No. 1 car does many things well

Jim Kenzie

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

One of the first (in a long list ...) of beefs I got about my road tests was from the Star's ad sales people who complained that I wrote too often about foreign luxury cars, and not enough about cars Canadians buy.

I commented then that if we ran road tests in proportion to actual sales, we'd have a test of a Ford Tempo every six weeks. (Yes, that's how long ago it was.)

A car that comes close to that kind of popularity but in this century is Canada's No. 1 Selling Car – the Honda Civic.

It's not even the hot Si coupe either, but the best-selling variant of the best-selling car, the Honda Civic Sedan DX-G.

DX is the base trim level on Civic; it starts at $16,990, although these days, MSRP is barely a starting point.

The "G'' adds air conditioning, power locks with remote, cruise control with steering-wheel-mounted controls and an MP3 input jack for an additional $2,590.

Air-con is also offered standalone on the DX for $1,300, so that other G stuff runs you $1,290. It wouldn't be worth it to me, but it appears to be worth it to most customers.

The five-speed automatic is an additional $1,200, so list price on my tester was $20,780.

This generation of Civic was launched in the 2006 model year. Despite onslaughts mainly from the Mazda3 (which might actually outsell the Honda if Mazda dealers could only get more of them), Civic has retained the top spot on Canadian car sales charts for 11 straight years.

It's often the top-selling overall vehicle too, jousting with Ford's F-series pickup.

During last summer's gasoline "crisis" in the United States, when Americans actually had to pay almost as much for gasoline as we do all the time, Civic even became the top-seller down there too (which should tell you all you need to know about how the U.S. government could convince Americans to buy more fuel-efficient cars).

What makes the Civic so popular?

For starters, year after year of excellent service to existing customers doesn't hurt. Not only does its reputation generate lots of repeat business, but friends tell friends.

Second, it is a mighty fine car.

It was quite radical-looking when introduced – low-slung, clearly aerodynamic and modern – and has aged well.

The low roofline demands a touch of agility to enter the car without banging your head. The seats are low to the floor, but headroom is still decent, thanks in part, in the rear seat anyway, to an almost completely flat floor without that ankle-rubbing central tunnel.

The good people at Honda Canada know this is coming – they apparently read these reports! – because they know I have a major problem with the location of the handbrake lever. It's on the left side of the centre console, which would be okay for home-market right-hand drive cars. But that's the driver's side for us, and for where I adjust the seat, it digs directly right into my right knee.

No matter what other virtues this car possesses – and they are manifold – this would rule it out for me.

If you can sit comfortably in this car, read on.

Actually, my other main complaint about the Civic is located just centimetres away from this offending handbrake: Honda's infernal automatic shift quadrant, which lets you slide right past Drive into D3 (which actually drops it into fourth gear in the five-speed autobox), when you really ought to need to depress the thumb button to get from Drive to D3.

The downside is that Civic's engine is so smooth and quiet, it doesn't take much to end up driving around all day in fourth gear, to the detriment of engine life and fuel consumption.

Honda says this design is to make it easier to downshift manually when driving in hilly country.

Nonsense.

First, Honda's automatic shifts well and quickly if required for any uphill driving, and also has grade logic, which automatically downshifts when descending hills.

Second, the whole point of an automatic is that you don't need to shift manually – manual shifting is pretty much by definition the exception, not the rule, for a slushbox.

Otherwise, I found the seats decently comfortable.

Honda also scores by making active head-restraints standard for front-seat riders.

Those two folks also get side bags, and inflatable side curtains run the length of the car, although both of these pale in importance to the head-restraints.

Still on the safety front, Civic has standard ABS brakes (albeit drums in the rear on the low-level cars) with brake assist, which applies full braking power if you hit the pedal fast but not necessarily hard enough.

It misses a perfect KSFC (Kenzie Safety Feature Count) score by failing to make Electronic Stability Control available even as an option unless you spring for the EXL trim level, which is another four grand.

ESC will be mandatory in the 2012 model year; I wish more carmakers would jump this particular gun.

The dual-level dashboard slots a big tachometer where the speedo would normally go, with a big digital speed readout above, flanked by engine temperature and fuel level gauges.

For some, this design will take some getting used to; for others, it will look modern and up-scale.

The car is well-assembled from what appear to be high-quality materials.

Honda has always been primarily an engine company, and the 1.8-litre four-cylinder Civic mill generates smooth, peppy performance from its 140 horsepower.

Gets good gas mileage too.

It's hardly the torquiest thing going – just 128 lb.-ft. at 4300 rpm – but the variable intake system (i-VTEC) delivers a nice bump in forward thrust in the mid-range .

The all-independent suspension creates a firm but supple ride. The low height helps lead to flat cornering, and the steering – hydraulically-assisted in the automatic version; electrically-assisted in the manual – makes the car nimble and sure-footed.

The aforementioned Mazda3 probably delivers more spirited handling, but there is a quietness and sense of refinement to the Civic that just edges out its Japanese rivals (which also include the Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra), and clearly outpoint competitors from Korea, e.g., Hyundai Elantra, and domestics such as Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus and Dodge Caliber.

So, it's not hard to understand Civic's on-going success.

I just wish it didn't hurt me when I tried to drive it.

Freelance writer Jim Kenzie regularly reviews autos for Wheels. jim@jimkenzie.com

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