R1Style

iTrader: (20)

Ok... well I was bored today (no work) so I decided I'd go down to my local Honda dealership and take one out to see for myself.
My good buddies a sales rep at my local Honda dealership so I got to give the car a good run.

First things first... I got to choose which model I wanted to drive. I opted for a Coupe only because I'd be getting a Coupe if I were to trade my current ride in. And considering they don't have the any Si's available in Canada yet, we hop'd in a LX Coupe (DX, LX, and EX all have the same motor so I didn't care).



So we get in the car and he hands me the key... I look at and right away I thought.... "COOL!!" It's an all in 1 unit.



So anyways, I close the door and immediatly the car sounds super solid. You know that deep thud that you get when you close an expensive car door??... that's what it sounded like lol.
I adjust my seat and look at the dash... pretty cool. The steering wheel is now tilt and telescopic



Here's what it looks like on (I'm sure you've all seen this)




The dash is pretty nice... very user friendly. Except for the fact that it'll be a nightmare to put in an aftermarket deck



Oh and yes... I took out a 5speed Manual.
Anyways, so I start the car and I throw it in gear... holy **** the throws were long. Maybe I'm used to driving cars with short throw shifters but this felt really long... but it was pretty smooth.



So we're driving along in the city when it starts to drizzle a bit. I turn on the wipers and whoa..... it's like my parents old minivan. The wipers wipe from inside out. Not a big deal just thought I'd share with you guys lol
Crappy pic but you get the idea.



Anyways, once I got to a more deserted road... I ripped the car a bit. Feels a bit faster then ours and pretty solid. The new 1.8 has i-Vtec but I never really noticed/felt the kick.
Overall... I really liked the car. Car feels solid... power is sufficient, although I'd probably get an Si or nothing at all.

Seats were ok... felt a bit more supportive then 7thgen stockies but nothing to brag about. The Si seats might be more supportive then the LX model I test drove.
DX and LX gets the Grey interior (both different patterns)
EX and Si get black interior (both with different patterns)



Here are some tidbits I learned that I thought I'd share:

The car has 8 airbags... yes 8! Steering wheel, passenger dash, both A pillars, both doors and 2 in the rear C pillar for rear passengers.

A Pillar

C Pillar


Here's a pic of the armrest/storage.

Closed

Open


Cup holders open and closed



The gauge cluster not only indicates the odometer, trip A and B, but also shows you oil life and outside temp (forgot to take a pic of temp).



Here's a pic of the engine bay. Now when you guys were talking about the cat... I didn't know exactly what you meant. After taking a look first hand I noticed what you meant... THERE'S NO EXHAUST MANIFOLD (header)!!!




Last pic... I pulled it up beside my car and snapped a pic.



Oh and this was infront of my building when I ran in to drop some stuff of.

MR. CIVIC

nice review

sKwiD

iTrader: (11)

Sweet, thanks for the tour. Seems like the new Vics are more luxerious (oil life gauge, European car style keys, digital gauges...) I really really feel that us 7thgens got ripped off. This car is so much more of a jump from the past decade of Civics, which have pretty much been the same.

boombazokajoe91

iTrader: (3)

im getting one

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

There is no frickin header, the struts are buried underneath the glass, they make it pretty much impossible to work on without a lift, the intake is in a very weird position, and the engine bay is tiny as crap. I like the new design and the style, but it is way more expensive than my civic. I paid 15,600 for mine, and now they are over 18k for the same style.

fraga

iTrader: (3)

Nice review...

JP375

iTrader: (1)

Nice pics and review. That seat fabric looks like cheap fuzzy crap, is it? I've seen so much nicer cloth seats in the latest GM vehicles, what up Honda?

juzthewy

yea nice review. it looks like you could fit a single din hu into near where the shifter is

Taffy

iTrader: (5)

Great Review!

I guess Honda is trying to deter aftermarket companies fromcoming up with products for the new Civics. That engine bay doesn't look too "tuner friendly", the factory HU doesn't look too "installer friendly" not to mention if you ever wanted to add an amplifer having to route power wire around airbags in the pillars

In all I think Honda just wants you to buy the new civic and keep it the way it is, but I am sure we're not gonna accept that.

kirks04ex

+1 nice write up

03CivicEX03

Wow nice... It look like it hard to to put in aftermarket head unit.

civic-king

iTrader: (1)

i liked em untill i saw the pic of the 8th next to the 7th. that 7th gen looks so much sporter and all around better. the windshield DOES look like a minivan. i don't think ill be buying one now....i keep my 7th gen.

aoar

is that how they were able to get 40mpg highway with the minivan windsheld...

dru106

iTrader: (13)

i dont care what you guys think but for me, by lookin at the motor i dont like it at all. Its just all looks

chrisvdm

Your Honda dealership seems a little weird. They have an Atomic Blue DX which according to Hondacars.com doesn't exist and EX wheels on an LX.

IrockCivics

iTrader: (21)

I'll take the honda key lol.

R1Style

iTrader: (20)

The fabric is actually not all that bad. Kinda feels like suede....
Honestly, the fabric in my car is the worst (03-05)... **** picks up everything!

This might clear things up for you. I took some pics of the brouchure. Atomic blue is not a colour option. The one you see in that pic is Neutron Blue.

Mike04Civic

iTrader: (1)

maaan,...the more of the new civic i see,...the less i like it,.....

HondCivc91

iTrader: (1)

nice review .. i wonder if those 8th gen keys can be swapped to 7th gens.

civicskater

I like them at first....especially the electronic speedometer etc.

but when i see them beside a 7thgen...i like the 7th better

TemjinX2

iTrader: (11)

yeah for the tuners it looks like its SI or nothing. THen again for the price of a SI, i would rather get a new wrx. Suburu has been offering 1.9 and 3.9% financing for there vehicles to help there sales. With interest rates that low, its almost cheaper just to get a new wrx then a new SI.

orion_squall

they really got to put leather in that thing!!

why no leather? why!?

TemjinX2

iTrader: (11)

To keep people with rsx seats in the 7th gens more unique

Al Gore FTW

iTrader: (19)

i was gonna say that too, but he lives in canada though. honda's canadian and US trim levels have always been slightly different.

good review btw r1

ramcosca

I think Honda's saying "Don't buy the crappy-looking DX, LX or EX models, buy an Si!"


Bad thing.
If I couldn't afford a 7thgen LX, I can't even THINK of affording an Si...

jhonsok

Yeah, great review..Even though that car is not mod-user-friendly, it'll still sell like hotcakes..i mean, Hondas just going for the general public..and everyone else seems to love the 8thgens..Although i could see a lot of Rice within next summer done to the 8thgens..but..what can you do.. ?

kasimmmmm

iTrader: (13)

hahahaha you're very observent, can't believe you even picked up how the wipers work.

Anyway, i test drove the car a week ago too and i didn't like it at all.. its just not aggressive feeling at all and the steering wheel looks WIERD! It felt like my girlfriend's corolla S. I'd take my 7th gen over the 8th anyday. And even if i were to buy another honda, it would definately not be the civic.

The 8th gen isn't that bad but it didn't impress me much either. Just makes me love my car even more!

crazyasian

iTrader: (9)

man i wish i could test drive the new 8th gen civics. i went to the dealership earlier todai and asked to see if i could take a test drive but the guys said no....i dont see why they wouldnt let us(my friend was with me too) even tho we are both 19years of age but i guess it was more of "If you buy the car we let you test drive it if u are just here for the hell of it we wont let you." i guess im gonna have to go to the other dealership to test drive cause i noe the other ones are more customer service friendly persay

mrchowmein

you were wondering about the vtec kick, there is not vtec kick in the ivtec system. ivtec is basically honda's term for a continuous variable valve timing system. gives you a broader torque band unlike traditional vtec systems.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

did anyone notice the hybrid comes with clear headlights?