2012 Honda Civic

thegraduate

The new 2012 Civic has been seen without much camoflauge. Let's discuss it here!

-TheGraduate

thegraduate

To me, the Civic too closely resembles a 2002 Camry from the rear. It's awfully conservative in a time when the bold vehicles from Ford, Chevrolet, and Hyundai are making the big news.

backy

Conservative, yes, but I'd rather have that than yet another bizzaro-world Honda styling exercise. And the lines are not that much different than the new Elantra's, except the Elantra has the gargantuan headlamps and the character bulge on the sides. Compared to the likes of the new Cruze, it's almost "racy". I assume the ugly grille is a cover-up.

civic9874

The car in pictures isn't a new Civic. It is an all new 2011 Honda City, which is a popular car sold mostly in Aisa and Middle East. The new City is a little smaller than Civic, but bigger than Fit. So, it is a good car for some one who wants something between Fit anc Civic. I see a green button looks like a ECON button on the left side of the steering wheel in the 3rd picture. Honda may be testing City Hybrid. I wonder what 9th gen Civic will look like.

accordguy0325

I think the possibility exists that since Honda abruptly halted/changed the design of the 2012 Civic due to changing fuel efficiency standards (which was supposed to increase in size) after much work had already went into the redesign - the possibility exists that Honda will bring this model to the USA and re-badge it as the Civic.

civic9874

I hope you are wrong about this, accordguy0325. I'll be very disappointed if they re-badge City as Civic in the US.

samnoe

Anyone knows what improvements are coming to the 2012 model?

Will the car be quieter? (the cruze is extremely quiet). Will the ride be a little softer (it's way too firm to my tastes, making sure I feel every single bump or pothole firmly..)

Also, will some features - now available in upper models only - finally come down to the mainstream trims? I bet that stability control will be standard across the line; but what about heated mirrors? exterior temperature indicator? trunk opener on key fob? bluetooth? variable wiper settings.. All these and more are currently reserved only for EX trim, some only on EX-L (highest trim!). They should all be standard or available in lower trims as well. like Hyundai and others are doing. Leave sunroof and navigation etc. as options for higher trims.

I would like to finally see a remote starter. Why doesn't Honda offer it, even as an option? That should become the new standard! I would also like more storage bins all over the car, but covered!! The current generation Civic has many storage cubbies, but all are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Anyone looking into the car could easily see everything! The Corolla is much better in that regard.

I'd love to see a better sounding stereo, a larger LCD for the stereo with more info, lighted controls for all power windows and door lock switches, as well as ignition key ring. Also a light in the glove box(es). And please, when I open the front doors, the "front overhead lamps" should come on, not the rear ones! Very un-intuitive.

I also need a better inside door handle (CR-V is nice), and a TPMS that indicates which tire is at fault. Also the service-minder starts to bug you every time you need service way too soon, 15% remaining is too soon to terrorize me every single time I start my car. The current sun-visors are very cheap plastic, they need improvement, and enlarge them! Or at least offer a sliding extension.

Anyone is welcome to add their own welcomed improvements.....

smarty666

Well its looks like Honda's ugly direction is still commencing that way. Seems to be a move in the wrong direction with this civic compared to the current one. What a shame!

samnoe

Some more improvements which I would like to see in the new 2012:

* Better, stronger brakes, with stronger brake feel.
* Turning circle. The current one have a very wide.
* Fuel economy, while not bad, trails the newer competitions.
* Brighter headlamps + fog lamps (at least optional).

samnoe

There is a new Civic concept at the show. Pretty similar to the current one.

blufz1

Hi Grad. Hope you are well. We have all seen the Civic and I like the Coupe. The question is what are the drivetrains? I vote for 2.0 gasser in the sedan and an SI tune 2.4 in the Si coupe. 6 speed auto would be nice. We'll all have to wait 1 more generation for really interesting technology. .02.

accordguy0325

http://automobiles.honda.com/2012-civic/?SP_RID=MjI0OTM0NTI4NTcS1&SP_MID=3341225- &PROGRAMID=RPACVC12&CAMPAIGNCODE=AT2935&OFFERCODE=AT2935&CELLCODE=CX&PID=A186997- 52&FROM=EMAIL

Sandman6472

I like the 2012 actually...it's not as radical as the Elantra but it's a more refined look from the current generation...a nice progression if you will. Some felt the current generation went a bit too far, I personally love my '06 LX, this new one doesn't push the envelope as much. A nice design, just a bit more grown up...looks a bit more substantial also. I think it will hold up well with time. Hopefully, it'll at least match the Elantra in mpg's...this seems to be the trend, around 40 highway miles & 34 city...definitely a good thing as the price of petrol goes up.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

backy

It looks fine, especially the coupe (although I thought the old coupe looked just fine). Not great, nothing extraordinary, but not offensive. For some reason the rear of the sedan screams "Daewoo" to me... not sure why.

The interior at first glance looks cheaper / decontented compared to the current Civic. But that is just a first impression, one that might be blasted away on close inspection. At least, the interior doesn't seem to me to match best in class, i.e. Cruze, Focus, and Elantra.

Sandman6472

Don't like the interior of the Focus, or any Ford for that matter. The one Ford product we had was total garbage, never made it home & had to be towed back to the dealer...they had it for two days. Luckily, the two Lincoln Continentals were a bit better but vowed to never buy a Ford product again. Never realized that Ford owned a piece of Mazda until after we bought one but give the credit to Mazda for how good it is.

The only Chevy we owned was a Corvette which speaks for itself. The Cruze looks to be a nice car & all but think we'll wait for the Verano to appear before we test drive. The Elantra is already my #1 choice in this segment to date. I'd give it a 50/50 shot as being our next ride unless the wife moves upmarket a bit.

Still like the new Civic & would be very happy if she'd buy one for herself. I will have to wait till I drive one till I make a final judgment at this point. Think I'll try the Focus myself just to see but I'm not expecting much.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

backy

Have you seen the interior of the 2012 Focus? Huge improvement over the old Focus.

ezshift5

.....so I plan to view the 2012 Honda Civic.

Altho' my efficient/swift Accord 6M remains respected, IMHO the time to look for a car is when you really don't need one.

What have we got:

...the TSX 4-cyl with 6M

..500 pounds off the TSX weight

..TSX numbers are 7 flat/15.4 (to 60/QM)

Ergo, the 9th Gen Civic (Si) won't be a fast as my current car (but it will be more fuel efficient)

And that's not a bad thing these days..............

It's all good.

ez....

Sandman6472

No we haven't yet as it's still to early...after tax season she'll have time. And doubt we'd ever buy a Ford in the 1st place. Personal reasons that's all...just certain companies we just won't give our $ to. Personal preference that we all share. Hear they've come a long way though.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

samnoe

"Sandman", just a side note... it's time to take your head out of the "sand" and face reality... Todyas Ford's and Chevy's are not the same as the one you used to have. They're now much more improved, refined, and reliable. They're matching, if not surpassing, most of their competitors. Some reviews say that the new 2012 Focus handles better than the Civic (I don't know about the new Civic, but now comparing to 2011), plus it is much quieter and has smoother ride, which the Civic lacks.

Sandman6472

1st of all, sir, I think you are basing things like "much quieter & smoother ride" on either what you've read or on a test drive. I always take what I read with a grain of salt because someone usually gets paid to write a puff article that has to be favorable to where the $ is coming from. And your opinion is just that, "your opinion" which to me has validity to you & not me.

Secondly, the last GM product we drove was inferior to what we were swapped into less than two hours later. Sure, a rental isn't the best gauge about how far or not GM has come but that's my base right now. We have also tested a couple of Ford products when my m-i-l needed a new car. We just don't like Ford...period.

Thirdly, the remark about "your head in the sand & reality"...cute, sophmoric, but cute & since I have no clue who you are, and if remarks like that float your boat dude... go knock yourself out! I like to discuss things like an adult personally and when someone starts off a conversation in that manner, I'm gone, as I know that any shape or form of an intelligent & fun conversation ain't gonna happen. So I just move on. Which is what I've done now.

The great thing about forums on the internet like this one is that once a person has lost all credibility with me, I just ignore them & skip over any future posts, anything else justs gets tedious & a waste of my time. Later dude!

I am,

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

samnoe

OMG, please forgive me, I never meant anything, it just struck me your name "sandman" and I tried to make a joke out of it, that's all. I am sorry if you feel offended.

I just pointed you out some reality that your post seemed to ignore. I drove myself many newer models from Detroit, and I really think they are great, even though I have my Civic which I love (for the most part, I must admit the ride is too firm for me, and noise is horrible, but love the handling and steering).

Besides, not all writers (if any) get paid about what to write. One of the major car magazines titled the upcoming new Focus as the "new Civic" and the Hyundai Elantra as the "new Corolla", and the the Cruze somewhere in between. And they're the same people who bashed the previous generation cars from Detroit. They're definitely doing something right and closing the gap for quality & reliability between the japanese automakers. But that's a different issue which does not belong in this discussion.

So again I am sorry and lets keep up our "friendship"......

Sandman6472

Funny, just got my Motor Trend today and am reading about the Ford Focus and I just might have to change my opinion on this car...the article makes it sound like a great car, just like the Elantra, so this is gonna be an interesting period these next many months as we choose the wife's next ride...so many good choices out there. So, after tax season, the search will begin!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

hammer26

Just thought some may want to see the gallery of civic photos prior to the unveiling by honda. Enjoy

http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/largest-photo-collection-of-2012-civics.455/

backy

Great pics! The last one, of the window sticker on the LX sedan, is the most interesting to me. LX automatic sedan is $19,400--or about $1400 more than the Elantra GLS automatic. And the Elantra has more interior room, gets better fuel economy (EPA), has more power and one more cog in the AT, has 16" wheels vs. 15", and of course a longer warranty. And the Elantra looks better to my eyes.

But it's a Civic, so Honda will sell a lot of them.

fezo

Sigh. So they keep the space shuttle dashboard....

backy

It looks a little less Starship Enterprise for 2012 to me. Maybe it's a few straighter lines, or maybe because I'm used to it since it was first seen in 2005. Not nearly as nice a dash as the likes of Cruze, Elantra, Focus, or Mazda3 though. It's unmistakably Honda though.

I hope the driving experience is improved over the 2006-11 generation, otherwise I think it will be a tough sell vs. other new models (Cruze/Elantra/Focus) and the 2012 Mazda3.

lcw1

Test drove the EX today and I admit to being pleasantly surprised by the seat comfort , roominess and handling. The dash board is let's say different but not a deal breaker. According to the salesman the nav system comes only with the EX-L. No surprise here since Honda was never known for being flexible. The lowest price tag I saw locally for the EX is 20,300 leading one to question why the CIVIC EX instead of a more equipped Elantra with double the warranty.
Of course it takes experts to point the difference between the 2 but the experts are in no hurry to review the CIVIC. Maybe Edmunds will soon take the lead and clarify few things.

backy

I think the dearth of reviews is more Honda's fault than anything. They tend to hold back on making cars available for test drives until the car is officially introduced to dealerships. Maybe that's so they have more time to clear out the old cars.

stevewil131

I stoppped by my local dealer today and they had several of the 2012 civics in stock. I was waiting to look at this car to try to decide between a few different models. The decision not to buy the civic was very quick. I have to say that the interior quality is the absolute worst that I have ever seen. The top of the door panels are made of a flat black plastic, and the bottom section is a tan or grey plastic. The plastic is so thin, that it flexes to the touch. The carpet is not carpet, it appears to be the insulation that you would find under the carpet in most cars. The dash is pieced together from many pieces of very cheap plastic. The only soft touch on the dash or doors was where your elbo rests, and that even looked like an after thought. With so many compacts upping the interiors so much lately, I honestly cannot believe that Honda is trying to sell this car. The drivetrain may be fine, but I don't even care to drive it. I have been waiting a long time time to see this car, and I am very disgusted to finally see it. Honda will fall behind quickly if this continues.

backy

OMG. It's worse than I feared.

I had a 1988 Civic LX that was one of my favorite cars of all time. One thing I liked about it, aside from the slick shifter, was that I thought the interior materials were very high quality for the price point. The cloth was rich-feeling and durable. The plastic was mostly padded, strong, and high quality. The rear seat had two adjustable head rests--a rarity for the class in 1988. I cried a bit when I traded it in 3 years later on my first minivan (2nd child on the way).

I also owned a 1985 Civic S, two-tone grey/silver, that I loved. Had that for nearly 8 years. A car far ahead of its time in design.

The downward spiral of the Civic has been a sad thing to watch.

vagabondchef

Got a quote for a 2012 Civic LX with auto today for $19000.00 plus tax, title in Gurnee, IL .

Is It a good Deal?

Please advise.

backy

Tell them it needs to be no more than $18k or you'll buy an Elantra, see what they say.

motorcity6

Honda in the long term is the better buy if nothing more than a great resale value..The Korean offering is nothing without the long term warranty...Never owned either one, however history is with Honda..

backy

I didn't say "buy an Elantra"... I said tell the Honda salesperson, come down in price closer to that of the Elantra.

Unfortunately, it appears history is the only thing Honda has going for it right now... with the new Civic anyway. :sick:

Sandman6472

"Never owned one"...so your opinion has no merit! We have both and they are great cars for their price points...and we'd have no problem buying either brand again! But I speak from real world experience...you speak from what...? Always find it amusing when folks come into Edmunds and pontificate on things they have no first hand knowledge of but keep spewing "their opinions" and these are based on what? Guess everyone has the right to say whatever they want but with nothing to back it up with, it's all just blah, blah, blah with no credibility!

Guess Forest Gump was right!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

yysyys

2012 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe - First Drive Review

yysyys

Civic vs Elantra

lcw1

Easy does it. There is no way this article can be viewed as objective. These are new cars and aside from the looks you can't predict their performance .
Besides, looks are subjective. I test drove the Elantra and the Civic but the test drive did not persuade me to choose one over the other. One can point out that the Honda is more expensive but it also comes with a spare tire and a remote key for the trunk not found in the Elantra. The name Honda is also more reassuring and for some that's priceless.
I decided to wait till next year to see which car holds up best. Maybe by then all the kinks are worked out and the cream rises to the top.

targettuning

I believe the Elantra has a spare tire (although it probably is the compact spare as is the Civic's). As for a "remote trunk key" I assume you mean a remote trunk release on the key fob? If so, well yes, the Civic does have a remote trunk release on the fob BUT, if I am not mistaken only the top line EX and above models have that feature. That was the case in 2006 when we bought ours (EX sedan) and having just looked at the Honda site I think it still is. Further, I would be most suprised if the Elantra didn't have it as well....just checked and both models have it. Yes the Civic is more expensive but has virtually nothing the Elantra doesn't except maybe the Honda name. Finally, why do you have to wait a year to see how they will hold up? The Civic is a barely refreshed 2006-2010 so there is a history (not all good) and the Elantra is all new but has a great history going back at least 10 years or more. Top picks in most comparison tests including Consumer Reports.

backy

The 2011 Elantra does not have a spare tire, but a pump and can of sealant. There's room under the trunk for a spare, but it would have to be purchased.

lcw1

Well you make some valid points but:

' The Civic is a barely refreshed 2006-2010 so there is a history (not all good) '

Over one million Civics are still on the road and they didn't sell because they are cheap. Maybe they had few issues over the years but those issues did not stop one million people from buying one.

The new civic has quite few changes over the old one. It is lighter, smaller on the outside but bigger in the inside, gives better gas mileage and is less noisy at least when new.

'the Elantra is all new but has a great history '

'All new' can't have great history
I am not bashing the new Elantra but I feel better if I wait one year to make a judgment.

backy

Waiting a year on new models has a number of advantages. Not only can you see how they shake out, but prices tend to be higher when a new design is introduced (that is certainly true of the new Elantra). And in a year, you'll have even more choices, e.g. likely a new Sentra, an updated Mazda3 with reportedly higher fuel economy, and down a little in size, the new Versa, Accent, and Rio. And maybe others.

targettuning

No, the 2012 Civic IS a refreshed 2006-11 model in that is has the exact same drivetrain (engine and transmission, a 5 speed auto. at that as others such as the Elantra have moved on to a 6 speed) as the prior generation. Many of the body panels were revised somewhat as were the grill and headlights. Same with the rear tailights and bumper. The interior was refreshed as well with an evolution of the radical dash/instrumentation introduced in 2006. Without looking I'd bet the interior/trunk space is the same, or slightly increased, as the previous generation as well. As far as the comment "a few issues over the years" you may not know about THE major potential issue (among several others )but I do because I own a 2006 EX sedan and have received the recalls and extended warranty information. What am I talking about? Well, it seems certain 2006, 2007, and even 2008 Civics experienced cracked engine blocks that required an engine replacement @ around $4500-5000. Early on before Honda was forced to acknowledge this fault, which by the way resulted from a casting flaw or engineering screw-up, owners were forced to pay out of pocket for an engine replacement, or depending on the dealership at least a portion of it. Finally, after this problem started to show up with more regularity on more than one model year Honda started to take notice. So, after 3 model years and 5 years after the 2006's were released I got an "extended" engine warranty in the mail late last year (2010). This among various other issues I have had and other potential issues I have been told to take the car in to have checked. Nope, I believe the Honda name is running on fumes. Just my opinion as a first (and last) time owner.

targettuning

After further research I have determined that the 2012 Civic interior appears to be significantly larger in several key dimensions (compared to the 06-10) as is the trunk. The passenger volume is larger at 94.6 (cu. ft.) verses 83. something for the 06-10 models. However the Elantra still has a larger passenger volume but not by much @ 95.6 cu. ft. BUT the cargo volume (trunk) is much larger @ 14.8 cu. ft. verses 12.5 cu. ft. so if I spoke out of a lack of research this should correct any mis-statements I made about the 12 Civic not having increased interior/trunk space

backy

While you're making corrections, note that the 2012 Civic's powertrain can't be exactly like 2006-11, or the FE numbers wouldn't be any better than for 2011. But they are. So Honda must have tweaked the powertrain for 2012 even if the engine size, HP, and number of cogs in the tranny are the same.

targettuning

OK, going back to the Honda site I have found that it is the same size (1.8 liter), has the same horsepower (140) and torque (128 lb-ft) the same configuration (SOHC i-VTEC) BUT the site states it has "many friction reducing and airflow improvements" so maybe not totally the same but...close enough! Honda credits improvements in fuel economy to "Weight-saving technologies, improved aerodynamics and engine modifications result in a new Civic with some impressive new EPA ratings" In any case I'd bet it drives the same as mine as far as engine performance so in my book that make it the same.

isellhondas

Since I pushed the retirement button last year I have no "skin in the game" so please don't jump back at me for being a Honda person.

Today I was in my old store having my oil changed and one of my buddies handed me the keys to a 2012 Civic LX and said " let's go!"

And so we did. I didn't see any of the cheapness someone mentioned about the interior. It looked just fine to me.

The first thing I noticed was the fact that finally they have taken great strides in getting rid of the road noise that Hondas have always been critized for. A remarkable change. They car was also much stiffer. It felt more like an Accord than a Civic.

The engine had more pep and around corners, it seemed even more nimble than before.

Looking at the car from the side it looked about the same as the 2006-2011's but the front and rear looked better...I know...my opinion.

I'm the first to admit that Hyundai has made great strides. They are still, however, Korean cars that carry the Korean stigma. This may go away someday but as used cars, they do not sell well either on the lot or in the auctions. I realize this could change in the future but for the time being it is what it is. Dismal resale value compared to Honda or Toyota.

They have a longer powertrain warranty which in my book is no big deal. They were forced to go to that given the problematic cars they initially brought to market. It is doubtful anyone would need that warranty on any modern car. Sound good though, and that's the flag they wave.

I think Honda should simply raise their prices a bit and match that warranty since some "warranty people" no doubt buy cars simply because of that.

All in all, nothing earthshaking, just some nice refinement on what was already a great car!

Sandman6472

Have you driven the new 2012 model? So if not, you are making a big assumption here. Isell did drive the car and he tells a different story. So I'll believe him over you since he actually drove one. Now if you have indeed driven one, that's a whole different story.

And my '06 with just over 31k miles drives just like it did when I drove it off the lot...still a great car which will be around for a long time I hope!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

backy

You are clearly still a "Honda" person who is living in the past. Wake up. There is no longer a "stigma" in buying a Korean car... except maybe in your mind and in the minds of your buddies at the Honda store. Have you noticed that the new Hyundais are selling for near MSRP these days? How does that equate with stigma? How does that equate with low resale value? What has hurt resale values in the past are the low selling prices. Selling prices are up. Resale values are up. Check out ALG residuals for the newer Hyundais. Not "dismal compared to Honda or Toyota". It's the Toyotas that are selling at big discounts now, not Hyundais.

If Hondas are as good as you say they are, they wouldn't have to raise their prices to offer a 10-year powertrain warranty, because it would never be used. Right?

I am glad to see the new Civic is an improvement over the old one. Will have to check it out when test-drive time comes for the next round of car buying. But at $19.4k, the Civic LX will have to be pretty darn good.

targettuning

No, I have not driven one yet but since the engine has the exact same specifications as mine I wouldn't expect it to perform differently, or at least by "seat of the pants" feel. I admit it may be a tenth of a second quicker to 30-50-60 or whatever but that would be unnoticeable to most, me included. But if you want to get technical I'll reserve judgement until I drive one.

temj12

I had a 2006 Civic and I currently have a 2005 Accord. The Civic had a misdesigned rear suspension and that had to be replaced at 65000 miles. Honda agreed to pay half of that. My 2006 was a coupe, which I thought was a nice looking car. I sold it and kept the Accord. I did not like the 2006-2011 four door design. I hate the look of the 2012 four door. I have not seen the coupe. For some reason, I do not find them on the lot. Honda has real problems with design. Outside of the 2006-2011 coupe, I have not liked any of the designs on the Accord or Civic. However, what they do have is quality. At least, that has been true on the Accord. The 2008-2012 Accord design is pathetic. I don't know why Honda has such sorry designs. Please understand that this post is coming from a Honda fan.