Honda Civic: Future Models

alpha01 · February 2005

But, based on looks alone, that thing isnt something I'd buy. The lights going all the way across the front calls to mind the early 90s Grand Prix and Sable models. Ewh. And what's up with the RX-8 knock off exhaust!

~alpha

dsrtrat2 · February 2005

I've read somewhere that stability control adds around $300.00 to the price of the car these days.

dudleyr · February 2005

Sheet metal looks great, but the headlights and taillights are a little too much. Sure we won't get it here though. 4 door hatchbacks are just too practical. Unfortunately wastefull/ impractical cars get more attention stateside.

blueiedgod · March 2005

I've read somewhere that stability control adds around $300.00 to the price of the car these days.

It probably cost manufacturer that much to buy the equipment, who is going to pay to install it, and design the new brake system around it? Even if the option costs $500 are you willing to pay for it? This will bring the LX sticker close to $16,000.

turboshadow · March 2005

I, for one, would definitely buy the five doior hatch if it comes here.

Please, Honda,. Pretty please.

Turboshadow

chidoro · March 2005

Is that a Pacer?

I can't see this one coming stateside, not that it would matter to me much as I would never get something that looked like that. Door handles, wheels and exhaust ar the only things that are appealing.

I really just wat to see the dang sedan.

wanthonda · March 2005

I saw one a car carrier in Maryland last week and was nuts for it. Currently drive an old Toyota hatch wagon and have been in market for new Honda.

Have called all the local Honda shops - they don't sell it, and when I looked it up on net, appear that they only sell it in Europe, or otherwise outside the states. One dealer suggested that the car I saw was en route to a magazine/reviewer/car show, etc...

Is it possible to buy the 5 door hatchback in US?

dudleyr · March 2005

VW, Mazda, and Toyota all have 5 door hatchbacks, but Honda has abandoned that market in the U.S.

varmint · March 2005

Element.

More of a small van, really. But it fits the profile.

dudleyr · March 2005

Element is an SUV that lacks the nimble size of a car, and it uses more fuel than a V-6 Accord much less a Civic. It also only seats 4.

As far as I am concerned it is closer to a Suburban than it is to a Civic. Unfortunately Honda and others have abandoned wagons and hatches because more people agree with varmint. The feeling seems to be that a vehicle has to be ponderous and inefficient to have utility.

The SUV acronym is truely genius as it gave features to a class of vehicles that was neither sporty or utilitarian (for their size and weight). Fortunately the tide is turning and there are more wagons coming out. Honda will just take a while - they are slow to adapt. VW had fuel injection in all their vehicles 10 years before Honda.

varmint · March 2005

VTEC
Hybrids
Cross-overs
Magic seat
The in-bed trunk
The CVCC
SH-AWD
120 hp/liter
Nav systems

Yeah... Honda is way behind.

As for the Element, I think it's simply a matter of people recognizing what they actually do with their vehicles. What good is a wagon with nimble handling when you creep along in traffic all the time.

With a vehicle like the Element, xB, or PT Cruiser, you can enjoy the car for its trick features, styling, or functionality. And you can see where you're going.

blueiedgod · March 2005

Is it possible to buy the 5 door hatchback in US?

Both Element and CR-V are based on the Civic. They both use the same 2.4 liter found in Accord, and offer AWD.

As much as I would like a 5 door hatch, if I were faced with buying a $20,000 Civic 5 door, or $20,000 Element, I would probably go for the Element. Although, I did not like the way it drove, dollar for dollar, Element, offers more.

turboshadow · March 2005

As much as I would like a 5 door hatch, if I were faced with buying a $20,000 Civic 5 door, or $20,000 Element, I would probably go for the Element. Although, I did not like the way it drove, dollar for dollar, Element, offers more.

-----------------------------------------------
Ugh. Element would offer poorer performance, worse mileage and worse handling than a Civic 5 door. I'd take the 5 door every time. I like to stop, go, and turn too much to spend money on high, tippy vehicles. been there, done that, I'll never do it again.

Plus, and this is just my opinion, the Element is the ugliest thing on the road since the Aztek is gone. xB give it a good run for the money in the ugly department.

Turboshadow

blueiedgod · March 2005

It can be lowered

Plastic can be painted

Or both

turboshadow · March 2005

You can stick a candle in a cow pie, but that won't make it a birthday cake.

Turboshadow

dudleyr · March 2005

dudleyr · March 2005

It is not all about size. Just because the element is larger does not mean it is better. In fact it is worse at just about everything, except cargo space. It only seats 4 for goodness sakes.

jrct9454 · March 2005

Nothing like taking a car that already looks silly, and making it even more so...oh well....

varmint · March 2005

Honda sells 3-5K Elements each month. How many Civic hatches do they sell?

turboshadow · March 2005

Well, how many hatches do they offer besides the overpriced Si? And before everybody gets all upset, I had an 89 Si that I loved, but the current Si is an overpriced, underwhelming vehicle.

If Honda offered a decently priced 5-door Civic, I would be first in line to get one. Right now, Honda offers nothing I'm interested in. I've felt this way (sadly) since 1998, when I traded in my beloved Si. I owned Civics from 86-98, and if they offered something I liked, I'd get it.

But they don't.

Turboshadow

varmint · March 2005

Okay. How many 89 Sis did they sell? How many Civic Wagons did they sell?

dudleyr · March 2005

The thing is a civic wagon would offer equel fuel mileage and ride handling etc. to the sedan with almost the space of the element (more passenger less cargo).

The element on the other hand uses 50% more fuel, has worse handling ride etc. Is it worth the trade? Just today they were talking about gas near $3.oo per gallon in the not too distant future.

alpha01 · March 2005

Toyota doesnt seem to have much trouble selling Matrices. That vehicle is more of the ilk of the Civic Wagon, dont you think?

~alpha

turboshadow · March 2005

Okay. How many 89 Sis did they sell? How many Civic Wagons did they sell?
-------------------------------------

Hmmm...I don't know. Must have been a bunch of them. I knew plenty of people back then who had Civic Sis, Civic Wagons, (even knew of a couple of AWDs, which were kinda silly in south Georgia, IMO), and a tons of CRX Sis, which was another great small hatch.

The late eighties was sorta the heyday of the hatch, though. (sniff)

Turboshadow

blueiedgod · March 2005

Honda sells 3-5K Elements each month. How many Civic hatches do they sell?

First year, 2002, Honda imported 15,000 Si's, they did not sell well. 2003, 2004, 2005 were all close 7,500-8,000/year.

By the way, Si i snot overpriced if you haggle at the right time. I got my 2002 Si in January of 2003 with 8 miles on the odo for $14,500 and 1.9% APR. I actually came in to test drive the Element, but the fact that 5 spd was not available and the one I drove felt top heavy drove me away from it. The sales man suggested I drive the Si. I did and fell in love. I was actually cross shopping Matrix/Vibe and Element, and ended up with Civic Si, Matrix Coupe as I call it. If you put Si and Matrix side by side, they are very similar except the 2 doors missing from the Civic. But, the price was right on the Civic.

Now that Honda finally has the 5 spd Element with painted panels from factory, I have been looking at it again. It is still top heavy, but I guess I can slow down a bit, maybe. Maybe not, and just get a TSX.

turboshadow · March 2005

By the way, Si i snot overpriced if you haggle at the right time. I got my 2002 Si in January of 2003 with 8 miles on the odo for $14,500 and 1.9% APR.
-----------------------------------------
I agree completely with that statement.

However...

When it first came out, MSRP was around 20K and dealers were putting 3K ADM on them. I think this PO'd a number of buyers (I was in the market) who decided they would NEVER buy one after that. I think that hurt Si sales more than anything.

I think the ADM practice has created a backlash against a number of new cars.

Turboshadow

blueiedgod · March 2005

Unfortunatley, if someone is "not smart enough" to realize that ADM will go away if they stay away from buying the car deserve all they get for falling for that. I though that even at MSRP the Si was on the high edge of pricing. Who in their right mind would pay $20K for a Civic. This is what I say to people who scream about the Type R not being available here. Are they willing to pay $25K for a Civic with no air conditioner, no radio, and no sunroof?

If I were to buy a $25K car, I would look into TSX or IS300.

Honda dealers are not as bad as some Ford, and GM dealers.
Ford Thunderbird had a $10K ADM (in one case there was a $20K ADM), and now it is being discontinued for not selling.
Chevy SSR had a $6000 ADM.

turboshadow · March 2005

Honda dealers are not as bad as some Ford, and GM dealers.
Ford Thunderbird had a $10K ADM (in one case there was a $20K ADM), and now it is being discontinued for not selling.
Chevy SSR had a $6000 ADM.
---------------------------------------

Those were the two in particular that I was thinking about. I believe there is a backlash happening in such practices.

You're right about the Type R Civic as well. If you really, truly wanted one, its easy to build your own. In retrospect, I should have done something similar when the engine started going in my old Si. Hindsight....

Turboshadow

carzzz · April 2005

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=8444

Looks great, eh?

bottgers · July 2005

I'm really pleased with the Civic overall, but I'm curious as to why Honda doesn't offer the 2 door coupe in a performance model? I don't care for the looks of the Si model, and there's really no reason Honda couldn't make a high performance version of the 2 door coupe. Could you imagine how much fun this car would be to drive with the RSX's 200 hp 2 liter engine? They can't honestly think this car wouldn't sell, unless they priced it too high. I could see this car selling like hot cakes at around the $16K-$17K price range. 127 hp just isn't enough for performance minded drivers.

allcarsrcool · May 2006

i hate to advertise toyota in a honda forum, but if you're looking for a small hatchback that is realtively cheap, why dont you look at the new Toyota Yaris. I test-drove it and i absolutely cant wait to buy it

~allcarsrcool

gagrice · May 2006

hate to advertise toyota in a honda forum,

Three good reasons to buy a Civic over the Yaris.
Civic is much roomier.
Civic gets better mileage on the highway. Much better city & highway if you buy the hybrid.
And the Yaris is UGLY.....
You should really go drive the Civic before you buy the Yaris. It is an entry level vehicle that may not last till you are done making the payments. If you are paying cash no big deal.

PS
Welcome to the forum!!!

allcarsrcool · May 2006

for me, i am a relatively tall person, but my legs are very long, i've test driven both but i can only fit behind the wheel of the yaris

allcarsrcool · May 2006

PS

how did u know i was new to the forum?

gagrice · May 2006

Your profile tells me when you joined and the last few threads you posted in. I have not sat in a Yaris. I did sit in the Xb Scion and was impressed with the headroom in front and back. You are right the headroom in both the Civic and Accord is marginal. My head touches in the Accords I have sat in. That is unacceptable.

allcarsrcool · May 2006

my torso is proportionally shorter than my legs... i just have trouble fitting my knees behind the steering wheel... i was very happy that i could actually fit behind the steering wheel of the yaris!

allcarsrcool · June 2006

Is it even plausible that honda may design a new de sol... based off the civic coupe or sedan? Someone please speak their mind on this one...

magoosh1 · March 2007

Now that Honda will be making Civics in Indiana, do you think they will make the Civic Hybrid there? How about some other kind of Civics--like a 4 door hatch--to go up against the Mazda 3 (I like that car) and Toyota Matrix?

And, with upcoming space in Ohio where Civics were made (once the IN plant comes online), what will be built there?

Chris from MI who LOVES his 06 LX Civic and his wife's 06 Subie Forester

gpk · April 2007

I would really be happy if honda decided to offer a diesel engine for the civic. The gas mileage would be excellent. Better yet offer the diesel with a hybrid combo.

aliceb · April 2007

Has anyone heard if a 2-door Civic Hybrid is in the works?

johnrz2007 · June 2008

VTEC.NET has tons of info on new Hybrid models that Honda is planning to come out with in the near future

aspesisteve · June 2008

is the CRX the one that got over 40 mpg?

why hasn't honda brought this car back?

I have a friend who thinks there is some conspiracy by big oil as to the reason Honda killed the high milege CRX.

any thoughts?

1stpik · June 2008

It wasn't OPEC. Congress killed the CRX, and every other lightweight, fuel efficient car, by legislating airbags, ABS, side impact beams, and every other safety device they could think of.

This coincided with an explosion in consumer buying power during the 1990s, which created a demand for more luxury features (meaning more weight), even on traditional economy cars. Honda Civics and Ford Escorts suddenly offered power windows, power seats, cruise control, etc.

Now cars weigh 50% more than they used to, and get worse fuel economy as a result. But on the bright side, they are safer, and more comfortable to drive.
.

aspesisteve · July 2008

I pulled out an old news paper add from the 80's where a used CRX is advertised.

The owner claims to get 60 mpg!

You're telling me that this 1.3 litre engine couldn't get say 40 mpg with today's safety standards? There have been trade offs with using Aluminum in the frame, so I'm not sure I buy your argument that it's merely safety standards killing us in fuel effeciency. I mean, how much does an airbag weigh? or a side beam in the door? It all doesn't add up to me.

An electric window doesn't weigh much more than one you have to manually crank.

It doesn't take carbon fibre to reduce the weight of a vehicle that was built in the 80's.

1stpik · July 2008

The 60 mpg claim is bogus. The old CRX (the super-efficient model HF) got 37/47 mpg. That's from the EPA website fueleconomy.gov which lists all makes and models back to the early 80s.

37/47 is certainly good, but as you said, that was from a 1.3 litre engine propelling a 1700 lb. car. Today's Honda Civic has a 1.8 litre engine propelling a 2600 lb. car. It gets 26/34 mpg, which is not bad for 50% more engine displacement and 50% more weight.

So you're correct, it's not just safety equipment weight, it's also bigger engines contributing to lower fuel economy.

aspesisteve · July 2008

I wonder how much of the 900 lbs weight gain is in the engine?

and I also wonder how today's civic would perform with a 1.3 ltre engine?

17 years have gone by and all I've seen is a race for greater horsepower.
- yes cars are safer and more plush

Honda and Toyota have always offered a great 4 cyl option with the option of upgrading to the ample if not excessive 6 cyl because everyone wanted to go 0-60 in under 10 seconds. Now I wonder if they might offer the lower powered higher fuel economy model?

dudleyr · July 2008

60 mpg was doable. The EPA took 22% off of their hwy numbers back then. To get the measured hwy mileage multiply 47 x 1.28 and Guess what - 60 mpg.

aspesisteve · July 2008

ahh thanks for the input.

actually the EPA estimates were 41 city and 50 hwy

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/5263.shtml

So, what's your guess as to why Honda doesn''t replicate this car with an airbag, abs and side impact beams?

It would be alot more appealing to me over the Smart car.

1stpik · July 2008

"I also wonder how today's civic would perform with a 1.3 ltre engine?"

I can answer that. It performs a little slow, but okay.

I have a Civic Hybrid, which uses a 1.3 litre gasoline engine along with a 20 hp electric motor. The engine shuts off automatically when the car stops, and the hybrid battery keeps the electric system going while the engine is off.

On a hot summer day, waiting at a railroad crossing for a train to pass, the A/C can run down that battery in about 4 minutes. When that happens, the electric motor assist ceases, and the car is powered only by the 1.3 litre engine until the battery recharges itself.

It runs fine in that condition, but it's a bit slow -- kind of like a compact car from the early 80s.

1stpik · July 2008

"actually the EPA estimates were 41 city and 50 hwy"

Those were the old EPA numbers. The revised ones are 37/47. The fueleconomy.gov link you provided actually lists the '89 CRX HF twice -- once with the old ratings, and once with the new ones.

The old numbers were based on a maximum speed of 55 mph, a maximum rate of acceleration of 3 mph per second, and no air conditioning use, or stop-and-go traffic. That same testing method gave the Toyota Prius numbers of 51 city and 60 hwy until this year. Now the Prius and every other car gets a "real world" test. Consequently, all EPA numbers have dropped, including the Prius to 48/45.

"why Honda doesn''t replicate this car with an airbag, abs and side impact beams?"

The Honda Insight two-seater hybrid was nearly identical to the old CRX. They discontinued that model a few years ago in favor of the Civic Hybrid.

However, they'll release the new CRZ either next year or in 2010. It's supposed to replicate the looks and efficiency of the Insight, but offer more day-to-day practicality.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CR-Z

.

Honda Civic: Future Models

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