[Eddie]

Hi - and yes it's goodbye.
I have had trouble sending this post, but here goes again.
Bought a new Civic ES 1.8 last may and my initial satisfaction has gradually turned to dust. I know the v-tec needs to be pushed up the gears to achieve decent results, but apart from that, the Civic concept is brilliant, spoiled by a cheap feel to the car, with no soundproofing to speak of and it's not a cheap car to run.
Petrol consumption remains stubbournly below 30mpg unless I drive in stocking soles and to push through the gears makes it very thirsty, so I have had enough. Even 'Which' magazine has given the new Civic the thumbs down and they get feed back UK wide, so they know what they are saying. I have now traded in for a Volkswagen Jetta 140hp diesel and the difference is dramatic in over-all quality - even the radio is vastly superior and the build is chunky and solid. As for acceleration - the torque is fantastic with the bonus of 51mpg.
My feeling is that Honda produced an exceptional ground breaking design, but for reasons probably based on cost, cut too many corners to just get it up and running to pay for research & development. The best price I could get for my Civic was £12400 and it cost £16000 last May, but I am now a happy motorist in my Jetta. So come on Honda, you have the design - all it needs is German quality build.
I will be interested to see what response I get from your 'Civic amenities'