2010 Honda Civic Manchester

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The Honda Civic continues to hold its position at the top of the compact class, thanks to innovative styling, refinement, reliability, and a broad model line that ranges from the eco-friendly Civic Hybrid to the racy Civic Si.  Inside, all Civic models are pleasant, attractive and inviting. Available technology features include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink on Navigation-equipped models, and a USB audio interface on Civic EX, EX-L, Hybrid, and Si.  The Civic has a comfortable ride, is nice to drive and has ample windows that provide outstanding outward visibility.  The sporty Civic Si coupe and sedan share a 197-horsepower engine, six-speed manual transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, and supportive sport seats. The Civic Hybrid sedan is powered by a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine coupled with a permanent magnet electric motor and a continuously variable transmission. The Hybrid model features dramatically reduced emissions. 

Driving Impressions of the '10 Civic

The exceptionally stiff chassis gives the Civic a solid and planted feel. The brake feel is solid as well. Thoroughly modern front and rear suspension designs deliver impressive stability and certain steering response. The long wheelbase smoothes the ride.  The EX-L, Hybrid, and Si models come with electronic stability control, and the Si features larger front brake discs.

Interior Features of the '10 Civic

Seats are comfortable, not plush. Seat bottoms provide better than average thigh support. The manual height adjustment on the driver's seat pivots on front hinges, forcing drivers to choose between seat height and legroom. The Si models get sport front seats with synthetic suede upholstery and more aggressive bolsters both bottom and side for improved support. Sedans share the coupe's three-spoke steering wheel (with spokes at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions), which matches the spacey interior theme just as well. The Civic navigation system includes Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, a wireless telephone interface that works with Bluetooth-enabled mobile telephones for hands-free operation via steering wheel-mounted controls. Centered in the dash above the climate control panel is a stereo control head with the pertinent accoutrements; unless you order navigation, in which case this space is shared by an LCD window combining the navigation display with audio settings. In the Hybrid, a selection of graphic depictions of the power system's functions and status occupies the same location.  To the right of this squished pod-like arrangement, the dash curves away from the front passenger and houses two more horizontally oriented vent registers; again, neither of which matches the other. A wide, but not especially deep glove box resides below a cabin-wide, clam shell-like notch dividing the upper and lower halves of the dash.

Exterior Features of the '10 Civic

The Honda Civic sedan has a grille with a tall, trapezoidal center opening with secondary scoop-like openings on either side. A grid-like insert in the center opening contrasts with a kind of cyclone-fence theme in the side scoops. Slender headlamp assemblies angle upwards as they curve around the fenders. Around back, a bright chrome bar connects the taillights just above the indentation for the license plate.  The coupe grille has the Honda logo centered in an oval-themed black mesh, with a lower trapezoidal opening, and scoops ateither side that are drawn out wide and horizontal and divided midway by a horizontal strut.  Save for a lower body character line, the sides of the Civic are more slab than sensuous. Understated fender blisters break up the otherwise featureless expanse. Honda calls it a monoform design, and a central expression of this is the windshield, the leading edge of which reaches into the hood all the way to the middle of the front wheel wells, pushing the cab-forward design concept to a new extreme

Model Lineup

The Honda Civic comes in coupe and sedan versions. Civic DX, LX, and EX models share a 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with a standard five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic is optional.

The Civic DX coupe and sedan are the base models. Standard equipment includes power windows, tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, height-adjustable driver's seat and fold-down rear seatback. The coupe gets a rear decklid spoiler. Buyers wanting a radio must supply their own or order from the dealer, but a rear window-integrated radio antenna is standard. Brakes are disc in front, drum in rear. The P195/65R15 tires are on steel wheels with full wheelcovers. The Civic DX-VP sedan adds air conditioning, a four-speaker, 160-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with an auxiliary input jack, CD text display, and speed-sensitive volume control.

The Civic LX coupe and sedan add cruise control with steering-wheel-mounted controls; power door locks with keyless entry; center console with sliding armrest; overhead map lights; express up/down for the driver's power window; and P205/55R16 tires. The sedan comes with a four-speaker stereo (same as DX-VP), but the coupe has a six-speaker system, and also a rear-seat walk-in feature that remembers the front passenger seat's setting. The Civic LX-S sedan upgrades to alloy wheels, exclusive sport-trimmed black cloth seats with synthetic suede bolsters and silver stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a rear deck spoiler, and a chrome exhaust tip.

The Civic EX coupe and sedan add a power moonroof; variable-speed intermittent windshield wipers; a second 12-volt power outlet; a 60/40 split folding rear seatback; and outside temperature indicator. The steering wheel reverts to plastic, but adds audio controls; while the keyless remote adds a trunk release button. Brakes upgrade to four-wheel discs. The sedan's stereo adds two speakers (for a total of six); while the coupe gets a 350-watt, seven-speaker system; both get a USB interface. The EX coupe is available with manual transmission, XM Satellite Radio, and voice-recognition Navigation.

The Civic EX-L coupe and sedan add leather seats with seat heaters, leather-trimmed steering wheel and armrest, heated mirrors, and Vehicle Stability Assist and Brake Assist. The EX-L sedan is available with the automatic transmission, XM and Navigation.

The Civic Si coupe and sedan are performance models, powered by a 197-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. They come only with a six-speed manual transmission. Other go-fast goodies include a limited-slip differential, sport suspension, Vehicle Stability Assist with traction control, and P215/45VR17 tires on 17-inch alloy wheels. Fog lights come standard. Inside are synthetic suede sport seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an aluminum shift knob. Both coupe and sedan get the 350-watt, seven-speaker stereo. Packages include high-performance tires for the coupe and sedan; XM and navigation; or all of the above.

The Civic Hybrid sedan features a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), automatic climate control, a roof-mounted radio antenna, a rear decklid spoiler, and hybrid-pertinent digital data displays. Vehicle Stability Assist comes standard. The Hybrid is available with the navigation system and XM Satellite Radio ($25,800) and with a leather interior including heated front seats and side mirrors, or with the leather package, navigation, and XM.

Conclusions

The Honda Civic is the benchmark for compact cars. The Civic LX sedan is a superb choice for someone who wants a practical compact that is smooth, comfortable and quick. The EX models add all the conveniences, including heated leather seats in the EX-L. The GX offers basic transportation with the potential economy and real emissions reduction of natural gas. The Hybrid makes a good commuter car with its fuel-saving electric motor. The Si Coupe and Si Sedan deliver sporty performance for driving enthusiasts.

Some of the information for this review was obtained through newcartestdrive.com