Usually new or redesigned models fare better in car reviews than their predecessors. Technology moves on during the lifespan of a model, automakers learn from their mistakes and improve their production methods, while the competition gets better forcing everyone else to improve etc.
However, that’s not the case with the redesigned 2012 Honda Civic LX, or at least that's what Consumer Reports states in its latest test of the Japanese model.
According to Consumer Reports (CR), the highest ranking small sedan for many years and a Top Pick in five of the last 10 years has in its latest iteration dropped too low to even earn a “Recommended” tag!
“While other models like the Hyundai Elantra have gotten better after being redesigned, the Civic has dropped so much that now it ranks near the bottom of its category,” wrote senior director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, David Champion.
The Civic LX’s score dropped from the previous model 78 to an abysmal 61, placing it in the second-to-last place just above the (also recently redesigned) VW Jetta, which finished last.
Consumer Reports’ testers found the new Honda Civic to feature a lower quality interior, high road noise, less agile handling, inferior brakes and a choppy ride compared to the car it replaced.
Decent space for rear passengers and second-best fuel economy in the category just weren’t enough to make up for its other shortcomings.
Here's a snippet from CR's test:
"The Civic has slid backward with its redesign. It feels insubstantial against recently-redesigned competition.. Vague steering weakens its agility and robs it of its fun-to-drive feel. Stopping distances are long, the ride is choppy, and road noise is pronounced.
The Honda Civic LX ($19,405 MSRP as tested), is powered by a 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that provides adequate acceleration and gets an impressive 30 mpg overall in CR’s own fuel economy tests. The five-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly. The interior feels cheap, a letdown from previous Civics. CR is currently testing a Civic hybrid and will report on it next month. Cargo space is Good."
Honda's reaction was almost immediate as the Japanese company's U.S. arm issued a statement saying it "disagrees" with CR's findings. Honda's reply follows below:
"In a broad sense, we disagree with Consumer Reports' findings. Without question, the small sedan segment is more competitive than ever. In virtually every way, the completely redesigned 2012 Civic is a step forward.
The new Civic excels in areas that matter to small-car customers, including fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability. Among the Civic's greatest competitive strengths, is a smooth and efficient powertrain that, in Consumer Reports testing returned, "... an impressive 30 mpg overall on regular fuel and 47 mpg on the highway."
Also noted in Consumer Reports findings, the Civic excels in the area of safety, with a long list of important features standard on all trim levels, and a class-leading 'Top Safety Pick' rating from IIHS.
Lastly, the Civic has a stellar reliability history with Consumer Reports, and we are confident that the new Civic will be a reliability leader as well."
Story sources: Consumers Report & Honda
35 Comments:
# testing
People still take Consumer Reports seriously? Not a fan of the new Civic but from what I've seen and read about it so far they all seem to say it is better than the previous generation in many ways. Not in the looks department if you ask me.
great car. YES :) cr? meh... but even cr summarized the rating for the reason most purchase cars:
The new Civic excels in areas that matter to small-car customers, including fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability. Among the Civic's greatest competitive strengths, is a smooth and efficient powertrain that, in Consumer Reports testing returned, "... an impressive 30 mpg overall on regular fuel and 47 mpg on the highway."Also noted in Consumer Reports findings, the Civic excels in the area of safety, with a long list of important features standard on all trim levels, and a class-leading 'Top Safety Pick' rating from IIHS.Lastly, the Civic has a stellar reliability history with Consumer Reports, and we are confident that the new Civic will be a reliability leader as well."
It is starting to look like a turd. Very toyota like in its design and blandness.
This new civic is rather turd like in its design. Almost toyota in its blandness and below par looks.
This new civic is a failure in so many areas. It looks like a smaller version of the 2002 camry. Spam of cars.
More prof that Japan's auto industry is in desperate straights, when one of their preeminent manufacturers starts turning out shoddy bellow par products.
I understand the allure of the Civic. Sure, they get you from A to B reliably. But who actually buys a car for that reason? The Civic is completely uninteresting and is not even remotely on my radar when looking at cars. I guess consumer reports is finally seeing the light.
www.autospotva.com
I am an 8th gen civic si owner. I love it. however I agree with this review. The new model is a step backwards. It looks cheap, feels cheap, and the interior looks very messy and not symetrical. There is no way in the world I will be upgrading to a 9th gen.
Call me crazy but I have been saying this for the last few years that the Japanese are lowering their quality standards with cars. In the past I bought all Japanese cars and never would buy American. Americans cars were junk. But now American manufacturers are churning out some nice cars so the tide might be turning.
"Honda Civic has slid backward, while other models like the Hyundai Elantra have gotten better" - Yeah right, that's a good joke, mr. Champion! =))
Many are saying the 2012 is much better than the previous gen. iconic civic. They say its a
super-engineering job. Although the car looks indifferent in some pics, but unless seen in real, take nothing. See pic 2 in the first row and the last pic, they provide more true angles. I feel the only change was that the previous gen was low and straight but this is more leaning forward and low with more verve to the side flanks.
This new civic is rather turd like in its design. Almost toyota in its blandness and below par looks. http://lannaapple.com
While I read CR and mix their findings in with other readings this is not the first time they come out with stuff like this. I personally feel they like to sensationalize their findings (anyone remember their "Bumper Basher"?). I am more than confident that the new Civic would please most drivers. Some of the auto mag reviews have not down scored the Civic like this and I consider them more enthusiasts than the CR bunch.
Let's be honest here. No one buys a Honda for the stuff CR dinged the Civic on. People buy Civics (and Hondas in General) because they can't afford something nicer, or are too cheap to buy something nicer. These people don't mind, or can't do anything about, the fact that there's tons of road noise, interiors that suck, and are BORING to look at and drive. They just want to get from Point A to Point B. Cheaply. Honda fulfills that mission.
The new Civic is a bore. Honda usually changes their cars with a revolutionary design, not so much the evolutionary design like this car is. The first time I saw it I was not impressed and CR is correct with their statements. I owned the previous model Civic 2 door and that car was awesome. I would never trade for a new Civic. I think that Hyundai has a much better product in the Elantra. Honda cars of late have been quite boring as well. Seeing the concept for the 2012 CRV, has my hopes up that Honda is getting away from the boring designs they have had. They also need to get more powerful engines. I have a 2008 Accord coupe and if you don't get the V6, it is pretty slow. Come on Honda, spice things up.
Finally, Honda is starting to see the backlash from it's recent string of crap.
From consumer reports...
"So what happened? The new Civic feels insubstantial with a cheap interior. You don’t get much feature content for the $19,405 that our Civic LX automatic costs, either. That’s a problem given the high bar set in this class by the new-to-market Chevrolet Cruze, the redesigned-for-2012 Ford Focus, and the redesigned-for-2011 Hyundai Elantra.
But a savvy buyer could sit in a showroom and realize those Civic shortcomings. The problems that really hurt the Civic’s score run deeper and they showed up at our test track. Stopping distances are long. The steering is lightly weighted and comes up short on feedback. Body lean appears early in the corners. The ride is marred by frequent short pitches. And road noise still remains an annoying companion.
Not all of the news is bad. Fuel economy is very impressive, despite the Civic’s seemingly low-tech powertrain. There’s decent rear seat room, too."
- http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/08/2012-honda-civic-lx-scores-too-low-for-consumer-reports-to-recommend.html
Not a big fan on Hondas, especially since they've become so dull, but I think the new Civic will suit the A-to-B crowd just fine. Besides, I don't think Consumer Reports is the be-all-and-end-all of automotive testing. Don't they also test things like microwave ovens and vacuum cleaners? Cars are not appliances, not even the Civic – though it does come close.
I think new Civic is ugly. But fortunately for me, this car is not sale in Japan.
One of the things they pointed out was the cheap interior, and lack of standard features on the $19,405 Civic LX automatic.
Is no secret the new Civic has not been well received. To think Honda even delayed the release of this car, going back to the drawing board to make changes and supposedly improvements. I wonder just how bad the original version they had planned must have been. I'm glad this is happening to honda because this All-New Civic is just the old one with different skin. The Focus, the Elantra, the Golf, etc... are all much better vehicles for about the same money. The only good thing in my opinion with this new Civic is the use of the K24 4 cylinder engine in the Si model, but even there Honda watered down the rest of the package around it.
Fortunately for Honda they have an easy fix for this up their sleeves. The all new European Civic is soon to make a debut. That car has always been a much more desirable vehicle and a class above what we get in the US. All Honda needs to do is scrap the half-ass attempt at a new car we get here and give us the European model. At last that would never happen because for the last couple of years Honda has been to chicken and stupid to see what's punching them right in the face.
Just to solve all those drivablility problems, why don't they make a new type R and sell it here?
47 mpg only from the hybrid and on reular models from honda site, states 28 city/39 hwy/32 combined mpg for automatic transmission models. ( a old 5 speed auto at that too) . the new civic just can not match the new elantra on mpg when cost of the car is taken into acccount, The new elantra gets 29 city 40 hwy and 34 combined..match set, Elantra wins...also elantra has a new style modern 6 speed automatic vs the old style dated 5 speed auto from honda.
Honda clearly needs new management as the new Civic is another underwhelming and halfhearted effort by a once innovative company. Honda has clearly lost its way and appears to decided to expend as little as possible on the so-called "new" Civic the result is that the Civic as failed to place 1st in every review that I have read. Honda continues to use the same engine and dated 5 speed automatic with no manual shift feature, and persists with its cost cutting practice of offering only cheap rear drum brakes in the Civic LX and DX models. Unlike the Elantra (which I would buy based upon styling alone), I find the styling on the Civic to be too much like the previous generation and I wonder why Honda doesn't obtain new design studios so that it can produce cars with styling that would "wow" me. I keep waiting for new engines, transmissions, new technology and I'm still waiting as it seems like Honda
R & D have been doing nothing for the last few years.
Just proves my point about how most people who buy hondas and toyotas are simply lemmings, the new civic looks drives, and feels almost exactly like the last one. The interior looks almost identical yet you claim youve owned the last generation and think somehow its vastly different...pure ignorrance. If a low brow mag like CR disagrees people like you disagree a car is as good as one of their reviews....sad so sad....lemmings
In my country in Europe Honda is actually high ranked brand (in the lower middle class). Well, at least with their prices :)
The engine is good and the fuel economy for atmosferic engine also but no more much better than the competition with turbo engines.
Would I buy Honda again ... well, my jazz/fit serves me good so far but I would like a bit more comfort in driving.
Lotsa BIG CRAP employees feeling the HEAT/HATE. Honda makes em the best.
You quoted HONDAs' summary, not CRs'........
I don't believe that is saying Hyundai is better than Honda, but here in Australia Hyundai is improving substantially from the tin boxes they used to make. Honda however have let their quality slide a little since shifting production of a few models to Thailand. I'm not saying that Thailand makes bad cars either (Fords' Fiesta is from there & top notch).. but since Honda has progressed[?] a generation, in particular the Civic & Jazz/Fit models, Hondas' cost-cutting has become very apparent.
A lot of recent smaller Hondas have been getting bad reviews for handling, road noise, interior quality, and ride. Pretty much any review anywhere of the Insight, based on a Fit/Jazz platform, makes the same criticisms. Every review says to spend a bit more and get a Prius for those reasons. Reviews of the Fit generally say clever, great design, but if you want to go on a road trip and spend some highway time in there you might want to consider something else.
Well honestly if there is a 8th gen civic ( fd1 ) placed next to the 9th gen, i'd pick fd1. I dont care the 9th gen's features..but thats just me, and probably the other 70% population on earth too.
Not a Honda man but a true hater of "consumer reports" what a bunch of useless morons reporting and reviewing products they know literally nothing about. Consumer reports has a tendency to recommend Korean cars which automatically eliminates any credibility( if any at all) they had.
I have had 5 Honda, 2 of them civic (so I am not anti-Honda). And I say a BIG thumbs up for Consumer Reports for having the guts to say it like it is. Almost all the reviews out there reads like an advertisement.
8th gen's dash is not symetrical either.
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