Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £14,750 to £21,780
Petrol 1.8 engine unrefined at speed, no rear wash/wipe, styling not to everyone's tastes and could look very dated, very quickly
Petrol 1.8 engine unrefined at speed, no rear wash/wipe
The Civic, while not totally without flaws, is that rare thing: an eye-catching car that also functions as it should
After seven generations and 16m Civics sold, Honda has unleashed the latest and most radical version yet of this motoring icon.
It is a crucial model to Honda's continued health, with more than 35,000 sold annually in the UK alone. The new Civic is also aiming upmarket, hoping to tempt buyers out of their VW Golfs, Audi A3s and BMW 1-Series. Younger buyers are also being targeted, with Honda hoping to bring the average age of Civic customers down to 25-40 years from the current 58.
At first glance, the Civic's styling provides the most potent talking point. It's got a very coupe-like profile, with rear door handles recessed into the C-pillar and a steeply raked waist line. We think it looks terrific and may well tempt those buyers looking for something different and less anodyne than the usual competition - though there's concerns that this styling will, once the initial novelty has worn off, look very dated, very quickly, and it certainly won't appeal to everyone.
Five-door models are currently on sale in the UK with 1.4 and 1.8 petrol engines, as well as Honda's excellent 2.2-litre diesel. Prices range from £12,685 for the 1.4 petrol to £18,100 for the range-topping diesel. Three-door versions will appear towards the end of 2006, and a hot (200bhp-plus) Civic Type-R is expected to make its debut at the British Motor Show in 2006.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Honda Civic
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