Honda Civic Sedan 2006

tawneycat

Read post 816. Honda has made press releases on the new Civic Engine, Bigger, more efficient, and more powerful.

anonymousposts

The power is the same but the EX automatic versions get a 5-speed auto and the DX/LX get a 4-speed auto.

At a minimum they need a limited slip differential to help manage power induced understeer. If Honda is serious about making a sporty version of the civic it should have an LSD.

The Si will have a limited slip differential.

stupidfool

will the ex coupe be available @ launch?

jchan2

Of course. The DX, LX, EX are the bread n' butter of the Civic trim.

I don't know if they will offer a Value Package at launch though. That's normally an MMC thing.

nortonss

The 2006 RSX Is out now and the HP has gone down, 255 for the premium and 201 for the RSX-S

blueiedgod

I agree with backy that everyone is different with different needs...and have a better question for blueiedgod. What kind of a fool would ever consider a Civic a sports car in the first place??!! Come on.

Then why are we talking about 0-60 times and 1/4 mile runs? Younever hear a Toyota Camry driver boasting about his/her 0-60 times and 1/4 mile runs. Because Camry is a typical family hauler. Maybe we should stop talking about acceleration as well, those are for sports cars.

blueiedgod

I guess traffic is generally light in Buffalo. Most people's days aren't spent throwing around a shifter trying to excel at cornering, but sitting in traffic trying to get to work with the line of cars in front and behind of them. When the opportunity arises, they want to step on the gas and go fast.

I like manual. I learned on manual. It's a pain in the neck to function a vehicle on a daily basis w/ a manual. As a second "Fun" car, sure, but the drudgery of dealing w/ traffic and hills, and etc is just the last thing I need to deal with after a heck of a day at work. Actually, I'd just to ride a motorcycle for enjoying rides that get me touch w/ the road.

Regardless, this is a 2006 Civic thread, not a manual vs. auto debate which I'm sure is somewhere else on this board.

I never had a problem driving manual in traffic. I used to live in NYC area and commuted from CT to NJ everyday. I saw my share of traffic jams. I drove Civic Si and never had a problem coordinating my left and right feet with my left and right hands to steer, and shift. In fact automatics are the worst in stop and go. I could easily do the 5 mph crawl in the Si in first gear and just modulate my speed with the throttle. Can you do that in an auto? Nope, you have to constantly switch between brakes and gas to maintain speed.

Now you are telling me that switching between gas and brake is less work than just lifting your foot off the throttle to slow down????? Makes no sense.

I had no problem functioning in the manually driven car in NYC traffic conditions. Ear piece in my ear so that I don't have to hold the cell phone (Thank god it is the LAW NOW). I never eat the car because it is messy and you end up with crumbs all over. So, what else is there to do that would interfiere with driving?

My logic is that if people don't want to make an effort to be DRIVERS, then they should not be driving.

blueiedgod

Maybe someone who has a disability and has trouble shifting a stick but likes the feel of a sports car? Or maybe someone who likes a stick but has a DW (OK, to be non-sexist a DS) who can't shift a stick worth a darn and is non-trainable, and the DS will drive the car sometimes? And maybe other reasons. No need to call them "fools."

Disability, yes. For other, there is HIS and HERS. This is what we have, even though I taught her how to drive stick. If a blonde can learn how to coordinate feet and hands, I think anyone can do it. It is a matter of putting effort into it.

mcap56

I have always owned a manual care and much prefer them to automatic. However, I will say that in traffic, my 04 EX is nothing but a pain in the you know what...literally and figuratively. I live in NYC and commute to work outside of the city. What can be a 1/2 hour trip can take two hours at times. Modulating the gears and throttle? Not going to happen. In the standard civic engine, you can't stay in first gear in stop and go traffic no matter how well you modulate. Perhaps in the SI it is a bit easier.

Going from CT to NJ does not necessitate that you go through NYC...........a big difference.

Probably, very reluctantly going to trade in my EX which is a great car.

Marc

chidoro

Mazel tov, you saw your share.

Now you are telling me that switching between gas and brake is less work than just lifting your foot off the throttle to slow down????? Makes no sense.


You forgot using your left foot to clutch, unless you want to stall. But, of course, you saw your share of stop and go traffic, I forgot. Traffic just never actually comes to a stop in your world I guess. Just perpetually rolling.

I could easily do the 5 mph crawl in the Si in first gear and just modulate my speed with the throttle. Can you do that in an auto? Nope, you have to constantly switch between brakes and gas to maintain speed.


Actually you can. I can crawl at 5 mph all day long, no switching necessary.

Now you are telling me that switching between gas and brake is less work than just lifting your foot off the throttle to slow down????? Makes no sense.

Sure it does, but apparently every traffic jam you've been in never requires you to shift or pop out of gear because you never seem to have to come to a stop.. Again, I'm glad you enjoy your utopia. Doesn't work by me and it is a pain as a result.

anonymousposts

cars with a manual tranny in the Atlanta area. We don't encounter stop and go traffic in our day to day driving so maybe it's not as big of a deal to us. For me, the ability to change my own gears on the open road makes up for the few minutes per day I might spend in traffic.

Kirstie_H

We have a discussion about the future of manual transmissions - let's not put the entire focus of this discussion on that subject, please.

backy

For other, there is HIS and HERS.

Ah, if only life were that simple! e.g., no kids of driving age in the equation who take HERS (leaving HIS to DW); no vehicles of different capacity--meaning sometimes I need to take HERS so she takes HIS; DW willing and able to make the effort to learn proper shifting technique (and no, she is not blonde), etc.. Must be the same world in which traffic never stops on the freeway.

dudleyr

The kids should take the stick car not the automatic. If they can't drive a stick, then tell them it is a condition of their having a car to use - they will learn quickly.

Any news on the new Civics? I am very curious about how much room there will be inside. I am hoping it is about the size of the '94-97 Accords.

backy

Since you insist on beating a dead horse... thanks for the tips on how to raise my kids. My son of driving age did learn how to drive a stick. The car with an automatic has ABS, the stick car does not. When possible I'd rather my son take the car with ABS. As I said, life is not as simple as some think it is.

Just 2.5 days more until we get ALL the details on the new Civic...

tawneycat

Did they claim to release lots of info on the 30th?

stickguy

1 minute after midnight.

huntley

http://autodeadline.com/detail?source=Honda&mid=HON2005082937036&mime=ASC

filmnews

CALLED HONDA SI WILL COST $19,500 to $24,500. I called Windy City Honda in Chicago, and they said that the SI will be out 6 weeks after the other civics. They said it should start at $19000 or $19500 and go up to 24,500 or 25000. It will go up that high becuase they come with a navigation system and leather. I want one with leather. So, it looks like October 15th until we can drive this machine.

claudius753

Also Here in case one link is unavailable, the info seems exactly the same at both places. It seems that the 5 speed auto is available across the line except Hybrid of course. Estimated economy (Honda, not EPA) is 30/38 for manual and 30/40 for auto. Hybrid is 50/50.

The heaviest normal model is the EX which is 2740/2804 while the Hybrid is 2875.

The press embargo is supposed to end on September 1, so TOV will release the info on Sept 1, 12:00:01 am, ie just after midnight August 31. Like wise, other sites should be getting info up around then as well.

sr45

Interesting to say the lease....You get slightly more miles per gallon on a Automatic than you do for a manual 30/38 Manual 30/40 Auto Thought it would be the other way around :confuse:

jrct9454

....has longer gearing in 5th - the engine is turning fewer rpm on the highway than with the manual.

gasmizr

This is good news. I much rather have the automatic especially now since it get better gas mileage then the manual. Talking a look back civics have never been speedsters and the power to weight ratio has not changed all that much. I have a 1996 and am going to give it to my kids to drive. I am looking at the new Civic LX as the next good commuter car. I just hope the handling is back to the way it was in the 1996-2000 models. That is why I did not replace with current model. Very good for navigating thru traffic. A little umph to jump the gaps always helps.

dudleyr

I thought the new engine was supposed to get better mpg. Looks like the city mpg is actually worse for the manual, and only the automatic only gets better highway. i wish they would give manuals tall gears as well. The occasional downshift is not an issue - especially in areas with 75 mph speed limits (the revs are always up)

Backy - I should have put a smily after my comment.

stupidfool

so which kind of coupe should i buy a dx or ex ?

gearhead1

It will go up that high becuase they come with a navigation system and leather. I want one with leather.

Are you sure leather is available in the Si ??

Against my better judgement, I'm starting to get excited about this vehicle which means I'm less likely to wait, and that means MSRP to me. Dang.

jjx456

Are you comparing EPA to non-EPA figures?

bamacar

Looks like the extra 150lbs may have been a bigger difference than a slightly more efficient engine could overcome. I agree with you on the tall 5th gear. Make it a 6 speed if they refuse to make the 5th gear tall. They should have come out with a HX, HF, or FE model with taller gearing at least to give the consumer the choice of higher mileage.

inkyofok

That must be the most efficient slush box known to man. This concerns me as 2 mpg is a lot. The 5 speed must have performance gearing which I never understand. Why no true overdrive! I -4 can be done low and 5th or 6th a true overdrive. NO the 5 speed auto is worth the extra cost in this case but still no fun to drive. How sad when the 5 speed manual cannot match the auto.

wco81

Well the 2005 EX Auto is 31/38 so if these specs. are final (and blessed by the EPA), then it seems like a wash.

307web

Likely the salesperson was spewing garbage to scare speople into buying a 2005 in the hope of avoiding the higher prices.
They do not "come with" navigation and leather. Navigation is optional and there was no sign of factory leather. Obviously, you will be able to get an Si without either navigation or leather.

claudius753

Well, it seems both pages have been pulled, I get 404 on both links now. I guess Honda found out and told them to take the info down until the embargo ends.

I would say this is a good sign that the info was real. I remember suspension being double wishbone rear and MacPherson in the front.

It also seems weight is up about 136lbs when comparing EX auto sedans from 05 and 06. If the EPA gives the sedan a rating of 30/40mpg, that would be a good enough for a commuter car for me.

stupidfool

ya i think 30/40 is really good, just can't wait another 15 days!!!

tawneycat

I am waivering on changing my order to a hybrid. 50 city 50 highway and if I take delivery after 1 Jan a tax credit of about 2600 bucks right in my pocket. In essence the federal govt is paying the hybrid premium for us. This makes the choice very difficult. Only the first owner gets the tax break and limited to first 60k units from each manufactur which Honda has no problem as hybrid is low volume as yet. I heard the hybrid will be auto only, CVT I do not know.

Details all coming out soon anyway.

blueiedgod

You forgot using your left foot to clutch, unless you want to stall. But, of course, you saw your share of stop and go traffic, I forgot. Traffic just never actually comes to a stop in your world I guess. Just perpetually rolling.

It is people who make it into a stop and go because they just HAVE to ride each other's bumpers. It does not get them anywhere faster. A skilled driver, like a truck driver, is something you should learn from. Ever see semi's in traffic jams, they alwas seem to keep moving, by keeping distance. This is what I did, I did not ride the person infront of me bumper, but kept 2-3 car length apart. When they stop, I slowly roll up to them, and 90% of the time, they start moving again.

There are occasions when I have to press the clutch. On NO!!!. I worked my leg!!!! Oh the humanity, it is the end of the world!!!! Oh MY GOD, I may have to work my right arm too to shift it out of gear!!!! What is this world coming to??!!!! (sarcasm to those who may not see it)

No big deal to me, I can flex my left leg once in a while, to get the blood flowing again. And no, it will not kill me to expand some energy. Hydraulic clutches don't require any more effort than power brakes. I don't see people going crazy and paniking over expanding energy to use brakes. So what is the difference if you have to flex right leg or both legs??? Maybe this is why we are the most overweight nation, we are simply lazy???

Enough on the manual vs. auto, manuals are the best and autos are for the lazy and the crippled, you chose what you are.

The neew Civic will put more power to the wheels, and may Honda stick to the original promise of no autos in the Si.

jrct9454

...you've been asked to take this discussion elsewhere by our host. I couldn't agree more.

I've been driving since 1961; first 25 years, nothing but manuals, last 19 years mostly automatics. It's NOT a religious decision, NOT a basis for judging one's automotive "enthusiasm", and most assuredly NOT a reason for the morally superior tone being adopted here. Get something else to stand on...

And skip the driving lessons, observations on sociology, etc ad nauseum.

Finally, back on topic, let me observe that IF the new Civic can solve the car's long history of more road and engine noise than is really necessary or desirable, this could be a great car. The Mazda 3 that everyone else loves so much strikes me the same way - too rude and crude once you get up to freeway speeds on anything but the smoothest new asphalt - of which we have very little where we live. I see Honda is putting more sound-deadening stuff into the Accord as part of this year's facelift - I hope this bodes well for the new Civic - this is a car that needs a little more calm inside.

Kirstie_H

I'm going to start deleting posts, and I don't even plan to be fair about it. Stick to the Civic, please. This is not a manual v automatic debate, or a place for commentary about other members' lifestyle choices.

stickguy

Hopefully some of the weight gain goes into making the Civic quieter (if it was to noisy in th ecurrent generation).

Same thing happened with the 2005 Odyssey. Same basic size, but gained quite a bit of weight, mostly going into gadgets, safety equipment 9side bas/curtains do weigh something), and sound deadening. The '05 is noticeably more quiet and refined than the '04 (other than too much tire noise on some roads).

I expect the vicic to be the same, although ~150 lbs. isn't that much of a gain, since it is also physically bigger. Too bad though that with only 140HP I won't be able to pull that little hill at the bottom of my driveway (might have to get out and push)!

307web

Since hybrids are not discounted like an LX or EX, when you compare what the out the door price is, you will see the cost difference is much more than just the difference shown in the MSRP sticker.
The tax credit and gas savings will not come close to covering that.
It's silly to just look at MSRP to compare prices, when one car is discounted and the other is not.
Resale value in the long term for a hybrid may not be good since few people will want to buy an older hybrid coming close to need for an battery replacement.
A well-maintained used Civic LX with 80,000 miles is still a very desireable used car for many, but people will be very wary of a hybrid with that many miles.

gearhead1

A well-maintained used Civic LX with 80,000 miles is still a very desireable used car for many, but people will be very wary of a hybrid with that many miles.

True, I would never own a hybrid beyond the warranty. I've heard of repairs costing 14,000 dollars. Luckily for that person it was still under warranty.

robrwa123

How could a repair, other than from collision, go to $14K? I don't know if I'd believe that one - it would take lot more than a bad battery, even with its drivetrain, to add up to that much.

Still, this is obviously the 1st year for the re-design, so problems may exist. Which is one of the reasons why I'm going to lease a hybrid. Many people haven't explored this option with the hybrids, but because it depreciates more, the lease price should be accordingly less that the non-hybrid counterpart. Also, being self-employed, I can deduct more come tax time when leasing.

robrwa123

Hi all,

I recently made a $500 deposit on a new HCH! But, should I have gotten a price break? We agreed on sticker price - no mark-up. I guess I expected it to be like the Prius. It is refundable if I don't like the car once I test drive it. Don't know color or price exactly, wanted manual transmission but that sounds more and more now like I won't have that option, and requested navigation, don't even know if that will be available on the Hybrid model. I never thought I'd put $ down on a car I haven't seen or driven, but I expect this will be an excellent car all the way around, and a true alternative to the Prius, just a little less expensive and more fun to drive ( as Honda's usually are compared to Toyota's). With gas expected to go up to $3/gallon tomorrow, it may not look like such a bad deal at all. Thoughts on this pricing, anyone? :confuse:

307web

You will need to see what the lease finance company says the residual value will be.
I have yet to see anyone say leasing their hybrid was cheaper than leasing a similar non-hybrid especially since the capitalized cost of the hybrid is so high compared to a discounted gas model.

claudius753

TOV has all the details of the new Civic online now! I thought the embargo ended midnight tomorrow, but it was today I guess. Lots of pictures, and info.

wco81

Link?

What is TOV?

steveoregon

TOV = Temple Of Vtec

Here's a link to some nice new photos I hadn't seen before:

http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-article?article_id=396475

wco81

Yeah found it.

Only 22/31 for the Si. Must be as heavy as the TSX to get that kind of mileage.

Hard to see what the advantages of the EX are over the lower trims. Nicer stereo? Sun roof?

Engines appear to be the same.

Will be interesting to see how they price it.

steveoregon

Ah yes,

Specs on the audio system:

http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-article?page_number=5&article_id=396928

wco81

Has the coupe always had better stereos than the sedans? How much more is the coupe going to cost for this stereo?

Ah, you have to get the EX sedan instead of the LX to get the aux. jack. Boy they want to gouge the iPod users a bit don't they?

claudius753

All of this info is supposed to be official, and the articles about the power-train, etc, are from Honda PR. Everything is looking good so far. The staffers have also driven the Civic, so there should be driving impressions of different models coming up soon.

I wonder if they jumped the gun and put it up a day early? I thought sure the embargo ended Sept 1, not Aug 31. I would think edmunds would have stuff too, but I guess not. Oh well, I'm not complaining.