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2006 Honda Civic sedanHe Drove, She Drove
Civic sedan breaks ground
Classic Honda nameplate rewrites rules for comfort, quality in compact segment
2006 Honda Civic sedanType: Front-engine, front-wheel drive, five-passenger sedan
Price: Base, $18,810 (inc. $550 destination charge); as tested, $18,810
Engine: 1.8-liter I-4; 140-hp; 128 lb-ft torque
EPA fuel economy: 30 mpg city/38 mpg highway
Where built: East Liberty, Ohio
Key competitors: Chevrolet Cobalt, Dodge Neon, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Spectra, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra, Saturn Ion, Suzuki Forenza, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Jetta
12-month insurance cost, according to AAA Michigan*: $1,609 (Estimate. Rates may be higher or lower, depending on coverage and driving record.)
Anita's rating:
Likes: Styling strikes just the right note between classic and cutting-edge. Nice upholstery with soft, chenille-like feel. Roomy upholstered trunk. Very comfortable ride. Easy to handle. At nearly-$19,000 price, this is still an excellent value.
Dislikes: Folding rear seat is not split. No rear-seat amenities. Unlighted vanity mirrors. It lacks stability control.
Paul's rating:
Likes: Redefines the compact car and sets new benchmarks for the segment. High-quality materials with good tactile feel, like molded visors. Great attention to detail, like tiny honeycomb insert in steering wheel. Buttery-smooth shifts with five-speed gearbox. Good engine power from 1.8L, with sensational gas mileage. Cool instrument panel, with big digital speedometer, analog tachometer. Ultra-long wheelbase improves high-speed stability, makes for roomier cabin.
Dislikes: No outside temp readout. Head hits ceiling in rear seat. Steering feels too isolated at higher speeds (over-assisted, not well-connected to road). Could use more torque.
1. Unacceptable, 2. Subpar, 3. Acceptable, 4. Above Average, 5. World Class
2006 Honda Civic Sedan EX
What do you think of the 2006 Honda Civic Sedan EX?
Comment on this story
We've come to expect this over and over again from Honda -- the redesign of a familiar nameplate winds up redefining its segment.
The all-new 2006 Civic sedan does exactly that, in establishing new benchmarks for comfort, quality and styling in the compact segment. It garnered fives from each of us and is on our short list for The Detroit News Car of the Year.
We tested a top-of-the-line Civic Sedan EX with no options and a sticker price of $18,810.
HE: My, how far Honda has come from that first Accord hatchback I bought back in 1976. I thought that was a pretty outstanding car -- but now it seems small and hopelessly primitive next to the 2006 Civic sedan. I wasn't sure how Honda could do much more than tweak a few things here and there while freshening the sheet metal and the cabin: But I was wrong. The new Civic pretty much walks away from the competition while raising the standard for everyone else.
SHE: That's nothing. I'm still stunned after sitting in our driveway in the new Civic. We were both amazed at how Honda seems to have rewritten different pieces of the car. Take the instrument panel. They've split the gauges into two, with the speedometer in an upper cluster, with a big digital readout, and the tachometer in the lower cluster, with a traditional analog readout. The cool thing is that you don't have to take your eyes off the road to see your speed, which seems like a vast improvement on some of the head-up displays we've tested.
HE: The attention to detail, in what used to be considered the "econobox" class, is remarkable. I love the little touches, like the black honeycomb insert in the steering wheel. The high quality of the materials is evident in the way they look and feel. Take the molded visors, which look like they belong on a luxury car, not an under-$20,000 compact. The build quality, needless to say, is exceptional, which is a nod not just to the Japanese designers and engineers, but to the American suppliers and the assembly workers at Honda's factory in East Liberty, Ohio.
SHE: While you're looking at the micro details, let me talk about the macro view. The new Civic sedan is 176.7 inches long and rides on a wheelbase of 106.3 inches. That translates into a smoother, more stable ride -- like that of a much larger car -- with lots more room inside, including the backseat, than you'd expect in a compact. And with Honda's recent safety initiative, the '06 Civic has one of the best safety packages in the class, with standard antilock brakes, side air bags and side curtain air bags.
HE: The Civic also shines in the powertrain department. I'd like a little more torque from the single-overhead-cam 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, but it makes an ample 140 horsepower and delivers an amazing 38 miles per gallon on the highway, according to the EPA. And the standard five-speed manual gearbox is one of the nicest we've tested in any segment, economy or luxury. It's buttery-smooth.
SHE: We haven't really talked about the outside of the Civic, which of course is also brand-new. It strikes just the right note between classic and cutting-edge. It's not quite as racy and out there as the new European Civics but much fresher than many of its competitors in North America. I was surprised by a few quirks, however. The folding rear seat is not split, which doesn't give it as much flexibility as I'd like to see. And the vanity mirrors on those fancy visors you talked about are not lighted. Go figure that omission. And there isn't much in the way of rear-seat amenities. You sit back there, you'll know you're riding in an economy car.
HE: Let's see, great styling, high quality, smooth ride, sweet powertrain, super mileage, excellent quality. And it costs less than $20,000. We're not talking about just a great economy car, the 2006 Civic is an outstanding product by almost any measure.
He drove, she drove Anita and Paul Lienert are partners in Lienert & Lienert, an Ann Arbor automotive information services company.
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