22 May 07
I have mixed feelings about the engine. Capable as that 138bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine is, it's not one of those oil-burning miracles that can turn water into wine and petrol-obsessed sceptics into diesel fans overnight. It's punchy, flexible and well geared, but there are smoother four-cylinder engines out there. The economy is only so-so too. A switch from an almost exclusively motorway-based route to more mixed conditions yielded a drop to around 40mpg. It's still a better bet than the (non-Type-R) petrol engines, but Honda no longer sets the benchmark in this regard.
It certainly does in terms of interior packaging, however. The Civic's rear seats are so spacious and simple to fold that it begs the question of what the hell other manufacturers are playing at. One of the Civic's final roles was to act as removal van during a recent flat move. Put simply, it was the absolute business, aside from a rather heavy tailgate - not that easy to lift one-handed, or not while balancing a box of heavy magazines at any rate. That sunken, coverable well in the boot floor is a bone fide master stroke.
I've talked at length about my love of this car's interior, its mix of futuristic styling and excellent ergonomics, so I won't cover the same old ground here. I'll just say that as someone who appreciates design, I reckon there really is no other family hatchback I could bring myself to sit in day after day. Not without feeling like I'm compromising, at any rate.
