Big New Civic from Honda

By Steven D. Gatt, Automotive Editor

Brand new for 1996, Honda has introduced a new Civic to compete in the hot entry level market. The Civic is designed to compete with the formidable likes of the Ford Escort, Geo Prizm, Toyota Corolla and the Dodge Neon.

Tested for this review was the Civic LX four-door sedan. Honda's new Civic has comfortable room inside for four adults; only the Dodge Neon has more interior room.

One of the first things you notice when driving the Civic is the low hood lines and short front end. These attributes add up to excellent visibility which is good all around with abundant glass space.

Honda obviously put a lot of thought into the redesign of the Civic. It shows in the interior design with most controls being high on the dash and within easy reach of the driver, although one control the hazard light button seemed out of place on the far right side of the dash. The cupholders are low and out of the way but not out of reach. My test Civic had poor radio reception I had difficulty getting even Ann Arbor radio stations tuned.

The seats are comfortable but do not have enough lateral support for freeway cloverleaf ramps. Part of the body roll lack of control is the result of thin tires that are common on entry level cars.

One of the best features of the new Civic is the noise, vibration and harshness control. The Civic is surprisingly quiet inside on the freeway and feels extremely solid for a small car. The handling is also good--not exceedingly harsh for a subcompact. This entry-level car feels more like a luxury car because of its' NVH control.

The feature list on this car is immense. Safety features include: dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, front and rear crumple zones, side impact door beams and it meets the federal offset crash standards. Comfort and convenience features include: height adjustable front seatbelts, rear seat heat ducts, rear defroster, intermittent wipers, cruise control, power locks and mirrors and fold down rear seats.

Other well-designed features include the new stronger headlamps, a light weight clutch and smooth shifter. The small 1.6L, 16 valve engine delivers 106 horsepower and gives the car a peppy feel. Fuel economy is near best in class with 33 city and 38 highway. I observed 36 mpg during my test.

The overall design is boring to say the least; Honda is too conservative. This is an all new design yet it differs little in shape from the previous generation. The Honda Civic is the best entry level car I have driven to date with excellent headroom, legroom and NVH control. The 1996 Civic is Automobile Magazine Automobile of the Year and is one of Car and Driver Magazine's Ten Best.

If your concerned about buying American, 70% of the Civic parts come from North American and the Civic is assembled in East Liberty, Ohio.

Base price for Honda Civic LX four-door sedan is $13,600. Add the ABS and air conditioning package at $1,450, floor mats for $69, plus destination of $380 for a total of $15,499 probably not the cheapest entry level nor the most expensive.