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adya33 · 12th July 2006, 19:05

Honda Civic

Today morning I managed to get test drive of Honda Civic.

Interiors

The interiors of the car are well designed and are nicely put together. There is a feel of quality all around. Centre console is very well places & all controls are easily reachable. The AC is controlled by buttons and there are no rotary switches, this might take some getting used to. But the AC is powerful and cools cabin very effectively. Though the central AC vents are places on either side of central console and are far away they still manage not to flow air on driver or passenger.
The gear lever is right where you want it to be, very sporty. Which also means there are lots of cubby holes all around. However having gear lever up front means you can not rest your hand comfortably on central armrest & shift gears. The gear throw is short and smooth which makes it fun to drive. The handbrake lever is right next to gear lever which again might take some time getting used to.
Now the main attraction about this car, the digital speedo meter it is superbly placed in such a way that it does not distract you while driving but are easily readable at the same time. Even better is you can adjust its intensity to suit you. Overall the design is very good and will add to driving pleasure rather than distracting. Overall all controls can be activated by applying very less pressure.
The seats are wide & comfortable, with height adjustment to drivers seat. There is more than sufficient leg space in front while there is sufficient leg space in back. The rear seats are comfortable and have volume & channel control for stereo unfortunately there are no cup holders in central arm rest. With arm rest closed three normal sized adults would fit in comfortably. The flat floor in the rear will be of great help to the person seating in middle.
Visibility is good but when taking sharp turns the A-pillar becomes distracting, so you have to rely on side window.
The boot is big though not huge and will be sufficient for two full size bogs with one small bag.

Exteriors
Looks wise, it is a smart looking car. The lines flow smoothly giving it a certain character. The wipers clean glass where you want them to clean windshield, the upper middle portion right behind rear view mirror is not cleaned but all the edges are nicely cleaned giving you better visibility.

The engine is the best part of the car, and is very rev-happy. I could not rev till red line as there was some traffic on road but even at 4000 RPM engine was eager to go the distance. Mated with its smooth gearbox is one great combination.
On ride department it has same problem what Accord has, bumpy ride at slow speed. Though I experience no body roll at the speeds of about 75kph.
The steering wheel is perfectly balanced & is sporty. Not to mention it is 4 way adjustable.

Verdict : This is possibly the most awaited car in Indian market & rightfully so. It lives up to expectations very well. Another great car from Honda.

12th July 2006, 19:05	#1 (permalink)
adya33 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 1,911	Adya33's review of Honda Civic Manual Honda Civic Today morning I managed to get test drive of Honda Civic. Interiors The interiors of the car are well designed and are nicely put together. There is a feel of quality all around. Centre console is very well places & all controls are easily reachable. The AC is controlled by buttons and there are no rotary switches, this might take some getting used to. But the AC is powerful and cools cabin very effectively. Though the central AC vents are places on either side of central console and are far away they still manage not to flow air on driver or passenger. The gear lever is right where you want it to be, very sporty. Which also means there are lots of cubby holes all around. However having gear lever up front means you can not rest your hand comfortably on central armrest & shift gears. The gear throw is short and smooth which makes it fun to drive. The handbrake lever is right next to gear lever which again might take some time getting used to. Now the main attraction about this car, the digital speedo meter it is superbly placed in such a way that it does not distract you while driving but are easily readable at the same time. Even better is you can adjust its intensity to suit you. Overall the design is very good and will add to driving pleasure rather than distracting. Overall all controls can be activated by applying very less pressure. The seats are wide & comfortable, with height adjustment to drivers seat. There is more than sufficient leg space in front while there is sufficient leg space in back. The rear seats are comfortable and have volume & channel control for stereo unfortunately there are no cup holders in central arm rest. With arm rest closed three normal sized adults would fit in comfortably. The flat floor in the rear will be of great help to the person seating in middle. Visibility is good but when taking sharp turns the A-pillar becomes distracting, so you have to rely on side window. The boot is big though not huge and will be sufficient for two full size bogs with one small bag. Exteriors Looks wise, it is a smart looking car. The lines flow smoothly giving it a certain character. The wipers clean glass where you want them to clean windshield, the upper middle portion right behind rear view mirror is not cleaned but all the edges are nicely cleaned giving you better visibility. The engine is the best part of the car, and is very rev-happy. I could not rev till red line as there was some traffic on road but even at 4000 RPM engine was eager to go the distance. Mated with its smooth gearbox is one great combination. On ride department it has same problem what Accord has, bumpy ride at slow speed. Though I experience no body roll at the speeds of about 75kph. The steering wheel is perfectly balanced & is sporty. Not to mention it is 4 way adjustable. Verdict : This is possibly the most awaited car in Indian market & rightfully so. It lives up to expectations very well. Another great car from Honda.