Brand new Civic 2007, correct as of 05/08/2007

As a test I actually took this car and showed it to a few senior citizens who themselves own Hondas, mainly the Honda “mid-life crisis” 4x4 CR-V. I am happy to report that after 3 hours of speculating and afternoon napping, they did not like it at all. That, therefore, means that this car is officially cool. I got this car because the Type-R was way more expensive, was in a higher insurance group and costed more to pay tax for to be on the road.

The exterior of the car looks great, it is the sort of car that you wouldn't feel ashamed of when you get into it or get out of it. The visor like front only needs some red lights just like in Knight Rider and the effect is complete. There are two triangular exhaust pipes at the back which is a refreshing break from the norm, and the handles look like they are a pair of rockets which would propel the car further forwards. The lights when active are very bright and powerful using its projector headlights to illuminate the road in a wider fashion. The styling of the entire body is fantastic from any angle, it’s like they got a top graphics artist to come up with a superior design. For example, the 5 door version has the rear door handles built into the side of the window so it look like a 3 door sporty hatchback rather than a 5 door small family car.

So what is lurking behind this car which makes it move? It has Honda’s legendary 6 speed i-VTEC 1.8 injection engine which churns out 138 brake horsepower, 0-60mph in 8.6 seconds, top speed of 127mph, 128 lb-ft of torque and it does 44 miles to the gallon. Ok, it’s not the fastest car in the world, but it has enough grunt to get you from A to B with relative quickness. Gear change is smooth and the engine is relatively quiet so driving to the shops or doing the school run with this car wouldn't give you a headache or draw unnecessary attention. Plus, it has sports suspension, sports tyres on 16” alloy rims and has a good turning circle so it grips very well around corners. The cruise control works very well and is a leg saver in long car journeys. Switch it on in an empty motorway road and you will cruise at that same speed with no leg work, all you do is steer the car and hit the brake when you want to disengage it and take control again.
But there are some problems with the car though. Take a closer look at the exterior and you would be horrified at the build quality. The fuel filler cap, the rear jutting lights, the front ‘smiling’ visor in front of the headlights and the Honda badge... all made from perspex! That same plastic used to make them safety goggles at secondary school which didn’t really protect you at all. I was so disappointed when I examined them; I was expecting reinforced glass because honestly, the plastic felt really flimsy. However, an upside to this is that it is cheaper to replace should the worse happen. The ride quality is also not as good as the previous Honda because of the sports suspension and sports tyres, so you feel the bumps and cracks of the road a lot more. Go over even a small pothole and you will feel your spine being stamped on as you bounce it to oblivion. On motorways, the road noise is quite loud so it could have done with some better cabin insulation, and the rear view mirror might as well be thrown away since you cannot see anything in the rear window. This is because the rear window is set too high, and the spoiler is also set right in the middle of it. You really really need a rear mounted camera and monitor to see behind you properly. Finally, the engine roar isn’t much of a roar but more of a muffled meow. A like a little car rumble when I hit the rev limiter but this car just doesn’t deliver the volume.

Update: Oh and there is another reason why we should like it. Despite being a Honda, currently this new shape is only available in Europe. Plus, it's being made here in the UK... in Swindon.