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Following on their 1.5T Instrumented Test Review, here is Car and Driver's 2.0L Manual instrumented test:
2016 Honda Civic Coupe 2.0L Manual
Thinking outside the hatch-box.
Instrumented Test
Stick-shift transmissions are fast disappearing from new cars, a situation Car and Driver is painfully aware of given that we launched the Save the Manuals! campaign. Honda is one of the few remaining proponents of this cause, with five product lines that still offer a manual shifter. The new-for-2016 Honda Civic coupe tested here comes standard with a six-speed manual in its most-affordable LX trim level, and it’s a prime showcase for our preferred gearbox.
We favor manuals because they’re intrinsically more fun and involving in most driving situations. Giving the driver full authority over gear ratios and clutch engagement usually helps a car feel quicker on its feet. That’s the case here, where the Civic LX coupe, with a 7.6-second zero-to-60-mph time and a 15.9-second quarter-mile run, beat a previously tested 2016 Civic EX four-door equipped with a continuously variable automatic transmission by 0.6 second in the run to 60 mph and by 0.4 second in the quarter-mile. (In the interests of full disclosure, the coupe was also 76 pounds lighter.) Even with the stick shift, however, the Civic coupe can’t keep up with the Kia Forte Koup and Volkswagen’s Golf TSI and Beetle—although those three do boast turbocharged engines.
The Civic, by contrast, is equipped with a rev-happy 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder. It’s a fresh design boasting more power than the Civic has ever enjoyed in base form: 158 horsepower, along with a 6750-rpm redline and an Italian tenor’s warble between 3000 and 6000 rpm that sounds much better than uplevel Civics’ 1.5-liter turbo four. This base 2.0-liter is endowed with variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing and lift, along with traditional port injection. A die-cast aluminum block carries iron cylinder liners, a forged-steel crankshaft, and cracked-cap connecting rods. The exhaust manifold is cast integrally with the aluminum cylinder head. During the first 100,000 miles, no maintenance is required beyond inspections and timely fluid and filter replacements.
Row Your Own
Married to an excellent six-speed gearbox, it’s a powertrain that’s sure to please. The LX’s pedals are properly positioned for heel-and-toe downshifting, and the shifter has a delightful feel and action. The throws are short and the effort low, and you can sense the synchros at work, especially engaging third gear. The manual is offered only with the 2.0-liter engine, but next year Honda also will combine it with the 174-hp 1.5-liter turbocharged engine in higher-spec Civic coupes and sedans, which currently are available only with the CVT automatic.
The CVT also is available with the base 2.0-liter, for an extra $800. The drive-ratio spread is 17 percent wider, allowing it to beat the LX stick’s 38-mpg EPA highway fuel economy by 3 mpg and top its 26-mpg city rating by 4 mpg. Honda’s CVT is programmed to avoid the annoying rubber-band effect during acceleration, where the engine drones relentlessly at high rpm while the car gathers velocity. The chain- (versus gear-) drive approach does shine during passing moves where a jab of the accelerator quickly dispatches the engine to an rpm near its horsepower peak with no hint of the driveline shock that accompanies abrupt gearchanges in a conventional stepped-gear automatic. The CVT Civic EX also soundly trumped the LX stick in our passing-acceleration tests, but that’s mostly due to our procedure: Automatics are free to downshift while we leave manuals in top gear.
Those dreaming that the Civic LX is a discounted VW Golf GTI in a less-boxy body shell are ripe for disappointment. While its powertrain is willing, the LX’s chassis isn’t enthusiastic about having a lot of fun, mostly because it’s hampered by its Firestone FT140 all-season tires. They produced a mere 0.82 g of cornering grip, and they also suffer from lackluster braking grip, stretching the 70-to-zero-mph stopping distance to an uncompetitive 188 feet. Capping its modest performance, our test car suffered from some brake fade at the test track. That said, the LX does rise to the cause in back-road driving with touches of steering feel, effective body-roll restraint, damping that doesn’t hobble the ride, and a benign demeanor in every extreme circumstance we attempted. While it won’t thrill any driver who has pressed the outer boundaries of physics for years, the LX should please newbies who earn a Civic with exemplary ACT or SAT scores.
As a coupe, the Civic has long doors to provide easy access to the back seat. On the debit side, the doors are heavy and cumbersome to open when parked on an incline. It’s also a chore to enter the rear seat from the driver’s side, as it requires pulling two of the bucket’s manual adjuster releases to slide and tip that seat; it’s easier on the passenger side where one lever clears access for entry and a pedal provides back-seat riders ready escape. Another vote against the coupe is that the heads of outboard rear passengers ride beneath the backlight and the center occupant’s noggin rubs the CHMSL. At least it’s easy to release the 60/40-split rear seatbacks to stretch the 12-cubic-foot trunk’s capacity. In front, the center console is a double-level design, both ahead of and behind the shifter, offering plenty of cubbies for beverages, phones, keys, and whatnot.
Under $20K
While the LX is the entry point to the Civic world with a base price just ducking under $20,000, Honda is generous with standard equipment. The cloth upholstery is attractive and, in combination with well-bolstered front seats, locks the driver in place during aggressive cornering. Stylish 16-inch aluminum wheels, a backup camera, automatic climate control, cruise control, a two-way adjustable steering column, and an instrument cluster providing outside temperature, a digital speedometer, and trip info are also included in the base car. You can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth, charge it with a USB connector, and make calls with verbal commands. But don’t expect the latest safety aids such as lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring, navigation, push-button starting, or even satellite radio here. For any of that, you must climb the Civic’s price/trim ladder.
The Civic LX is an excellent choice for frugal buyers who prefer a sleek-roofed coupe shape to the hatched-box alternative. It’s not as sporty as some other compact two-doors, but its user-friendly manual transmission should initiate more drivers to the joys of DIY shifting. Maybe their enthusiasm will move Honda—and other automakers—to save more manuals.
2016 Honda Civic Coupe 2.0L Manual
Thinking outside the hatch-box.
Instrumented Test
Stick-shift transmissions are fast disappearing from new cars, a situation Car and Driver is painfully aware of given that we launched the Save the Manuals! campaign. Honda is one of the few remaining proponents of this cause, with five product lines that still offer a manual shifter. The new-for-2016 Honda Civic coupe tested here comes standard with a six-speed manual in its most-affordable LX trim level, and it’s a prime showcase for our preferred gearbox.
We favor manuals because they’re intrinsically more fun and involving in most driving situations. Giving the driver full authority over gear ratios and clutch engagement usually helps a car feel quicker on its feet. That’s the case here, where the Civic LX coupe, with a 7.6-second zero-to-60-mph time and a 15.9-second quarter-mile run, beat a previously tested 2016 Civic EX four-door equipped with a continuously variable automatic transmission by 0.6 second in the run to 60 mph and by 0.4 second in the quarter-mile. (In the interests of full disclosure, the coupe was also 76 pounds lighter.) Even with the stick shift, however, the Civic coupe can’t keep up with the Kia Forte Koup and Volkswagen’s Golf TSI and Beetle—although those three do boast turbocharged engines.
The Civic, by contrast, is equipped with a rev-happy 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder. It’s a fresh design boasting more power than the Civic has ever enjoyed in base form: 158 horsepower, along with a 6750-rpm redline and an Italian tenor’s warble between 3000 and 6000 rpm that sounds much better than uplevel Civics’ 1.5-liter turbo four. This base 2.0-liter is endowed with variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing and lift, along with traditional port injection. A die-cast aluminum block carries iron cylinder liners, a forged-steel crankshaft, and cracked-cap connecting rods. The exhaust manifold is cast integrally with the aluminum cylinder head. During the first 100,000 miles, no maintenance is required beyond inspections and timely fluid and filter replacements.
Row Your Own
Married to an excellent six-speed gearbox, it’s a powertrain that’s sure to please. The LX’s pedals are properly positioned for heel-and-toe downshifting, and the shifter has a delightful feel and action. The throws are short and the effort low, and you can sense the synchros at work, especially engaging third gear. The manual is offered only with the 2.0-liter engine, but next year Honda also will combine it with the 174-hp 1.5-liter turbocharged engine in higher-spec Civic coupes and sedans, which currently are available only with the CVT automatic.
The CVT also is available with the base 2.0-liter, for an extra $800. The drive-ratio spread is 17 percent wider, allowing it to beat the LX stick’s 38-mpg EPA highway fuel economy by 3 mpg and top its 26-mpg city rating by 4 mpg. Honda’s CVT is programmed to avoid the annoying rubber-band effect during acceleration, where the engine drones relentlessly at high rpm while the car gathers velocity. The chain- (versus gear-) drive approach does shine during passing moves where a jab of the accelerator quickly dispatches the engine to an rpm near its horsepower peak with no hint of the driveline shock that accompanies abrupt gearchanges in a conventional stepped-gear automatic. The CVT Civic EX also soundly trumped the LX stick in our passing-acceleration tests, but that’s mostly due to our procedure: Automatics are free to downshift while we leave manuals in top gear.
Those dreaming that the Civic LX is a discounted VW Golf GTI in a less-boxy body shell are ripe for disappointment. While its powertrain is willing, the LX’s chassis isn’t enthusiastic about having a lot of fun, mostly because it’s hampered by its Firestone FT140 all-season tires. They produced a mere 0.82 g of cornering grip, and they also suffer from lackluster braking grip, stretching the 70-to-zero-mph stopping distance to an uncompetitive 188 feet. Capping its modest performance, our test car suffered from some brake fade at the test track. That said, the LX does rise to the cause in back-road driving with touches of steering feel, effective body-roll restraint, damping that doesn’t hobble the ride, and a benign demeanor in every extreme circumstance we attempted. While it won’t thrill any driver who has pressed the outer boundaries of physics for years, the LX should please newbies who earn a Civic with exemplary ACT or SAT scores.
As a coupe, the Civic has long doors to provide easy access to the back seat. On the debit side, the doors are heavy and cumbersome to open when parked on an incline. It’s also a chore to enter the rear seat from the driver’s side, as it requires pulling two of the bucket’s manual adjuster releases to slide and tip that seat; it’s easier on the passenger side where one lever clears access for entry and a pedal provides back-seat riders ready escape. Another vote against the coupe is that the heads of outboard rear passengers ride beneath the backlight and the center occupant’s noggin rubs the CHMSL. At least it’s easy to release the 60/40-split rear seatbacks to stretch the 12-cubic-foot trunk’s capacity. In front, the center console is a double-level design, both ahead of and behind the shifter, offering plenty of cubbies for beverages, phones, keys, and whatnot.
Under $20K
While the LX is the entry point to the Civic world with a base price just ducking under $20,000, Honda is generous with standard equipment. The cloth upholstery is attractive and, in combination with well-bolstered front seats, locks the driver in place during aggressive cornering. Stylish 16-inch aluminum wheels, a backup camera, automatic climate control, cruise control, a two-way adjustable steering column, and an instrument cluster providing outside temperature, a digital speedometer, and trip info are also included in the base car. You can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth, charge it with a USB connector, and make calls with verbal commands. But don’t expect the latest safety aids such as lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring, navigation, push-button starting, or even satellite radio here. For any of that, you must climb the Civic’s price/trim ladder.
The Civic LX is an excellent choice for frugal buyers who prefer a sleek-roofed coupe shape to the hatched-box alternative. It’s not as sporty as some other compact two-doors, but its user-friendly manual transmission should initiate more drivers to the joys of DIY shifting. Maybe their enthusiasm will move Honda—and other automakers—to save more manuals.
