WASHINGTON — I’ve driven several Honda Civics over the last few years, and I have to say I wasn’t very impressed. They were loud inside and the two-tier dash was odd. I chose another compact sedan when I replaced a vehicle in 2013.
Honda did improve the Civic somewhat for 2014 and on, but it wasn’t the usual really good Civic from the past.
So for 2016, Honda went back to the drawing board and seemed to start over. At first glance, this new Civic is ready to compete. The styling has been redone and toned down a bit, or it just looks more complete this time.
Rather than looking like several designs mashed together, it now flows and looks sleek. The front-end styling is where much of the cleanup starts, with cleaner lines and a very modern look. The headlights and grill flow into each other and add some appeal.
The Civic I drove was the EX trim level, with larger 17-inch alloy wheels that look a bit better than the smaller wheels on lower trim-level models. From the side you can’t help but notice the sloping roof line and how it almost looks like it’s a hatchback — less sedan-like. Rear-end styling standouts include a high trunk line and large taillights that seem to flow into the small rear spoiler.
The interior is much better than before, with a higher-quality look and feel for a car that has a sticker price of $24,000. For that price, you have cloth seats that are somewhat comfortable. Honda seats seem to be more firm than those from other manufacturers. They’re good for trips of an hour or so.
There’s plenty of space — both front and back — and I even squeezed two car seats and a booster in the large, wide back seat. Storage is plentiful, with a large center armrest area that’s deep and able to swallow many small items.
The dash layout is simpler and all in one area with this model, instead of two levels like before. The audio system has a seven-inch display for the rearview camera, but without knobs, it’s not as easy to use. Its touch controls on the screen or slide controls on the steering wheel are bit more work and a little slow to respond. Luckily, the dual zone climate controls are easy to use, though I would often try to turn the radio up or down when trying to adjust temperature.
There are now two engines for the 2016 Civic. Base models have a 2.0L four-cylinder engine and some higher trim levels receive a smaller 1.5L turbo engine, but it’s good for 174 hp, more than ample for the compact sedan class. I drove the turbo model and was impressed how it moved this sedan. It felt fast for a compact and handled well. The noise inside is also muted compared to the old Civic, but there is still some noise and maybe a bit more than some competitors — still, it’s a vast improvement.
My tester had the sensing package, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure and forward collision warning, which seems a bit touchy sometimes. There is even lane keeping assist, which is nice for the price.
The 2016 Honda Civic is looking to return to the top of the compact sedan class. With improvements in every area, the new Civic should be back on your list to see before you buy.
Mike Parris is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association. The vehicles are provided by STI, FMI or Event Solutions for the purpose of this review.
