2016 Honda Civic Sedan

2016 Honda Civic Sedan

Episode 3510 , Episode 3526
Lucas Oil "Keep That Engine Alive"Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

Like the auto industry itself, it’s been quite a roller coaster of late for the Honda Civic. After its 2011 redesign was met with much disdain by professional car testers, it was hastily re-done just a year later. But, there was only so much they could do. It would take a full reengineering to return the Civic back to its accustomed pedestal. Well now it’s arrived, the 10th generation Honda Civic. So, let’s see if it still deserves its perch.

Redesigning the Honda Civic is surely a tightrope act that even the Flying Wallendas would think twice about. On one hand, people have extremely high expectations of what a Civic is and should be; and on the other hand people want to see lots of improvements that make upgrading worth it. And much like an extremely dangerous high wire act, getting it wrong would be a real disaster. 

So, Honda’s goal for the 2016 Civic; like any stunt performer will tell you, is to do all of the prep work possible, leaving nothing to chance. For Honda, that means making it better in every possible way. 

Starting it off, there’s some exciting news under the hood for a change, 2 new 4-cylinder engines. A 158-horsepower 2.0-liter, and a 174-horsepower 1.5-liter turbo that spins up 162 lb-ft. of torque. 

The tiny turbo is the more intriguing of the two, and the one we spent the most time with on our first drive opportunity just outside of New York City.  

It’s a little bit laggy with power delivery, clearly feeling more entry level than sporty. But S mode tightens things up, though not so much that you can’t leave it in there all of the time, which we eventually did. 

The CVT transmission attached to it does the best job yet of acting like a real automatic, unless you’re keeping it pinned for extended periods a la highway on ramps. And even then, it’s fairly quiet. 

Government Fuel Economy Ratings aren’t official, but Honda puts the 1.5-liter at 31-City, 42-Highway, and 35-Combined. The 2.0-liter is remarkably similar at 31-City, 41-Highway, and 35-Combined with a CVT. A 6-speed manual is also available with the 2.0-liter. 

Coupe and first time 5-door hatchback body styles will be available, but sales will start off with the bread and butter 4-door sedan. 

It’s still highly recognizable, but the new Civic sedan has gotten a lot more stylish with a coupe flavored silhouette, exaggerated fenders, and very aggressive looking face with LED running lights. 

Wheelbase is 1.2-inches longer than before at 106.3; and overall length sees a gain of almost 3-inches. It also sits lower and wider. 

Of course that adds to interior space which now feels more mid-size than compact. There is plenty of room up front; with more than expected hip, leg, and head room in back, even when equipped with a sunroof. Trunk space also sees a big boost to 15.1 cubic-ft. 

Seat comfort is very good and the low seating position is reminiscent of 80’s Japanese cars. Small A-pillars and a big windshield provides the typical Honda great visibility, aided by big side mirrors and a standard backup camera.

The dash is very linear looking without much to break up the flow. Both fit-and-finish and material quality are impressive. Thankfully the two tiered gauge experiment has come to an end.

Despite our turbocharged car’s lag time at launch, we were off to a decent 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds. With both the little turbo cranked and CVT screaming, the ¼-mile passed in a respectable 15.7-seconds at 93 miles-per-hour. 

Through the cones there is a noticeably firmer feel, and a lot less understeer than before. Throw on beefier tires with actual grip, and Honda might really have something here. The steering stiffens up as you go, but it’s a very artificial feel, not necessarily a helpful one.  

Civic pricing is up slightly, but remains under 20G’s, with a base, well equipped LX Sedan starting at $19,475. Top Touring trim with the turbo and Honda Sensing accident avoidance package begins at $27,335. 

Despite recent journalistic pans, the Civic has remained a compact car sales leader. Still, Honda took no chances this time around, and has updated everything possible in the 2016 Civic. Looks like the 10th time is a charm.

Specifications

  • Engine: 1.5 liter turbo
  • Horsepower: 174
  • Torque: 162 lb-ft.
  • 0-60 mph: 7.5 seconds
  • 1/4 mile: 15.7 seconds @ 93 mph
  • EPA: 31 mpg city/ 42 mpg highway,
2023 BMW X7 Driving

2023 BMW X7

Should Keep The BMW Faithful Coming Back For More

Episode 4238
Lucas Oil "Keep That Engine Alive"Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

While BMW got serious about their SUV game around the same time as most other luxury brands, it took them until just a few years ago to deliver a 3-row example. This year, that X7 is updated with new style and new tech. So, let’s see if that makes it the ultimate premium 3-row family machine.

When it comes to utility vehicles, bigger seems to be better for a lot of people. So, for BMW, there’s none bigger or better than the X7 3-row utility, which for 2023 gets a comprehensive update after just 4-years on the market. That includes a facelift to bring it more in line with the new 7-series carline, which is to say joins the more vertical, aggressive grille party. Also, the actual headlights have been moved lower in the front fascia, with squinty DRLs above for the first time on a BMW. In back, taillights take on a 3D posture, with a new chrome bar connecting them.

There are also multiple new M Sport packages to choose from to spice up the exterior, with larger air intakes up front, high-gloss black trim, upgraded exhaust, cascade grille lighting, and 22-inch wheels, as well as M Sport brakes…

…and the interior too, with aluminum trim and exclusive steering wheel. But, by far the biggest change inside for ‘23 is a new dashtop curved display that eliminates the typical BMW well-hooded gauge pod and blends 12-inch Live Cockpit Pro into the 15-inch infotainment touchscreen, which now features iDrive8. Both a Head-Up Display and a large panoramic sunroof are standard.

2023 BMW X7 Interior Dashboard

Whether set up for 2 or 3 passengers, 2nd row seat room remains plentiful, and though the X7 doesn’t look ungainly large like many of its competitors, access to the 3rd row is quite good. Cargo space is reached through a fairly unique, Range Rover-style, split tailgate, which is quite oddly satisfying to watch unfold. There’s room for 48.6 cubic-ft. of goods behind the 2nd row, with a max of 90.4 cu.-ft.

The base xDrive40i has always been the sensible choice, even more so now with a new inline-6 turbo getting a significant bump in horsepower from 335 to 375, and a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that results in a total of 398 lb-ft. of torque.

At our Mason Dixon test track, there was enough to blast this big beast to 60 in just 5.4-seconds. That’s only about half a second slower than the V8 did the deed back in 2019. Making that optional 523-horsepower V8 simply overkill at this point. Our best ¼-mile pass was 13.9-seconds at 100 miles-per-hour. All X7s get a quick shifting sport-tuned 8-speed automatic transmission, which adds a new Sprint Function that finds the lowest usable gear instantly and maxes electric boost with a hold of the left shift paddle. What fun!

New looks and updated tech are cool, but BMW has also addressed dynamics as well, with a retuning of all chassis systems, including the optional Dynamic Handling Package which adds adaptive suspension with roll stabilization and uses GPS and camera data to prepare for what’s coming. We’re not sure if our slalom course was anticipated, but the X7 sure felt well-equipped to handle it. All-wheel drive is standard on all X7s, along with comprehensive drive modes.

In our braking runs, the pads bit down hard quickly, stopping us from 60 in just 115-feet with very little nosedive.

images: Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [image] => 11396
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [image] => 11395
        )

)

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the 6-cylinder are 21-City, 25-Highway, and 22-Combined. We averaged just 21.0 miles-per-gallon on Premium.

There’s an average Energy Impact Score; 13.5-barrels of oil yearly, with CO2 emissions of 6.5-tons.

Pricing starts at $78,845, and it’s a significant step up from there to $104,095 if you want the V8. Even more reason to stick with the 6-cylinder as far as we’re concerned.

It took the ultimate driving machine folks quite a bit of time to enter the 3-row family crossover segment, but when they did, they were able to create their largest utility ever and keep it consistent with their values. For 2023, the BMW X7 gets even more dynamic, embraces new tech, and looks better too. All things that should keep the BMW faithful coming back for more.

Specifications

  • Engine: I-6
  • Horsepower: 375
  • 0-60 mph: 5.4 seconds
  • 60-0 Braking: 115 feet (avg)
  • MW Fuel Economy: 21.0 MPG
  • Transmission: 8-speed automatic
  • Torque: 398 lb-ft.
  • 1/4 Mile: 13.9-seconds at 100 mph
  • EPA: 21 City / 25 Highway / 22 Combined