This is the 2016 Honda Civic, and we are going to get this out of the way first: We hate the CVT transmission. It might be a decent tranny for a commuter. And it might technically keep the car right in the boost sweet-spot. But it sounds dumb & we don’t like it. Now – that is the only time we will bring it up.
Why? Because the 2016 Civic is that good. It’s not just good. It’s faith reaffirming. For the past 15 years or so, Honda has been wallowing in the misery of chasing MPGs and emissions. One by one – they lost all their best models and lost that Loving Feeling. Well – it honestly looks like they’re finding their rhythm again! Honda fans can hold their head high with this new Civic.
The previous generation Civic was lambasted for being numb in almost every category. The interior styling was confusing, the exterior was boring and the driving experience was lackluster. Honda did an emergency refresh of the car to yawning results, then gave up and spent all their time and money on this model. Bloody hell it paid off.
Here are some quick stats. Our 2016 EX-L came with the 1.5 Turbo 4 making 174 horsepower and 162 ft/lbs of that sweet torque at 16.5 psi. It’s longer and wider than the previous generation but it still weighs around 2900 lbs fully optioned out. The new turbo mill is superb and the way the chassis responds in your hands is addictive. According to HondaPro Jason, this year’s Civic EX is faster than last year’s Civic Si.
The 2016 Civic is one of the most refined driving experiences you can have in a car that is below $30,000. It’s nearly silent when driving, the steering wheel fits perfectly in your hand, the interior is tight as drum and the seats are excellent. The absolute best part is the steering. It’s telepathic. You point, and it goes. You think, and the car responds. You find yourself just sawing away at the wheel just to feel the feedback through your fingertips. If you like the fun, light, modifiable Hondas of yesteryear… you’re going to love driving the new Civic. You may or may not loooooove the styling… but we think the aftermarket is going to be quick to accentuate the best parts of the car.
This new model begs the question… why get anything else? Honda has a Civic for every category of buyer. You want an el cheapo car that will get 40 mpg? Get a Civic LX. You want to go fast? Get a Si. Want Acura like comfort? Get a Touring. You want to hoon around all day everyday…wait for the Type-R (or just modify the Si)! Not to mention the Coupe is en route to your dealers in a few short months!
This brings up another good yet frightening question: Why buy an Accord? Most Accords sold are 4 cylinder automatics…so why not just buy this instead? It has plenty of room, huge trunk, great looks, handles amazing and is pretty damn quick. Save that extra $3000 and just spend it here instead! Or you know on intake, turboback, tune, suspension and wheels.
