Honda Civic - Road Test Archived

Honda has finally become a car manufacturer. Contrary to what your neighbor has told the 600 sedans and coupes to do bite the ankles of Biscayne Buick and highways of Los Angeles are not cars. And it was the imitation of antique sports cars Sprite everyone (including your Honda dealer) is forgotten. All these devices have been closed over the four wheels of the bicycle as a concession to riders without pay and never mislead anyone. However, Honda is the cancellation of semi-auto market now. Once the distributors take their current offer of 600 at the door of the transition is complete. Because waiting to take his place, is the new Civic, $ 1973 to POE a serious competitor in the automotive sub-$ 2 thousand reais. . . and if the spiral of prices of automobiles continues, perhaps the only candidate in no time.

By way of introduction, let's say there is nothing radical or innovative about the Civic. And this should be reassuring beyond measure to all potential customers who did not take into account the noise of the 600's unique air-cooled, 2-up banger engine. Or that I could not really master of intelligence on the board, gear lever. Nor is the Civic one of the micro-trembling fear Japanese cars because they oppose the bow wave of a Peterbilt. Instead, this is what Honda likes to think that the perfect car in urban areas (hence the name of the Civic, if you can follow this logic). But before he could complete the filling of the Civic in this box, a spokesman for Honda is quick to point out that it is at home on motorways and main roads and cross country. Another mid-size car for all seasons. . . If you believe the brilliant descriptions of the manufacturer.


Better you should see the Civic as a city car, we think, and that the recommendation is based solely on its size. At 139.8 inches long it fits in about half way between true micro-cars (Honda 600 and Mini) and what Americans tend to think that the standard of small cars (Fiat 128, Datsun 1200 and Toyota Corolla). And with the compact is a lightweight like (1536 lbs.). In crowded metropolitan areas the benefits of such a toy car is obvious. Civic and handling of the economy is surpassed only by a motorcycle. However, these loans are processed by the laws of physics speed on the open road. Gust winds, as gusts of wind and during the Civic might not tremble with fear in the wake of a semi bow, it does shrink significantly. None of it is poor technique. It's just an inherent quality of small cars. . . and why they are best suited to urban services.


Previously, it was mentioned that there is nothing radical mechanical design of the Civic. It is, in fact, quite conventional in the Mini / Austin America / Simca 1204 the mold of small cars. Civic line, 4-cylinder engine is transversely mounted at the front where it drives the front wheels. The suspension is independent at all, in this case made with MacPherson struts and coil springs. The 4-speed transmission is fully synchronized with an optional 2-speed Hondamatic. Brakes are front disc brakes, rear drum, and energy assistance. All these machines were attached in a simple and efficient as possible for a passenger compartment load capacity of four. The idea is to keep intrusions to a minimum of Honda engineers and mechanics have been particularly successful in this case, besides the absence of a tunnel line, which is inherent in this design, wheel arches are also small commendable .


Honda Civic is probably the only car of this size in which the driver does not need to angle his feet toward the center of the car to avoid the front left wheel. It is also across the width of the rear seat. So, in general, the results of Civic honors in the use of space. There are limitations, however. The front seats are fine. They are comfortable reclining seat backs and a good selection of front-and-aft adjustment. Mature six-foot range to complain of the foot, hip and head room. But the same can not be said again. By the time the compromising space for the front legs more or less the same as adults are able to accommodate her knees back, but there is no solution to the lack of rear headroom. Approximately 5'10 "is the height of the restriction of the rear passengers. This seems a poor compromise. Sedans Little shoe box does not rely on the beauty of their appeal and even if they are, until the balloon roof Civic extra inch or so not to have been destroyed by what critics call classical proportions. But it would make the car more useful, and apparently, that's what this car is all about.

Instead, Honda has concentrated on the engineering depth to extend the operating range of the Civic. And they succeeded. More than anything, is known for its Honda engines. The one in the Civic is a charm. It is enough to power that no one can describe the low-power car. Its acceleration is not only better than the VW and other competitors of small displacement, such as the Toyota Corolla 1200, but also exceeds the standard Pinto engine too. And with a top speed of 88 mph, the Civic is not easy prey on the road either.

All this power comes a little long stroke, single overhead cam 1200cc four. Unlike the 600 air-cooled, it is a water-cooled, which does wonders for the noise. It idles quietly, no higher than a conventional sedan Detroit intermediate, and even 82 dBA it generates when accelerating gas wide open is moderate for this type of car.

Cruising is quiet, if you are happy with the move of about 60 km / h, but the volume has increased significantly between 65 and 70 km / h at a level of 80.5 dBA to the next level. This gives a kind of psychological barrier for speeding, as well as the Civic has been strong enough to easily cruise to a relatively high speed, there is a tendency to stay right at 65 mph. This tends to highlight and unfair, so we can add, the urban character of the Civic. In truth, it is not noisy at high speeds than its competitors, but because it is so much noise at low speeds, it seems best suited for city traffic.


In addition, a low noise level, the engine is notable as the Honda begins to warm. It turns on instantly. What is rare and, therefore, reluctant to hit now controlled emission engines. But it has suffered from de-smogging in other ways. A giant hole in the gas. At certain speeds, when you press the accelerator, the car slows and you have to go almost clear on the floor in front of the picks. This happens all the time and only when you need a power spray to get into less expensive online traffic.

While Honda engineers have taken care to provide some basic qualities generally lacking in small cars, power and silence, to name just two, there are other areas that do not receive adequate attention . One of them is the action clutch. She chatters powerful when you start. And no amount of feathers on the pedal will take place around it.

The geometry of the forward direction is not a polished design. Civic has enough power (the 600), then you can feel the front wheels hard to pick up as you accelerate in a tight turn. This does not harm you or your car. . . but it makes more work for the driver, the work should not be there if the designers had drawn their lines differently.

The final objection to the race. It 'much more intense, more than any competition. And he pitches too. This is a rocking horse movements have all but been forgotten in modern cars for drivers, especially roads, but Honda to revive his memory. Of course, a smaller car, the harder it is to drive it, but Honda has proven more difficult.

The Civic is much more effective if you look in terms of comfort. The interior is very effective. The doors are large enough to provide easy access and once inside, you save the bus and driving position has always been a part of the Austin Mini and America. Honda engineers have gained the support of the wheel at an angle and the position of all civilized controls which you can find without a second glance. At first, the choice of materials and style of the interior look exactly like Buck typical small Japanese cars. Many metal outer shell color is obvious and the door panels are the islands of vinyl in a range of glazed metal doors. But then you begin to notice the smart key. The board is a great success. Two indicators are grouped in a single capsule directly in front of the driver and the rest of the width of the panel is devoted to a package of plates, like the BMW 3.0c.

And instead of setting a floor console between the seats, there is a plateau of each front seat side doors (if nothing else, more manageable moccasins to keep the money for free). As is common these days, many of the dashboard and other interior panels are made of molded plastic, but those are the Honda of exceptional quality. The upshot is that while the Civic is a small car with clarity in all senses of the word is not, fortunately, very cheap.

In fact, if you're not careful, you could end up with a cost because dealers Honda Civic options, all sufficient stock of automatic transmissions through roof rack for air conditioning. However, the base Civic is available in two denominations, the two-door sedan, which is the subject of this test, and the three-door hatchback. They are exactly alike, except that the trunk lid and rear seat fixed conventional saloon is replaced by a window on the top hinged folding rear seat on the tailgate. If the transport capacity is a serious problem, you should opt for tourism, although the situation of high load sill at the back is not practical. The sedan's trunk is very small. The vertical dimension of the chamber is sufficient for two medium suitcases stacked flat on each other, but once inside there is not enough depth to allow the door to close. While the utility of the hatchback will cost an additional $ 85.

After driving the Civic an inescapable conclusion: Honda is firmly committed to the automotive industry. To confirm this observation, the word from headquarters is that the number of distributors will double next year. Since the 600 is interrupted, leaving the Civic as the single biggest price. For the convenience of the congested city streets is unprecedented and training, is better-better-Austin United States. Many cars have entered the market with less.

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