“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has Harrison Ford in the limelight lately but, surprisingly, no one has mentioned his similarity to the Honda Civic.
Until now, right here.
Harrison Ford achieved celebrity status in 1973 with his supporting role in “American Graffiti,” and the Honda Civic established itself as a blockbuster in 1972 when it debuted. The man and the car are still superstars in their respective fields, and have generated billions of dollars for their producers.
And there you have it.
In recent years, Civic’s tremendous success has been challenged by a less than stellar response to the ninth-generation model introduced in 2011. Competitive brands didn’t do Honda any favors when they simultaneously came out with attractive new compacts.
Honda, however, has come back with a vengeance: a 10th-generation Civic for 2016. Wider, lower and with a longer wheelbase than the previous version, it’s entirely new in every direction and has been supplied with upgraded features and technologies.
With looks resembling those of an Acura and approaching the build quality of that Honda premium brand, the 2016 Civic now has a roomier cabin and offers the choice between two all-new four-cylinder engines delivering more horsepower and better fuel economy. The first, a 158-horsepower 2.0-liter, is the most powerful base engine ever used in a Civic. The second, another history-maker, is Civic’s first turbo: a 1.5-liter generating 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque.
There are five trim levels in the lineup: LX, EX, EX-T, EX-L and Touring. The base model LX comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission and the option of a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). All other trims have a CVT.
You’ll find the 2.0-liter engine under the hood of LX and EX models, and the 1.5-liter turbo sitting in the same location on the remaining three models.
Pricing and gas mileage numbers are compelling. The LX with manual gearbox goes for $19,475 including an $835 destination charge. At the other end of the spectrum, the Touring model runs $27,335 including destination charge. EPA fuel economy ratings are 27 mpg city and 40 mpg highway for the 2-liter with manual transmission and 31/41 with a CVT. Numbers for the turbo engine and its CVT are 31 mpg city and 42 mpg highway.
The Civic EX sedan I drove proved itself to be an energetic performer even though not blessed with the livelier turbo engine. In collaboration with the faultless CVT, it behaved gracefully on tight curves as well as the open road.
Comfort and quietness levels within the new Civic cabin are remarkably good, especially for a compact car. Great creativity was employed in designing the center console, which has an assortment of sliding and moving parts providing a multitude of different stowage configurations.
An eight-speaker audio system with 7-inch touchscreen is standard on the EX, along with the telematics equipment considered basic on just about every new car now.
The tester’s list of standard features is generous yet its total vehicle price is south of $23,000. It includes the Honda Sensing Package, a suite of driver-assistance technologies sure to appeal to drivers who want all the help they can get: adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking system, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist system, and road departure mitigation. Because of all the guidance it provides, I like to call it the Sensei Package.
If I were doing the shopping and had to stay near the same price point, I’d go for the turbo engine and ixnay on the Sensing Package. Not that I don’t need all the help I can get, but I’d rather concentrate on staying alert behind the wheel and use that money for the navigation system instead.
2016 HONDA CIVIC FOUR-DOOR EX
Base price, including destination charge: $22,875
Price as driven: $22,875
Mary Lowry is an independent automotive writer who lives in Snohomish County. She is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a board member of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturers as a one-week loan for review purposes only. In no way do the manufacturers control the content of the reviews.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
