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00:00Motor Week is made possible by Rock Auto, Tire Rack, and 3M.
00:11Well, the good news is there's a new Honda Civic.
00:15The bad news is the reason behind a new model for 2013
00:20is because the all-new 2012 Civic took such a beating from the press,
00:25with many feeling it didn't live up to its reputation and much of its competition.
00:31Well, Honda's not used to getting too many bad reviews,
00:34so they wasted no time in making significant changes to the Civic.
00:38So let's see how they went.
00:46The 2013 Honda Civic is indeed a refresh of a one-year-old redesign,
00:51and we give Honda credit for admitting that something needed to be done
00:56and not waiting years till a mid-cycle freshening to make changes.
01:01Not that Civic sales have been bad,
01:04but the big boost in sales from a redesign so typical for a Honda product
01:08didn't materialize until well after launch.
01:12The biggest gripe seemed to revolve around a lackluster interior that looked pieced together,
01:17and that's where the new Civic, both sedan and coupe, sees its biggest updates.
01:22And as if to further drive home that point,
01:25Honda sent us a fairly sparsely equipped EX sedan to check out.
01:29And it was very obvious to us that there's a huge improvement in interior material quality.
01:35The dash looks more cohesive and feels better, as do the door panels.
01:40Even the seats felt more comfortable, but maybe we're just getting giddy.
01:45There's also more standard equipment to be had,
01:48including an updated iMID that includes USB interface,
01:53backup camera, and text messaging support.
01:56Unfortunately, all controls are the same,
01:59and we're still not fans of the radio interface.
02:02Nor is the two-tier double-cluster IP loved by some of our staff,
02:07but it is highly functional and most appreciate all the information it provides.
02:12Our Civic Sedan's exterior got a makeover as well, and a very nice one at that.
02:20The front end wears a wider and more expressive face,
02:23thanks to a larger lower grille opening and new chrome trim,
02:27and the hood sits a little higher.
02:29The profile remains the same, but the back end is broadened,
02:33with a new rear bumper, jewel-like taillights,
02:36and a simulated lower diffuser.
02:39The end result is one fine-looking compact four-door
02:42that presents itself as a more expensive car than before,
02:46looking even better than the new Accord.
02:49While many found fault with the latest Civic's ride and handling,
02:54we judged it to be just fine, and we still love it.
02:57The suspension has been recalibrated with stiffer springs and thicker stabilizer bars.
03:02The electronic power steering has also been quickened.
03:08And how did all of this translate at our test track?
03:12Well, the quicker steering was noticed immediately and much appreciated.
03:16Understeer seems dialed down a bit as well,
03:19and tires offered good grip through the slalom.
03:22And for braking as well,
03:24helping the four-wheel disc with ABS on our EX
03:28bring things to a halt at a short 123 feet.
03:31Base LX models make do with rear drums.
03:36The Civic is still not that impressive off the line, however,
03:39where a slow climb to redline will get you to 60 in 9.5 seconds.
03:45There's too much engine noise,
03:47as the car seems to strain to get to the end of the quarter mile,
03:50taking 17.3 seconds and 82 miles per hour to do it.
03:55But not too many people buy a standard Civic for the performance numbers.
04:00For most, the 140 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque
04:05from the 1.8 liter I-4 is more than adequate.
04:09Fuel economy stats are likely of more importance,
04:12and whether you opt for the 5-speed automatic
04:14or stick with the base trim's 5-speed manual,
04:17you'll do just fine.
04:19The automatic actually does a bit better, however,
04:21with government fuel economy ratings of 28 city, 39 highway, and 32 combined.
04:28We averaged a good 33.8 miles per gallon of regular in mixed driving.
04:33The energy impact score is much better than average,
04:36burning just 10.3 barrels of oil yearly while emitting 4.6 tons of CO2.
04:42Honda has also lowered highway noise emissions.
04:47That is, noise heard inside the cabin
04:49by adding thicker glass and additional sound-deadening materials.
04:54Upgrades are rarely free,
04:56and therefore prices have increased a little,
04:58but mostly due to the elimination of the decontented DX trim.
05:03The more logically-equipped LX is now the base model,
05:07and it's up just $160 to $18,955.
05:12EX models start at $21,605,
05:16EX-Ls for $23,055.
05:19And, of course, SI and hybrid models are still available as well.
05:25Obviously, it's not an inexpensive endeavor
05:27for Honda to remodel this high-volume compact
05:30after only a year on the market.
05:33But to us, it was money well spent.
05:36The 2013 Honda Civic is now much more in line
05:39with what we expect from Honda.
05:42So, what looked like a flaw in Honda's thinking
05:45has been repaired.
05:47That's bad news for the competition
05:49as the Civic is back on track.
05:52that's helping us to improve.
05:53That's bad news for Austin De5 right now,
05:55цевaiye.com.
05:56Wrestlemania.com
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