Is the EX-T fun to drive?

spike021

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To be honest, I was originally planning to buy a twin (FRS/BRZ) because I wanted a somewhat inexpensive sporty car. I don't need tons of power and I'd heard the twins are great in curvy roads, stuff like that.

But my price range has gotten quite a bit lower because I realized the complete costs for a twin would be a bit too much.

So right now I'm considering the EX-T. I want a car that's fun to drive, and the EX-T seems to fit that bill with the 1.5L Turbo.

I haven't really seen any posts here about how it drives with respect to the "sporty" side of it. I know it's not a sports car, and probably isn't meant to be one. But on the other hand I'd imagine the turbo helps a little.

How does it feel on curvy roads? What does it drive like? I haven't test driven it but plan to in the next couple days. Don't think I'll get to drive it on a nice road though.

Do any of you just take it out to drive for fun much?

I'd be using it as a commuter car but also hopefully just for fun drives on weekends and stuff like that.

Thanks in advance! :werd:
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ArnoldLayne

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Dude, its a Civic :) A FWD utilitarian car for the fuel economy conscious peeps.

You want a fun to drive car, buy a RWD car with a 6 cyl engine.

I like its build quality and nice acceleration and decent power for a small sedan but its mostly a utilitarian car that is reliable and will last long. Never thought a FWD car and 'Fun to Drive' can be in the same sentence.

I will admit it is punchy for a small passenger sedan.
 

Devcom

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I find my EX-T Coupe fun to drive. That being said it would probably even more fun to drive as rwd but I really cannot complain I am really enjoying my coupe.
 


WhatTheFun

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This car is not a sports car. The tires alone really limit its abilities. The CVT lag and Turbo lag make it very difficult to exit an apex at the power level you would like.

During a test drive, roll along at 5-10mph then floor it. You can take out the hour glass to measure the lag time.

Once it is at the right ratio and up on boost, the car has decent power. I think of this car as a nice quiet daily driver rather than sporty. For you, I would wait until the sportier versions come out
 
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tcl

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My two cents based on having owned an EX-T for about six months. I thought it felt sporty for a front wheel drive car. It felt light and agile when turning and some of this is due to Honda's electric assists applying the brake to the inside wheels on turn in. The turbo engine pulls well but some people may not like the sound. Its torque should make the Civic a lot more usable on the street than the BRZ/FRS that have to be wound up to higher revs to keep up with traffic. The CVT worked great but lacked the ability to shift manually which I missed coming from a previous car that had that feature. The shift lever seemed to be in the perfect position for a manual and I was often frustrated that I didn't wait for that option.
 

ArnoldLayne

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The Honda Civic is not a 'fun to drive' car because it is not a sports car, not designed or marketed as one. It is a reliable daily driver that will get you from A to B comfortably and possibly for cheap.

If your idea of driving fun is to drive a civic (or any other FWD car) then you have pretty low bar on 'fun to drive' and your last ride was probably a Yugo or a beat up mid 90s Ford Escort :)

It is on the other hand a sensible daily driver that has decent amount of power, good acceleration, fuel efficient and comes with more than ample share of creature comfort if you bought the right trim.

The EX-T is pretty barebones. Comes with 4 wheels and an engine and seats :) You want some fun, buy the Touring which has decent options and also will keep you entertained with its Lane departure warning system about 10 times a day at least :) Now that is what I call good quality driving fun in a FWD compact sedan made by Honda.
 

neteng101

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Curious if anyone has gone from a 9th gen Si to 10th gen Turbo+CVT? How's that transition been and how do the 2 cars compare?

My commute/driving situation has changed enough that the Si is just getting a bit old - its not outright sporty and becomes a chore in traffic, drones too much at higher highway speeds due to the gearing (you can bet any 1.5T+6MT or next Si will feature this too), so considering the Civic hatchback instead.
 

Dicecube

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The Honda Civic is not a 'fun to drive' car because it is not a sports car, not designed or marketed as one. It is a reliable daily driver that will get you from A to B comfortably and possibly for cheap.

If your idea of driving fun is to drive a civic (or any other FWD car) then you have pretty low bar on 'fun to drive' and your last ride was probably a Yugo or a beat up mid 90s Ford Escort :)

It is on the other hand a sensible daily driver that has decent amount of power, good acceleration, fuel efficient and comes with more than ample share of creature comfort if you bought the right trim.

The EX-T is pretty barebones. Comes with 4 wheels and an engine and seats :) You want some fun, buy the Touring which has decent options and also will keep you entertained with its Lane departure warning system about 10 times a day at least :) Now that is what I call good quality driving fun in a FWD compact sedan made by Honda.
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't Honda sensing standard on ex-t trim? I swear I read it in the brochure iirc
 


Dicecube

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reliable and will last long.
I wonder this. I've owned a 92 si hb and 99 si hb before and yes they are extremely reliable, long lasting econoboxes. But I'm wondering if these boosted engines with these bells and whistles will stand the test of time.
 

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Correct me if I am wrong but isn't Honda sensing standard on ex-t trim? I swear I read it in the brochure iirc
Honda sensing is only standard on the Touring trim. (At least in the US market).
On all other trims it's an option.
 

Ant918

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This car is not a sports car. The tires alone really limit its abilities. The CVT lag and Turbo lag make it very difficult to exit an apex at the power level you would like.

During a test drive, roll along at 5-10mph then floor it. You can take out the hour glass to measure the lag time.

Once it is at the right ratio and up on boost, the car has decent power. I think of this car as a nice quiet daily driver rather than sporty. For you, I would wait until the sportier versions come out
You nailed it on the head here. I've had the car for half a year now and I'm still trying to get used to the lag. So many times I'm waiting for a gap in traffic to make a turn, hit the gas, car finally decides "oh shit I think this guy wants to go", and now my tires are squealing as the car decides to finally go. It's almost like dropping the clutch on a manual and launching half the time lol. It absolutely sucks at situations in traffic. On the expressway though I find it quite comfortable, put it in sport mode and the car sits at 3-4K rpm ready to go when you want it to.

Also to note, my 2016 WRX CVT I had used to do the exact same thing, difference was with the AWD the car would just grip and go.
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