[HUK] Improvements for the next model year

[meesterlijk]

less harsh ride.

[RonaldV]

I'm surprised nobody want automatic folding mirrors when you lock the car. It's rather unsafe to fold the mirrors and then open the door.

A better radio as an option would be nice to. I can buy better speakers but I'm stuck with a horrible Panasonic radio with no power at all and a terrible AF function (back to the early '90). It does not have a pre-out either.

And please remove the ignition from the steering column, use a card like Renault does. Just look at euroncap.com what that large piece of metal does with your knee. Maybe solving this will make the Civic a 5-star rated car. I think 4-stars is disappointing.

A fix for the handbrake would be nice also. If the handbrake is released, the plastic can move a lot, this feels cheap.

Last but not least, mount decent shocks. The Sachs shocks are rubbish.

[Skaven252]

Here's one: a washer fitted with the reverse camera, that works whenever you wash the lights and the windshield. The camera is constantly getting muddy in this globally warmed and wet southern Finnish winter, and all I see is blur.

Though; I wonder how such an assembly would look, fitted beside the camera...

[Kremmen]

I haven't had mine delivered yet but I can see no reference to it in any literature I've seen.

On previous Xantia's I owned the passenger door mirror was 'indexed'. This meant that it had 2 automatic positions that you preset.

The scenario was that in any forward gear the mirror was a normal passenger side door mirror but on selecting reverse it automatically moved to position 2, which I had set to point down to the rear wheel.

Made reverse parking near the kerb a cinch. Also enabled me to park in the garage with the rear wheel arch about 1" from the wall.

[boltonbrowny]

i would second ronaldv's comment about the folding wing mirrors, upon folding the mirrors in youre totally blind to traffic approaching from the rear, well you are when youve just been to the osteopath with a bad back ..surely the mirrors should have been linked to the key fob and fold in when you lock the car, my last car (pug 307) had this feature which is alot safer than getting out into a busy main road.

[NickG]

• Most of all: Less crap amplifier/speakers. They sound awful compared to the standard cheapo Ford Focus stereo and seriously lack bass and midrange. It doesn't sound much better than speakphone on my mobile! I don't know if it's the speakers or the amp that's at fault - possibly both, but I'm sure the amp is seriously underpowered even for non audiophiles. Since it's impossible to upgrade, it should be better in the first place so you don't feel the need to upgrade it.
• Visual confirmation it's deadlocked. Short flash for first lock, 2-3 flashes for deadlock, long flash for unlock. Unless I've missed something, there's no way of telling that you've deadlocked the car.
• Some kind of mounting point for TomToms/Navmans etc. Windscreen too far away for taller people. A tiny 1 inch slot on the center vents that could take an optional removable mount (eg Brodit) would be great.
• Coat the rear window glass in teflon/RainX or something so the water runs off. You can't see anything when reversing if it's raining.
• Move the sat nav charger socket away from directly in front of the gearstick - and make it so the socket doesn't rip out every time you unplug something from it.
• Make the "big storage box" thingy metal and deadlock when the car is locked. I would PAY for this. I do not want to have to remove my satnav/phone etc from the car every single time I get out. Or make it lockable with the ignition key.
• Make the alumimium effect bits out of aluminium. They seem to be made of plastic. Aluminium is cheap - cheap enough to make coke cans out of, so why not spend the extra pound and make the £15,000 car have real metal metal. It's awful and most magazines have said as much.
• Adjustable lumbar support on drivers seat. To me the seat is uncomfortable and seems to be wrong curve for my back. It needs more support lower down (again, this is perfect in the Focus).

[Dr Dark]

I have only just ordered my car, but I think that it could do with some of the following items (some may be repeated, sorry, I'm old and forgetful!)

1) foldy key thing. I have used one of these on VWs and SEATS, and prefer it than having the linings in me coats ripped. Honda is full of clever tech, so I am wondering why they haven't done their own keyless entry thingy?

2) Auto folding mirrors. Ignition off, mirrors fold in. Much better than manually flicking them in.

3) Front/rear parking sensors. I'm such a divvy I can't park the damn thing too close to things without hitting them! - Even the Accord can't do this!

4) As mentioned above - the "one click for drivers door, 2 for all" is a godsend. Include this with the item below (its non-standard on UK civs)

5) Auto locking doors - I have had this on renaults, vauxhalls and have to do this manually on the Accord. I think it should be standard - it DOES save lives and property!

6) HID lights as standard. So that I can see where the heck I'm going!

7) Option to have the spead reading switchable from where it is, to the centre of the rev-counter (and the rev counter info where the speedo is)

OR

Change some of the info to a HUD - I'm looking into being able to do this, at least with the speedo.... The Type-R could do with this....

9) Heated washer jets - I don't know wether it does, especially in colder climates, but the Accord doesn't and that is a pain when its colder!

Right thats it, there may be more when I actually pick up the car on Friday!

[Dr Dark]

Adding more to the list...

Someone above wants to know if there's a way to tell wether the car is deadlocked or not?

There is.

If you push the button on the fob once, you get one flash (same for unlocking)

If you double tap the button to deadlock it, you get THREE flashes!

Another thing I'd like to see as an improvement is:

Make 6th Gear really low, I mean, at least cut the noise down when I'm doing 70, cos 3000 rpm is a bit much for me.... I think it should be a really TALL gear, like it was in early 6 speed Renaults and Frauds...

[NickG]

Originally Posted by Dr Dark

Someone above wants to know if there's a way to tell wether the car is deadlocked or not?

There is.

If you push the button on the fob once, you get one flash (same for unlocking)

If you double tap the button to deadlock it, you get THREE flashes!

This doesn't work for me. The first time I press the button it flashes three times. Pressing subsequent times just makes a funny clunking noise.

Originally Posted by Dr Dark

Another thing I'd like to see as an improvement is:

Make 6th Gear really low, I mean, at least cut the noise down when I'm doing 70, cos 3000 rpm is a bit much for me.... I think it should be a really TALL gear, like it was in early 6 speed Renaults and Frauds...

That might be the case in the diesel but in the 1.8 petrol 6th gear is already low enough. You can barely accellerate in 6th gear at all and if you get a steep hill you need to change down to 5th. I doubt you could have the gearing any lower without making it unusable. Anyway - it's probably designed for those that cruise at 80 rather than 70

[jimbo]

A low screen wash indicator light would be useful , its a pain whenyou run out.
A HFT. kit that works properly would be great but i think these are just a myth !
Jimbo

[civgr]

new shape wiper blades like these

[l-noel]

Originally Posted by boltonbrowny

i would second ronaldv's comment about the folding wing mirrors, upon folding the mirrors in youre totally blind to traffic approaching from the rear, well you are when youve just been to the osteopath with a bad back ..surely the mirrors should have been linked to the key fob and fold in when you lock the car, my last car (pug 307) had this feature which is alot safer than getting out into a busy main road.

Agreed !

And that was maybe the only thing I was happy with my 307...
I would also like a freehand Key/card witch allow you to go in your car and start it without having to look in your pocket where did you have the keys... (Hmmm maybe not a good solution for me In fact the size of the key allow me to find it quikcly !)

[Skaven252]

Speaking of wipers, I really like the way Seat Leon's wipers tuck away when not in use. Additionally, this keeps the edges of the windscreen clean. The wipers on the Honda leave pretty wide unwiped smears on the sides of the windscreen.

It's an idea that just begs to be stolen.

[Tony Fendall]

A direction indicator switch that does not allow you to switch the lights on/off accidentally.
A lighting switch that enables you to see the setting, without being completely hidden by the steering wheel spoke, especially at night, bearing mind the incorrect symbols displayed (see below).
A correct symbol on the dash to indicate dipped headlights on, not the incorrect sidelight symbol as now. You get sidelight symbol for sidelights, sidelight symbol for dipped headlights and mainbeam symbol for mainbeam.
Regards
Tony

[czechplastik]

Originally Posted by NickG

This doesn't work for me. The first time I press the button it flashes three times. Pressing subsequent times just makes a funny clunking noise.

That would be the dead locks activating then...

[Charles_Harding]

Originally Posted by RonaldV

I'm surprised nobody want automatic folding mirrors when you lock the car. It's rather unsafe to fold the mirrors and then open the door.

It seems as though there might be an answer forthcoming to that request under the posts in 'Electronics'

"When I'm on a plane the seat never goes back more than a couple of inches, but the guy in front of me always manages to get back so far that I could do dental work on him!"

Charles H.

[panasony]

What i would like to see on the honda civic is to have a DAB radio like they do on the new vectras and also to be able to see what gear you are in as sometimes i get 5th gear mixed with 3rd gear i know they have this with the i-shift civics and to make the headrest adjustable too, oh and a elevation button so when you are stuck in traffic you just press a button and your car hovers up and over the traffic a bit like the car from back to the future

[sprkeh]

A nice little blip to say the alarm is active and a decent alarm indicator inside the car. Flick key would be good too, theyre bloody huge! My girlfriends peugeot lets you keep putting the windows up when you turn it off if u already have the switch held in, something like that would be nice. Theres so much they could do!

[NickG]

Originally Posted by czechplastik

That would be the dead locks activating then...

Nope. For me, it deadlocks on the FIRST button press (three flashes). Subsequent presses make a clunking noise as the car tries to deadlock itself again. If I sit in the car and press the button once, I can't get out.

[malc11f]

Originally Posted by Charles_Harding

A rear wiper wouldn't go amiss!

My wife says she would prefer a rear wiper. Haven't tried Rain-x yet, however, interestingly when I test drove the car and mentioned the lack of a rear screen wiper, the salesman said the rearscreen was coated in a special gel which took the water away. Didn't notice that in the handbook.