In 2016, Honda unleashed its new 10th-generation Civic sedan to rave reviews — even taking home the crown as the 2016 North American Car of the Year. It was a refreshing return to form for the Civic after the steady-selling, but critically panned, ninth-generation model.
Last year, Honda sold nearly 367,000 10th-gen Civics in the US — making it the second-best-selling car in the country. And for good reason: It’s comfortable, roomy, loaded with tech, and incredibly fuel efficient. In fact, a few of my friends were among those who bought new Civics last year and are head over heels in love with them.
But I, for one, was never truly smitten with the new model. Perhaps it’s the lackadaisical continuously variable transmission that muffles any and all dynamism from the driving experience or the infuriatingly ill-conceived infotainment system or even the oddly proportioned rear-end styling.
You see, when it comes to Civics, I’m a traditionalist. That means I’m partial to one with a peppy four-cylinder engine, a lively transmission, and nimble driving dynamics wrapped up in a user-friendly package.
Recently, Honda dropped off the latest variant of its hot-selling compact — the Civic Sport — for Business Insider to check out.
Our Civic Sport came with no optional extras, which meant the $US22,135 base price is also our as-tested price.
Here’s how it fared.
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1973 Honda Civic 1500.
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1990 Honda Civic CR-X Si.
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1990 Honda Civic EX sedan.
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1996 Honda Civic HX Coupe.
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2001 Honda Civic Type R.
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9th generation 2015 Honda Civic.
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In addition, Honda replaced all physical buttons on its infotainment system with touch-sensitive versions. While it certainly looks sleek, it's infuriatingly imprecise to use. I have yet to come across a manufacturer that has mastered the touch-sensitive panel. Honda joins that list. The system is, however, available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto -- which are its saving graces here.
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A CVT from the Honda Civic.Instead of fixed gear ratios, a CVT finds the optimal engine revs and continuously varies the gearing to fit that RPM. While this type of transmission is great at producing solid fuel-economy numbers, a nasty side effect is that CVTs aren't great at effectively transmitting torque to the road. This makes for loud and labored acceleration runs -- especially in cars such as the Civic with smaller displacement engines that produce less torque.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
But my colleague Matt DeBord disagrees. He found the transmission to be 'disappointingly un-sporty' in its demeanour.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
Because of its small displacement, the 1.5-litre engine requires a little work to pinpoint its torque curve.
As for handling, the Civic Sport's suspension is set up more for comfortable daily driving than for track work. If you're looking for a hardcore track-day special, wait for a hotter Civic Si or Type R variant.
In normal operation, the Civic Sport is expected to return 30 miles per gallon on fuel economy in city driving and 39 mpg on the highway, according to the Environmental Protection Agency*.
*For the CVT-equipped Civic, the EPA reported fuel-economy figures of 30 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 32 mpg in combined driving.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
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