Author Topic: Test Drive: 2013 Honda Civic Sedan Touring (Read 24441 times)

Autos_Editor · « **on:** January 17, 2013, 06:30:40 am »

While the Civic's new styling has been getting a lot of attention, the most important changes are, arguably, hidden from view.

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easyrider · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2013, 07:37:39 am »

Well it's done enough to keep ahead of the corolla, thats it.

Blueprint · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2013, 07:48:44 am »

The EX model hits the sweet spot in pricing vs value, and is pretty competitive with others in the class at this price point. The Touring may look good in pictures, but the new Accord is priced a bit below it.

Snowman · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2013, 08:27:39 am »

Quote from: easyrider on January 17, 2013, 07:37:39 am

Well it's done enough to keep ahead of the corolla, thats it.

Its done well enough to be number one in Canada.

hemusbull · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2013, 08:32:27 am »

There is one change Honda never did: the two level dash. I hope they gona scrap it in the next gen Civic the way they did in ILX.

PRNDL0L · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2013, 08:57:52 am »

Open the hood and bam- OXYGEN SENSOR!

redman · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2013, 09:07:36 am »

Like the car, definitely better than it's previous year.

My only beef is the dash and the windshield rake. Pain for anyone near or above 6ft.

JRM · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2013, 09:50:41 am »

The front and rear updates are a definite improvemnt, but the profile is the same and, to me is underwhelming. That said, I could live with the exterior styling, but I look at the dash of a car far more than the exterior. It's an imovement quality wise, but it's still a jumbled looking mess of odd mismatched shapes and angles and I especially don't like the two tier dash. I prefer traditional and round guages, old school that I am.

opg210 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2013, 10:09:53 am »

Sounds like an improvement but...Honda needs a big rethink on their small car lineup. This is an Accord lite, and the Accord does the job better. The Fit is the new Civic, and while it certainly has its merits it doesn't capture the imagination like Civics of old does.

They've kept the sales crown but with the panicked response we've just seen, it's obvious that Honda knows things aren't where they should be. We'll see if this new urgency makes it to the next model, with a clean sheet redesign I hope they get their mojo back.

Adam D · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2013, 10:19:05 am »

Perhaps the most important update for me on this vehicle is the noise reduction. Having owned more than one Honda I can say that noise was its biggest weakness.

dkaz · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2013, 10:22:46 am »

Would it have killed them to put bolstering on their seats? And those trunk hinges...

K, I don't see how anyone would get this over a Mazda 3.

whaddaiknow · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2013, 10:38:46 am »

Quote from: DKaz on January 17, 2013, 10:22:46 am

Would it have killed them to put bolstering on their seats? And those trunk hinges...
K, I don't see how anyone would get this over a Mazda 3.

Not a huge fan of this Civic but I see a lot of people getting it over Mazda3.
For some reason "too much" is the first thing that comes to mind when I see this redesigned Civic. The sound deadening and ride quality improvements are always welcome.

greengs · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2013, 10:53:25 am »

Canadian sales for 2012:

Civic 64,962
Mazda3 39,295

USA sales for 2012:

Civic 317,909
Mazda3 123,361

That was with the "crappy" model. This new one is going to do even better. If I were in the market in this segment the EX sedan would be a no brainer.

jaari · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2013, 11:05:59 am »

It's still hideous inside and out.

ChaosphereIX · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2013, 11:14:35 am »

snore....baaaaaa it is a Honda better go out and buy it like almost everyone else out there. I love the fact that I almost never see my car coming the other way...

greengs · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2013, 11:21:21 am »

Quote from: ChaosphereIX on January 17, 2013, 11:14:35 am

snore....baaaaaa it is a Honda better go out and buy it like almost everyone else out there. I love the fact that I almost never see my car coming the other way...

Yes because cars like Corolla, Elantra, Cruze, Mazda3 get people's blood pumping. They are all econoboxes that people buy to get from A to B.

canuckystan · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2013, 11:24:57 am »

Given the price of the standard trans Accord, I can't see why one would buy a Civic unless one wanted a smaller car.

easyrider · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2013, 11:33:12 am »

Quote from: ChaosphereIX on January 17, 2013, 11:14:35 am

snore....baaaaaa it is a Honda better go out and buy it like almost everyone else out there. I love the fact that I almost never see my car coming the other way...

I agree, that is the only reason this thing sells.

Gardiner Westbound · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2013, 12:23:01 pm »

The 2012 Civic was failing because Honda took decontenting too far. It retained the sales crown only because there was lots of cash taped to the hood.

The author points out the 2013 Civic's standard 140-hp 1.8L engine is underpowered and lacks sophistication relative to its competitors. Ditto for the 5-speed automatic transmission when its contemporaries have 6-speed and CVT automatic transmissions.

Better, but hardly enough to cheer about.

dkaz · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2013, 12:29:10 pm »

I'm not denying that the Civic has been the number one seller last year and many years prior, but it just seems like sheep all marching to one car. I'd walk out of the dealership at the sight of those seats. I actually did walk out from a Honda dealer once after briefly looking at a Civic because I didn't like the look of the materials and how the car smelled, but this was in 2008.