Friday 8 September 2017
2016 Honda Civic EX Review All in on the active safety
2016 Honda Civic EX |
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2.0-liter DOHC I-4, direct inject ion, CVVT (158 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm, 138 lb- ft @ 40 rpm) continuously variable transmission 31 city / 41 highway / 35 combined (EPA Rating, MPG) 37 (observed, MPG) base price: $ 19,475 * As Tested :. $ 22,875 * * Prices include $ 835 destination charge |
Honda has received much flagellation of the press for the last generation Civic. The 2012 model was the result of Honda improperly read the Magic 8-Ball in the midst of the global slowdown. Honda supposed buyers makers are looking for something more modest, maybe even austere, and changed direction on. The competition, assuming that buyers would be looking for greater comfort in a smaller package, went the opposite direction and doubled down on luxury features.
The conventional wisdom was that Honda "he intervened" with the ninth-generation sedan. Journalists have complained about the plastic quality, style and ... customers paid little attention. Sales of the Civic fell slightly in 2011 during the transition, but quickly rebounded to over 315,000 units per year since. Some will say that "refreshes emergency" Honda were the reason for sales success, but I propose a different answer: the continued sales success of smaller-than Civic and increased sales of compact "premium" has showed that there was plenty of room in the segment for both
Whatever the reality, one thing is certain: .. When it came time to design the tenth generation Civic, Honda had " austere "removed from the dictionary company
Exterior
style of business is fashion and the Civic is the last victim for example. The 2016 Civic a nd Accord Acura borrow a book page and use almost the same front end. The upscale gains Civic Touring full-LED headlights continue the game of Sosia companies like Acura sedan and the Accord.
tenth generation of the Civic us another brings modern miracle: he is three inches longer, almost two inches wider and more powerful than the outgoing model - but he is 60 pounds lighter. This means more interior space than ever before. It also means the Civic is basically the same size as Accord 190s
The Civic is still a sedan and not a Prius liftback as though his silhouette vaguely recalls the Crosstour. Of course, Honda has announced that the European sedan will arrive on our shores soon if you prefer a larger rear opening. Hatch lovers rejoice!
Interior
The biggest changes come in the cab of the Civic. Gone is the hard plastic sea and odd variety of textures. Instead, harmonious and mature design is in the form of a variety of softer surfaces ranging from the dashboard to decklid. Honda even abandoned the great Civic (but distinctly Civic) two-tier dashboard and replace it with a classically located cluster dominated by a 5-inch LCD screen. Perhaps Honda answers prayers after all.
Honda continues to use a frame manually adjustable seat in most fillings in the Civic. If you want leather upholstery, youll have to pony for the EX-L and the seat of his power eight-way driver. Providing power to the passenger seat must go to the Civic Touring, which allows a four-way power adjustment. My back has found the lack of adjustable lumbar annoying since you now find it intermediate covers a large number of competitors of the Civic.
The Civic surprises with more room for rear seat he had last year, even with its four-door coupe-style, put up the pack. space for rear seat legroom is the biggest beneficiary of taffy pulling Honda at an amazing 37.4 inches, just an inch shy of the 2016 Agreement The extra width also shows when the seats adult or child seats to back. The trunk of the Civic is one of the most important as well with a little over 15 cubic feet of storage widget.
Technology
Honda Sensing is the new name for Honda latest security gadgets reduced from Acura. The package installs a radar sensor in the grille and a camera system before providing full speed range adaptive cruise control, pre-crash warning, autonomous braking, mitigation of departure of the road, lane departure warning and Lane departure. Nothing in this is revolutionary because it was seen in the luxury car for a while. What is revolutionary is that we all find ourselves together in a Civic, not just a top model. You can add the package to a base LX model to $ 1,000 above the price of the necessary automatic transmission. At $ 20.440, which makes the Civics cheapest car with this level of active technology.
The EX models and above receive the latest system HondaLink infotainment and navigation Honda with a 7-inch LCD touch screen built into the dashboard in a style similar to BMWs iDrive screen. For a car in this segment, the system is surprisingly well equipped / iPod integration Bluetooth / USB, smartphone-based applications and the implementation of Honda carplay Apple and Android Auto.
Training
Honda has two new engines in the sedan for 2016, both making more power than the 1.8-liter last year four. A four-cylinder engine with direct injection 2-liter is standard on LX and EX produces 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque.
Also new for 2016 is a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine that surprised some Honda fans. Tuned to 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, it is one of the most powerful mid-level engine in the compact segment and it can be found in T-EX, EX-L and Touring. In case you are worried, it is not the new Civ ic Si, but it bodes well for Honda sport compact when it arrives.
Although the engines 2 and 1.5 liters CVTs use different, they both benefit from Hondas latest software that modifies the reports much faster than the Nissan CVT. This makes passing maneuvers feel more "normal" that the transition from a high rate to a low ratio is quick and lively.
player
Acceleration has improved with more power and less weight, but the real difference is in the Civic NVH. The 2-liter engine is smoother than the outgoing 1.8 and Honda added more sound deadening material to the firewall so that you hear less of the engine. The Civic was also equipped with triple door seals, acoustic windshield and moss galore to finally make this Honda one of the quietest compact sedan. (It is actually quieter than the ILX.)
Thanks to its proportions ever-growing, around the Civic is composed on the broken pavement. His suspension is moderately firm but not hard, which allows the Civic to handle the roll in cornering while absorbing bumps that generally destabilize the rear suspensions of the Forte, Elantra and Elantra.
Electric power steering is inevitable these days, but Honda has the best technology anesthetic. The steering is weighted on the side and moderately firm with a faster connection youll find in the Mazda3. Although management of the Mazda3 feels a hair lazier, the Mazda transmits more road feel to the driver makes it easier to say what the front tires are doing. ultimate grip in the Civic is hampered by the selection of Honda tires remaining 215 in the width of the base LX all the way up to the top-end Touring.
The manual six-speed rarely is everything you expect from Honda: ratios are well chosen and feel of the shifter and clutch are among the best Of the industry. Not bad for an econo box. Unfortunately, the manual can be found in the base model.
Although Honda CVT is the best, hands down, it is still a CVT. Press the pedal to the floor and the CVT-equipped EX scoot to 60 in 8.3 seconds while imitating an automatic staged. This is faster than the last Focus, Corolla, Sentra or Elantra I tested and a few tenths slower 2.5-liter Mazda3. Keep in mind that this is the base engine.
Thanks to the design of CVT, the "changes" are clear and credible compared to Toyota and Nissan units. However, if you use anything less than full throttle, the CVT is as expected with the engine "hang out" in a particular r egime as the car accelerates. The uncomfortable truth: this is the most effective way to speed up. Back-to-back proved you can reach 60 mph in 2 / 10ths of a second faster if you put the transmission in "L", which prevents the CVT mimic the changes.
Thanks to the CVT, efficient engine and light curb weight, we averaged close to 37 miles per gallon of 725 miles. As with most turbo engines, the 1.5 liter turbo can be very effective on the road, but it burns more fuel than the naturally aspirated 2 liter when the road gets more fun.
At $ 18.460 for a Civic LX with manual transmission, the Civic has the highest starting price in the segment. This is a huge $ 2,500 plus a base Forte. Comparing the models with automatic shrinking the delta, but the Civic is still $ 1,700 more. Certainly, the Civic will come with $ 550 more equipment, but the Honda is more expensive no matter how you slice it.
Although I think the difference is justifiable, it comes down to more emotional comparisons such as the best Honda uses bits inside, the quieter cabin, the best feeling direction, etc. the comparison is similar, but to a lesser extent when you set the Civic against the Elantra, Sentra, Corolla, etc.
The shift to entry level rather than a "value" open entry is an interesting move for Honda. At $ 22.040, our EX tester with cloth seats stickered at about the same price as a high end Sentra SL with leather upholstery. Instead of leather, Honda added the full suite of active safety gadgets and HondaLink s ystem with 7-inch Apple carplay and Android Auto. Im always torn between gadgets and "traditional luxury," but I must admit that I would take the Civic EX on Sentra SL because of the availability of the automatic braking wedge, speed control radar and carplay.
Turbo Civics start $ 22,0 and because the 1.5-liter engine slots between the base and the future Civic Si and Type R models, there is not much there out there as far as direct competition is concerned. The 1.5 is not a competitor to the Focus STI something like Mazda3 2.5 is a better comparison. Versus Mazda, the Civic ends up being less expensive while offering similar performance and better fuel economy. Honda also allows you to buy the engine and a more powerful radar cruise control without a leather interior, which is impossible in the Mazda.
With the redesign in 2016, Honda has changed the character of the Civic for the better. Instead of feeling like a cheap entry that sold on the reliability of the rep utation and value of Honda, it can now be regarded as entry into the premium segment. With the addition of Honda Sensing, I think it will also be the safest. Security-obsessed Volvo doubled down on the active safety systems recently in a mission to eliminate fatalities in Volvos by 2020. While this goal is obviously unrealistic, the Civic is a fun comparison. The addition of Honda Sensing on only a quarter of Civics sold in the US will have a greater impact than Volvos efforts simply because Honda is going to autonomous braking and other systems in the hands of more people.
There is no secret that I love me some security gadgets and maybe that predisposed me to like the Civic. But the real truth: the Civic is just easy going. It is full of driver convenience features, it is well equipped, and love my iPhone. If I was shopping in this segment, the EX is a leather steering wheel and adjustable lumbar support far from perfect.
Honda pr ovided the vehicle, insurance and a review of gas
Specifications as tested
0-30: 3.3 seconds
0-60: 8.1 seconds
1/4 mile: 15.9 @ 91 mph
