Summary
The Honda Civic holds its position at the top
of this highly competitive class, with innovative styling,
segment-leading refinement, and a broad model line that ranges from
eco-friendly to sport-compact racy.
2008 Full Review
The 2008 lineup includes a new
leather-upholstered EX-L model and a hot Mugen Si sedan, with
high-performance suspension, forged aluminum wheels, aerodynamic
body styling, and a sport-tuned exhaust.
An Si sedan joined the lineup for 2007, sharing
the 197-horsepower engine, six-speed manual transmission,
four-wheel-disc brakes, and supportive sport seats. The Honda Civic
Hybrid sedan is powered by a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine coupled
with a permanent magnet electric motor and a continuously variable
transmission.
Interior Features and 2008 Style
The Civic LX sedan remains the most comfortable
Civic we've driven. 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. Thoroughly modern front and rear suspension
designs deliver impressive stability and certain steering response.
We like driving Honda Civics.
The LNG-powered GX rates 113 horsepower and 109
pound-feet. The Si and Si Mugen models feature 197 hp and 139 lb-ft,
thanks partly to a high-compression cylinder head that demands
premium fuel. The 2008 EPA fuel economy estimates are 26/34
mpg City/Highway for the five-speed manual, 25/36 mpg for the
five-speed automatic, and 21/29 mpg for the Si six-speed manual. The
Si engine is powerful. The Si models come with electronic stability
control and larger front disc brakes. The Si Sedan is almost as much fun as the Si
Coupe.
2008 Honda Civic Trim
The 2008 Honda Civic is available in coupe and sedan versions.
The DX, LX, and EX models share a 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder
engine with a standard five-speed manual transmission. The Honda
Civic DX coupe and sedan are the base
models. Standard equipment is confined to power windows,
tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, height-adjustable driver's seat
and fold-down rear seatback. The coupe gets a rear decklid spoiler.
Brakes are disc in front, drum in rear. The Civic LX coupe and sedan add air conditioning; cruise control with
steering-wheel-mounted controls; power door locks with keyless
entry; center console with sliding armrest; overhead map lights; and
express up/down for the driver's power window; P205/55R16 tires on
steel wheels with covers. The coupe has six speakers and a rear-seat
walk-in feature that remembers the front passenger seat's setting.
The Civic EX coupe and sedan add power moonroof; variable-speed
windshield wipers; a second 12-volt power outlet; a 60/40 split
folding rear seatback; and outside temperature indicator. The EX is
upgraded with four-wheel disc brakes, alloy wheels, and a
seven-speaker, 350-watt, XM-ready premium stereo with steering
wheel-mounted controls. The Civic EX-L adds heated leather seats, leather-trimmed steering wheel
and armrest, and heated mirrors.
Options are positioned as separate models, for example the EX
coupe with manual transmission, XM Satellite Radio, and
voice-recognition Navigation; and the EX-L sedan automatic with XM
and Navigation.
The Si coupe and Si sedan
are performance models, powered by a 197-hp, 2.0-liter
four-cylinder. Inside are synthetic suede sport seats and a
leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob; 350-watt stereo. New
for 2008 is the Mugen Si Sedan, which includes sports
suspension, forged aluminum 18-inch lightweight alloy wheels, a full
aerodynamic body kit with an adjustable rear wing and diffuser, and
a sport-tuned exhaust.
The Si sedan and coupe have another grille
variation with a body-color bar on top and a black bar underneath;
an understated Si badge is tucked away to the far right. An i-VTEC
label appears just forward of the rear wheel well; on the Si sedan
it's placed low on the rear door. The Hybrid, in contrast, is
understated, with just a small "Hybrid" badge under the right rear
taillight. A blue CNG diamond on the right side of the rear deck
lid, and "NGV" lettering on the rear doors identify the natural
gas-powered GX.
The Civic Hybrid sedan features a
continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), automatic
climate control, a roof-mounted radio antenna, a rear decklid
spoiler, and hybrid-pertinent digital data displays. The Civic GX is essentially an LX sedan with a 1.8-liter engine powered
by natural gas. The Honda Civic sedans and coupes don't share any
body panels. Save for a lower body character line, drawn slightly
higher on the coupe than on the sedan, the sides of the Civic are
more slab than sensuous. The sail panel (the body panel aft of the
rear side window) is unique to each model. The coupe's be-spoilered,
rounded rear profile suggests swiftness. The sedan's somewhat
abbreviated trunk lid and high, chunky tail end add perceived mass
to a tightly proportioned, smallish sedan.
2008 Conclusions
The Honda Civic is the benchmark for compact
cars. The Civic LX sedan is a superb choice for someone who wants a
practical compact that is smooth, comfortable and quick. The EX
models add all the conveniences, including heated leather seats in
the EX-L. The GX offers basic transportation with the potential
economy and real emissions reduction of natural gas. The Hybrid
makes a good commuter car with its fuel-saving electric motor.
Motor Trend Says of the Civic "(It)Feels like a car in an
entirely different class." The
Si Coupe and Si Sedan deliver sporty performance for driving
enthusiasts. The new Mugen Si is a quick ticket into the Fast and
Furious.