[Motor Trend] - 2016 Honda Civic Review - Return of the Rabble-Rouser

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Motor Trend reviewed the 2016 Honda Civic LX and Touring sedan. A few more performance numbers from their tests:

1.5L Touring
0-60: 7.2 seconds
1/4 mile: 15.5 @ 92.4 MPH

Civic Disobedience: An Original Rabble-Rouser Returns to Form

The Honda Civic, now more than 40 years young and coming into its 10th generation, has never been as challenged as it has been recently. Honda, the great purveyor of Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion (CVCC) technology during the industry’s darkest disco days, gradually developed into the pinnacle of economical and reliable transportation for the masses.

Early Civics offered modest conveyance with a dash of enthusiast zest that most competitors wouldn’t bother with. But the compact car deck has become stacked in the past half-decade—coinciding with a down period for the Civic—as newer and shinier C-segment sedans with impressive features and driving zeal have drawn our attention.

Honda Civic 10th gen [Motor Trend] - 2016 Honda Civic Review - Return of the Rabble-Rouser 2016-Honda-Civic-front-three-quarter-turn


No more, says Honda. Following an undistinguished ninth generation, the Civic is out to show that it may be over 40, but it’s still got it. The 2016 model’s platform is all-new, lengthening the wheelbase 1.2 inches while chasing more sporting flair without totally losing everyday comfort. Two new inline-four engines targeting more than 40 mpg highway are available, and one owns a turbocharger—a first for the Honda brand in the U.S. Then there’s the styling. Traditionally, the Civic’s bodywork tends to lean toward clean and understated. Love it or hate it, the 2016 Civic’s redesigned exterior looks to rouse the rabble, some of its elements (such as the front chrome bar) seemingly inspired by the hydrogen fuel-cell FCX Clarity. The basic idea Honda transmits is this: You could spend around $20,000 on our economy sedan rather than the other guy’s, and you’d also get to show off the Civic’s C-shaped taillights with integrated LED light bars, especially at night.

Generation 10’s design is the most eccentric since the 2002-2005 EP3 Si sat on dealer lots, yet the base 2016 sedans pack as much punch as that former hot hatch. The 1.5-liter, turbocharged inline-four possesses a healthy 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque with a peak boost pressure rating of 16.5 psi. Armed with a continuously variable automatic (the only transmission choice with the turbo) the engine slings a preproduction, top-of-the-line Touring sedan from 0 to 60 mph in a relatively quick 7.2 seconds and through the quarter mile in 15.5 seconds at 92.4 mph, faster than the EP3 Si.

Honda Civic 10th gen [Motor Trend] - 2016 Honda Civic Review - Return of the Rabble-Rouser 2016-Honda-Civic-Touring-cockpit


There’s a hidden storage pocket beneath the center console, like in the HR-V. Note the lack of a volume-control knob—a deal-breaker for some.

We also had a chance to straight-line test the price-leading LX model with the also-new 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder with 158 hp and 138 lb-ft and a six-speed manual transmission, and it demonstrated it’s no slouch. A well-timed launch and minimal weight (2,744 pounds for the LX) led to a 0-60 time of 7.8 seconds and a quarter mile of 15.9 seconds at 88.0 mph. But we’ll reserve the 2.0-liter’s final judgment until we can sample it with the CVT in either LX or EX guise. The signs look good enough, though, considering the last Civic EX (2,802 pounds) with the old 143-hp, 129-lb-ft, 1.8-liter, and CVT combination we tested took 9.0 seconds.

Remarkably, the presence of the DOHC 2.0-liter and turbo 1.5-liter signifies the first time in Civic history that no single-cam layout is available. The turbo’s oomph and broad powerband are most welcome in the 2,925-pound Touring sedan, which musters a figure-eight time of 27.5 seconds (Mazda3 territory). The car could be quicker if the CVT acted with more urgency, as there’s a noticeable delay in acceleration when we transition from cornering to applying full power. (The transmission works fine in general use.)

Dynamically, it’s easy to recognize Honda’s signature sense of lightness and delicacy in the steering and body motions. Steering wheel turns lock-to-lock have been shortened from 2.8 to 2.2 to make the car feel livelier, and variable steering ratios were affixed to minimize the impact on the turning circle, which grows only slightly from 35.4 to 35.7 feet. The steering effort has a smidge greater heft than before but is still pretty light overall.

The Civic Touring comes with modern safety tech (forward collision warning, road departure mitigation, etc.), thicker anti-roll bars, and chrome outside door handles, but the new parking brake could be the item of most interest. An electronic switch is standard, and we’ll predict the hand lever’s removal will become one of the topics virtuous Civic owners discuss at length, alongside two-tier dashboards, plummeting redlines, and the abolition of front control-arm suspension. The sloping roofline affects passenger entry into the rear, and it’s visually hard to believe there’s more back-seat space as the official specs attest. You do seem to sit deeper into the rear bench, so friend and family ride-alongs should be fine as long as they’re not terribly tall and won’t bump their heads getting in and out.

During the ninth generation’s early days, it looked like Honda might be content to let the Civic scrape by on nameplate equity. But this latest effort—longer, wider, lower, and with wilder, more distinctive styling—goes a long way toward reasserting Honda cares about the always-popular Civic. The competition might have been thrilled with the thought of Honda apathy, but it’s quite clear now the Civic won’t concede its four decades of sales dominance without a fight.


Honda Civic 10th gen [Motor Trend] - 2016 Honda Civic Review - Return of the Rabble-Rouser 2016 Honda Civic Touring - MT Review


http://beta.motortrend.com/car-reviews/first-tests/2016-honda-civic-first-test-review/
 

Viva la vida

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I wanted to hear that it was good dynamically and that's what the reviews are saying it is. Not that great on the skidpad but sounds like the car is fun to drive again. Acceleration wise it sounds like the CVT might be the limiting factor to even better acceleration but Car and Driver managed to get a 6.8 0-60 so that's pretty impressive already.
 

Arcoril

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Not that great on the skidpad but sounds like the car is fun to drive again.
The sub-par braking and skidpad scores are all being done with the underwhelming stock Firestone tires that Honda included for improved comfort and fuel economy. Throw on some high-performance all seasons on this car and there's every reason to believe that it'll come alive.
 

G26okie

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Yeah, those poor numbers in those areas are because of the bad oem tires. As Arcoril said, get some nice high performance all seasons on, and it would be set.
 

Slickone

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http://hondanews.com/channels/civic/releases/2016-honda-civic-sedan-press-kit-chassis

All Civic Sedan models come with either Hankook Kinergy GT (Civic LX) or Firestone FT140 (EX and above) tires as standard equipment. Developed cooperatively with Honda engineers and the tire companies, despite being wider, the tires help reduce rolling resistance by 10-percent while also helping to reduce noise and vibration, improving both fuel efficiency and ride quality in the process. The tires contribute to the Civic's best-in-class rolling resistance performance. They also help reduce unsprung weight by 6.6 pounds, allowing the engineers greater control of suspension tuning, which further improves ride and handling characteristics.
 

Whoosh

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http://hondanews.com/channels/civic/releases/2016-honda-civic-sedan-press-kit-chassis

All Civic Sedan models come with either Hankook Kinergy GT (Civic LX) or Firestone FT140 (EX and above) tires as standard equipment. Developed cooperatively with Honda engineers and the tire companies, despite being wider, the tires help reduce rolling resistance by 10-percent while also helping to reduce noise and vibration, improving both fuel efficiency and ride quality in the process. The tires contribute to the Civic's best-in-class rolling resistance performance. They also help reduce unsprung weight by 6.6 pounds, allowing the engineers greater control of suspension tuning, which further improves ride and handling characteristics.
Good find. Is that 6.6 pounds per corner or total? Either way that's great but 6.6 lbs per corner would be incredible!

Reducing unsprung weight isn't always easy but such a good way to improve handling, steering feel, braking and acceleration all at once.
Sponsored

 


 


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