[hapzuk]

I've been given the 2012 ES diesel as a courtesy car whilst Honda have mine.
Although its a nice car, its NOT a space ship.

It doesnt feel as futuristic as the 8th Gen.

 

[bboy]

I agree, altthough I do aaccept that the latest civic is better in other areas such as better suspension set up.

However as for the shape the 8th gen is far better, it's well balanced from front to back. A good example is the rear wiper, now I know the old shape doesn't have one, but there is nothing worse then making it look like it's just been plonked onto the back just for the sake of providing one. These are the bad moves I am seeing in the new shape and it's not working.

Honda could have done better!!!

 

[hapzuk]

There has been load of improvements. This is based on the ES 2.2 Diesel, and the EX maybe alot better.

This car does have everything my 8th gen EX diesel has.

Here are a list of few things I liked so far:

* Key is now a flip key
* Has Eco Drive
* Cruise Control improved
* Ability to set speed limiter
* Gear shift suggester
* Improved reverse camera
* Improved sound system
* Has USB connection for iPod/MP3 connection
* Diesel engine is quiet and a lot smoother

I really do like the car and obviously it is an improvement compared to the 8th gen. However it doesn't stand out like the 8th gen and doesnt feel "special/unique", and that's the reason I'm not greatly impressed.

 

[Julius]

There are two things, what I like from new civic, first - the engine - more powerful, more torque'y, more economical, and co2 emissions is lower than even 1.4 petrol alternative, second is interior materials.

Howerver, where is triangular exhaust (it has no visible exhaust pipes, making that civic look so dull...)? Triangular fog lights? Rocket shape door handles? This is an essence of 8th civic. Due to those accents the 8th civic was loved or hated or discussed, but it was the only car, which looked like that. New civic? Less aggressive, more casual, more boring...

 

[RA108]

I must admit I still don't like the interior or exterior.

It's dark, that door card is both awkward in shape for getting in / out with a big pointy piece sticking forwards and ugly, and every time I've sat in the new Civic I've failed to see any real improvement in interior materials.

The new cabin seems smaller and more tightly wrapped around the driver. Some might call it ergonomic, personally I'd call it more claustrophobic (the dark colours may be a contributing factor here).

To me the steering wheel no longer appears or feels leather (maybe it isn't in some models I don't know, only that I've sat in several £23K versions and for which price I'd expect leather and leather that looked and felt to me like leather).

At a time when other manufacturers are putting alu accents on their steering wheels and dash as it adds a real quality feel, Honda have removed the alu look inserts from theirs again making it look dark and boring. If they wanted to improve quality then why not real alu as the mesh was never going to get caught and scratched as its pretty hard to scratch mesh.

Against the new dark wheel with no accents the info button / cruise control buttons are very difficult to spot in lower light conditions as they're black on black.

The dash top looks / feels no real improvement in material to me, just darker.

The gear lever is leather but just looks plusher, again I'm not seeing the material improvement, in fact to me it looks a little bulbous and fat now as the leather seems fatter. If anything my 1st thought was it looks like one of those cheap after market ones you buy from tuning companies.

I agree entirely on the rear wiper. why not park it at the bottom against the spoiler?

I've heard the new information system doesn't work well, but not tried it myself. Personally, I saw nothing wrong with the last one. Some journalists blasted it as complicated but I thought it was simple with a simple rotation through the menus and compared to some of the new twist controls with multi level menus on the new BMW's and Audi's, the old Civic one looks easy to access to me and it worked well.

As for the exterior, nose ok, sides ok, back dreadful. Saw one in a car park last week in blue and honestly mistook it for a Prius until I drove past it on the way out and saw the Honda badge.

That said, I've seen a Milano Red one on the road at long last and I have to admit the rear doesn't look as bad on the Milano as on the other colours. However, can you really seriously seek to sell a car based on it looking ok in one colour?

TBH I still don't know why Honda toned the looks of the Civic down as they were it's best selling point - individuality. To my mind taking those looks forward and introducing higher quality materials to co-inside with those looks eg real alu instead of plastic was the real way forwards.

Externally I suppose a lot of the shape is dictated by wind tunnel, but then again I'm sure something could have been done with the back to improve the cosmetics and if there were drag compromises to be made on the rear due to aesthetic considerations, these could easily have been countered with a full under tray as I suggested before as the underside of a car is widely acknowledged as I understand it to be the biggest contributor to drag.

 

[Kremmen]

I must admit I still don't like the interior or exterior.

It's dark, that door card is both awkward in shape for getting in / out with a big pointy piece sticking forwards and ugly, and every time I've sat in the new Civic I've failed to see any real improvement in interior materials.

The new cabin seems smaller and more tightly wrapped around the driver. Some might call it ergonomic, personally I'd call it more claustrophobic (the dark colours may be a contributing factor here).

To me the steering wheel no longer appears or feels leather (maybe it isn't in some models I don't know, only that I've sat in several £23K versions and for which price I'd expect leather and leather that looked and felt to me like leather).

At a time when other manufacturers are putting alu accents on their steering wheels and dash as it adds a real quality feel, Honda have removed the alu look inserts from theirs again making it look dark and boring. If they wanted to improve quality then why not real alu as the mesh was never going to get caught and scratched as its pretty hard to scratch mesh.

Against the new dark wheel with no accents the info button / cruise control buttons are very difficult to spot in lower light conditions as they're black on black.

The dash top looks / feels no real improvement in material to me, just darker.

The gear lever is leather but just looks plusher, again I'm not seeing the material improvement, in fact to me it looks a little bulbous and fat now as the leather seems fatter. If anything my 1st thought was it looks like one of those cheap after market ones you buy from tuning companies.

I agree entirely on the rear wiper. why not park it at the bottom against the spoiler?

I've heard the new information system doesn't work well, but not tried it myself. Personally, I saw nothing wrong with the last one. Some journalists blasted it as complicated but I thought it was simple with a simple rotation through the menus and compared to some of the new twist controls with multi level menus on the new BMW's and Audi's, the old Civic one looks easy to access to me and it worked well.

As for the exterior, nose ok, sides ok, back dreadful. Saw one in a car park last week in blue and honestly mistook it for a Prius until I drove past it on the way out and saw the Honda badge.

That said, I've seen a Milano Red one on the road at long last and I have to admit the rear doesn't look as bad on the Milano as on the other colours. However, can you really seriously seek to sell a car based on it looking ok in one colour?

TBH I still don't know why Honda toned the looks of the Civic down as they were it's best selling point - individuality. To my mind taking those looks forward and introducing higher quality materials to co-inside with those looks eg real alu instead of plastic was the real way forwards.

Externally I suppose a lot of the shape is dictated by wind tunnel, but then again I'm sure something could have been done with the back to improve the cosmetics and if there were drag compromises to be made on the rear due to aesthetic considerations, these could easily have been countered with a full under tray as I suggested before as the underside of a car is widely acknowledged as I understand it to be the biggest contributor to drag.

I take it that you still don't like it then ? opcorn2:

When I have mine serviced in September at NH_Dans place I'm hoping to take one out for a spin. I'll let you know then, as the driving experience will far outweigh the aesthetics. There may well be others that you find more pleasing to the eye but for value for money, taking all the toys into account, they are still hard to beat IMO. And they don't look that bad.

If you want bad look no further than the father-in-laws Chevrolet Matiz :lol:

I'm also finding it hard to understand how you keep catching your leg on the door card. I jumped in and out of one many times earlier in the year in a showroom and never had a single problem.
When I first looked at the 8G I had a similar feeling about the corner by the start button and wondered how many times I would bang that with my knee, but I never have.

 

[pjlaubscher]

There has been load of improvements. This is based on the ES 2.2 Diesel, and the EX maybe alot better.

This car does have everything my 8th gen EX diesel has.

Here are a list of few things I liked so far:

* Key is now a flip key
* Has Eco Drive
* Cruise Control improved
* Ability to set speed limiter
* Gear shift suggester
* Improved reverse camera
* Improved sound system
* Has USB connection for iPod/MP3 connection
* Diesel engine is quiet and a lot smoother

I really do like the car and obviously it is an improvement compared to the 8th gen. However it doesn't stand out like the 8th gen and doesnt feel "special/unique", and that's the reason I'm not greatly impressed.

The way I see it, all is good and well with all the "improvements" that were made with the new Civic. The problem is that the competition the previous Civic had like the Golf V never had problems like flip key, improved sound system, Usb connection etc etc and off course the biggest problem, the suspension. Anyway IMHO the new Civic is a massive fail. It has only just caught up with the competition and in the process it lost all of its individualism that made the previous model unique. The previous model could have been forgiven its shortcomings because it looked so @#%$ good!! Its now just another car that wont get a second look. The new Civic has brought nothing new to the party in terms of design or technology. The new focus has already got the new Ford SYNC with MyFord Touch technology which basically turns the whole car into a wifi hotspot. So in reality in terms of technology the new Civic is already behind, again. It doesn't help to bring out 5 hr long promotional videos to show the development of the new suspension! Heeelllooo Honda, this is like saying we've developed this new very cool feature, wait for it, its called.... the wheel. When you walk into a Honda dealership you assume things like proper suspension, proper connectivity and at the very least proper paint will come as standard. In a year or so the new Golf, the Civics biggest competition arrives. Where will this leave the Civic then?

 

[RA108]

I take it that you still don't like it then ? opcorn2:

No still not keen.

I'm sure the suspension will please many and indeed would please me as although the hard ride of the 8th gen is liveable with, I'd prefer it softer given the state of our local roads. That said, haven't one or two now said there's a loss of feel?

I'm also not too happy with what Honda have done with the engines. The more new cars I'm seeing, the more engines I'm seeing that appear to be more powerful yet just as low on emissions as the new Civic's which is quite annoying as the Civics performance is one of its attractions.

As for the knees, maybe I just have clumsy ones!

 

[hapzuk]

If you take away the Honda badge from the steering, you could be confused that you are still in an Astra.

I think with the 8th gen, you either liked the shape or you didnt. Think they have toned this one down so that it appears to more people as a "car" and not one down to someones taste.

 

[RA108]

I have to retract the engine comment. I've just seen from another thread that current engines are only a stop gap and there's a new range available next year called earth dreams..

 

[Alwaysblack]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Is that how it goes?

I have had three previous Civics, and have just ordered an EX GT 2.2.

I have collected the car brand new, driven it for 12 months, taken it to the dealers for a full service, driven it for 12 months, taken it........

12 years on the trot!

I am hoping this continues with the 9th gen.

 

[hapzuk]

I may just need to get used to it and prefer it over 8th gen.
Not ruling that out.

I remember how I didn't like the Golf MK4 when it changed shaped from the usual squared off corners on the previous MK1,2 and 3 to more rounded shape. Then I changed my mind and preferred it

 

[Bandit77]

I must admit I still don't like the interior or exterior.

It's dark, that door card is both awkward in shape for getting in / out with a big pointy piece sticking forwards and ugly, and every time I've sat in the new Civic I've failed to see any real improvement in interior materials.

The first thing I did as I got in the new civic was bang my knee on this awkward bit!

 

[NH Dan]

I have to retract the engine comment. I've just seen from another thread that current engines are only a stop gap and there's a new range available next year called earth dreams..

1.6 sub 100 g/km co2 110/120/150 bhp diesel for starters.

 

[Kremmen]

A 1.6 diesel auto would certainly interest me if servicing costs were reasonable.

 

[NH Dan]

We've no idea as yet as to the range profile of the engine, not sure what power outputs/transmissions will be in what cars etc as this engine will be UK supplied rather than the 2.2 form Japan and will be used in a variety of the cars in the range, (New CR-V, Accord, Civic Estate etc) when they become available.

There have been no comments as yet as to the other engines that follow.

 

[jamesaberdeen73]

With 2800 miles now on the clock Im sure my car is feeling more responsive than when I first got it, just seems a bit more NIPPY.

Comments about it not being powerful enough are ridiculous imo.

 

[bboy]

From my recollection I remember reading that the 8th gen civic was designed in Italy by an Italian company, hence the eye catching revolutionary design from the 7th gen.

I can pretty much guess that the 9th gen civic has been designed 'in-house' on an evolution basis and been japenese they always have an element of what I call introducing a 'dragon design'. Toyota's definetly fall into this design category!!!!

The other thing I don't understand is the move of the sat nav from within the drivers view postion to the DIN format. Again the old dash with sat nav looked more integrated and well thought. The sat nav in the new civic looks like an after market installation.

However, I am pleased to hear that the owners of the 9th gen are happy with their purchase!!!!

I think I'll wait and skip a generation which I hope at the same time Honda would have thought about introducing turbos to their engine to bring some more useful low end and accessible torque to their engines. Honda needs to stop being stubborn with iVTEC, just as they were stubborn with not making diesel engines, where they are now reapping the benefits!!!! Sooner rather then later will work for them and their customers
.
Regards

BBoy

 

[Alwaysblack]

I find, and I think a number of other owners with the built in sat nav do as well, that on many occasions when the sun does shine:facepalm: it is virtually impossible to see the map!
I'm sure I have read on here somewhere already, that moving this down to its current position now eliminates this problem.
Anyone confirm please?

 

[RA108]

1.6 sub 100 g/km co2 110/120/150 bhp diesel for starters.

That's fine but I'm not seeing a lot of power there.

Other manufacturers are managing lots of bhp from quite low emissions.eg.

Mazda CX5 4x4 150bhp for 119g CO2 from 4x4!

Citroen DS5 Hybrid 200bhp for 99g CO2!

Those figures look weak by comparison Dan.