EVER SINCE ITS INTRODUCTION IN 1973, THE HONDA CIVIC HAS BEEN ONE OF THE TRUE BENCHMARK AUTOMOBILES IN THE COMPACT-CAR CLASS. RELIABILITY, DURABILITY, AND ECONOMY HAVE ALL BEEN THREE OF THE CIVIC'S STRONG SUITS AND ALL THREE CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THE 2006 HONDA CIVIC, IN BOTH THE COUPE AND SEDAN VERSIONS.
THERE'S A BIT MORE EMPHASIS ON STYLE THIS YEAR, AS HONDA ATTEMPTS TO CATCH ON WITH THE GEN-Y'ERS AFTER ALREADY CAPTURING A HEFTY PERCENTAGE OF THE BABY-BOOMERS. BECAUSE OF THAT SHIFT IN TARGET AUDIENCE, THE NEW CIVIC IS JUST SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S LINE-UP, WITH A RAKED BACK WINDSHIELD, SMALLER FRONT AND REAR OVERHANGS, AND A TIGHT TIRE-TO-FENDER GAP. THIS YEAR, THE SEDAN AND COUPE DON'T SHARE A SINGLE COMMON BODY PANEL.
THERE'S A BIT MORE POWER UNDERFOOT ON THE 2006 CIVICS. ALL DX, LX, AND EX MODELS COME WITH A 1.8 LITER, I-VTEC, SINGLE OVERHEAD CAM FOUR CYLINDER ENGINE THAT MAKES 140 HORSEPOWER AND 128 FOOT POUNDS OF TORQUE, AND CAN BE EQUIPPED WITH EITHER A FIVE-SPEED MANUAL OR FIVE SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
THE NEW CIVIC SI COUPE IS THE MOST POWERFUL CIVIC EVER, OFFERED WITH A 197 HORSEPOWER 4-CYLINDER ENGINE, A SIX-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND A HOST OF PERFORMANCE UPGRADES. AND THERE'S ALSO THE CIVIC HYBRID-POWERED VERSION IN THE MIX.
EVERY CIVIC COMES EQUIPPED WITH ANTILOCK BRAKES WITH ELECTRONIC BRAKEFORCE DISTRIBUTION, FRONT-SEAT SIDE AIRBAGS, FULL-LENGTH SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS AND ACTIVE FRONT-SEAT HEAD RESTRAINTS. DX, LX AND HYBRID MODELS HAVE FRONT DISC/REAR DRUM BRAKES, WHILE THE EX AND SI HAVE FOUR-WHEEL DISCS.
MILEAGE ESTIMATES FOR THE 140 HORSEPOWER 1.8 LITER CIVICS ARE 30 MILES PER GALLON CITY AND 38 MILES PER GALLON/HIGHWAY. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION-EQUIPPED CIVICS WILL GIVE YOU AS MUCH AS 40 MPG ON THE HIGHWAY.
WITH A GENEROUS LIST OF OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM, THE SUGGESTED BASE PRICE OF THE 2006 HONDA CIVIC IS 14,360 DOLLARS WITH THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION, AN AUTOMATIC EQUIPPED CIVIC'S BASE PRICE IS ABOUT 800 DOLLARS ADDITIONAL.
AS THE SAYING GOES, IT'S A LOT OF CAR FOR A LITTLE MONEY, AND THE EIGHTH-GENERATION OF HONDA'S WORLD-CLASS COMPACT SENSATION APPEARS TO BE ON ITS WAY TO CONTINUED SUCCESS IN A CATEGORY IT HAS DEFINED FOR OVER 30 YEARS.