HONDA CIVIC Site

honda civic type-r

The Honda Civic is a line of compact cars developed and manufactured by Honda. In North America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in 1968, has been in production longer.

Honda Civic 1.8VMT

The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda’s vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded. Having gone through several generational changes, the Civic has become larger and more upmarket, and it currently slots between the Fit and Accord.

HONDA CIVIC type r

It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door coupe, followed by a three-door hatchback that September. With the transverse engine mounting of its 1169 cc engine and front-wheel drive like the British Mini, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions.

HONDA CIVIC street racing car

Early models of the Civic were typically outfitted with a basic AM radio, heater, foam-cushioned plastic trim, two-speed wipers and painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut cap. As the years went by, it has become much more upscale with options such as air conditioning, power locks, and power windows, leather upholstery, satellite-linked navigation, and a six-speed manual transmission. Initially gaining a reputation for being fuel-efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly, later iterations have become well-known for performance and sportiness, especially the Civic Type-R and Civic Si.

2006 Honda Civic Type-R Concept

The Civic has been rebadged for international markets with such models as the Honda Ballade and Honda Domani/Acura EL. The Civic platform also served as the basis for the CR-X sport compact, the CR-X del Sol targa convertible, and the CR-V compact SUV.

• 2010 HONDA CIVIC
• 2009 HONDA CIVIC
• 2008 HONDA CIVIC

2008 HONDA Civic interior

The Civic LX sedan remains the most comfortable Civic we’ve driven. The DX edges more toward Spartan inside, while the EX heads toward lush. Fit and finish meet Honda standards. Plastic trim elements look high-grade, although the multi-piece dash invites concern about high-mileage squeaks and buzzes.

Seats are comfortable, not plush. The fabric upholstery feels durable, and its robust nap assists the modest side and bottom bolsters in restraining occupants during spirited motoring. Seat bottoms provide better than average thigh support. The manual height adjustment on the driver’s seat pivots on front hinges, forcing drivers to choose between seat height and legroom. The Si and Mugen models get sport front seats with synthetic suede upholstery and more aggressive bolsters both bottom and side for improved support.

2008 HONDA Civic interior

The view out the front, with the expansive windshield, low cowl and sloping hood, is unparalleled in the class. A commensurately low beltline would enhance side vision, but otherwise there’s little about which to complain. Tiny front quarter windows on the sedan, necessary to allow the front door windows to roll all the way down, push the side view mirrors a bit too far rearward for quick and easy glances at neighboring lanes.

Controls are for the most part where they should be, but not necessarily as they should be. There’s little symmetry in organization or shape of features and interfaces. It’s not an unpleasant look, but one that requires some acclimation. Despite the seeming logic of the two-tier instrument display, we still haven’t adjusted to the resulting weird pod draped over the top of the dash.

The dash itself seems endlessly deep; splayed across its top, in front of the driver, is a hooded opening with a digital speedometer between LCD coolant temperature and fuel level gauges. Down below, in the more common place for instruments, a large, round, analog tachometer dominates the view through the top half of the steering wheel, with warning lights to either side. Outboard of this display are large, irregular vent registers. Instrument lighting is blue on most models but red on the Si’s.

Centered in the dash above the climate control panel is a stereo control head with the pertinent accoutrements; unless you order navigation, in which case this space is shared by an LCD window combining the navigation display with audio settings. In the Hybrid, a selection of graphic depictions of the power system’s functions and status occupies the same location.

2008 HONDA Civic interior

To the right of this squished pod-like arrangement, the dash curves away from the front seat passenger and houses two more horizontally oriented vent registers, again neither of which matches the other. A wide, but not especially deep glove box resides below a cabin-wide, clam shell-like notch dividing the upper and lower halves of the dash.

There is no center stack to speak of, which otherwise might tie together the dash and the floor-mounted controls. Instead, below the climate control panel is a shallow storage bin with a power point and an audio input jack on the left side. Forward of the metallic-trimmed block of plastic serving as a base for the hand brake and shift levers is a good-sized, rectangular storage bin. Another shallow cubby is tucked in between the shift lever housing and a pair of seat bottom-level cup holders under a sliding cover. Aft of this on all but the DX is an abbreviated, padded armrest covering another storage bin, inside of which on the EX, EX-L, Si and Hybrid is a second power point. Each door has a hard plastic map pocket. A magazine pouch is on the rear of the front passenger’s seatback; on the Hybrid, there’s one on the driver’s seatback, too. Architecturally busy interior door panels could be friendlier to fingers in terms of grips and pulls, but armrests provide good support at the right level.

2008 HONDA Civic interior

When it comes to interior room, the Civic coupe and sedan are competitive with other cars in their classes. Almost oversize rear doors provide easy rear seat access. But the bench seats in the rear are flat and do little to keep passengers in place in twists and turns.

Cargo space, at 12.0 cubic feet, trails the class leaders by a couple of cubic feet. The Hybrid gives up an additional 1.6 cubic feet to battery and such, while the GX loses fully half its trunk to fuel storage.

2008 Honda Civic mugen si sedan

The 2008 Honda Civic adds more features for the EX-L, including heated seats and side mirrors, and leather trim for the steering wheel, seating surfaces and center armrest.

2008 Honda Civic Hybrid rear

A Civic MUGEN Si sedan also debuts, featuring a high-performance suspension, forged aluminum 18-inch lightweight alloy wheels, a full aerodynamic body kit with an adjustable rear spoiler, rear diffuser and a sport-tuned exhaust system.

2009 Honda Civic

The 2009 Honda Civic receives new exterior styling and available technology now includes Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and USB audio interface. Also for 2009, Vehicle Stability Assist is standard equipment on Civic EX-L.