Honda Civic Blog

It isn’t hard to believe that the 2010 Civic continues to rank #1 in the Affordable Small Cars Category. Honda continues to present a winning combination, which truly makes Civic a leader in its class, both for style and reliability. Its fuel efficiency pleases the frugal minded folk, but equally makes sense to all the people watching the gas prices closely.

The new 2010 model comes virtually unchanged, as the 2009 Civic was selected “Best Buy” by the Consumer Guide. So if the 2010 model is essentially the very same thing, one may consider buying a 2009 model and saving some dough. You can actually get a pretty good deal, as the dealers are eager to get the 2009 models of their lots.

Despite the outstanding reliability, and fuel economy the 2009 and 2010 Civics have received some harsh comments. The main dispute was its exterior, particularly the snub-nose and a rather odd minivan-like windshield. Some commented that the design was just uninteresting, “you could drive and not notice a half of dozen of Civics on your way to work.” Others criticized the dual-tiered instrument as overburdened and mesmerizing.

But can all of this really be a major drawback when we are talking about the unparalleled quality and solid reputation for quality? The engineering of Civic is as strong for the 2010 model as ever and they have always held their resale value well. The car has a truly dynamic performance combined with the fuel-sipping manners –setting a standard in the highly competitive compact cars class. In addition, Civic boasts excellent safety scores in both federal government and insurance industry, and comes equipped with anti-lock brakes and six airbags!

However, making your mind to buy a Civic is the easy part. What’s difficult is choosing the one that is right for you. The basic Civic is either a sedan or coupe and it comes in different trims such as DX, LX, LX-S, EX with the price range from roughly $15,500 to all the way up to $22,000. The Honda Civic SI boasts increased performance-oriented trim, with 57 extra horsepower, pushing the price up to extra $6,500. The other interesting options are Civic Hybrid with the prices of about $10,000 higher than for a base Civic, and the Civic GX which runs on compressed natural gas.

Since it first drove onto the market in 1973, the Honda Civic has been hailed by critics and drivers alike for their reliability, longevity, and fuel efficiency. In fact, Civics are so indestructible, that the model my parents drove me home from the hospital in as a newborn was the first car I drove 16 years later when I got my license. It was still running fine one year later when we drove it to the local junkyard, my father opting to retire it before it started to fall apart – but who knows when that would have been? Oh, and we replaced it with another Civic.

There are countless worthy years and models to choose from when buying a used Honda Civic, with many online sites, like AutoHound, AutoHopper and AutoTrander, offering competitive deals. However, in the long and esteemed history of the Civic there are two models that truly stand out in terms of style, fuel efficiency, and engine power: the 2006 Sedan Hybrid and the 2000 Coupe Si.

The 2006 Honda Civic Sedan Hybrid is part of the newest generation of Civics, and conservatively claims it can reach up to 42 mpg – some experts actually put output at 50 mpg. Like all models built after 2005, the Hybrid features the redesigned hood and windshield design, as well as improved dashboard gauges that make the driver feel they are actually in the cockpit of a space-ready hovercraft instead of a Civic. It is powered by a four cylinder engine that works seamlessly with an electric component to provide 110 horsepower. Not everyone will like the redesigned interior or loss of engine power, and not enough time has passed to really gauge the lifespan of the hybrid engine. So when purchasing a 2006 Hybrid, don’t settle for anything more than 45,000 miles – just to be safe.

It is hard to go wrong with the 2000 Honda Civic Coupe Si, a sturdy little car that consistently hits 25 mpg. The Si was reintroduced to Honda lovers in the second half of 1999 and features 160 horsepower from a 1.6 liter VTEC engine. The 2000 Si is visually updated from previous Si models through the addition of spoilers, 15-inch alloy wheels, and side graphics. Air condition, CD players, keyless entry, and power doors and windows are also included features on this model. Like most Hondas, this model is worthwhile up to 100,000 miles, and costs around $7,000.

The bottom line is that when you are looking to purchase a used car, it is hard to beat the quality, lasting performance, and reliability of a Civic – unless the competition is the equally as worthwhile Honda Accord.

Originally announced June 2006 and a groundbreaking ceremony on March 19, 2007, the new Greensburg, Indiana plant finally began shipments on Oct 29, 2008 when Eugenia Olson drove the first Honda Civic off the assembly line at 7:50 a.m.

The $550 million plant ultimately will produce 200,000 vehicles annually and employ 2,000 workers; the vehicle they are producing is a Honda Civic Sedan featuring a 140-hp, 1.8-liter, 16-valve SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder gasoline engine produced at a Honda engine plant in nearby Anna, Ohio.

“The rise of Honda’s mammoth new car plant in America’s farming heartland is a stark contrast to the layoffs and plant closings announced in recent months by General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., and Chrysler LLC Chrysler LLC” noted The Japan Times.

In addition to the 4 cylinder gasoline engine model civic, Honda plans to shift production of its CNG natural gas version the Civic “GX” from its current factory in East Liberty, Ohio which has been producing about 2000 units per year.

Honda’s most environmentally friendly model, the GX Civic uses no gasoline and produces near zero emmissions according to Honda and it has been named “America’s Greenest Car” by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Honda is also promoting the Civic GX as a vehicle that doesn’t require imported oil – surely to resonate with Americans today!

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• Honda Dedicates Indiana Auto Plant (carsofjapan.blogspot.com)
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• Honda Closes Plant For Two Months (news.sky.com)
• Honda Hires as Big Three Crash (abcnews.go.com)

This is one of the ‘Honda – the power of dreams’ tv commercials for the Honda Civic FD. Too be quite honest, it is a fairly non-descript commercial, a bit forumla and a bit boring. Mind you Honda North America has never been famous for outstanding commercials – unless some of you out there can point me to some good ones…I will dig some more myself and see what I can find from the Honda Civic Ad agencies….

Image by geognerd via Flickr

While sales of the Honda Civic Hybrid Sedan hasn’t taken off like the Toyota Prius, oddly enough the 2009 Civic Hybrid provides similar gas mileage for a lower price!

In general, reviews are saying that in comparison to the Prius, the Civic Hybrid (with it’s 90-hp, 1.3 litre engine and 20-hp electric engine) isn’t as ‘slick’ but it is good enough to drive – that isn’t meant to ‘damn with faint praise’, rather, put things into context; there is nothing wrong, it just isn’t ‘standout’ good.

Some highlights: Incredible interior room, good steering, breaks and handling

New in 2009: front bumper and grille styling, head and tailight assemblies, USB interface, Bluetooth, GPS, stability control.

A nice gallery of pictures is below

Related articles

• Honda’s Prius-fighter
• Buy Your Civic Hybrid Today: Tax Credit Halves Tomorrow [Alternative Energy]
• Honda’s New Hybrid Prius-Fighter Caught Desert Testing, Listening To “Eye Of The Tiger” [New Honda Hybrid]
• Two new hybrids from Honda in 2009