[Forbes] - 2016 Honda Civic Review - Honda Redefines the Small Car with All-New Civic

[administrator]

The first 2016 Honda Civic sedan reviews are out!

First the important specs:

1.5L turbo

• 174 horsepower / 162 lb-ft
• 31 city mpg, 42 highway mpg and 35 mpg in mixed driving.

2.0L NA engine

• 158 horsepower / 138 lb-ft torque
• With 31 city mpg, 41 highway mpg and 35 combined mpg

The pricing that we first previewed has been confirmed ($19,475 for the base LX and so forth).

Here is the review from Forbes Magazine:

2016 Honda Civic: Honda Redefines the Small Car with All-New Civic

The first new car I ever bought was a 2000 Honda Odyssey minivan. As a longtime automotive enthusiast with a 15-year history of performance car ownership prior to the Odyssey, that’s not really a boast, just a statement of fact. But it’s also a powerful statement about what Honda represented to me back in 2000. Growing up in Golden, Colorado I thought of Hondas as small, fuel efficient and well built; all fine traits, but none that genuinely appealed to an adolescent vintage muscle car fan. Later, while launching Super Street magazine in 1996, I was regularly exposed to Honda vehicles.

I quickly realized Honda didn’t just make high-quality cars with fuel efficient engines. They made cars that were consistently fun to drive, with responsive steering, precise transmissions (arguably the best manual transmissions on the planet) and engines that packed a lot of punch despite their small displacement and high mpg. Those traits were superb assets (and not totally unexpected) on cars like the Civic Si, CRX and Prelude. But when I discovered Honda’s family hauler, the Odyssey, also possessed them (“A fun-to-drive minivan?!!”) I decided it was time to spring for my first brand new vehicle. Having a 2-year-0ld child and a pregnant wife also helped drive that decision.

Ever since that Honda purchase 15 years ago the automaker’s quality has remained relatively high, but the fuel efficiency and fun-to-drive character that dominated its product line began slipping in the mid-2000s. By 2011 my confidence in Honda’s ability to deliver on its own brand values was waning, and the launch of the last-generation Civic didn’t do much to sway that thinking.

Thankfully, I saw this trend reverse itself with the launch of the 2013 Honda Accord, and continue with the all-new HR-V and redesigned Pilot. As with the Honda traits that won me over 15 years ago, these models each represented a benchmark combination of build quality, fun-to-drive dynamics and class-leading fuel efficiency. This succession of great product gave me hope. If Honda could pull off the same trifecta on its redesigned 2016 Civic I’d know the company had found its way home.

After driving the all-new Civic it’s clear Honda has identified and addressed the challenges that plagued it in years past. The 2016 Civic sedan has been improved in every way, boasting the kind of seemingly contradictory specifications that mark a successful redesign. Examples include a chassis that’s 68 pounds lighter yet offers a 25 percent improvement in torsional rigidity. The use of multi-layered frame panels and a strategic blending of materials, including high-strength steel in key areas, contributes to the new Civic’s sturdy structure. Honda also went with a single piece rear subframe and specific “soft zones” in the chassis to absorb crash energy without sacrificing safety.

The result is not only lower weight and superior passenger protection (Honda expects top crash test ratings for the new Civic), but a chassis that translates its lighter weight into nimble handling, establishing a new standard in the compact car category. Of course the chassis materials only provide a foundation for the new Civic’s supreme dynamics. The real benefits come from its lower center of gravity, wider stance, all-new suspension and revised variable power steering system, all of which deliver refinement and responsiveness on a level not previously offered in the compact car segment.

Honda representative told us they benchmarked European luxury sedans, which sounded like a marketing line until we drove the car. At an inch lower and two inches wider the new Civic feels confident and planted. Yet the longer wheelbase and all-new interior design give it the highest cabin space in the segment. Honda reps claimed the body is also 58 percent better isolated from road, wind and engine noise, making it far quieter than the previous Civic, or any current competitors. We drove the new Civic back-to-back against several competitors and can confirm these claims. It really does feel more like a luxury car than a high-volume, mainstream sedan.

Honda didn’t stop with a comprehensive chassis makeover for the 2016 Civic. The new car offers two all-new powertrains, including Honda’s first mass-produced turbo engine. This 1.5-liter four-cylinder uses a small diameter turbo, high-tumble intake port, direct injection and sodium-filled exhaust valves to provide 174 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Despite its turbo this engine delivers a broad, flat torque band by way of its variable valve timing and electronic wastage. The 1.5-liter mates to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and delivers 31 city mpg, 42 highway mpg and 35 mpg in mixed driving.

Those horsepower and fuel efficiency numbers are the best in the compact car category, though the 1.5-liter turbo is only available on higher trim Civic EX and Touring models. The base engine is a 2.0-liter, non-turbo design delivering 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. With 31 city mpg, 41 highway mpg and 35 combined mpg even the base 2016 Civic engine is among the best-in-class for horsepower and fuel efficiency. The same CVT automatic is offered with the 2.0-liter engine, though base Civic LX sedans can be ordered with a 6-speed manual. And like every Honda, the manual transmission is as smooth and precise as what you’d find in exotic cars costing 10 times as much as the Civic.

The lower center of gravity and wide stance not only elevates the Civic’s handling but translates into a roomy and user-friendly interior. Honda wanted a high-tech theme for the new Civic’s cabin, which features a wide instrument panel, 5-inch central display screen, automatic climate control and electric parking brake as standard equipment on the base LX trim sedan. The base model also includes a 160-watt audio system, standard LED taillights, daytime running lights and automatic headlights for a starting price of $19,475 with the 6-speed manual transmission (the automatic adds $800).

The Civic EX supplements the LX trim with Honda’s LaneWatch technology, which uses an exterior camera to project the car’s right side blind spot in the central display screen when changing lanes to the right. The EX also has the CVT automatic, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, heated side mirrors, a moonroof, remote engine start, a 7-inch touchscreen display, a 180-watt audio system and Apple AAPL -8.11% CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment for $21,875. The EX-T includes the upgraded 1.5-liter turbo engine, 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, heated front seats, XM and HD radio and dual-zone climate control for $23,035. The Civic EX-Leather sedan adds leather seats, an 8-way power driver’s seat and an auto-dimming rearview mirror for $24,535 (Garmin navigation is available on EX-Leather models for an additional $1,000).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kbrauer...a-redefines-the-small-car-with-all-new-civic/

 

[benjaminh]

"Honda representative told us they benchmarked European luxury sedans, which sounded like a marketing line until we drove the car. At an inch lower and two inches wider the new Civic feels confident and planted. Yet the longer wheelbase and all-new interior design give it the highest cabin space in the segment. Honda reps claimed the body is also 58 percent better isolated from road, wind and engine noise, making it far quieter than the previous Civic, or any current competitors. We drove the new Civic back-to-back against several competitors and can confirm these claims. It really does feel more like a luxury car than a high-volume, mainstream sedan."

This is very good to read.+++

 

[10thG]

So we now know that it really rides like a more expensive class, but not much is said about how it performs (handling, 0-60 times, etc). Waiting for the automotive mags to come out with those later tonight.

 

[G26okie]

Those pictures of the modern steel metallic look great. That's definitely my #1 color choice right now.

 

[RobbJK88]

Woo! Good read. Looking forward to some more in depth reviews from car mags

 

[tomljc2016]

These pics are amazing..... OMG so cool and pretty

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