Like the hot rods of yesteryear, the Honda Civics of the X and Y generations are often cobbled together rattletraps that are more flash than substance. Take a drive down the Harbor Freeway in Los Angeles to see what we mean, the preponderance of lowered, spoiler-clad Civics with droning exhaust notes and pounding stereo systems speaks volumes about California's Honda-crazed youth. The Honda Civic is to '90s youth car culture what '34 Fords and '57 Chevys were to hot rodders in the first half of this century-cheap thrills in an easy-to-modify package. Whatever your needs, Honda offers a Civic that will meet them - that is, unless your needs include towing trailers or carrying a family of five.Īsk any teenager in California what type of car he would like most, and chances are good that you will hear the Honda Civic mentioned. Style-conscious buyers will go for the svelte coupe, or the suave EX sedan. Strict budgets demand a look at the CX, while sedans are aimed more at the creature comfort side of the scale. Want a fuel miser? The HX coupe is your car, getting up to 44 mpg. For those who like a bit of spice in their commute, try the EX version of the coupe. It is a car that easily endears itself to its owner. It is a car that holds its resale value better than most of the cars it competes with. It is a car for people who don't enjoy repair shop waiting rooms. Hondas tend to be on the expensive end of the scale when new, but over time, they are a far better value than most of their contemporaries. The Civic has few shortcomings, aside from its anonymous personality. Si coupes make 160 horsepower at a lofty 7600 rpm. EX models get 127 VTEC-inspired horsepower at 6,600 rpm, and the HX Coupe uses an economical VTEC-E engine with 115 horsepower at 6,300 rpm. The most common variety has an output of 106 horsepower at 6,200 rpm. Available in coupe format only, the Si is powered by a high-strung 160-horsepower VTEC motor that can sling the Civic to 60-mph in just seven seconds.įour different versions of the 1.6-liter SOHC four-cylinder aluminum engine are available on the Civic. HX coupes carry through with an available continuously variable transmission, making it the most interesting Civic offered, unless you count the new Si. Sedans, coupes and hatchbacks have been given more individualistic styling themes, with the hatchback retaining honors as most odd among the trio.ĭual airbags are part of the package, with antilock brakes standard on EX sedan and coupe models equipped with an automatic transmission. A grille was tacked on up front, sheetmetal contours provide a squarish profile, and larger rear taillamps give the Civic a more conservative look. Available in hatchback, sedan and coupe body styles, Honda has heeded customers who claimed the 1992-1995 Civic was too sporty looking. 1996 brought us a new generation certainly improved but not so much so that we'd consider it revolutionary. Since then, Americans have seen four generations of the Civic come and go, each much improved over the previous model, and each becoming immensely popular with consumers. The producers of these defunct dinosaurs didn't bat an eye at Honda's fuel sipping entry, despite the fuel crisis of 1973. It was a small, anonymous, unassuming car, competing in a market saturated by mammoth sedans sporting ornate chrome, garish styling treatments, and acres of sheetmetal. More than two decades ago, Honda introduced the Civic.
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