2006 Honda Civic Review

Specifications

More Distinctive Styling Sets Civic Coupe Apart

Ive always liked the Civic coupe, ever since my brother purchased a 1993 two-door in 92. Its been a thoroughly reliable ride, now pushing 135,000 miles on the odometer and still getting him dependably from home to work, the club, pool hall, soccer games, rowing, and the many other activities he involves himself in. In fact, if Greg is any indicator as to how long Civic customers keep their cars, Im surprised Honda sells as many as it does each year.

Im sure if the means are there, the new 2006 Civic Coupe will lure him down to his local Honda dealership to reinvest. It looks extremely good, and so much more distinctive than the outgoing model which borrowed its prominent triangular taillight styling cues from the much pricier previous-generation Mercedes-Benz S, CL, SL and SLK rear lamp design. Ive even seen “tuned” Civic coupes with aftermarket lenses featuring the same M-B clear on red design pattern.

Its a lot more difficult, and maybe impossible to see any blatant design plagiarism in the new model. Now it includes those clear inserts import tuners like, but the taillight shape is completely unique, as it the rest of the cars shapely behind. Its tall, bustled rear deck lid appears like an oversized airfoil, which isnt all that far from the truth. In fact, its the result of extensive wind tunnel testing, as is the rest of the cars swoopy styling.

From the front, little distinguishes the coupe from the much more sporting 2006 sedan. Its racy headlight slits meld nicely into the horizontal grille opening, with its now trademark wing-shaped insert and stylized Honda “H” dead center. Its not as radical a step forward as the Si Concept, which debuted earlier this year as a teaser to Civic coupe fans, and has since been softened into the new 2006 Civic Si - more on this one in a future road and track test. Ironically, Honda has chosen to the grille insert on its Si chrome, instead of black or body colour, the latter of which is the norm for sport models. I like the chrome better, and bet that owners will quickly swap out the base coupe insert for the upgraded one, as well as adding the Sis stylish rear deck lid spoiler.

But such are the ways of Civic coupe owners. It just might be the most customized vehicle on the road, with oversized wheels, rigid suspension kits, aluminum whale tails, carbon fiber interior trim, aluminum switchgear, A-pillar gauge clusters, personalized upholstery, short-throw gearshift levers, engine upgrades galore, and lest I forget, aftermarket audio/video/nav systems that often cost much more than the entire purchase price of the car.

While the 2006 coupe doesnt offer 1000-watt amplifiers and TV monitors on the backs of its contoured headrests, it does provide a pretty impressive audio system, at least for my needs. Unlike some tuner friends I associate with, I have no need to shake up the neighborhood - that just happens to be very close to an earthquake inducing fault line - so I find the stock 160-watt, four-speaker stereo to be very competent. It features a single CD player, AM/FM radio bands, of course, and MP3 compatibility. If you load it up it even comes with a plug-in for an external device, like an MP3 player or iPod. This is a feature that I really like, due to my little white iPod Shuffle, and would cause me to pay more just to get it.

Honda doesnt require entry-level buyers to buck up for its many interior upgrades, however, which improve across the coupe lineup for 2006. The design, which is identical to that in the sedan, looks sporty and technologically advanced, while featuring a much higher quality of plastic surfaces than the outgoing model. Upholstery on the seats and door panels is also much nicer in both design and tactile quality, and the former are wonderfully comfortable while offering a level of support few rivals can match.

Among my favourite Civic features is its two-tiered instrument package. Digital readouts join analog-style gauges to provide excellent legibility no matter the weather conditions, dark and dreary or the glare from bright sunshine. I like the topmost cluster, nestled in just under the windshield atop the dash. It acts like a HUD (head up display), which would project an image directly onto the lower part of the windshield in order to minimize time spent looking downward at primary gauges and maximize time spent with your eyes on the road. The top gauge cluster is equally effective, allowing for quick peripheral glances rather than distracting interruptions.

Another item that gets top marks in my books is the Civic coupes highly functional center stack, which is hardly a stack at all being that all of its components are positioned for optimal access, high on the center dash. Its HVAC interface is wonderfully simplistic, as are the various controls that operate the audio system. All will be impressed with the high-end feel of all switchgear, whether attached to the center stack or optional upgraded steering wheel, which includes buttons for audio and cruise functions, or for that matter attached to the steering wheel column. Its an impressive array of controls that give the Civic coupe an upscale ambience.

Those used to any of the old coupes will be happy Honda has increased the interior dimensions of the new car as well, without adding too much to its overall footprint. Now, theres significantly more head, shoulder, hip and legroom, enough so that I certainly felt no claustrophobia, even when strapped into one of the rear seats. Up front its positively spacious, making me question exactly how much smaller it is, from a front passenger volume perspective, than the midsize Accord coupe.

But the larger two-door Accord, as good as it is, is an entirely different animal than the compact Civic coupe. Along with the smaller size comes a much more “tossable” vehicle, thriftier on fuel yet still offering adrenaline inducing acceleration. Well, its no neck-snapper if not outfitted in optional Si trim, but its standard 1.8-liter four-cylinder, replacing the somewhat taxed 1.7-liter unit, now makes 140-horsepower at 6,300 rpm in base trim, compared to 115- or 127-horsepower at 6,100 and 6,300 rpm respectively, in base or previous VP or EX and SE trim levels (plus a variety of trim levels in between), and 128 lb-ft of torque at 4,300 rpm, an improvement from 110 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm or 114 at 4,800 rpm, respectively.

This means the new cars acceleration is much quicker at takeoff, as well as much more enthusiastic when passing long highway trucks out on the highway. That zippier performance doesnt negatively effect fuel consumption, however, with the new four-cylinder managing a respectable 30 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway when equipped with the manual transmission. If an automatic is more to your liking, the Civic coupes extremely efficient five-speed unit, which by the way is the first of its kind in the compact class, doesnt negatively effect highway mileage numbers at all, but around town it goes through slightly more fuel at 29 mpg. This said, Id put money on the auto being more economical in real-world driving situations. Why? Its comparatively sedate nature would probably cause drivers to relax and enjoy the scenery more often, not beckoning on the weak minded (myself included) like the sporty five-speed unit does. Less enthusiasm behind the wheel benefits the environment too, with the new coupe given a ULEV-2 rating compared to last years respectable ULEV-1 standard.

I should mention that Hondas clean burning, fuel conscious, high-performance engine is the result of some pretty impressive technology - nothing new for this brand, mind you. The 1.8 features the newest version of VTEC, now sporting an “i” in front of the acronym for i-VTEC intelligent valve control system. Why does Honda refer to it as intelligent? Because it uses new valve control timing to reduce pumping losses when cruising and other low engine load situations. If the variable valve timing briefly leaves an intake valve open just as the piston begins its compression stroke, pumping losses are minimized. Basically, more unburned air/fuel mixture ignites during this process, yielding higher performance and reduced fuel consumption. The engine also utilizes a dedicated set of cams for closing one of the intake valves, and by so doing retard its timing, which adds backpressure to the air/fuel mixture. While this chokes off intake air, the throttle is opened wider to enhance engine output. Again, the best of both worlds. Theres a great deal more to this engine than I will go into here, but just rest assured that Hondas new 1.8 is the technology leader and one of, if not the most efficient four-cylinder available anywhere.

A few technical tidbits that you might find interesting include the engines “high rigidity” aluminum block, which integrates reinforcements within its walls, low friction components, such as Molybdenum Di-Sulfide (MoS2) cylinder coatings and cylinder sleeve plateau honing, lightweight composite dual stage intake manifold, made of resin rather than aluminum to reduce weight, cracked connecting rods, which means that the rod and cap are forged as a complete unit when built for increased strength and reduced weight, programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI), stainless steel, low mass exhaust system, that makes a separate exhaust manifold old news, and finally, drive-by-wire throttle actuation.

The Civic coupe gets the choice of an all-new lightweight, smooth-shifting five-speed manual or direct control five-speed automatic, the latter an ultra compact configuration that allows for an even smaller powertrain package than last years Civic coupe, as well as such benefits as Grade Logic Control and improved electronic mapping so that the drivetrain doesnt keep hunting around for the ideal cog while tackling steep, uphill grades. It will also find the correct gear when coasting down the other side of the mountain.

The coupe feels a little sportier than the sedan when attacking corners, and remains unflappably stable during high-speed sweeping bends. During my drive through Chicago, and surround area, as part of Hondas full-Civic-line introduction, this became immediately apparent. While Illinois road surfaces are far cry better than those within Quebec, where many such model launches occur, I nevertheless experienced some horrific bumps and potholes, a few even that tossed the little coupe into the air before coming close to grounding out the suspension. While such activity was hardly my intention, some ill-placed signage surprised me and my co-driver, but the little car handled it all with ease. Hardly ruffling its composure, we just kept on motoring, only slightly concerned the rims might have been bent. A quick scan proved no such worries were necessary, and off we were to enjoy the rest of our drive.

That scenario underscores one of the Civic coupes main drawing cards. While it handles curves with the best in this class, it delivers an exceptionally comfortable ride that is fully capable of soaking up the perverse pavement patching, or lack thereof, of a hapless roadwork crew. Some Civic tuners, who firm up their suspension systems to a point of complete teeth-chattering rigidity before swapping the standard 16-inch rims for 18s wrapped in low-profile performance shoes, might want to take some notes from Hondas highly skilled chassis engineers. Going the rigid route is OK if the majority of your driving is done on the ultra-smooth surfaces of a top-tier racetrack, but Ill take a stock Civic any day of the week for high-speed switchbacks on normal (i.e. rough) road surfaces. The Civic coupes fully-independent is much nimbler than the outgoing cars, and again, doesnt punish its occupants on its quest for performance.

Now, much of this is due to the new cars enhanced torsional rigidity, up some 35 percent compared to last years Civic coupe, a benefit that allows for softer-tuned spring and shocks while still maintaining handling superiority. The coupe uses a high-caster/high trail McPherson strut front setup and thoroughly updated rear suspension, both completely changed from last year. A new quick-ratio power steering system decreases weight while enhancing input reaction time.

As with the previous Civic coupe, Honda offers a variety of trim levels that should satisfy just about anyone looking for stylish, comfortable transportation. Im not going to go into detail regarding each specific feature, as the specifications for this model, and new vehicle “car builder” are available within this website, and will do a much better job of showing you exactly how a Civic coupe can be configured for your tastes.

What I will mention, however, are the extents Honda has gone to in order to ensure your safety. First, the car is built using the Japanese brands Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) Body Structure, which in a nutshell is a method for building the Civic coupes body shell that takes into consideration a variety of crash results, and then integrates components the would best absorb such crashes with the optimal ideal of protecting the passenger cell. While this process doesnt sound much different than Honda, and other automakers have taken in the past, the attention to specifics regarding where the engine goes during impact, under the car, how the bumpers are designed to spread an impact throughout the rest of the monocoque, or when experiencing a lighter load, protect the engines vitals from impact, so that costs can remain lower than they otherwise would, are impressive. Again, theres more to this than I have touched on.

As expected, dual stage, dual threshold front driver and passenger airbags are included, but also, unexpectedly, front occupant side airbags also come standard, as do side curtain airbags for front and rear outside passengers. Seatbelt pretensioners and active front head restraints are also standard for front occupants, combining with all aforementioned attributes for an expected five-star NHTSA NCAP crash safety rating.

So, tell your mom that you can have your cake and eat it too. The Civic coupe delivers enough space for you and your friends, ample room in the trunk for gear, interior quality that approaches premium levels, the availability of top-tier features, surprisingly energetic performance, and yes, impressive fuel economy and emissions ratings. Will my brother buy another one? After more than 130,000 miles of reliable service, I wouldnt put it past him.