Background: Timing is everything. Take, for example, the Civic from Honda. Japan’s third-largest automaker first entered the U.S. market back in 1970 and during the first couple of years, total sales hit a paltry 35,000 units. But as Honda introduced its diminutive Civic in 1973, the automotive landscape drastically changed, in part, because of the Arab oil embargo and subsequent sky-high gasoline prices. Suddenly small, fuel-squeezing vehicles were chic and Civic sales jumped from 43,119 units in 1974 to more than 100,000 in 1975.
The front-wheel-drive Civic put Honda on the car-buying map, paving the way for later successes including the popular mid-size Accord sedan and Honda CR-V sport utility, a vehicle based on the Civic platform. In 1986, Honda began assembling Civics in the United States in Ohio. Since than more than three million have been assembled here. The arrival of the all-new, seventh-generation 2001 Civic rates as Honda’s lead story in 2001.
Honda redesigns models every four-to-five years and Civic is the only 2001 vehicle with a major redesign in 2001. Because of increased interior space, Honda now classifies Civic as a compact rather than a subcompact offering. There’s a lot riding on the re-tweaked, front-wheel-drive Civic.
Ever since the sixth-generation Civic came on board in 1996, it has ranked as the best-selling small car in the United States, topping a host of entry-level competitors including Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cavalier, Dodge Neon, Hyundai Accent, Mazda Protégé, Ford Focus and Nissan Sentra.
Trim levels: One big change for 2001 is the elimination of hatchback body styles, they’ve been dropped from the lineup.
Civic now comes in coupe and sedan offerings only. But Honda offers variety of trim levels and two four-cylinder engine selections to mix and match.
Both sedans and coupes are available in entry-level DX, mid-level LX and top-of-the-line EX trim levels. The LX trim is a new addition to the coupe lineup in 2001. Civic coupes also offer a high mileage HX version. All are available with an all-new five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic.
Engines: Engineers enhanced Honda’s four-cylinder power trains, upping the size from 1.6-liters to 1.7-liters.
All 2001 Civic engines are certified as ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle), the first ULEV engine to be distributed in all 50 states. Civic DX and LX editions feature a single overhead cam power train delivering 115 horsepower, up from the 2000 model year’s 106.
Up-level EX trim levels sport the VTEC 1.7-liter engine cranking out 127 horses. Both engines have increased fuel economy from last year. Engine weight has been reduced by eight percent from last year.
All trim levels are available with either a smooth shifting five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic, except HX coupes with are manual-exclusive.
Price: Honda supplied the Daily Herald with a couple of Civic offerings; a two-door EX and EX sedan.
The EX coupe with five-speed manual transmission has a starting price of $16,660. The only extra was dealer installed floor mats. The bottom line, with $440 destination charge, ended up at $17,189. The sedan edition with four-speed automatic was a few bucks more, checking in with a starting price of $17,960.
With the $440 destination charge and floor mats, the price jumped to $18,489.
Both DX coupes and sedans with five-speed manual transmission start at $12,760, the lowest-priced Civic offerings.
Comparatively speaking, a sedan-exclusive Neon starts at $12,715, the lowest-priced Toyota Corolla sedan checks in at $12,568 and Cavalier, available in both sedan and coupe body styles, starts at $13,735 for the coupe edition.
Standard equipment: All trim levels feature adjustable steering column, 60/40 spit bench back seats with locks, rear window defroster, power rack-and-pinion steering, driver and passenger vanity mirrors, intermittent wipers, four-wheel independent suspension and power steering. The up-level EX trim in both body styles is the best equipped and adds: air conditioning, compact disc player, power moon roof, cruise control, power windows and door locks and dual power side-view mirrors. Entry-level DX editions include optional air conditioning, but do not offer power windows or door locks, cruise control, compact disc player, remote entry or power mirrors.
Interior: The newly designed instrument panel and dashboard have a simplistic, no-frills design.
The instrument panel incorporates four circular gauges, two center tachometer and speedometer circles flanked by a smaller left-side temperature dial and right side fuel gauge. Headlights operate from the turn signal stalk while windshield wipers turn on and off via a right-hand side steering column stalk. The ignition cylinder is located on the steering column below the wiper controls. A lever unlatching both the trunk and fuel door is on the floor left of the driver’s bucket seat.
On the dashboard’s far left side is a toggle switch activating the optional cruise control, moon roof and power side view mirrors.
All other cruise functions are found on the steering wheel.
The central dashboard includes three vertically-arranged dials monitoring fan speed, direction and temperature. To the right is a rather small, rectangular-shaped stereo system. Air conditioning and rear window defroster buttons are found below. The power lock button is found just ahead of the small interior door handle on the driver’s door.
Power window controls are near the driver’s door arm rest. Between the front bucket seats and in front of the floor-mounted gear shift are two, permanently-molded beverage holders. A thin, fold-up arm rest is directly in back of the hand-operated parking brake, a square corral area for storing loose change.
Seating comfort: The front, cloth upholstered bucket seats don’t move back as far as some other compact offerings. For tall driver’s with long legs, this can be a concern. When seated in back especially in the coupe edition, headroom is at a premium. The sedan’s taller roof design provides a tad more room. Sedans include ceiling handles above all four doors. Our test drive coupe included a passenger side bucket seat that easily slid forward once a handle along the bottom is pulled up.
There is a foot-operated lever positioned for back seat riders to push, sending the seatback and seat forward when ready to exit, a nice touch. Rear seatbacks in both sedans and coupes include a 60/40 split and the unit locks securely in place with a twist of a key when desired. Civic incorporates three seat-belt positions in the back, although a trio of riders would be a very tight fit.
Two adults in back is much more workable. The good news…with the 2001 re-tweaking, Civic sedans now incorporate one of the largest interiors in the compact class.
Safety features: All Civics include dual front airbags, high-efficiency energy-absorbing shell structure, theft-deterrent immobilizer system and flush-mounted child-seat tether anchors. Sedan editions include standard child-proof rear door locks. The top-of-the-line EX editions also include anti-lock brakes and keyless remote entry system.
For the 2001 model year, driver and front passenger side airbags are optional across the board.
The 2001 Civic also includes an emergency, glow-in-the-dark-trunk handle allowing the trunk lid to be opened from the inside so individuals, especially young children, don’t inadvertently get locked inside.
Exterior: While interior dimensions grew, Civics' exterior length actually gets trimmed down slightly from 2000.
There is also a family resemblance with the larger Honda Accord models. Not a bad strategy since through the first half of this year, Accord has sold more units in the U.S. than any other car. Both possess conservative contours. Honda did make a conscious effort in 2001 to give sedans and coupes their own external personalities.
Four-door body styles were designed in Japan while the sportier coupe was planned in the U.S. The coupe’s roofline is an inch-and-a-half lower than the sedans. All models incorporate the radio antenna into the rear window. In front, cat’s eye headlights wrap around to the side fender. The small front grille incorporates the square, “H” logo in the center. Non-breakaway side view mirrors are body colored in EX editions. The large, square, locking fuel tank door is found on the left, rear fender. Fourteen-inch tires come standard in DX and LX models. This year, EX editions receive larger 15-inch tires.
Dimensions (EX coupe)
Wheelbase: 103.1 inches
Overall length: 174.7 inches
Overall height: 55.1 inches
Overall width: 66.7 inches
Curb weight: 2,553 pounds
Target market: Since the compact, relatively low-priced Civic appeals to first-time shoppers, the buyer profile tends to skew towards the younger end of the scale. Coupe buyers typically are under 30 years of age, 40 percent are married while 55 percent are female.
Sedan buyers have an average age in the mid 30s. Sixty percent are married with a average household income of approximately $50,000.
Trunk: Cargo volume has grown in stature in 2001 as has the trunk opening.
All coupe and sedan trim levels measure in with 12.9 cubic inch of trunk space, up from 11.9 last year.
In comparison, the Sentra sedan has a 11.6 cubic-foot trunk, the Focus sedan incorporates 12.9 cubic feet and the Corolla sedan’s trunk measures in with 12.1 cubic feet of space.
Fuel economy: Our EX coupe with five-speed manual transmission and four-cylinder V-TEC engine generated 32 miles per gallon in city travel and 37 m.p.g. highway. Our EX sedan test vehicle with four-speed automatic transmission, checked in at 31 m.p.g. city and 38 m.p.g. highway.
The smaller, 115-horsepower engine generates 32 m.p.g. in city travel and 39 m.p.g. highway with manual transmission and 30 m.p.g. city and 38 m.p.g. highway with four-speed automatic. The fuel tank holds 13.2 gallons of regular, unleaded gasoline, up from an 11.9 capacity last year.
Final thoughts: Civic doesn’t rank as the least expensive compact car available, but it sells the best thanks to a solid reputation and good word of mouth. Civics' 2001 redesign helps it keep pace with an ever-growing list of rivals. Ford successfully debuted the compact Focus (which eventually will replace the venerable Escort) last year with decent sales results, especially from the twenty-something crowd. Focus was the second-best selling compact behind the Civic. Nissan redesigned its compact Sentra sedan in the 2000 model year as well. Mazda’s Protégé received an exterior tune-up in 2001. Toyota’s Corolla is due for a tune up in the next couple of years. Mazda’s Protégé and the Ford Focus employ a more aggressive exterior look than the reserved Civic. The 2001 model year exterior changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary and who can blame Honda.
Civic is the best-selling compact car in the United States, so why try to reinvent the wheel. |