Honda Civic (2006-) Review

Comfort and Equipment

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The best trick that the Civic manages is to offer up dramatic coupe styling with quite the cleverest packaging in the class.

The first surprise is space in the rear, which looks tight from the outside. With a comfortably installed six-foot-two driver, there's enough space behind to accommodate a similarly sized passenger, with more than adequate leg and headroom. That shallow sideglass makes the rear space either cosy or claustrophobic, depending on your point of view.

The rear seats also do that clever folding thing pioneered on the Jazz, so they fold flat and low, or up and rearward (including the squabs) to provide an unimpeded floor-to-ceiling load area behind the front seats. That torsion beam and the forward-mounted, centrally located fuel tank also contribute to a low boot floor and the largest luggage compartment in the class. Impressive.

The dashboard feels very Japanese, with a surfeit of holograms, flashing LEDs for fuel consumption monitoring and rev warnings, and a big digital speedo in front of the driver on the second tier. It does actually work, though, with crucial information just where you need it. The revcounter is, Porsche-style, the most prominent analogue instrument and, to emphasise its sporting aspirations even further, there's a big red engine-start button. That said, the drilled alloy pedals seem like a case of overkill.

If you're interested in test driving the Civic, make very sure you do some motorway miles in it. At a steady 85mph cruise, we don't think the petrol 1.8 is as refined as it should be. It's not so much road or wind noise, but the constant, intrusive drone of the engine. Part of the problem is the gear ratios, which are too low in top gear (sixth in auto or manual). By comparison, the diesel is a model of refinement, and at the same 85mph, all you'll hear will be acceptable levels of wind and tyre noise.