Rear-seat accommodations in all of the Civic models are not the best. They are neither roomy nor comfortable by class standards. The rear bench is low and hard and does not support the thighs well. The Toyota Corolla is better on this score than the Civic sedan. That said, the Civic's flat floor lets rear-seat passengers spread their feet out, as there's no center tunnel to get in the way. Also, the outboard rear-seat head restraints are adjustable. But three in back is a crowd.
Getting into the back seats of the two-door coupe isn't easy. The coupe's front seats cooperate for rear entry by gliding forward when the seatback tilts forward; a memory function then returns the seat to its original position. The seat's forward movement creates the largest possible portal for rear-seat entry given the design, but it's still not an easy matter to fold your body into the rear seat of this (or any) coupe, much less haul yourself out. Bottom line: The Civic is happiest with two people, but can haul additional passengers when called upon.
In all Civics, the cockpit looks clean and efficient, with the instrument panel tucked beneath a barrel-shaped cowl. A sporty, four-spoke steering wheel provides a comfortable grip. Round analog instruments include an oversized speedometer and tachometer in the center, flanked by smaller fuel and coolant gauges. In the sedan, the gauge graphics are the traditional white-on-black. In the coupe, the gauges show silver highlights and glow with amber light at night. The Hybrid's instruments are blue-lit and include a digital fuel mileage display and other indicators that monitor the automatic functioning of its auxiliary electric motor. The Si features black numbers on white gauges, for a sporty appearance; while a bright red Si badge adds color.
HVAC controls are wonderfully designed, with large rotary dials for heating, ventilation, and fan speed stacked just to the left of the audio system controls. Separate buttons for air conditioning, recirculation, and rear-window defrost are arrayed just below the audio system. It's a clean design that's very easy to operate. Audio controls are close at hand, but the system suffers from small buttons and knobs. Sound quality has been only mediocre in the past, but has been improved for 2004 thanks to redesigned speakers.
The Si sports a shifter that sprouts at an angle from the upper console, as in a mid-1960s Alfa Romeo or some of the latest rally cars. Though it looks odd at first, the lever turns out to be perfectly located for quick and easy shifting, almost reminiscent of a formula car. Its close proximity to the steering wheel keeps it handy. It works really, really well and we instantly liked it.
The Civic sedan's trunk space is comparable to that of other compact sedans. The rear seat is split 60/40 and folds down for increased cargo space. The hatchback is practical with a big cargo compartment that opens up further when the rear seats are folded. The Hybrid, on the other hand, loses nearly 3 cubic feet of trunk space to its batteries, making its luggage capacity nearly the smallest in the compact class. Another disadvantage of the Hybrid is that its rear seat backs cannot be folded down for increased storage.
Safety equipment includes pre-tensioners for both lap and shoulder belts in front, two-stage front airbags, three-point safety belts for five seating positions, child seat anchor brackets for the back seat and an emergency trunk release lever inside the trunk. Optional side-impact airbags are available on all models, and standard on the Hybrid. Next Page