2005 Honda Civic LX-G Sedan Road Test

Déjà Vu All Over Again

I'm having a serious case of déjà vu. I swear I've already driven the Honda Civic sedan this year. Oh wait, I did, it was

Honda manufactures a reliable, safe, comfortable and popular car that appeals to the masses. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

just rebadged as an Acura EL. Silly me. And having already driven pretty much the exact same car over and over again, I have almost run out of things to say about it. Hmmm... a loss for words? Now that doesn't happen very often.

I tend to feel this way when driving any of Honda's Civics, whether badged as Acuras or otherwise, because there's nothing new about them other than an option here or there, or maybe a hot-looking new rear decklid spoiler. That, however, will soon change as of the 2006 model year, being that the Civic gets totally redesigned. But in the meantime, when I do have comments about it, they are generally all the same. Is that a bad thing? Well, no, because it shows Honda's consistency in manufacturing a reliable, safe, comfortable and popular car that appeals to the masses, if not necessarily for its slightly boring interior and exterior styling, but for everything else.

The 2005 LX-G sedan appealed to me because, after testing a few SUVs in a row, the fuel economy sure was spectacular.

Estimated fuel consumption in the Civic is 8.0 L/100 km in the city and 5.7 L/100 km on the highway with the 1.7-litre, 16-valve, SOHC four-cylinder engine. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

While the road presence and spaciousness of an SUV is nice to have, what it really comes down to for me is how much I will be spending on gas each week. Okay, that's not the only thing I think of, but it is a major factor when it comes to testing entry-level anything. Estimated fuel consumption in the Civic is 8.0 L/100 km in the city and 5.7 L/100 km on the highway with the 1.7-litre, 16-valve, SOHC four-cylinder engine and optional four-speed automatic transmission. With the manual transmission, fuel consumption is even better at 7.5 L/100 km in the city and 5.7 L/100 km on the highway.