2014 Honda Civic Full Test

Edmunds.com

2014 Honda Civic Full Test

Edmunds.com tests and reviews the updated 2014 Honda Civic sedan, now featuring a CVT and an all-new touchscreen infotainment system.

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rh67_

The Civic really should be America's best selling car... if only Honda would give it some decent analog instruments. I bet thousands of potential customers are put off by that awful Atari digital dashboard, which conveys almost no useful information.

cbrandi_

I've long been a fan of Honda products, have owned several, though I do not currently own one. Civics are good cars and deliver exactly what is expected in this market rung. That said, the company needs to educate buyer about the CVT so that they will not interpret its behavior as a problem because its not like the old automatic they were accustomed to. Ford made this mistake when it told Focus buyers they were driving an automatic when in fact it was an auto-manual. The differences experienced had drivers thinking something was wrong with the transmission, when it fact it was fine.

angry_mushroom

An android and iOS app... what about windows phone? Ah well... not like I'm going to get a Honda with a Nav system anytime soon.

engineer_mba

There are many good alternatives in this segment, all of them with good features and decent value. It will be interesting to see which cars are still solid at 100,000 miles and beyond. I have owned several Hondas over the years, both new and used (my favorite being the Prelude!). If you keep up with oil changes and maintenance, these cars will last a long time and give very little trouble.

engineer_mba

I also noticed that Honda is getting stingy with the manual transmissions. The manual is only available on the base LX. It is not available on the next 3 trim levels (EX, EX-L, EX-L with Nav). The times, they are a changin'.

duck87

"Perhaps Honda could take next year off." Nope, they've got to keep improving their vehicles since they were lost in the wilderness the last couple of years.

greenpony

-1 for touchscreen-only functions. Ford encountered the same problem and has since brought back buttons & knobs for key functions. It's hard to believe that Honda buyers would be any more accepting of the technology.

greenpony

engineer_mba, automakers believe that there are only two reasons to buy a manual transmission. 1. Lower cost. Those cost-conscious enough to forego the convenience of an automatic transmission are likely not then going to splurge on higher-trim features. 2. Higher performance. Those buying a high performance vehicle are more likely too expect or demand a manual transmission. Whether these points are true or not, that limits the options of those that want both a manual transmission AND a high trim level without high performance. After all, why should they spend the time developing and certifying a transmission that will have a very low take rate?

engineer_mba

greenpony - I understand your points. It all comes down to what is justifiable from a business perspective and the anticipated sales and revenues. I am wondering how difficult or costly would it be to offer the manual transmission across the model range if the manual transmission is already being offered on the LX (and the Si)? How difficult or costly would it be to offer it as an option straight from the factory if necessary for those who prefer manual?

bc1960

It's not the length of the drive chain/belt that changes in this type of CVT--that would be some engineering trick! The diameter of the pulley driving the chain can change because it's made of two cones on a common axle that can move closer together or further apart to change the drive ratio.

stovt001_

I'm getting used to the CVT transmission in my car and really don't find it any more objectionable than a traditional automatic, but touchscreen controls in cars are just awful. I love the touchscreen on my ipad and iphone. I'm not a technophobe. In general touchscreens are good user interfaces, but they are not suited to the particular application of operating a vehicle, where your eyes should be on the road ahead and controls operated by feel. At a minimum physical controls should be included for basic common tasks like adjusting volume, cycling inputs/bands and presets, adjusting temp, fan speed, and vent position (or temp only if it is an auto climate setup).