But such are the ways of Civic coupe owners. It just might be the most customized vehicle on the road, with oversized wheels, rigid suspension
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| I find the stock 160-watt, four-speaker stereo to be very competent. (Photo: Honda Canada) |
kits, aluminum whale tails, carbon fibre interior trim, aluminum switchgear, A-pillar gauge clusters, personalized upholstery, short-throw gearshift levers, engine upgrades galore, and lest I forget, aftermarket audio/video/nav systems that often cost much more than the entire purchase price of the car.
While the 2006 coupe doesn't offer 1000-watt amplifiers and TV monitors on the backs of its contoured headrests, it does provide a pretty impressive audio system, at least for my needs. Unlike some tuner friends I associate with, I have no need to shake up the neighborhood - that just happens to be very close to an earthquake inducing fault line - so I find the stock 160-watt, four-speaker stereo to be very competent. It features a single CD player, AM/FM radio bands, of course, and MP3 compatibility. If you load it up it even comes with a plug-in for an external device, like an MP3 player or iPod. This is a feature
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| The design looks sporty and technologically advanced, while featuring a much higher quality of plastic surfaces than the outgoing model. (Photo: Honda Canada) |
that I really like, due to my little white iPod Shuffle, and would cause me to pay more just to get it. Of course, this day and age I don't think Civic coupe customers, which will mostly continue to be younger and therefore less affluent, should have to buy a bunch of higher priced options in order to bundle in a tiny iPod connector.
Honda doesn't require entry-level buyers to buck up for its many interior upgrades, however, which improve across the coupe lineup for 2006. The design, which is identical to that in the sedan, looks sporty and technologically advanced, while featuring a much higher quality of plastic surfaces than the outgoing model. Upholstery on the seats and door panels is also much nicer in both design and tactile quality, and the former are wonderfully comfortable while offering a level of support few rivals can match.
