Not totally impressed with Civic sedan interior quality

[DrivenSoul]

Hello everyone, I currently own a 2008 Honda Fit and was looking to upgrade to the 2016 Fit soon until I found out there was a civic hatchback coming! After hearing so many reviews about how much better the interior is, and seeing how Honda and Acura really are starting to step up their game, I assumed the interior would be really good. Well - I got to see the Civic at the LA Auto Show last night and boy.. I was let down.

The interior looked nice, it had a nice design and the exterior was beautiful - but I really did not like the fabric they chose which looked and felt cheap. The seats have this faux carbon fiber strip in cloth or leather trim that really bugged me, it just wasn't pretty. The interior looked fine and dandy upon a quick glance, but did not exude quality upon closer inspection. The cushioning on the leather models felt very thin and pliable, and while there were cool design elements, I did find the interior to be a little too busy and directionless for my tastes. Even though the 2-tier design of the old Civic was odd, I feel like the design of the old interior was more clear and confident in what it was.

This is a theme I saw not only in Honda vehicles, but also a lot of other major brands. The only companies that really impressed me as far as build quality was Audi/VW, Mazda, and Toyota. All other cars to me felt cheaply made but stylish (kind of like most Ikea furniture!)

I'm not sure if this is just the new trend, but premium and entry-level cars alike had the same theme to me, more design - less of a quality feel.

I'm just making this post to open up to discussion, but I remember in the Mid-2000s going to an auto show was so fun, cars actually excited me, and well-made cars REALLY STOOD OUT back then. This year, I felt like I was in a retail store deciding on which container I wanted to buy for my dirty laundry. All of the "regular" cars did not have much of their own personality. It was like every manufacturer started with the same block of clay, cut a few sides off differently and slapped their badge on it. Build quality seems to be on-par across the board, so I really don't see the use of spending 2-3x more on a premium car when a regular one feels exactly the same

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[Emina]

What trim was it? Sounds like you only saw the fabric seats?

 

[DrivenSoul]

I got to sit in an EX as well as an EXL or Touring so I saw both cloth and leather interiors

 

[CdnColin]

Wow you and I are not on the same page. Mind you I have only spent time in the Touring. Maybe a test drive would justify the excitement for the 2016 most of us feel.

 

[DrivenSoul]

I'm pretty confident that actually driving the civic will be a good experience. But it didn't impress at a standstill. lol

 

[takemorepills]

I have heard several forum members state the same thing about the cloth seats. What has been described sounds exactly like the seats in our Saabaru (and my Nissan Titan):

Our Saabaru is about 10 years old now. The material holds up very well, actually. However, it gets water stains easily, and cleaning the water stains out isn't very easy. Basically the entire seat needs to be shampooed to get rid of water stains. Doing spot cleaning just moves the stains around. If the seats have any dust in them (which they will) and water gets on the seat, boom! instant water stain. SO that part is annoying. Durability-wise they are durable. But, honestly the fabric in my 1987 Prelude is much nicer than this modern fabric.

 

[Red Traveler]

Has anyone compared the interiors of the Mazda6 to the new Civic? How do they stack up in terms of quality of materials, feel and layout?

 

[hondo]

Has anyone compared the interiors of the Mazda6 to the new Civic?

I think the Mazda3 is a better comparison. I haven't been inside the 6, but have been inside the 3 and the cx-3. The cx-3 is cramped but the 3 is almost as roomy as the civic in the front, not so much in the back. The level of quality is very high, though I would give the Civic a slight edge on the materials. I also don't like how the infotainment looks bolted onto the dash. It does make it more visible while keeping the dashline low and out of the way, but it makes it feel like an afterthought. Having the infotainment controls (like BMW) on the center console is nice but does take away from room on the console, especially since it still has a normal hand brake. On the cx-3 there is no room in the center console. On the GT trim the heads up display is a nice touch, but the piece of plastic that pops up looks cheap and flimsy. Overall I think the Mazda3 is very comparable in almost all aspects to the Civic. It's not as refined and quiet as the Civic, but you feel a bit more connected to the road. Really depends on the driving experience you are after.

 

[Newflyer3]

Wow so you come from a 2008 Honda Fit and find the interior lacking... Not sure if you're in the right position to judge here...

 

[DrivenSoul]

Well I ask to drive/check out everyone's car so ive driven a lot of stuff, from Subaru BRZs to CLA45 AMGs to all 3 generation Honda Fits. I also have a 2007 Lexus IS350 and an Acura RSX Type S in the household so I often take those out.
I honestly feel like my japanese built Fit is more solidly put together. The cloth seats attract lint and stain easily like the other user mentioned, but at least it looks and feels pretty nice. The new Civic and Fit LX at the car show had fabric that felt like sandpaper!
I also used to work at a car dealership and as a valet driver which gave me chances to see the difference between brands.

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