2009 Honda Civic

Year in and year out, the Honda Civic remains one of the best selling cars in America.  And for good reason. Civic’s lineup of compact family sedans and coupes provide high efficiency, modern style, and lots of interior space, all for prices that fit most family budgets. So, just how does Honda improve upon a compact car that already seems to have it all?

Spurred on by nearly universal acclaim and continuing strong sales, the Honda Civic greets 2009 with freshened styling, new high value trim offerings, and a handful of techno-savvy enhancements. The Civic’s familiar compact size and sweeping shape are kicked off with a reworked front-end.  The chiseled grille opening is new, as is a more defined three-port lower air intake. It used to be one long, uninterrupted slot. Headlights and taillights are also revised, with added chrome for a more refined rear-view.

Of course, the coupe continues to exude a sportier appearance than its sedan sibling.  Trim grades for the sedan and coupe are like an all-you-can-drive buffet, ranging from the thrifty DX all the way up to the sporty Si.  As before, there are GX Natural Gas and Hybrid sedans, plus two new exclusive sedan trims - the DX Value Package for cost-conscious buyers; and the LX-S, like our tester, which spruces up the mid-level LX model with alloy wheels, chrome exhaust outlet, and a rear spoiler.

Inside, you’ll find the same spacious and intelligent layout as last year.  A split-level analog-digital gauge cluster continues to feed the illusion of flying an experimental aircraft, or better yet, a spaceship.

And as before, standard equipment includes cruise control, air-conditioning, and an MP3 player on all but the stripped-down DX. The Civic now brings with it some new gadget ware, like available Bluetooth and a USB audio interface.

Seating remains firm and supportive all the way around, with ample head and leg-room.  Creature comforts like leather and seat heat are found only on either the EX or Hybrid models, but all Civics deliver passenger safety by way of six standard airbags and active front head restraints. The three-person rear seat folds down to expand cargo room, but a 60/40 split exists, again, only on the EX, or the sporty Si.  Trunk space, by itself, is a very useable 12 cubic feet for the sedan, 11.5 for the coupe.

Engines are pure carryover, but that’s not bad.  The 1.8-liter single-cam inline-4 spits out 140 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. The 2.0-liter dual cam 4, found only on the Si, boasts 197 horses and 139 pound-feet.

Front-drive power is managed by a 5-speed manual, a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual with the 2.0. Our 1.8-liter auto has Government Fuel Economy Ratings of 25 city/36 highway on regular gas. Expect 29 as a real world average, which is almost exactly what Civic automatic owners say they are getting.  The Energy Impact Score is a low 11.8 barrels of oil per year, as is the Carbon Footprint of 6.3 tons of CO2 emitted annually. Even greener is the CNG powered Civic GX with nearly equivalent mileage but less than half the carbon footprint of our car, while the mileage champ of the range continues to be the Civic Hybrid.

On the test track, which is also undergoing some rejuvenation, our 1.8 auto jogged from 0 to 60 in a sluggish 9.8 seconds. That’s a big 2.5 seconds slower than the 2006 Civic manual we tested earlier. We ended the quarter-mile in 17.6 seconds at 79 miles-per-hour. Still, the Civic makes a nice hop off the line with initial acceleration that will please most drivers.

Sitting on a MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, the Civic also rides and handles much better than expected. Despite soft springs, it turns in quickly and with a delightful lightness. Sure, if you push too hard, the front-end does start to slide. But overall, the car is safe, stable, and almost fun.

Uplevel models add electronic stability control, and sport four-wheel disc brakes. But, our LX-S still uses drums at the rear. ABS is standard on all Civics. Still, with notable fade and noise dive, our average stop or 136 feet from 60 was long and less reassuring.

Pricing for the Civic has always been one of its strongest suits. The coupe begins at $15,975, while the sedan starts off at $16,175. The technology-laden hybrid model of course has a much loftier base of $24,320 and will soon be undercut by the new Insight Hybrid.

So the 2009 Honda Civic may be refreshed, but it’s thankfully still very much the same.  It retains a varied line-up, excellent fuel economy, smart packaging, and modern style. For Civic loyalist, the added enhancements are just icing on a very tasty compact car cake.