Honda Civic Coupe

I bought a 2006 LX coupe (well, since I am only 18 I paid only about half) after driving my father's truck around a lot. Obviously, the difference is astronomical, and my new car suits my needs a lot better. However, I had test driven the '05 model and there was quite a departure from it in the '06. I waited awhile before reviewing this car just to get the new car bias out of the way, but after six months, I think it's fair.

The 2006 civic comes with various improvements over the last model. The most obvious is the body styling, which is now much more sleek with a lower sloping windshield as well as aerodynamic frame. Though at last a lot more cars are copying this look, at the time of its' release, it was quite original and turned a lot of heads. This is especially true in the coupe. Though turned off by the idea of getting a Honda civic at first due to my preconception of their looks, I was surprised when I took a look at one of the newer ones because it didn't look anything like what I imagined.

After I visited the dealership, I also realized that the interior console had much in common with the digital dash on the s2000 that I found to be quite cool. Some people don't like it, which is understandable if one has driven a lot of similar cars with analogue gauges, but I actually found it more fun. Unlike the s2000 however, the RPM gauge is analogue, though the fuel gauge, engine temperature gauge, and speedometer are all digital. It's well placed in order to not block ones' view, and if one is shorter he or she can conveniently raise the seats which are pretty flexible. It's also more useful for avoiding speeding tickets because it's more obvious (but also much cooler when you do decide to speed).

The interior is decent looking, comfortable, and not too cramped. Nothing special but quite good for a car of the price. I was pleased with the amount of steering wheel (it also LOOKS great) adjustment because I at 5'10" had no trouble sitting comfortably, and neither did my father who is nearly four inches taller. His knees hit the steering wheel in the '08 corolla he test drove, however. The back will be slightly cramped and a little difficult to enter for larger passengers, but this car can fit five mid-sized adults fairly smoothly, which is a big plus in a car that is mostly geared towards personal transport. The trunk is also pretty big, which is great for someone who needs to transport some stuff here and there but not to the level of a pickup truck. A full load of groceries ($115) was no problem at all. Lastly, I believe you can fold down the rear seats to fit bigger stuff in, which is extremely practical. Also new in the civic is mp3 connectivity with a neatly designed radio/climate console. Some of the functions are a little tricky but with a little practice most people could probably figure it all out.

The engine has also received a 25 hp boost over the previous model. Having test driven the '05 civic, I definitely noticed the difference, even though I didn't get much of a chance to take the previous one on the open road. Getting to 75 mph was effortless during my test drive of the '06 at which point I had to slow down because the salesman was yelling at me. What can I say, I can't drive 55! : ) With an automatic, acceleration to 60 in the coupe is probably in the low 8's but it is fairly responsive and I had absolutely no problem skirting trucks and passing when I needed to as opposed to the previous vehicle I drove. One minor problem I noticed with the acceleration is that sometimes when I put my foot to the floor there's a split second pause before the roar of the engine can be heard. It's not that bad at all but here the responsiveness could be better. Again, this is only with very heavy acceleration (which I don't use much), and isn't a problem with slight or moderate acceleration.

The ride is fairly comfortable at higher speeds, though the car takes bumps and potholes moderately. My car specifically also has some minor rattling at very high speeds (80+) but I imagine this just means that the wheels need some balancing. But even so, this car handles wonderfully; and like some others said, more like a small sports car than a economy car. It's quite easy to 'dart' around when needed, and combined with driver alertness and peppy acceleration, this can make for a pretty safe driving experience.

Another minor problem I noticed, which seems to have been stated before, is that the car does like to choose different gears a bit much. However, this is not EXTREMELY excessive, and I mostly do not have problems with this aside from at 'borderline' speeds where shifts typically happen. Another minor design flaw but not a big deal.

One more thing: this car has a pretty big blind spot because of the way the rear window is designed (with a big 'rib' in between the front and back). Tilting your mirrors so you can look just behind you or better yet buying blind spot mirrors are good ways to help this. This was very annoying and well apparent when I first bought the car but it is not difficult to get used to after awhile.

The gas mileage is pretty great. I get slightly reduced mileage in winter, about 29-31 combined city/partial highway. About 32 in the warmer fall. However, both of these times my tires were FAR under inflated. Having just inflated my tires, I can remember that I enjoyed about a 4-5 mpg increase from the already good rating. So, I'll probably be getting about 34-35. I have gotten as high as 37 at 75 mph on the highway with some slower driving before, and 34-35 with some city driving and driving on the highway at an average speed of 82 mph. This car is great for those who prefer to go 15 mph over the highway speed limits because it doesn't hit your mileage much, probably because its so sleek. I do accelerate pretty slowly (and break early at red lights) when safe however, so expect slightly reduced mileage if you use the pedal a lot.

I bought this car used at 37500 miles, now 41600( a bit high but I couldn't find better), I paid 14900, and it seems to be well worth it. Overall, there's really nothing wrong with this car, just a few minor things that could be improved. I really like driving it and I also love getting such great gas mileage especially as a college student with the way gas prices are these days. If you live in a congested area I definitely recommend the auto transmission to save the hassle but if you live in a more sparsely populated area I do recommend the manual (both for the fun factor and because of the slight design flaws in the auto). The warranty was also a bargain; I managed to get bumper to bumper to 100k miles for only 845, to be refunded if I don't use it even once!

So, I hope I'll be driving this car into the '20s, or at least until a good electric car hits the streets.