Honda Civic’s new look impresses
If you don’t know what car your roommate owns, chances are it is a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. The two best-selling compact sedans in the U.S. are reliable, fuel-efficient values that don’t stand out much from the large but shrinking compact segment. But Honda wants its redesigned 2016 Civic to make an impression that lingers far longer than that one time your roommate cleaned the bathroom.
The 10th-generation Civic is sportier in styling and powertrain, making it less like the Hyundai Elantra and more like the Mazda3.
On the outside, Honda has adopted a lower, coupelike roofline, but the floor is also lower, so headroom isn’t compromised.
There are two powertrains now, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a directinjection 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder. Both are mated to a continuously variable transmission, or CVT.
The turbo Civic that comes at the Touring trim level is a punchy powertrain that matches the sportier exterior. Honda’s first 1.5-liter turbo engine in the U.S. kicks out 174 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, good enough to hit 60 mph in less than seven seconds, according to Car and Driver.
Honda’s commitment to the CVT in the Civic adds value. The turbo Civic with CVT extends a tank of gas; we averaged more than 40 mpg on the highway without trying. EPA estimates are 31 mpg city, 42 highway and 35 combined, which is where we were at in Eco setting.
The Touring interior boasts leather-trimmed seats, steering wheel and shifter, with soft-touch dash and door materials. It com- fortably and easily fits a family of four, though larger drivers may have to work the eight-way power seats to find the right setting. In back, Honda says it added 2 inches of rear legroom, and the 60/40 split rear seats open up to a trunk with 2.6 more cubic feet. It feels more midsize than compact.
The 7-inch touch screen feels smaller than that, the surface buttons are narrow, and changing audio channels is best done via presets, Car Play or anything other than the screen.