1996 Honda Civic - Civic Lesson - Japanese Cars

First TestImagine you're the president of a car company. Your bread-and-butter model was totally redesigned for the '92 model year and sold a record-breaking 267,000 units in '94 in the United States. Would you (a) not mess with success, or (b) order an extensive redesign? Although many car companies would choose "a" for even less-successful models, "b" was Honda's course of action for its wildly popular Civic.

If you liked the Civic just fine the way it was, don't fret. The '96 iteration retains all the virtues of the previous version but is roomier, more powerful, cleaner running, more feature packed, better handling, and even sweeter driving. Also, despite some exciting technological advances, sticker prices should rise little, if at all. Here's another surprise: No more than 10,000-and perhaps as few as zero-'96 Civics will be imported from Japan. The rest will be built in North America.

One reason Hondas offer rewarding driving experiences while similar cars lack their precise, solid, confidence-inspiring feel is the company's constant pursuit of excellence in the details. Some examples of this are evident in changes to the '96 Civic: Accelerator travel was shortened 0.28 inch to more closely match the natural motion of the driver's foot and ankle, the brake-pedal ratio was changed to give firmer feel and shorter stroke, and a hollow steering shaft was fitted to limit the transmission of engine vibration. You won't notice these-or hundreds of other-miniscule changes individually, but collectively they'll have you exclaiming, "What a great car!"

Honda will continue to offer three Civic models: the popular four-door Sedan; the Coupe (a surprise sales success); and the Hatchback, now relegated to the role of price leader (under $10,000 in CX form). Honda performance fans will bemoan the absence of the pocket-rocket Civic Hatchback Si, leaving the quickest Civic to be the five-speed Civic Coupe EX. The fuel-miser role moves from the Hatchback VX to the Coupe HX.

At Honda's press introduction we drove a variety of Civics but concentrated our attention and instrumented testing on a Sedan EX with a four-speed automatic transmission, which is the most well-equipped-and, at about $18,000, the most expensive-Civic, and a Coupe HX fitted with an advanced continuously variable transmission (see the accompanying sidebar). In addition to features found on the midlevel Sedan LX-which include cruise control, power steering, an adjustable-height steering wheel, and a lockable remote trunk release-the Sedan EX comes standard with an anti-lock braking system, a keyless entry system, air conditioning, a four-speaker AM/FM stereo, and a power moonroof. Meanwhile, even the mileage-leader HX is well equipped, with power windows, door locks, and outside mirrors, as well as a tachometer, a trunk light, and more.

Although wheelbase length is unchanged for the '96 Sedan and Coupe, overall length, width, and height are increased slightly. This pays off in more headroom: in front, an additional 0.7 inch for the Sedan, 0.2 inch for the Coupe. Consequently, the Sedan is now rated by the EPA as a compact rather than a subcompact.

The three Civic engines are all 1.6-liter 16-valve SOHC variants of the 126-horsepower four-cylinder in last year's EX and Si models. Honda says the base 106-horsepower unit, four horses more powerful than last year's 1.5-liter midlevel offering, will be the first production gasoline engine to meet California's Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) standards. The other two engines-the HX-only 115-horse VTEC-E mileage master and the 127-pony mill that appears in EX editions of the Coupe and Sedan-employ versions of Honda's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control system, or VTEC. The HX's engine isn't as squeaky clean as the 106-horse powerplant, but it still meets California's Transitional Low Emissions Vehicle (TLEV) standards.