Euro Honda Civic Review

This is for us north americans who are interested in what's abroad. This is a car that we will probably never see here and if we did, it would probably come here in the form of an entry level Acura. Honda did bring the UK Civic here in the form of the 2002 - 2004 Honda Civic SiR hatchback, which remains in my opinion to be a very underrated car!
An engaging driving dynamics, practical interior and head-turning looks, make the Civic our compact family car favourite.

Styling/image
The latest generation of Civic is a radical styling departure for the normally conservative Japanese company. With its full width front lamps, wedge profile and high-set tail, the Honda certainly stands out from the crowd. Both three and five door versions are available, although both feature similarly sporty looks thanks to the latter’s hidden rear door handles. Rapid Type-R range-topper gets neat bodykit and 18-inch alloy wheels. Only the dull looking IMA hybrid four-door saloon is a design let down

Interior practicality
The cabin of the Civic is as eye-catching as the exterior, with the highlight being the logically laid-out wraparound dashboard. A large boot and innovative folding rear bench make sure the interior is practical and stylish. Sadly, thick C-pillars and high waistline result in poor rear visibility. Entry-level SE models get air-con and electric windows, but little else. Pay a little extra for Sport trim and you’ll get Xenon headlamps and 17-inch alloys, while the ES adds cruise control, rain sensing wipers and auto lights. The range-topping EX features voice-recognition sat-nav and parking sensors.

Engine/performance
The Civic is available with three petrol engines – an underpowered 82bhp 1.4-litre, eager 138bhp 1.8-litre and feisty 198bhp 2.0-litre. However, it’s the punchy and refined 138bhp 2.2-litre i-CDTi diesel motor that’s our pick. Keen drivers will love the hot Type-R version. It’s fitted with the intoxicating 2.0-litre motor, which revs to over 8,000rpm and has a race car soundtrack. Eco-conscious buyers have the option of the petrol/electric hybrid IMA model.

Driving experience
Sharp steering and strong grip mean the Civic is as good to drive as it is to look at, although it can’t match the Ford Focus for driver involvement. Only a firm ride counts against the Japanese car. Plump for the Type-S and handling is improved further thanks to revised suspension settings, while the hardcore Type-R serves up even stiffer springs, a bone-jarring ride and huge amounts of fun.

Costs
It’s hard to beat the 2.2 i-CDTi Type-S when it comes to value for money. It’ll return 54mpg, emit just 138g/km of C02 and retain 42 per cent after three years. Only the hybrid IMA version betters that at 45 per cent. Even the 1.8-litre petrol fares well on running costs, managing an impressive 44.1mpg at the pumps and putting out a respectable 152g/km of CO2.

Safety/environment
The Toyota Prius rivaling Civic IMA hybrid is the greenest version in the line-up. By combining a 1.4-litre petrol engine and an electric motor it delivers 113bhp and a CO2 emissions of 109g/km. However, the diesel is a more practical choice, offers more performance and still has CO2 emissions of only 135g/km. With a four-star EuroNCAP rating, the Honda lags behind the competition for safety, although electronic stability control is standard across the range.

Source;
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/newreviews/229377/honda_civic.html

2009 Honda Civic Si Coupe Pic's

What's New for 2009 Honda Civic Sedan's

- new Sport trim replaces LX & LX SR.

DX, DX-A and DX-G: No new features.

Sport adds to DX-G: 16" aluminum-alloy wheels, Power-assisted ventilated front and solid rear disc brakes, Body-coloured door mirrors and handles, Heated door mirrors, Power moonroof, Variable intermittent windshield wipers, Exterior temperature indicator, Map lights, Rear-seat center armrest, USB Device Connector, Exhaust finisher, Leather-wrapped steering wheel, 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback, Black cloth interior with silver contrast stitching.

EX-L adds to Sport: VSA® with traction control, 12-volt power outlets (2), 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with 6-speakers MP3/WMA compatibility, Steering wheel-mounted audio controls, Heated front seats, Leather-trimmed seating.

Si: Adds Fog lights over last years model.

2010 Honda Civic Hatchback for UK Rendering

Bold Honda takes cues from ExCeL star and there's a Hybrid model and Type R on the way, too

The new Honda Civic is here – and yet again it’s set to break the mould in the family hatchback sector! These exclusive shots show how the next car will look when it hits the showroom in 2010, and as you can see, the Japanese maker has opted for a shape that is even bolder and more individual than the current model.

With Vauxhall set to launch a stylish new Astra, and the next, sleek Ford Focus due in 2010, competition is fierce – but Honda has pulled out the stops to create a real stunner. As revealed in Issue 1,023, the OSM concept seen at the British Motor Show was more than simply an ‘Open Study Model’ – as the face of the new Civic is almost identical.

There are hints of VW’s IROC concept, which was toned down to become the Scirocco, in the gaping front grille. The new hatchback adds elements carried over from the current Civic, too, most notably the trademark single strip light cluster at the rear. But Honda fans will note that the split rear screen has been dropped to improve visibility. Shallow glass areas, broad shoulders and a nose-down stance give this three-door model a sporty and purposeful look.

The hatchback ‘coupé’ pictured here will be aimed at younger buyers, who want style and image more than outright practicality. So, as well as big alloys and a contrasting black bodykit, the three-door gets lowered suspension and a dark interior with deeply sculpted seats.

The three-door will be distinct from the five, as Honda adopts an approach similar to the Renault Mégane by pitching the two cars at different buyers. So, the five-door will be more for the family, with a taller roofline offering plenty of space, a bigger boot, plus a softer ride and handling balance.

Here's the rest of the article;

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/226578/new_civic_revealed.html

2009 Honda Civic Lineup Receives New Exterior Styling; Available Technology Features Now Include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and USB Audio Interface

Here is another Honda Press Release to compliment my previous posts, again, some of this won't make it's way to Canada, like the Navigation, but most of this info will apply.

08/19/2008 - TORRANCE, Calif. -

The Honda Civic is enhanced inside and out for 2009 with new exterior styling, colors and available tech-friendly features like Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® and a USB Audio Interface 1. An exclusively-equipped Civic LX-S Sedan debuts with alloy wheels and sportier interior styling. A new Civic DX Value Package (DX-VP) Sedan builds on the Civic DX Sedan's standard features by adding air conditioning and an audio system.

"The Civic lineup uniquely embraces traditional gasoline, hybrid, high performance and natural gas technologies like no other vehicle in the world," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The exterior styling enhancements and newly-available features help strengthen Civic's position as one of the best-selling vehicles in a market that's embracing small cars more than ever."

All 2009 Civic sedan and coupe models boast redesigned exterior styling features, including a new front bumper cover and grille design and new headlight and taillight color combinations, featuring clear turn indicator lenses with amber bulbs. New alloy wheel designs are introduced on the Civic EX, Civic EX-L and Civic Si models, along with the addition of fog lamps for the Civic Si model.

Interior enhancements come by way of technology-friendly additions. Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® is added to Navigation-equipped models and a USB Audio Interface added to Civic EX, EX-L, Hybrid and Si models. The Civic Hybrid gains the option of leather-trimmed seating surfaces with heated front seats and side mirrors. Additionally, new cloth materials and patterns on seats, door linings and armrests (when equipped) have been updated to further enhance the interior's look and feel.

New for 2009, Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), also known as electronic stability control, is now standard on the Civic EX-L and Civic Hybrid, in addition to the Civic Si. The entire line-up maintains a standard array of safety technologies including Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure; side curtain airbags; driver's and front passenger's side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); and dual-stage, dual-threshold driver's and front passenger's airbags (SRS). Active front seat head restraints are designed to help reduce the likelihood of neck injury in the event of a rear collision. Standard active safety features include an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and electronic brake distribution, front seatbelts with an automatic tensioning system, and a pedestrian injury mitigation design incorporated into the front exterior of the vehicle. Driver and front passenger seatbelt reminders and daytime running lights are also standard equipment.

Four engine and four transmission choices range from a 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine (Civic DX, DX-VP, LX, EX and EX-L), with either a 5-speed manual or an available 5-speed automatic transmission, to a 197-horsepower, 2.0-liter i-VTEC engine (Civic Si) with a 6-speed manual transmission. The Civic Hybrid is powered by a 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine with Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) gasoline-electric hybrid technology to enhance both fuel economy and performance, and is equipped with a continuously variable transmission. The Civic GX is powered by a dedicated natural gas version of the Civic's 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine - and is equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission. Both Civic Hybrid and Civic GX are classified as Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles (AT-PZEV) by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The Civic GX is classified by the EPA as an Inherently Low Emissions Vehicle (ILEV).

Built on a high-rigidity unit-body platform, the Civic is designed to deliver precise, sharp and refined handling performance with its MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension.

The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System2, available on Civic EX, EX-L, Si and Hybrid models, has a 6.5-inch motorized display that opens and closes for access to the internal single-disc CD player, and a digital audio-card reader that can play MP3 and Windows Media®3 Audio (WMA) files from CompactFlash®4 cards (via a PC card adapter). The navigation system features more than 7 million points of interest and the voice activation can control the navigation menus and the audio system, along with entering city and street names. New for 2009, the system includes Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, a wireless telephone interface that works with Bluetooth-enabled mobile telephones for hands-free operation via steering wheel-mounted controls.

Auxiliary audio input jacks are standard equipment on Civic LX and above trim levels and allow for portable music device playback through the audio system. The Civic LX Coupe has a six-speaker 160-watt audio system with a CD player (four speakers for the LX sedan). All audio systems are capable of playing MP3 and WMA formatted CDs. Standard Speed-sensitive Volume Control (SVC) automatically adjusts the volume based on vehicle speed. Audio displays include CD/MP3 text readout, and all coupes (except for the DX) plus the Civic Si Sedan provide a customizable welcome screen (exclusively on models without the available navigation system).

Here is a link to the rest of the spec's, which is nothing new from the 2008's;

http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/4686

Pic's of 09 Civic Sedan's Slight Facelift

Well, here are some pic's of the US brochure that was scanned courtesy of autoblog.com.

Source; http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/17/facelifted-2009-honda-civic-sedan-gets-scantastic-reveal/

Honda Increases Civic Production and Slows Down on Odyssey and Pilot's

Honda announced today that it will cut production of the Odyssey minivan and Pilot by 10,000 units total at its Lincoln assembly plant. Honda produced 158,316 Odysseys and pilots at the plant in the first half of 2008, down by 2.4 percent during the same period last year.

“Honda is not immune to the shift in the market,” Honda spokesman David Iida told Automotive News. “We don’t want inventories to get too high.”

The production cut will take place from August up through October. The plant will close on August 1st and August 29th after which the second shift will be canceled each Friday during the three month period. Iida said that there will be no layoffs during the cuts and Honda will use the remaining time for employee training.

Iida also said that Honda’s Ridgeline production will be moved from Alliston, Ontario to Lincoln, making room for an increase Civic output.

Source; www.autonews.com (subscription needed).

Wow, Shortage on Honda Civic's and Fit's

Well, almost everybody knows that there is a shortage on all things Hybrid, but now there is a shortage on all things Honda Civic and Honda Fit! As a dealership (moderate size for Canada) we usually have an incoming list 8 or 9 pages long, now it is only 3 1/2 pages. I personally have never experienced a shortage like this. Heaven forbid anyone be colour specific right now! Manual Transmissions are next to non existant, part in parcel to the ECO rebate and Automatic Transmissions are becoming a rare breed as well!

2009 Stock is not expected to arrive until September or October and I don't think we will have enough stock to last! Part of this is due to the US gobbling up as many Civic's as possible and the other half has to do with the current gas prices - everybody is trading in their SUV's, Trucks, and large sedan's. This is crazy.

Canadian Driver's 50 Litre Challenge Finds the Most Efficient Compact Cars

Well, Canadiandriver.com has done another 50 Litre Challenge, what they do is take 13 of the most popular Compact cars, they then fill the tank and drive them until they are dead empty. Here are the results with the km's travelled.

Group One Kilometres
Toyota Corolla 1017
Honda Civic 947
Pontiac Vibe 854
Group Two
Hyundai Elantra 812
Mazda3 784
Pontiac G5 755
Mitsubishi Lancer 754
Kia Spectra 742
Ford Focus 742
Nissan Sentra 717
Group Three
Volkswagen City Golf 670
Dodge Caliber 653
Suzuki SX4 637

Here is the link;
http://www.canadiandriver.com/50litre/main.htm

HONDA for World Domination!

I have often said that as a salesperson, I have the easiest job on the planet, I sell Honda's which pretty much sell themselves. That has been especially true in this current market of high gas prices. Honda is positioned exceptionally well, with vehicles that are either at the top of their class in fuel efficiency or right up near the top. Here is a good read from Detroit News on some speculation of where Honda might just end up. Canadians, keep in mind that any numbers thrown around (mpg, $4/gallon,...) are all in US numbers, canadian numbers are different.

Honda's fuel-efficiency strategy pays off
Christine Tierney / The Detroit News

In recent years, while many automakers were building bigger and brawnier trucks and SUVs, Honda Motor Co. stuck to its core business of making fuel-efficient vehicles. Unlike its leading Japanese rivals, Honda passed on developing a full-size pickup. It didn't offer a powerful V-8 engine for its premium cars and SUVs either, focusing its resources instead on designing better versions of its stalwart Civic compact and tiny Fit.

That strategy is now paying off. This year Honda has clocked the best performance of any major player in the U.S. market. Its sales are up 4.8 percent in a market that contracted 8.4 percent in the first five months of 2008. In May, the Civic became the top-selling vehicle in the United States, displacing the longtime champion, Ford Motor Co.'s F-Series trucks, as consumers traded in gas guzzlers for more frugal models.

"They have an array of products that is in tune with today's economic climate," said Jim Hossack, a consultant at AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, Calif. "They don't have a Suburban, they don't have a Super Duty, but they have small, fuel-efficient vehicles. They're in good shape."

Honda could sell even more vehicles in the United States if the Japanese automaker shipped more small cars to its American Honda Motor subsidiary. Fit subcompacts are sold within five days of reaching showrooms, said John Mendel, executive vice president at American Honda. But Honda is also scrambling to meet demand in Japan, where the Fit is the best-selling vehicle. "Sixty percent of the world market is small cars. We compete with the rest of the world for the Fit," Mendel said. It gets 27-28 (35-40 in Canadian numbers) miles per gallon in the city and 33-34 mpg (49-52 in Canadian numbers) on the highway.

This past weekend, Jim Kurtz, a software specialist living near Baltimore, struggled to track down a Fit for his daughter. "I called five dealers, and only one of them had the car," Kurtz said. "The demand is unbelievably high for these vehicles."

This year, Fit sales are up 64 percent, Civic sales are up 20.5 percent, and sales of the Civic hybrid are up 17.5 percent, according to Autodata Corp.

Honda's trucks, however, are not performing as well. The CR-V crossover is popular, but Honda has a tough time moving its boxy Element vehicles. They spend nearly three months on dealer lots, compared with a 56-day average for compact crossovers as a whole, according to J.D. Power and Associates' Power Information Network. Honda's midsize Ridgeline pickup is also a slow seller, and now carries $3,500 in incentives, according to online auto research firm Edmunds.com.

Sales of Honda's premium Acura vehicles have been weak, too, in the last months before the rollout of redesigned models.

But Honda cars are hard to keep in stock. "Particularly in this climate, where gas prices have spiked since mid-April, Honda is top of mind with consumers," said Mark McCready, vice president for market planning and pricing at online retailer Carsdirect.com. "Honda has for years positioned themselves in their marketing as being economical, with good fuel-economy, reliability and best cost of ownership."

Demand for Honda's midsize Accord sedan is strong, as SUV owners migrate to smaller -- but not much smaller -- vehicles. That shift explains why more Accord buyers are opting for V-6 than four-cylinder engines, Mendel said. Accord sales are up 9.4 percent this year, and ahead 38.9 percent in May.

With gas costing $4 a gallon, fuel economy is a top priority for consumers. Allen Chen, a vice president at a Silicon Valley firm, looked at small, fuel-efficient cars and hybrids. With hybrids, "the gas savings, even assuming $6 a gallon gas, didn't work out because of the extra cost of the car, and the cost of the battery replacement down the road," he said. Last weekend, Chen settled on a Civic with a 1.8-liter engine costing $17,865, including tax.

Honda's archrival Toyota Motor Corp. has many fuel-efficient models in its bigger lineup, but Toyota's performance has been hurt by weak demand for some of its larger vehicles, such as the new Tundra pickup. Toyota has slowed production of Tundras at its Indiana and Texas plants, and Nissan Motor Co. is also slashing output of light trucks in North America.

Compared with Toyota and Nissan, Honda has been more cautious in adding production capacity. But that trait is causing Honda to scramble to supply dealers with more cars. It is increasing Civic production at its Alliston plant in Ontario and it is opening a car plant in Indiana this fall.

But McCready says Honda may run short during the summer selling season. "They don't have the volumes or the inventories to do what they did in May for the rest of the summer."

You can reach Christine Tierney at ctierney@detnews.com.

Honda Civic #1Selling Car in US for Month of May (1st Time!)

This is old news for us Canadians, because the Honda Civic has been the #1 selling car for 9 years straight! This is pretty big news in the US though.

http://en.autos.sympatico.msn.ca/guides_and_advice/article.aspx?cp-documentid=6198519

The Honda Civic has become the best selling car in the United States in May, beating out both the , the Toyota Camry, by 53,299 for the Civic and 51,291 for the Camry.

If you really want to see what $4.00 a gallon gas has don,e then note that it has beat out the Ford F-150, the long time best selling vehicle, by 10.326 units!

Never underestimate the power of the pump!

Source:

http://www.autospies.com/news/Honda-s-Civic-Blows-Out-The-Competition-Out-For-Number-One-Spot-In-May-30690/

Honda Positioned Well in Current Market Conditions

With the current state of high gas prices across North America, buyers are switching their buying habits to smaller cars, which makes some manufacturer's more prepared than others. While some manufacturer's are shutting down production and laying off workers (Ford, GM, Dodge....), Honda with it's class leading Honda Civic and Honda FIT are selling in droves, which is having a positive affect for Honda's production. Sure, sales of the Ridgeline, Pilot, and even Odyssey have dipped a bit, but with the surgence of the Civic, Fit, and I will even say CRV, instead of laying off worker's or shutting down plants, Honda is just switching production around and moving workers from one plant to another to keep up with demand.

Honda saving U.S. jobs by switching models

Yuri Kageyama / Associated Press

TOKYO -- Honda will meet growing U.S. demand for small cars while maintaining North American jobs by moving production of two bigger models from Canada to Alabama, Chief Executive Takeo Fukui said Thursday.
Honda Motor Co.'s Pilot sport-utility vehicle and Ridgeline pickup, now rolling off its plant in Alliston, Ontario, will be produced in Lincoln, Ala., allowing the production of the Civic sedan to be raised in Canada, he said.
"Gas prices continue to rise, and the demand for cars with good mileage is growing," Fukui told reporters at a Tokyo hotel. "Efforts are under way to increase the local production of the Civic."

Even the usually booming Japanese automakers are sensing the pinch from a U.S. economic slowdown and soaring material costs, including steel. But the Japanese are holding up better than their American rivals because of their reputation for fuel-efficient offerings.

General Motors' top managers are working on additional restructuring measures to deal with a declining U.S. auto market and an accelerated shift from trucks to more fuel-efficient vehicles, a person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press late Wednesday.

Such a move would come on top of thousands of job cuts at GM over the past three years mainly through buyout and early retirement offers.

Ford said earlier this week that it's planning involuntary layoffs of salaried employees by August as part of a restructuring in the face of slumping sales and record-high gas prices.

Honda's production changes won't create -- or cut -- any jobs in North America. But Fukui noted it will maintain sales momentum.
"And the point is we won't have to reduce employment," he said.

Honda will create American jobs when its plant to build Civics opens in Indiana later this year. That plant, Honda's seventh in North America, is expected to add about 2,000 jobs.
Fukui said Honda's Fit subcompact is another model that is emerging a hit in the U.S., a nation previously known to favor gas-guzzlers.
Still, the overall U.S. auto sales are expected to drop to around 15 million vehicles this year -- down from 17 million as recently as 2005.

For April, General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler all saw double-digit U.S. sales declines compared to last April. But Honda, along with Nissan Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp., reported year-on-year gains.

Relatively new auto plants are flexible in production, allowing models to be switched to respond to shifts in demand. At some plants, the same assembly line can produce different models, one after the other.

Source:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/AUTO01/805290438/1148

Changes Expected for the 2009 Honda Civic?

Changes? Sure. Big ones? Nope! And how could you? When the current bodystyle of the Civic came onto the market, it threw the competition on its ear (2006-2007 Honda Accord included). Honda has raised the bar so high in this segment that I'd hate to be the one responsible for 'one-upping' this one. Expect some minor mid model changes to the front head lights and rear tail lights with some added colour choices (with the subtraction of others). The Si is rumoured to have a new intake manifold, but that should be it. Frankly, I can't blame Honda for not wanting to mess with the formula that has made this car so successful.

El Civico, The Honda Civic CarTruck

Uh, yeah. Looks like a motorcycle landed through the roof of a Honda Civic - but NO!, it's a 1999 Honda Civic converted to carry what you see above.

Here's a link to the whole story and more pic's:
http://jalopnik.com/377144/wrecked-civic-%252B-drag-bike--el-civico

Honda Civic Si -VS- VW Golf GTI

Here's a nice comparison between to rival cars by Josh Jacquot, Senior Road Test Editor at Edmund's Online. I know it is a couple of years old, but the two cars are virtually the same today, so I didn't think it would matter.

Here are most of the highlights;

Honda's Civic Si comes with an i-VTEC-motivated 2.0-liter four-cylinder pumping out 197 hp at 7,800 rpm. Honda relies on engine speed instead of boost for motivation, so torque is only 139 lb-ft. Like the GTI, the Civic comes with a six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment, but unlike the GTI, it uses a helical limited-slip differential to put power to the ground.

This contest was close almost everywhere. Both cars have similar power, offer similar features and have similar build quality inside and out. Plus, their performance numbers were a wash. Quarter-mile and 0-60 times were only one-tenth of a second apart.

But there were two critical areas that made a difference in this battle: weight and cost. The GTI has more of both and together they were enough to tip the scale in the Si's favor. Yanking around about 400 pounds of extra ballast hurt the GTI's connection to the road, and the additional $3,335 it takes out of your wallet won't do your children's college fund any favors.

These two factors combined to turn our scoring system against the German hatchback. However, the reality is that it's an exceptional car — and probably more versatile than the Si given its shape and configurable cargo area. Its engine is also far more flexible than the Honda's and its chassis is a huge improvement over previous GTIs.

The Civic, too, is a nice machine. Despite design features we can't stand, like the two-tiered instrument cluster and A-pillars that rival the span of Golden Gate Bridge, there's no denying that it's sharper than the GTI when it comes to hard driving. And it's a heck of a lot less expensive.

In a class where most buyers will use these vehicles as their only car, practicality and performance both count. Costing 15 percent less, possessing better handling and being just as quick or quicker make for a strong argument in the Honda's favor, giving the Civic the win.

Both really nice cars; here is the whole article;

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=109825#1

DB Walkaround; 2008 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan -PART TWO-

The 2008 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan -Part TWO-

Features, Advantages, and Benefits

Honda has raised the bar as far as what the Honda Civic comes with for features. Let's start with the basic features that most cars have and move on from there.

The 2008 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan comes with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic transmission, yeah, that's right a 5-speed automatic transmission. I am not saying that this is unique to Honda, but I will say it is pretty unique to a 4 cylinder engine, most manufacturer's give you a 4-speed automatic (almost all give you a 5-speed manual). By having the extra gear to kick into, when you are at higher speeds (hwy) you will idle lower, making for a quieter engine/quieter ride and rpm's are lower so you conserve gas (check it out, at around 110km's/hr, the idle sits just over 2,000/rpm's - most vehicles will be at or over 2,500/rpm's).

The air conditioning unit comes with a micron filter which works like a heppa filter on a vaccum, filtering out alot of the debris in the air, this helps those out with alergies, etc. The Civic comes with both a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, which means that not only will the steering wheel tilt up and down - but it will also move in and out. This is great for people of my body type. I am not the tallest guy in the world (5'8") and what height I do have is in my legs, so when I sit in a seat I sit further back because of my longer legs, so I find I end up reaching a bit for the steering wheel. By having the telescoping steering wheel, I can move it closer to me (in/out) so I don't have to compromise my seating position, which makes for a more comfortable ride. Electronic Cruise Control is on the car, so you can comfortably set your speed and rest your foot on a long drive or for you 'lead-foots'. The full power group is included on this trim, power windows, power door locks, power heated side door mirrors, and a power moonroof with the tilt feature, all convenience features made to make life easier!

The audio is something pretty good for a factory deck. In most cases it is made by Alpine (I have seen decks made by Panasonic as well), I don't know why they don't brag about this, Alpine and Panasonic make good electronic's. The decks will play most +/- burnt CD's and mp3 files. There is also an auxillary jack located below the power outlet to plug in a i-pod or mp3 player, all you have to do is get a 'stereo cable' (has two male ends that look like the end of a earphone cable). It will not charge your i-pod at the time and you have to use your i-pod to control the songs etc., however you can get what's called an 'i-link' from Honda where you can do both.

The first thing that you will be drawn to when you step inside of the car is the new 'heads up' display. You'll notice that all of your most commonly used guages are always within your front periferal vision, you do not have to peek through the steering wheel in order to see what the speed, gas, or oil temperature is at. The more your eyes are on the road the safer you'll be. You really have to hand it to Honda for putting together such a dramatically different dash together than ever before (competitor's included), they could have kept turning out the same old stuff and still sold a whack of cars.

The middle armrest actually can be pulled forward to give you more of an armrest (or is some cases of sitting closer to the dash a armrest at all). Inside of the armrest is a generous storage compartment that will fit 10X CD cases and also has another power outlet for a cel phone. This extra power outlet gives you 2X in all. The nice thing about the power outlet being tucked away in the armrest/storage compartment is that when you charge your cel phone in the armrest it will be out of sight, so if you stop for a coffee at 7-Eleven (http://www.7-eleven.com/) a thief doesn't pass by, sees it and does a smash and grab. Plus, having the cel phone out of the way while you are charging it, you won't have all the cables in the way of the shifter.

Exclusive to the 2008 Civic EX-L's is the Leather with heated front seats. If you have kids or pets, leather is easier to keep clean than cloth. There is a manual height adjustable seat as well, perfect for me being long in the leg, so I can 'pump it up'.

DB Walkaround; 2008 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan -PART ONE-

The 2008 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan -Part ONE-

Introduction

This is the second from the top of the line Civic Si that is available in Canada (and US). The 'L' in EX-L stands for Leather. This is the first year for a Leather model in Canada, techinically speaking it was previously called an Acura CSX in Canada which was not available in the US, sold in Canada Only. This bodystyle was first introduced in the 2006 model year, where it became a significant upgrade from the previous 2001-2005 generation. Honda wanted the Civic to have a more 'upscale' look and feel to it and they 'borrowed' design cues from various successful vehicles. (Acura and BMW come to mind). In its first year on the market, the eight generation Civic was recognized as the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) Car of the Year, the Motor Trend Car of the Year and the AJAC (Automotive Journalists Association of Canada) Car of the Year.

Under the Hood

All Civic's (excluding the Si model) are powered by a 4 cylinder 1.8 litre SOHC i-vtec engine which produces 140 horse power. A key component to the Honda engine is the i-vtec. This stands for I=Intelligent, V=Variable, T=Timing, E=Electronic, C=Control. Now the 1.8 litre is small compared to some other 4 cylinder engines (2.0 or 2.3 litre's in some cases), but it is able to produce a very 'spirited' experience (don't get me wrong, you won't mistake it for a large V6, but it will give a small V6 a run for its money). Basically manufacturer's have two schools of thought with regards to generating power out of an engine, one being build a bigger engine (hence go from a 1.8 litre to a 2.0 or 2.3 litre), the second is making that engine work more efficiently/effectively. The latter is what Honda subscribes to with the i-vtec and vtec engines. Here is a quick analogy to help better understand how i-vtec works; picture 2X baskets, one filled with tennis balls, the other empty, you have a shovel to move tennis balls from the full basket to the empty one. The shovel represents your engine, the tennis balls represent the power generated. To generate more power/move more tennis balls from the full to the empty basket, you could A) make a bigger shovel or B) make that smaller shovel move faster. 'B' is what the Honda i-vtec does.

Starting with the 2006 model year, Honda has switched from Timing Belts to Timing Chains, which means there is one less thing you have to do to maintain your Honda Civic. In previous Civic's if a Timing Belt went, you would be looking at a hefty repair and could destroy your engine, so you change it every 5yrs or 100,000km's. The Timing Chain should go for the life of the vehicle, but if it does go, it is only the chain that is effected.

You will notice that all of the fluid canisters (washer fluid, engine coolant, power steering fluid, and power braking fluid) are in clear plastic containers. So, if you're the type of person interested in where your fluid levels are before you take off on a long trip, you can do so with ease. You will also notice that a fuse box is located under the hood on the passenger side (a triangular container). Most fuse boxes are located under the steering wheel and is hard to get at and see, especially if the fuse to the lights is the one out (murphy's law!), Honda has the more obscure ones still under the steering wheel, but the more common ones are located under the hood. The whole idea behind this is so that when a fuse goes, it's more accessable and you can pull up to a street lamp to see if it is dark out.