The trade-off for the modest power output is fuel economy, which admittedly is more important; our average of 8.3 L/100 km is quite good.
Dynamically, the Civic feels like a cross between the softer rides of the Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla and the sportier characters of the Mazda3 and Mitsubishi Lancer, which is fine by me, although a little extra driving excitement wouldn’t hurt.
Minor facelift for 2009
Cosmetically, the Civic gets a new front fascia that includes a revised bumper and a restyled grille. Some chrome trim has also been added to the car’s rump, and new alloy wheel designs are offered.
Yet, this generation has been on the market since the fall of 2005, and it still distinguishes itself apart from more conventional sedans like the Corolla and the Focus. It doesn’t look like an oddball, though, which means that it still pleases the masses and still sells extremely well.
And that might be the Civic’s biggest problem. A victim of its own success, there is a Civic everywhere you look. Its popularity also makes it attractive to steal, and insurance rates could be quoted accordingly, depending on where you live and how old you are.
Competition
The Civic sedan has a base price of $16,990, while our loaded EX-L with automatic goes for $24,880. Other fully-equipped compact sedans with automatics include:
Chevrolet Cobalt LT 1SB with options, 155 hp, $24,295
Ford Focus SEL with options, 140 hp, $22,149
Hyundai Elantra Limited, 138 hp, $23,795
Kia Forte SX, 173 hp, $22,195
Mazda3 GT with options, 167 hp, $26,385
Mitsubishi Lancer GT, 152 hp, $23,198
Nissan Sentra 2.0 SL with options, 140 hp, $23,898
Subaru Impreza 2.5i Limited, 170 hp, $27,795
Suzuki SX4 Sport, 143 hp, $20,445
Toyota Corolla LE with options, 132 hp, $22,480
Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 Comfortline, 170 hp, $27,640
Actually, not all these competitors can be compared side-by-side. The SX4 doesn’t offer leather seats or a sunroof, the Impreza is the only one with all-wheel drive while the Mazda3 and Jetta are just darn expensive.
Dynamically, the Civic feels like a cross between the softer rides of the Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla and the sportier characters of the Mazda3 and Mitsubishi Lancer, which is fine by me, although a little extra driving excitement wouldn’t hurt.
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| Cosmetically, the Civic gets a revised bumper and a restyled grille. |
Minor facelift for 2009
Cosmetically, the Civic gets a new front fascia that includes a revised bumper and a restyled grille. Some chrome trim has also been added to the car’s rump, and new alloy wheel designs are offered.
Yet, this generation has been on the market since the fall of 2005, and it still distinguishes itself apart from more conventional sedans like the Corolla and the Focus. It doesn’t look like an oddball, though, which means that it still pleases the masses and still sells extremely well.
And that might be the Civic’s biggest problem. A victim of its own success, there is a Civic everywhere you look. Its popularity also makes it attractive to steal, and insurance rates could be quoted accordingly, depending on where you live and how old you are.
Competition
The Civic sedan has a base price of $16,990, while our loaded EX-L with automatic goes for $24,880. Other fully-equipped compact sedans with automatics include:
Chevrolet Cobalt LT 1SB with options, 155 hp, $24,295
Ford Focus SEL with options, 140 hp, $22,149
Hyundai Elantra Limited, 138 hp, $23,795
Kia Forte SX, 173 hp, $22,195
Mazda3 GT with options, 167 hp, $26,385
Mitsubishi Lancer GT, 152 hp, $23,198
Nissan Sentra 2.0 SL with options, 140 hp, $23,898
Subaru Impreza 2.5i Limited, 170 hp, $27,795
Suzuki SX4 Sport, 143 hp, $20,445
Toyota Corolla LE with options, 132 hp, $22,480
Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 Comfortline, 170 hp, $27,640
Actually, not all these competitors can be compared side-by-side. The SX4 doesn’t offer leather seats or a sunroof, the Impreza is the only one with all-wheel drive while the Mazda3 and Jetta are just darn expensive.
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| The Civic's 1.8-litre inline-4 develops 140 horsepower, which places it among the least powerful compact sedans. |