2016 Honda Civic Sedan
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,
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport
It Does Truck-Like Things Better Than Ever
Honda brought something truly unique to the pickup truck scene when their mid-size Ridgeline debuted for 2006. In 2017, it moved towards becoming a little more true truck-like, both in form and capability, now with yet another step in that direction for 2024. So, let’s see if the Ridgeline is really hitting its stride.
For 2024, it’s all about making this Honda Ridgeline better than ever. There are styling tweaks outside, along with tech and functional improvements inside, but the biggest news is the Ridgeline has now joined Honda’s TrailSport family of off-road inspired vehicles. This more-true-trucklike, second-gen Ridgeline been around since 2017, receiving periodic updates over the years; but joining the TrailSport family is the biggest leap yet.
Primarily, the TrailSport transformation includes General Grabber all-terrain tires, mounted on new Pewter Gray 18-inch wheels, steel underbody protection, and retuning the strut front, and multi-link rear suspension for added wheel articulation. And while we always appreciate the additional traction of off-road tires, the Ridgeline’s standard i-VTM4 all-wheel drive, with Intelligent Traction Management and snow, sand, and mud settings, was already quite capable of handling all but the most extreme off-roading, ground clearance of just 7.6 inches being it’s only real hinderance.
A 3.5-liter V6 remains under the hood as it has since the Ridgeline debuted for 2006; the current version outputs 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, plenty enough muscle to handle its 5,000-lbs. towing capacity. A nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and bevy of push and pull buttons on the console replaced the six-speed automatic back in 2020.
In addition to adding TrailSport capability, a big focus for this update was making it more user-friendly inside, starting with the central touchscreen growing from 8 to 9 inches. It also gets faster processing speeds, menus have been simplified, and the native navigation system is improved with better graphics. It’s accompanied by a new digital instrument cluster, along with an upgraded center console with more storage space. Unique TrailSport touches include heavy duty floormats, leather-trimmed seats, orange stitching throughout the cabin, and orange ambient lighting.
The Ridgeline continues to offer things available nowhere else in the pickup truck market.
Exterior styling doesn’t exactly shout “macho big rig coming your way,” but the more vertical face and larger grille that arrived for 2021, along with this year’s added TrailSport elements, do continue to toughen up the Ridgeline’s image. The 5’4” bed remains highly functional with no large wheel well intrusions, multiple tie-downs points, lighting and even speakers. And of course, the Ridgeline continues to offer things available nowhere else in the pickup truck market, like the dual-action tailgate, and large, lockable, drainable, underbed storage. Not to mention being able to drive around in true car-like comfort, something we took full advantage of on our way to our Mason Dixon Dragway test track.
There was great grip off the line, with full power arriving smoothly but quickly, helping us to get to 60 in 7.0 seconds flat, a tenth quicker than the last Ridgeline we tested. That power delivery stayed fairly consistent the whole way down the track, barely interrupted by the nine-speed automatic’s smooth shifting. Our best quarter-mile run was 15.5 seconds at 90 mph.
The revised suspension and knobbier tires didn’t really seem to add or detract from handling prowess, as it felt as solid, nimble, and car-like as it always has through our cone course. Perhaps a little less stiff than before, but good feedback, tight steering, and minimal body roll for a pickup, made for a very confidence inspiring experience. In our braking test, we stopped in a respectable average of 123 feet from 60, with only moderate amounts of nosedive and good feel through the pedal.
There is, however, a slight reduction in Government Fuel Economy Ratings with the all-terrain tires; 18-City, 23-Highway, and 20-Combined, our average, right on, at 20.4 mpg of Regular. That’s a slightly below average Energy Impact Score of 14.9 barrels of yearly oil use, with CO2 emissions of 7.4 tons.
TrailSport pricing falls in line just under the Ridgeline’s top Black Edition trim with a starting price of $46,375, about five grand over a base Ridgeline Sport.
So, whether you consider the Honda Ridgeline to be a “real” truck or not, this ruggedly smooth 2024 TrailSport does truck-like things better than ever. And we’re not just talking about the slight upgrade in off-road performance, we’re talking about a flexible bed to help you get chores done, and the ability to tow or haul with comfort and flexibility other trucks can only wish for. It’s why the Ridgeline brings more first-time buyers to Honda than any other vehicle, and why it continues to be a great choice in the growing midsize truck realm.
Specifications
- Engine: 3.5-liter V6
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 280
- Torque: 262 lb-ft
- EPA: 18 City | 23 Highway | 20 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 7.0 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 15.5 seconds at 90 mph
- 60-0 Braking (avg): 123 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 20.4 mpg (Regular)
- Max Towing Capacity: 5,000-lbs