Alternatives to the Altis & Civic: Part 2/5

Continuing from where we left off on the last post, we now move on to the other perennial C-segment favourite. The Honda Civic . Already in it's eight generation, the Civic FD2 is without a doubt one of Honda's most sucessful models worldwide and also the arch rival of the Corolla Altis. It's kind of like the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid isn't it. Ok i got sidetracked. Sorry.

Back to the topic, like the Corolla Altis, the Civic has also been facelifted not too long ago. Being blessed with good looks from day 1 the Civic FD2 accounts for more or less 40% of local C-segment sales, this therefore is possibly the reason why there are even fewer changes for this model compared to the Corolla Altis. The most notable revisions are to the rear light clusters and front bumper and fog lights and different seat fabric pattern for the 1.8 variant which previously looked like it was taken off someones office carpet.

VERDICT

Honda Civic FD2 Facelift

Unchanged Dashboard Design

The new facelift has not really had any impact on the Civic, it still feels, sounds and drives the same. So there is really no significant improvement over the pre-facelift. That being said, the Civic is a very youthful car, suitable for the young and young at heart. It also boasts a very willing engine and drivetrain and not to mention commendable  driving dynamics for it's class. Only the Focus or Lancer GT comes close.

It also has a fantastic performance allusion in the form of it's steroid induced sibling the vicious Civic Type R. Which by the way is powered by banshees. You can hear their screams the closer you get to it's redline. So it's perfect right? 4-door sedan, sporting allusion, good looks inside out. What more could you ask for?

Well for starters, the insulation of noise, vibration and harshness isn't very good, plus the performance biased suspension doesn't seem to think it needs to absorb road imperfections. This then is a good car IF you:

A.do not have a family

B.do not care about your family's comfort

C.Need the pragmatism of a four door sedan and the versatility of a weekend warrior

Pros:

Good Looks

Sporting Allusion

Futuristic Interior

Good Resale Value

Good Handling

Cons:

Not Well Insulated

Stiff and Bumpy Ride

Suitable For:

-Yuppies - (the show off kind)

-Single early 30's & young couples

-Family man without a weekend car

-Those looking for good resale value

Thanks for reading. Look out for the review of the Forte in my next post.