Honda Civic 2009 personal review

The Honda Civic 2.2 EX CDTI  is a peculiar car. Not really the sort of car I thought I would ever own.  If you have read my other blog about my Audi A6 disaster then maybe you will understand why a dramatic change in car was required. The Honda Civic really is a dramatic change.

How come I ended up choosing, it was a choice, a Honda Civic? Straight away I can answer.... Reliability. Reliability goes a long way after what I just went through with the Audi money pit.  Honda have quietly sat on the top step of the podium for most reliable manufacturer of cars for 8 years. Who knew.... We all knew they were good but 8 years in a row as most reliable car is really something. 

Was it just the reliability I was after? Of course not. I love driving, I am one of the few who really takes pleasure in driving. I am also a new father and so practicality had to factor in the decision too. Honda are known for their practicality too. I know this as I lived in Japan for many years and practical was the name of their game. I then started to look at parts....as I know my luck....I could possibly buy the one and only Honda which defies their 8 year record. So I decided if that's the make of car I will buy it from the dealer directly...one year warranty on approved Honda's.

What about other cars that took my fancy. Yep, sure there was a few. I did not want anything from the VAG team so Golfs, Skoda, VW were out. That left me with Volvo V40 or v60. Neither appealed to me and supposedly they had their own issues with sensors. I looked at BMW 3 series estate's. Nice car but servicing and parts were astronomical. I looked also at Peugeot and Renault but really they were never on my want list.

I took a trip down to my local Honda dealership after looking at some car reviews online. I still was not sold and needed to see the car for myself. I really though it was gong to be too tight on space.  I made sure I took my stupidly over sized, all whistles and all bells, dancing pram. Biggest hindrance to any car.  I was approached so I asked if I could see the Honda Civic. At the time they had just received the new Honda Tourer. Got to say.... expensive but looks good. £30k though puts it in the high end. Anyway I only had about £9k after my last car experience.  Back to the point, I took the pram and looked at the car... no way was it going to fit in a Civic. I opened the boot and the pram slid in with room to spare. Plenty of room to spare. My A6 had a big boot. Not as big as this. The car was tiny though? How does that work? Not only that the guy said you don't have to put it in the boot you know.. I didn't know what he meant, I said I don't want to lie it on the back seats. Don't have to. He showed me how the car seats not only lie completely flush down if you want to extend the boot, but also how the seats can be moved up in the middle... basically removing the rear seat of the car leaving enough middle space you can put what you want anywhere. I was amazed. They really had thought about this car.  

The looks department was a little hard to deal with. Its definitely different to most cars on the road today. Innovative but not everybody's cup of tea. It is small, has not a refined or elegant look to it but has more of a technology futuristic appearance.  I was not a fan at first. The more I looked the more I liked. It grew on me.  By the time it came to parting with my cash I was pretty much over the aesthetics of the car.

The interior from a drivers perspective was everything I love in a car. Technology, lights and a dash looking like it should be in Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic program. This was the bit of the car I was desperate to see. I love all that stuff. The more buttons and switches the better. I hated the Volvo's and BMW's as they went the other way. Simple to the point you may as well be sitting behind an office desk. I can't stand that. I really liked the layout and how it wraps around the driver.

Really they knew what they were doing when they built this but i was a risk for them. I love it. The sat nav is wonderfully integrated into the dash and the radio, climate control, cd player, and information all right next to and facing the driver. The person who needs it. The sat nav is a little
outdated in its maps though and also isn't the best system I have used. Google's Maps is the best to date.  The voice control in the car either works or doesn't for your voice. I still find it a bit hit and miss. Their are a ton of commands to learn and any slight deviation from the exact command and it poops out straight away and start talking German or Spanish back at you. Concerning!  The phone blutooth system hooked up well with my Android phone although it didn't download my contacts like other I have used. Room for improvement but functional.

So what is the car like to drive. First impressions are that it is a very noisy experience compared to my Audi. You can hear the road grind under the tyres and the ride is rough. Bumps feel like they are going to take a toll on the frame of the car after a while. It is a false impression, generally the Honda Civic has a good wear and tear rapport.  So, the ride is rough and noisy. The engine is great. I bought a 2.2 diesel and it pulls like its on jet fuel.  The engine revs cleanly throughout and pulls for most of the band.  Even has a gear change indicator before you get too carried away and do some damage. On the other side of that indicator is a economy driving indicator to let you know when your driving most efficiently. These are gadgets I love. The gearbox is one of the best I have ever used. Its solid, precise and gear changes are with meaning and purpose. A solid experience and obviously a solid gearbox behind that feeling.  Driving the car really feels good. It grabs the road and has very definitive inputs on the wheel. It feels like a stupidly powerful go-kart but can be chucked into cruise mode at any time if you want to just get to your destination calmly. I have noticed on larger bumps that the front end of the car does do a little jump dance when cornering with speed. At first this is very disconcerting but soon you realise the car will not loose control at any point. It just nudges you occasionally to make you pay attention.

So what is my conclusion? I am very happy to purchased the Honda. Everything I bought has fitted in it (including a gigantic 170 litre fish tank for my daughter). It is good on fuel considering it is a 2.2 turbo diesel. It is fun to drive although it is noisy and rough. Lots and lots of toys included with a great display layout. Practicality like I have not seen in any other car and most importantly, the biggest one for me, reliable. It's 8 years top of the charts reliability tops the show. It also scored extremely well in the Euro car crash test and thrashed all in its class. It is not refined or snobby, it is just a good solid all round car and it does its' job.

• Looks - 7/10
• Drive - 7/10
• Practicality - 9/10
• Economy - 8/10
• Comfort - 7/10
• Gadgets - 9/10
• Value - 9/10