both cars surpass the Subaru for tactility. The design is functional, but the equipment on offer isn’t quite as nicely integrated as in the Golf.
You do get plenty, though, and – at £24,980 – the Honda is well priced compared with its rivals, especially considering the power on offer.
LED headlights, Bluetooth and climate control feature, as do parking sensors and a reversing camera, sat-nav, Apple Carplay and Android Auto. However, the Honda has to do more than just serve up a decent kit tally, so how does it drive?
Driving
SWEETER than the Subaru is the answer. While the CVT box in the Impreza doesn’t get in the way of the driving experience, it’s also not quite as good as the Honda’s. That’s partly down to the Civic’s extra torque lower down in the rev range from 1,700rpm, which means the transmission doesn’t have to work the engine as hard, sending the revs higher.
This also means there’s good performance, and the Honda outsprinted the Subaru by at least one second in our kickdown tests between 30 and 50mph, as well as between 50 and 70mph. With the most power, it was the fastest car from 0-60mph, too, taking 7.4 seconds – quick for a warm hatch.
As with the Impreza, there are engineered steps in the gearbox to simulate gear ratios, and just as in the Subaru, they work okay. However, leave the CVT to its own devices and at moderate speeds it works well. Up the pace and a similar problem to the Subaru presents itself – it just doesn’t give a very strong or nice connection to the car, which is a shame for two reasons: the manual alternative is sublime, and the Honda’s chassis is really enjoyable.
The steering is direct, roll is well controlled and the damping delivers enough comfort. It’s sweet to drive as well, and the Civic provides enough grip to rival the Golf – only that transmission lets it down (it’s good in isolation) compared with the slicker DSG unit in the Volkswagen.
Practicality
WITH a 420-litre boot, the Civic offers more load space than either of its competitors on test. The hatchback opening isn’t quite as wide as the Golf’s, but there’s not much of a loading lip, so it’s easy enough to lift bags into the boot. A load cover that slides sideways is a useful touch, too, even if it’s a little fiddly at times.
On the inside, the rear of the Civic’s cabin is roomy. This is no surprise because it’s longer than the Golf, but there really isn’t very much to split the two cars here, although the VW’S squarer roofline gives an impression of more headroom.
Storage is great. There’s a big, lidded bin between the front seats, a slot in front of the gearlever and even a semi-hidden spot underneath this where you’ll find the USB points. However, this does mean cable routing for charging gadgets is a little convoluted – if you want wireless charging to do away with this, you’ll have to upgrade to Sport Plus.
Ownership
HONDA aced our most recent Driver Power 2018 satisfaction survey, ranking third out of 26 manufacturers, two places ahead of Volkswagen. Honda’s aftersales service backed this up with a second-place result for its official dealer network, while the German manufacturer trailed in 18th in this part of the poll.
It’s more difficult to split them when it comes to safety. In Sport trim the Civic gets autonomous braking with collision warning, lane keep assist and lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition, as well as six airbags as standard – to match the Impreza and Golf – all of which gave the Honda a five-star Euro NCAP rating.
Running costs
THE CVT Civic just edged the DSG Golf for fuel economy on test, returning 40.2mpg compared with 38.6mpg for the VW – around a £70 difference in annual fuel bills. The Honda’s higher insurance premium of £406 against £351 for the Golf cancels most of this out.
By comparison, the Subaru’s non-turbo engine meant its fuel economy on test was poor. It only managed 23.5mpg, which means it’ll be around £1,240 more expensive to fuel over a year’s driving than the Honda, based on our figures.
Testers’ notes
“The Civic’s styling won’t be to all tastes, especially compared with the more conservative Golf. However, design doesn’t impact practicality here. The well-built Honda is a usable family hatch.”