Honda Civic Sedan 2006

only1harry

jencpgirl: The dealer lied to you. Most dealers have no clue what they 're talking about and don't know anything about the cars they sell. Besides all that they lie and make things up. They 'll say whatever you want to hear.

Yes, It's a 1.8L engine and has the same displacement (1.8) as the Integra's, but it's not the same motor. They are very different.
The Civic's motor is lighter and more technologically advanced plus it has the i-Vtec technology. The Integra's 140hp 1.8L motor didn't even have VTEC, let alone i-Vtec. If the Civic's motor was the same as the Integra LS/GS then the Civic would have the same gas mileage as the Integra which is 26/31mpg. I guarantee you it's not the same motor. The Integra's motor came out in '94 and stayed the same through its last year in '01. Integras always burned oil from with only a few thousand miles on the odo. Do you think Honda is going to do that with one of their best selling cars? My '01 Civic (1.7L) with 156k mi. doesn't burn any oil at all!

In any case you don't have to worry about the new motor. The last generation Civic '01-05 also had a brand new motor, a 1.7L (previous generations had 1.6L). The 1.7L has proved to be a great motor. Very reliable and dependable. I bought it the first year out (EX coupe) in '01. Except for 1 or 2 minor things with the fuel evaporator sensors under warranty, I 've had no problems and I have a lead foot and tend to drive aggressively. As long as you change your oil regulary, all the fluids, the timing belt (and other belts) every 90-100k mi., do a valve clearance adjustment every 75k mi. and don't redline it every day, the Civic's motor will last well over 300k mi.

What is true about 1st year out, is that there are more minor things they find wrong and correct them usually in the 2nd or 3d year models. First year redesigned models have more Technical Bulletins (TB's). That's a fact. But don't think they correct everything with the new cars 6 mos later, a year later or in the 2nd year. They don't. Sometimes these minor thing are not corrected till the 2nd of the 2nd production year or in the 3d year. The '01 & '02 Civics had problematic struts. The shocks were not valved properly plus the upper mount inside the strut housing was designed wrong. It caused the cars to "bunny hop" a lot and make the car bouncy. If you were lucky one of the struts would break under warranty and they replaced both fronts. Honda fixed that with the 2003 models. It took them 2yrs.

only1harry

Good review, but why is everyone surprised that the Auto Civics are a little "slow"? It's an automatic and it still doesn't have a lot of torque like an Accord which has 160ft-lbs (same as CRV but Accord weighs 300lbs less).

Honda is not going to get 32/40 out of them by making the Automatics fast. They have tall gears to keep the RPM's down for less fuel consumption, and they 're not going to take off like an Integra. I 'm sure the Civic has either a smaller throttle body, and certainly different fuel map programming in its ECU for better economy and many other differences.
You can have a 300hp car but if you program the computer (ECU) to use very little fuel, or install a tiny throttle body (for less air), or smaller fuel injectors, intake, etc., that car is going to accelerate like a 50hp 3cyl. car and get 50mpg.

The Integra was built to go "fast" (back in '94 8.3sec 0-60 was fast for a 4cyl). Besides, Integras weigh like 100lbs less than the '06 Civic. Your average Integra LS weighed under 2600lbs. My brother's '96 Integra LS weighed 2560lbs. I 'm sure the EX sedan weighs at least 2700lbs. The difference is like having another adult sitting in the passenger seat. Anyone who has owned a Civic before, knows that their car gets noticeably slower with another person in the car. I bet the Civic Coupe (which weighs less than sedan) with a 5-speed will be just as fast or faster than a 140hp Integra.

I hope someone gets this because I 'm getting tired of explaining it. If you like power, you have to buy the 5-sp. Civic. They have always been faster than their auto siblings. If any of you have driven an '01-05 EX 5sp. then you know what a low 8's car (0-60mph) feels like when you drive it (push it) right. Of course you don't get 38mpg by redlining to see how fast it can accelerate.

So far noone here has driven or presented a review on a 5sp. Civic. We have about 4-5 mini reviews on LX and EX auto sedans. Almost everyone prefers automatics. Nothing wrong with that, but with that 40mpg mileage, and auto tranny, also comes some slowness or slugginess. I prefer to sacrifice a couple of mpg's and get the manual 5sp. If the '06 is as fast as my '01 EX 5sp., I 'll be happy. The '01-05's are plenty fast (EX is, don't know about DX/LX), provided you have a 5-sp.

Has anyone test driven an '06 COUPE? If they can share their experience about the ride quality, handling, noise, etc. it 'd be much appreciated. The coupes are supposed to have a sportier suspension with stiffer shocks, springs and bigger antiroll/sway bars. Was wondering how the ride and handling is. If someone test drives a sedan and coupe back to back, even better

aaykay

Yes, It's a 1.8L engine and has the same displacement (1.8) as the Integra's, but it's not the same motor. They are very different.
The Civic's motor is lighter and more technologically advanced plus it has the i-Vtec technology. The Integra's 140hp 1.8L motor didn't even have VTEC, let alone i-Vtec. If the Civic's motor was the same as the Integra LS/GS then the Civic would have the same gas mileage as the Integra which is 26/31mpg. I guarantee you it's not the same motor. The Integra's motor came out in '94 and stayed the same through its last year in '01. Integras always burned oil from with only a few thousand miles on the odo. Do you think Honda is going to do that with one of their best selling cars? My '01 Civic (1.7L) with 156k mi. doesn't burn any oil at all!


The 1.8L engine in the Integra (LS/GS) was a Honda DOHC engine (generating 140HP), without VTEC, while the current 1.8L engine in the Civic is a SOHC engine with i-VTEC (generating 140HP). 2 completely different engines, even though I am strongly biased toward Honda DOHC engines. I wish the Civic was equipped with a 1.8L DOHC i-VTEC engine rather than SOHC. The Si on the other hand, comes equipped with a 2.0L DOHC i-VTEC engine. This is completely different from the 2.0L DOHC VTEC in the S2000 that generates 237HP. The Integra GS-R came with a 1.8L DOHC Vtec engine that developed 170HP, while the Integra Type-R came with a 1.8L DOHC Vtec engine that developed 195HP.

The 2.4L engine in the Accord 4-cyl is a DOHC i-VTEC engine that generates 160+HP and the 2.4L DOHC i-VTEC version in the Acura TSX generates 200+ HP. There are slight variations in the 2.4L DOHC i-VTEC engines in the CRV and the Element too.

watchdoc2003

I reviewed my 5spd, coupe, EX in galaxy grey just two days ago... scroll up and read for yourself. In summary, I'm very pleased with the handling and general driving experience. The 2-3 shift takes a tad of getting used to for speedy shifts. The engine is smooth and free revving. The coupe is very tight and handles very well. I'm anxious to hear the skidpad numbers. It also handles free bumps and such like a much more expensive car. The seats are supportive and have excellent side bolsters. If anyone has any specific questions, I'm all ears.

civic4

I agree with your suggestion regarding leatherette, but no fake wood grain, it always makes an interior look cheaper!! I would love to see nice metallic accents though. I am also partial to traditional gauges, the digital gauges add a unique look, but also add the possibility of more expensive repair problems. (I loved the dashboard of my "deceased" 1989 Audi 90, but didn't like the problems the car eventually had though). Realize, the more gizmos and electrical gadgets a car has, the more a car is prone to problems. This is usually the cause for the high problem rate of German cars. Mercedes and BMW used to be much more reliable, then came the technological age, and the problems followed as they added tech feature after gizmo. Heck, Mercedes now is using a system that will prepare the occupants of a vehicle for what it determines is an inevitable rear impact by pre tensioning the seatbelts even before impact occurs. I also would like to see honda make an all wheel drive version of the Civic Sedan, with the interest in better gas mileage, I was considering the Pontiac Vibe, decent mileage, AWD option and more room, basically the Pontiac made by Toyota (they call it the Matrix). A small AWD Civic based model in the north east that gets decent gas mileage would be a welcome addition from Honda. It would even open the door to compete with Subaru with probably even better reliability, not to say Subarus are unreliable, but not as Hondas. Also, the gas mileage on their smallest car, the Impreza is not very "Imprezzing". Honda has AWD technology, why not use it as an option in the Civic or even the Accord????

aaykay

Among all the compact Japanese products available, Toyota's Corolla disappoints me the most. When competitors like Honda's Civic and Mazda's 3, offer dynamic fully independent suspensions, Toyota sneaks in a cheap non-independent beam axle suspension in their Corolla....hoping people would not notice. I like everything else in the Corolla, including the interior room, exterior shape and fuel economy.....the beam suspension keeps me away.

only1harry

Sorry watchdoc, I remember your review and the shifting concern you mentioned about going into 3d. I thought you had a sedan 5sp. Shows you how much attention I 'm paying.

The EX is the only model with rear disc brakes right? Have you "tested" the brakes yet? What are your impressions on the braking dept.? Does your EX also have the variable wipers where you set the (low) intermittent speed yourself?

bigal3

I also wonder at the same thing...why can't they offer leatherette as option? Leather can be expensive, I know. But Leatherette can not be that expensive. It looks good, durable & easy to clean.

Expensive options....like electronic monitoring systems & AWD options that Germany cars have will be too much for a simple small car like Civic to add & maintain. But Leatherette & metallic accent will brighten up the interior without putting a big dent on the price.

allfiredup

I'm 6'2" and the Civic hand brake didn't bother me during the test drive. I did notice when I drove the Mazda3 that the driver's space is snug for someone my size, but more in a sporty way that didn't bother me at all.

only1harry

Hey you forgot the newer 2.2L i-VTEC S2000 (2.0L is the old S2K)

Not sure why you quoted me. None of my info was wrong. I own and race a GSR and regularly race my brother's Type-R and also plan on getting an S2K (of which I 've raced as well) next year. I know my stuff and the differences between Integras down to very small parts. If I wanted to go into more detail and into Acuras, I would (ex: 3 different transmissions in LS/GS, GSR & Type-R, etc.) but obviously the person that asked the question is not up to my level of knowledge and experience, or yours, so I tried to keep things simple and explain why the 2 engines cannot be the same by looking at some facts, even if someone doesn't know anything about Honda's B-series engines, K-series, D-series, H-series, Z-series, or engines in general.

Doesn't it make you mad that car salespeople lie like that? It's not the fact that most of them are ignorant and really can't answer most of the questions that upsets me, it's the fact that they lie and give wrong information when they don't know (and even when they do know they will lie) the answer.

allfiredup

Hi jencpgirl-

First of all, kudos for learning to drive a manual! It seems today that a lot of folks never learn how to drive one. I'm 30 and a lot of my friends have never driven one. My dad was adamant that my sister and I learn to drive on one and as a result both of us have owned numerous ones over the years. All nine cars of mine have been manual. They add a lot to the driving experience.

I wouldn't worry much about buying a first year model from Honda or Toyota. They both have stellar reputations and first year reliability hasn't been a problem. I've owned two first year Honda models in the past and the biggest problem I ever had was a piece of weather-stripping coming loose.

Good luck in your shopping. The '06 Civics (as I'm sure you've seen) are selling at or above MSRP. If you like the '05 VP and it meets your needs, you'll save a LOT of money by going with one of those.

only1harry

I learned how to drive a manual in 1984 (I 'm 39, a little too old for Civics but I have other cars too) the day I bought my first car and was driving it home after I had just picked it up. It was 1971 Nova 350SS (2dr coupe with a V8)! 300+HP muscle car with a 4-sp. manual tranny. Pretty dangerous on the hands of an 18yr old.. The clutch was hard and I stalled it at least a dozen times driving it home. I remember I hit rush hour traffic and I would either squeal the tires or stall the car almost every time I tried 1st from a stop. I never got out of 2nd gear either because I didn't want to have to downshift The 25min. drive home seemed like it took forever. I just wanted to get off the main roads and away from the traffic lights, hit the backroads and take the car home in one piece. It wasn't an easy car to drive to begin with and talking about quirky shifters and hard clutch! You have no idea how easy today's shifters and how soft today's clutches are compared to 35 yr. old cars. The car had Crane cams, aftermarket Holly Carburetor, Edelbrock intake manifold, and other modifications (it was estimated 350-375hp). Trust me, that was one car you didn't want to practice in, especially in stop and go rush hour traffic and tons of power & torque under the hood. Finally The next day I figured out if I let the clutch out slowly and not use any gas at all, the car would start moving nicely and quitely just from all the torque it had. It would cruise at 10+mph in 1st gear without any gas and never stall. That's what I 'd do in stop & go traffic in the 3yrs I owned the car. I rarely used the gas in heavy traffic. Just slowly ease up off the clutch and the car would move forward. Torque is a beautiful thing..
Sorry for going off topic but you brought me down memory lane

307web

Unless you are planning to become a "tuner" and hang out with 17-year olds street racing with it, I don't know what age has to do with buying a Civic.
There is no reason why everyone has to "upgrade," to bigger, more gas guzzling cars as they get older.

aaykay

I completely forgot about the 2.2L in the S2K

I think car salespeople for the most part are not into too much details about the products they sell and will tell anything to make a sale. Some lie outright while some others are just plain ignorant and are simply winging it, hoping that their audience would not know the difference. :mad: I think bottomline, it pays to be an informed customer, rather than just turning up at the dealership intending to purchase; without a clear idea of what they want to buy.

watchdoc2003

Don't feel bad, several people thought I bought a sedan even though I mentioned it was a coupe from day one.

I got to use the variable speed wipers on the way home from work and they work great. Very nice feature. If you haven't seen how the wipers pivots from the sides of the car yet, be sure and take a look.

Don't let shifting issues or the parking brake lever placement hinder your decision. This car is a order of magnitude ahead of the old civic and it drives wonderfully.

I haven't had an emergency stop yet but brake feel is good. My EX coupe came with 4 wheel discs, ABS, and EBD.

Also, don't buy into this crap about paying MSRP or higher. I purchased mine for $500 over invoice and my local dealer has already said he would give significant discounts on each and every civic he gets.

jsmith9

Was that EX a Manual? I am being told by my local dealer that EX manuals won't even be getting BUILT until end of October. Don't know why he would lie and encourage me to buy the LX but something sounds strange.

jsmith9

My prior post may have been unclear. I am trying to buy a 2006 civic EX with manual transmission. My dealer originally told me it would be a few days to locate one and now he is saying that they aren't even built yet and that they won't start being built until end of OCT. Is that true? :confuse:

evped

In my opinion, it's not going to take months to get significant dollars off MSRP. In about a month, prices will be where they should be, it's all about supply and demand. My dealer was willing to sell one for 700 over invoice after I talked to him for about five minutes. He also told me that Civics outsell Accords every year. Most dealers are lying no-nothings.

creamyam

Went to the dealer and the sales person said the Si would be at their lot in October-November. :confuse: Well if it does then ill be happy but i think the salesmen lie and have no idea. I did sit in the sedan ( i wanted to sit in the coupe, but all coupes had been sold when i was there). I did think the shift to 3rd felt wierd. The dash is nice and the two tier instruments works very well and is very visible. I sat in the S2k and i thought the shifter looked exactly the same as the Si and it shifted very well. I also went to Acura, the rsx-s is very appealing and now i want one. I dont mind paying for the luxuries, but since i havent sat or driven the Si then i can't compare.

watchdoc2003

My car is a 5spd EX coupe. I have no idea is the Sedan is being offered with a 5spd yet.

Here's a great link with some good highlights on the new R18 engine in the civic.

R18 VTEC

Quick facts about the R18
*6% better fuel economy than the old 1.7 engine
*cracked metal rods are 13% lighter than the old rods
*throttle is drive by wire
*exhaust manifold is integrated into the head
*I-VTEC kicks in a 3500rpm
*the R18 is lighter, quieter, and shorter than the 1.7 engine

bamacar

I didn't know there was such a long lost love for vinyl (leatherette) seats. How much would Honda have to deduct from the sticker for that option?

waw40

The dealer at collegehillshonda.com/onorder.htm shows models and trims scheduled for production in September and October. There are NO 5spds in September and only a couple of 4drs in October. If that's accurate, where did you get your 5spd coupe?

steveoregon

Manual & automatic EX Coups are already available up here in Portland Oregon. I saw them Sunday. They are made in Alliston Ontario Canada.

Steve

watchdoc2003

My window sticker says it was made in Alliston. Interestingly enough, I spent some time in Barrie, ON last year. Right up the road from Alliston. Beautiful up there.

obie2

Watchdoc, Where did you buy your civic? What was the price total for $500 over invoice? thanks, matt (in Southern Calif)

crazycro

In order to get the Costco Price you must go to the dealer in your area that they recommend. Not just any dealer. Also he's liying to you I have received an email from there recommended dealer in my area and was emailed with a Costco member quote. It was a is a great price this is from the honda dealer email to me.

The vehicle you inquired about, model year 2006 Honda Civic EX Coupe [FG1286JW] is currently available... several units are slated to arrive within the week and have not yet been spoken for!

Pricing for this vehicle through the Costco Auto Program would be $18422. inclusive of destination/handling charge but, not inclusive of applicable state sales tax or, fees associated with vehicle delivery.
Our internet personnel and Costco Auto Program Representativesor's are available to assist you with your vehicle request by Appointment and are not part of our general sales staff so, please telephone prior to a dealership visit.

By the way I forgot if I asked for automatic or 5 speed ex does anyone know by the vin id here if its an automatic or 5 speed???

Thanks

:P :P :P

nr9

vinyl looks better than cloth, feels better, and is cheaper

I dont understand why americans still use cloth seats
its so 1970's fashion

every single car in taiwan has leather seats now

bamacar

Pretty much every car in the US in the 70's had vinyl. Cloth was more 80's to 90's. Here in the South, vinyl is the worst choice. The hottest, worst looking (shiny smooth plastic), and you can't stop sweating even on reasonably cool days. Vinyl and humidity are mortal enemies. I remember well how many times I got out of my first car that had vinyl. I would unpeel myself from the seat, and admire the sweat bodyprint on the seat. You can keep the vinyl seats, and I will choose cloth or leather every time.

watchdoc2003

matt, my price was $17,741.77 and I"m in Eastern, NC. I listed the dealership an the phone number just a few messages up along with pics of my car.

obie2

thanks watchdoc, appreciate it! Matt

andysandiego

Thanks for engine info, but can you show me where it's documented that "i-VTEC kicks in at 3,500 rpm?" I thought I'd read it kicks in more toward 6,000 rpm which is a major downer.

andysandiego

I second your motion about no justification to "upgrade" from a Civic. Right after we bought our '04 Civic EX auto sedan (that replaced a '94 Mercedes C280 I'd bought new), I lamented that for just $1,500 more I could have bought an Accord LX. Now I'm an affirmed Civic booster. We love our '04 Civic, but would of course love to buy an '06 except for the bunch of money it would take. And would I ever love to have an '06 Civic Si !!!

andysandiego

I've enjoyed going back through postings. Some thoughts:

1. There's a Honda Fit forum that will be fun to explore - the Civic starting all over again.

2. Re some complaints about the Civic interior: I've installed ExoticWoodDash real wood dashes on our two cars, and am pleased - a '99 Camaro Z28 (6-speed/ Eibach Pro-Kit springs/ Bilsteins/ 17" wheels/ Kumho 275/40 ECSTA 712s), and an '04 Civic EX auto sedan, the latter 18 pieces "medium burl" cost then about $260 including shipping. This choice is real wood, and I could give a tip on installation if anyone's interested. Here's the link for the '06 sedan, $279 plus shipping. If you just start at www.exoticwooddash.com, you can see color photos, and can find the link below without trying to enter it.

http://www.exoticwooddash.com/(z13k4gi0m1ofkt45lc5xfh45)/diagramLarge.asp?pn=Wd503&pt=FWD

3. I read that some people have the idea that the '06 Civic coupe has a different suspension from the sedan. I know the wheelbase is 2 inches shorter, but am wondering if the suspension is different from the sedan, or if they are confusing the Si's different suspension from the standard coupe's.

307web

That is not for the for the 2006 Civic. It says "2003 and up," but I'm sure it was made before the 2006s existed.

andysandiego

You're right. Thanks. Gives an idea though.

watchdoc2003

If you'll click on the "R18" link I provided, They show a graph that explains how the I-VTEC works. It shows the economy cam working until 3500rpm and the performance cam kicking in above that.

allfiredup

I'm not trying to be rude. I respect everyone's right to do what they like, but am I the only one who doesn't want dead trees (wood) or dead animals (leather) in my car? Gimme good quality cloth and plastic anyday!

civicex05

Am I the only one who doesn't want dead trees (wood) or dead animals (leather) in my car? Gimme good quality cloth and plastic anyday!

I'm with you! I much prefer dead cotton plants and dead dinosaurs in my cars!

bigal3

If you have sat inside the latest BMW, you will find that Leatherette is quite different from the "shiny smooth plastic" vinyl you have in your 1970 Pinto.

natenj1971

The dash is even funkier on the euro model and is that leather interior?

http://www.velocityjournal.com/jrnl/2006/vmd14152ml.html

scott1256

Is there a difference in the DX Civic suspension vs.other Civic trims?

I ask because for many years the DX Accord had either no front roll bar or a smaller front roll bar than the other Accords.

Thanks in advance!

bamacar

The fake pattern has much improved, but please not plastic seats in a 40k+ vehicle. People complained about the Civic's plastic door panels and dash and now they want plastic seats instead of comfortable, soft cloth.

No BMWs and MBs with improved Pinto interiors for me. What's next- "exotic" new steel wheels and a hot in-dash with AM radio/8 track?.

only1harry

You 're right. My '97 Civic DX did not have a rear sway bar (anti-rollbar) at all (only paid $11K with A/C), while the EX had a rear 12mm one, and possibly the LX too.

I would expect or suspect similar differences between DX and LX/EX.
I bet you DX Accord had a front sway bar though, maybe not rear, but definitely front.

bamacar

No difference on the Civic sedans - same stabilizer bars on all sedan models.

The DX Coupe however has no rear stabilizer bar. Interesting.

robrwa123

Except the Hybrid Sedan will have a stronger rear stabilizer bar (12 vs 10mm) than on the others. Don't know why (battery placement is in back?). And, of course, the SI will be "sport-tuned"...

bigal3

Believe me, the latest leatherette in BMW is nothing close to the "shiny smooth plastic" vinyl you have in your Pinto.

The "Soft Cloth" you mentioned is actually 100% synthetic Nylon with Polyurethane made from plastic....not 100% cotton.

The "Exotic new steel wheels" are actually make of light weight alloy & won't mistaken the MP3/WMA audio system as your AM radio/8 track. .

marika

I don't mind dead trees but the skin of dead animals is repulsive and sickening, I don't want to have to look at it, think about it, smell it, have it touching my skin, etc. It is not too far removed from those [non-permissible content removed] lampshades, if you ask me. And the outgassing! You can smell those dead animal smells for a long time after.

growwise

Civic is way too overrated in my opinion. I had a 2000 LX. The 1.6 was very anemic and I hated the plasticky console. The price with financing borders on a midsize domestic which is bigger/more powerful and more comfortable. I dont know why folks on this forum are going ga ga over an economy compact which is quite expensive for an economy car? Is 06 model such a giant leap over its predecessors?

307web

If your goal is to buy the biggest, heaviest car you can buy for the money, then you are right, the Civic is not a good choice.

waw40

Strange that Bob hasn't listed any 2006s in his inventory on the web yet. You must be one lucky guy to have been able to get that coupe from him. Anyway, I am on the West Coast, a little too far from NC, and I am waiting for a red coupe EX, which is scheduled for January here. Please let me know if you spot one at Bob's - I might be tempted to jump on a plane and go east...
And in the meantime, as one of the first lucky owners of a 2006 EX, please continue to post any observations on its performance.