Honda Civic 2013 Review

Honda Civic 2013 Review. Honda is getting close to being on a roll, following the introduction of the redesigned 2013 Accord sedan and coupe, which we like very much indeed. The mid-size duo are massively improved over their immediate forebears, mostly thanks to a rash of small, incremental changes that managed to bring back the Accord’s trademark fun-to-drive dynamics that were lost in the model’s previous overhaul. But to be on a roll, Honda needs to follow the Accord with a second act, and the updated 2013 Civic sedan and coupe might just be the company’s next momentum-booster.

But wait, you ask—didn’t Honda just introduce an all-new Civic for 2012? Yup, but the new compact failed to set the enthusiast and critical press (including us) on fire; and the Honda paled against a fresh wave of extra-good small-car competitors like the latest (and 10Best award–winning) Ford Focus, the Chevrolet Cruze, and the Mazda 3. ApparentlyHonda recognized the opportunity it missed with its latest Civic, because it went straight back to the drawing board and punted a hurried yet comprehensive update to the top of the internal priority list. The result is the impressively worked-over 2013 Civic sedan.

Familiar Look, Fresh Drawers

The changes Honda implemented for 2013 would make for a suitable typical mid-cycle model update, so their being incorporated within just a single model year is all the more surprising. Curiously, only the sedan benefits from cosmetic updates—a new hood, front fascia, headlights, trunk, and taillights—but if this sheetmetal segregation had anything to do with a tight budget, we won’t fault Honda’s money allocation. That’s because every Civic sedan and coupe, from the entry-level LX trim level all the way up to the range-topping hybrid, gets a freshened interior, chassis, and body structure. Critically, the changes address several of the key complaints we had with the 2012 model, including its flaccid handling, lackluster cabin materials, and unrefined interior noise.

Starting with the Civic’s body structure, the front floor, the side sills, the A-pillars, the upper wheel housings, and the front bumper all have been tweaked for additional stiffness. The company says that 55 percent of the car’s body is made up of high-strength steel, which is the same figure it quoted for the 2012 model. Honda claims the revised structure works in concert with a retuned suspension to deliver better driving dynamics than before; there are stiffer springs front and rear, firmer rear bushings, as well as thicker front and rear roll bars. A revised electronic power-steering rack operates with less friction and gets a quicker ratio, and Honda also fitted larger 11.1-inch front brake rotors (up 0.8 inch in diameter) to automatic-equipped, gas-powered, non-Si Civics.

The Civic’s chassis and body revisions are juxtaposed by carry-over powertrains. Regular Civic models and the HF are powered by the same 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder paired with either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission as last year, while the Si twins get the same 201-hp, 2.4-liter four/six-speed manual setup. The hybrid again gets a 1.5-liter four paired with an electric motor (good for a combined 110 hp) that bolt up to a CVT, and the Natural Gas still uses a 110-hp, 1.8-liter four designed to run on, you guessed it, compressed natural gas. (For more on the Natural Gas, check out our full test of a 2012.) EPA-rated fuel economy across the board holds steady, with manual-equipped base cars netting 28 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway; automatic versions get 28/39 mpg. The HF is good for 29/41, the hybrid an impressive 44/44, and the Natural Gas is rated for 27/38. The sporty Si duo chugs gas at a less-stellar rate of 22/31 mpg.

Interior Design—Present and Accounted For

Inside, the Civic’s unconventionally styled dashboard gets slightly less unconventional-looking, but, more critical, it receives improved materials and assembly. The 2012 model’s dashboard featured myriad cut-lines that seemed to crisscross the instrument panel at random, as if the engineers got a few beers deep before deciding how to break up the dash’s expanse of hard plastic. The 2013-spec dash looks to be a far more cohesive-looking unit. The passenger-side air vents were reshaped into a pair of handsome rectangles, while the center stack gets a bold new square outline that flows into the higher of the Civic’s stacked instrument cluster binnacles.

There are more soft-touch materials employed across the dashboard and door panels, which also were worked over for a slightly fresher look. Finally, the cabin’s classiness level gets a major upgrade in the form of a new available color: black. Besides offering better-looking environs for drivers and passengers alike, the 2013 Civic also should also be a quieter steed to ride. Honda’s efforts to quell the 2012 car’s unrefined NVH characteristics include a stiffer front subframe, thicker windshield and front-side window glass, and additional soundproofing in the dashboard, the doors, the floor, and the trunk.

Choice Choices

Every 2012 Civic variation save for the entry-level DX sedan and coupe carry over to 2013. The LX trim level becomes the lowest Civic on the totem pole, followed by the EX, EX-L, sporty Si, and fuel-frugal hybrid. The non-hybrid HF fuel-economy special returns, as does the Civic Natural Gas model. There’s more standard equipment than last year for all models, including a backup camera, Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity, exterior temperature gauge, and a sliding center-console armrest. Thanks to the DX’s departure, every Civic now gets a color i-MID dashboard information screen and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. (Both items were standard on the 2012 Civic LX, but now Honda can say every model gets them.)

There are a few new technology features for the Civic, as well. The hybrid version comes standard with forward-collision warning and lane-departure warning systems; neither system actively intervenes for the driver in an emergency, but even still, the alert systems are firsts in the U.S. compact segment. The navigation system—available on EX, EX-L, hybrid, and Natural Gas models—inherits a multi-view backup camera.

Despite the extent of the 2013 Civic’s overhaul, Honda kept the year-over-year price increase in check. The company says prices are up just $160 over last year across the line. The LX coupe starts at $18,755, with the sedan ringing in at $18,955; the four-door is available now, with the two-door arriving next month. The Si coupe starts at $23,305, while the sedan commands an additional $200; the two-door Si hits dealerships in December, followed by the sedan in January. The hybrid arrives around the same time and will cost $25,150; buyers looking for the HF’s less-expensive brand of fuel-thrift will have to wait until February, when they’ll have to shell out $20,555. For natural-gas-craving buyers in the 37 states the Civic Natural Gas is available in, $27,255 brings one home beginning next month.

We’ll have to wait until we can get behind the wheel of this new, new Civic to gauge the success of Honda’s changes, but on paper the transformation seems fruitful. If the company put the same people who worked on the new Accord behind this redesign, there may be hope yet for the Honda driving experience (as can be found in the 2013 Accord 2.4 manual) we so fondly remember from just a few years ago. Honda Civic 2013 Review.

Source : http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-honda-civic-photos-and-info-news