My friend just picked one up today - and let me drive it. I just changed my goal from getting the Corolla to the Civic. I absolutely love this car. The interior is classy and refined, and the drive is very pleasing. Let's face it, any new 4 cylinder car is going to be a nice ride when you are used to driving an older beater like me. And the nit pick things in these videos, while appreciated, don't really matter in day to day driving to me. Make mine a Civic!
I had a 95 civic in high school and loved it. The new civic looks like a family sedan!!! Honda squandered a HUGE market with conservative styling. For a short period of time every kid of America thought a Civic was a compact sports car. Not anymore.
My wife just got a 2012 Civic LX. IMO it isn't bland at all. I love the interior, and it seems like the new civic drives much smoother than the 2005 I used to have. It handles very well, and I'd be lying if i said i didn't like the gauges and dash. It does appear they are moving away from the smaller, more "driver's car" of the older models. It feels more like luxury than mini sport compact now. And obviously some people don't like that, which is fine.
Agreed. Looks have taken a step backwards from gen 8, especially the coupe. I loved my '08 EX...For a civic it felt like something special; a landslide better than my gen 7
@sexyboi142 They were checking them because some steering wheels DID fall off! My parents owned a 2007 Civic until a couple weeks ago when it was wrecked (someone turned in front of my mom in an intersection), there was never a recall for wheel bearings. There was a recall for some kind of wheel speed sensor protector, but there were never any problems associated with it. My parents now own a 2012 Civic and it's a damn nice car.
This 9th generation reminds me of the 6th generation Civics (model year 1996-2000) which are my favorites. The 6th generation sedans looks like a BMW mixed with a Infiniti. The front facia was clean and the the hood was a lot longer. Also, the windshield was not hanging over the front tires like a van.
You need to keep in mind that the Civic isn't a sports car. It's not supposed to be flashy and fast. It's supposed to be simple and easy to maintain. The car is meant to go from A to B, again and again... and again and again and again... That's why America loves it.
@TAKEAPlLL Looks don't make a car a poor performer or unreliable. They look pretty good in person IMO and they drive much nicer than any previous generation of the Civic. They're great for the average car buyer.
I would place my bets on the Civic lasting a lot longer than that Elantra.I know one owner who has a 2006 that has 342,000 miles on it and it's still going strong
I don't know why people criticize the 9th gen Civic because it looks similar to the 8th gen. Its most comparable competitor, the Toyota Corolla, has looked the same for over a decade!
0:45...WRONG!! The 2012 digital speedometer is not flanked by fuel and temperature gauges. It is flanked by a fuel guage (on the left) and an instant mpg gauge (on the right).
@applewarrior Yes, but the Prius, Fit and Volt are not Civic category. The Corolla, Elantra, and Forte are Civic category. Ironically, the latter took design cues off the Civic and produced a winning design.
I really like the new Civics, I think having the same displacement but making it slightly faster and better fuel economy is awesome. The higher speed stability is incredible for a car in this segment. I really appreciate how the A pillars are not so thick anymore. But for everything that I like about this new Civic, the back end almost kills it, man is it ugly. Honda please do something about the rear! Please!
im A HUGE fan of the 2012 honda civic..i think honda did a great job on everything on the inside and out..def my next car....i love the front of it..and it get's 39 mpg..until u sit in 1 of these dont say anything about it cause it look's GREAT in person...like if u agree...:-)
@CyberGTX09 People didn't eventually "accept" the design of the '09 Acura TL. It got a facelift after only 2 years. Wonder if the same thing will happen to the new Civic...
Hate it or love it, good cars don't need to change. Look at the Porsche Carrera, Aston Martin's.This has evolved, not too much but just right. Honestly the person who buys a regular Civic doesn't want power, they want it to be quiet, reliable, roomy, good on gas and this car does it. And the Si is a lot better, with the more displacement Si owners will start to know what torque is. IMO it's a better car overall but I'm not sure if it's a better Honda Civic.
@mes59 Most people look at buying a car as an investment (and they should because it is) and most people know that buying a Honda is about the best way to make a good investment when buying a car.
@idontcare80 the steering won't fall off. GM was checking to see if they were properly installed. And honda had a recall on ALL 2006-2008 Civics for loose wheel bering that could cause the wheel to fall off. At least GM caught theres within a few months of it being on sale in N.A. and not in 2 yrs
i own one this car rides great a lot better than some larger vehicles and better than the 11 civic. you just need to test drive it to see. i average 32 to 34 mpg highway and city. the 11 looks great and the 12 adds to that why change perfection. mine has blue tooth which works great. this car rides better than the elantra and to me is not overboard in style.
Actually it is an i-VTEC engine. It's biased towards economy, not performance. The VTEC cam is for gas mileage and it engages during light load situations like cruising down the highway. It's intelligent because it engages actively depending on driving conditions. SOHC i-VTEC is not the same as DOHC i-VTEC, which uses VTC in addition to performance-biased VTEC.
it has direct injection for more power and fuel economy? it has a cvt to save gas? it looks more like a prius but i understand is to save gas in freeway
@CyberGTX09 Your right about that. I remember people complaining that it was too angular and that the gauges were too abstract and different, but now they're everywhere. I don't mind this one, I'm looking into one for myself, this or the last generation. Yeah Honda could've done a better job with the rear but I like the interior and you can't match Honda's reliability and quality . People just need to sleep on it and get over it.
@madpistol The '07-'08 design eventually got a facelift from the '06 Civic as well, but not too far off from the original styling. I understand if the TL had to eventually get a facelift (because it looked so butt ugly), but they're not as popular as the Civic here in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if the '13 Civic gets a re-styling if people complain this much. But a Civic is still a Civic in the end, and that's what people buy it for: good mpg, reliable, and affordable.
@blkguynlex it is a balance between cost vs efficiency, Ideally the more gear ratios you have the better. but too many on a tiny engine will add complexity and weight. but i am certain this engine will yield 10% better gas mileage with one more gear... i am a mech engineer.
@chevyblows2001 ...out of the 13 Hondas that have been owned by various members of my family and my GF's family only 1 (which was obviously never taken care of by it's first owner) has burned any oil at all. I will admit that I don't have a huge amount of experience with Honda auto transmissions, but I still have yet to see one that is less than 10 years old that has problems. My GF's 2004 Civic has 120,000+ miles on it and its auto transmission is still as smooth as my mother's 2012 Civic!
I was very disappointed when they first revealed this car. It looks like they took a step backwards. I was hoping the new Civic would take some of the styling cues from the Honda CR-Z, which looks sharp inside and out.
Ford, GM and Chrysler best take advantage while Honda and Toyota seem to be down.... I mean look at this, now is the time to take advantage and take the lead for the BIG 3!
@DocWolph ive seen the fcx several times. yes they both sweep upwardly but you dont notice it as much as the general shape which is more or less identical in proportion to the jetta. also notice the character line over the rear wheels that reaches towards the front of the car that was stolen from the hyundai genesis coupe and the toyota camry rear end. lets not pretend honda cares to design their own unique (read: not boring) cars.
@CARTSpeed22 I first read this comment before watching the video and was like "yeah, right." Then I almost spit my milk out when I saw the rear end. Spot on sir. Fistpalm Honda.
For those ranting about how this car can't go 0-60 in 6 secs should really shut up and look into a market. As mentioned before this is NOT a sportscar people. My friend just got one 17k right off the lot. As for the looks, I don't see them that bad. The tail lights kind of remind me of a Mercedes C300 (yes not the greatest mercedes but who cares) the front, ehhh, could've done a little better, but hey, like most of us on here, I'm not a design specialist.
I don't know why everyone says this looks worse, it looks almost the same as the old car. Have you seen the new Subaru Impreza? Now that is what I call WORSE.
All these people putting down the 2012 Civic are Civic haters to begin with. Yeah I agree its not anywhere near revolutionary as the 8th gen Civic, but its a better car, like the reviewer said, its faster, better fuel economy, roomier, and more composed to the limit. The previous gen is already an excellent value for money its amazing they where able to improve on all those areas and maintain virtually the same price, if you don't like it go buy an over priced Focus or a slow gas guzzler Cruze.
Please someone tell me when is the 2012 civic coming to india ? ive been waiting for this car a long time now and there are no better options and i desperately need a new car .
@idontcare80 I agree that Honda makes dependable cars, but so does Kia if not on par with Honda's reputation. I bought a brand new 2009 Optima EX. I paid only $17500 for it and there has been absolutely no defect since the time of purchase and the car runs as smooth as any Japanese cars out there. I wish I could let you drive this car so that you understand what I am talking about.
@puremaplesyrup22 wow nice. Well, you'll have a car that'll last w/o much maintenance. Congrats . Having been through a couple cars and being 24 yrs old with little money that sounds pretty good. My civic which I purchased 2008 has 180,000k only thing i've really replaced is a starter (junk yard 09' for 50 bucks). Even though I can afford "more" since I have a good job and completed school I'm thinking of getting another. Hate the new body compared to 8th gen looks weak but $ talks.
@sexyboi142 That's what people said back then. They refused to accept the new look. Just watch and wait. I never said it would be easy for everyone to accept. They will just naturally accept it eventually.
My friend just picked one up today - and let me drive it. I just changed my goal from getting the Corolla to the Civic. I absolutely love this car. The interior is classy and refined, and the drive is very pleasing.
Let's face it, any new 4 cylinder car is going to be a nice ride when you are used to driving an older beater like me. And the nit pick things in these videos, while appreciated, don't really matter in day to day driving to me.
Make mine a Civic!
I just bought a civic just like the one they just reviewed and I looooooooove it :)
I had a 95 civic in high school and loved it. The new civic looks like a family sedan!!! Honda squandered a HUGE market with conservative styling. For a short period of time every kid of America thought a Civic was a compact sports car. Not anymore.
In person, the car looks perfectly fine. The design is more upscale than Gen. 8, and the ride/suspension is absolutely fantastic!
the 3 doors hatch back civic
I agree. Videos don't do the car justice. It's beautiful car when you see it on the road.
My wife just got a 2012 Civic LX. IMO it isn't bland at all. I love the interior, and it seems like the new civic drives much smoother than the 2005 I used to have. It handles very well, and I'd be lying if i said i didn't like the gauges and dash. It does appear they are moving away from the smaller, more "driver's car" of the older models. It feels more like luxury than mini sport compact now. And obviously some people don't like that, which is fine.
Just when I started to really like the gen 8 Si
Agreed. Looks have taken a step backwards from gen 8, especially the coupe. I loved my '08 EX...For a civic it felt like something special; a landslide better than my gen 7
I have one and love it
@sexyboi142 They were checking them because some steering wheels DID fall off!
My parents owned a 2007 Civic until a couple weeks ago when it was wrecked (someone turned in front of my mom in an intersection), there was never a recall for wheel bearings. There was a recall for some kind of wheel speed sensor protector, but there were never any problems associated with it.
My parents now own a 2012 Civic and it's a damn nice car.
@DualofChaos i agree with you alot. people just hate cause Honda is good reliability
This 9th generation reminds me of the 6th generation Civics (model year 1996-2000) which are my favorites. The 6th generation sedans looks like a BMW mixed with a Infiniti. The front facia was clean and the the hood was a lot longer. Also, the windshield was not hanging over the front tires like a van.
all the negative comments and thumbs down must be viewers who just bought a 2011 version... i think the 2012 version is a big improvement:)
I like it, for what it is. I'd like to see an Si test.
@TheKhafre yea to check the steering colum. They also said no accidents have been reported because of this issue. GM is doing it right.
You need to keep in mind that the Civic isn't a sports car. It's not supposed to be flashy and fast. It's supposed to be simple and easy to maintain. The car is meant to go from A to B, again and again... and again and again and again... That's why America loves it.
@djeminescu i dont think motortrend is offended. people usually a video based on content not editing/voice over skills
@TAKEAPlLL Looks don't make a car a poor performer or unreliable. They look pretty good in person IMO and they drive much nicer than any previous generation of the Civic. They're great for the average car buyer.
We choice a 2012 Cruze LT and were very happy with the choice,We liked the Focus and Civic but,liked the Cruze better...
WOW I REALLY LOVE MY SENTRA SER 2010
MT please do a group test of these new small cars
I would place my bets on the Civic lasting a lot longer than that Elantra.I know one owner who has a 2006 that has 342,000 miles on it and it's still going strong
nice, i have the predecessor. makes me feel good I went with an 07 civic for half the price.
I don't know why people criticize the 9th gen Civic because it looks similar to the 8th gen. Its most comparable competitor, the Toyota Corolla, has looked the same for over a decade!
if honda and toyota are still number one a few years down the road i'll be shocked
@TheBoogie24seven its over 100 pounds heavier than a hyundai elantra and has a 5 speed instead of a six speed transmission but only gets 1 mpg less
0-60 time for a civic.... awesome review
That dislike bar is NOT because people hate the review MotorTrend, Its because people HATE the car.
honda civic only the civic sells more than what Volkswagen sells for the whole line up. that's a success i believe so
0:45...WRONG!! The 2012 digital speedometer is not flanked by fuel and temperature gauges. It is flanked by a fuel guage (on the left) and an instant mpg gauge (on the right).
Está parecendo o Honda City tunado. Creio se este modelo fosse o primeiro e o atual o lançamento, aí sim veríamos um Honda massa!
@applewarrior Yes, but the Prius, Fit and Volt are not Civic category. The Corolla, Elantra, and Forte are Civic category. Ironically, the latter took design cues off the Civic and produced a winning design.
I really like the new Civics, I think having the same displacement but making it slightly faster and better fuel economy is awesome. The higher speed stability is incredible for a car in this segment. I really appreciate how the A pillars are not so thick anymore. But for everything that I like about this new Civic, the back end almost kills it, man is it ugly. Honda please do something about the rear! Please!
the video really doesn't do the car justice, it looks much more amazing in person and on the road. Trust me, I own one.
Hopefully they fixed the block cracking issues
im A HUGE fan of the 2012 honda civic..i think honda did a great job on everything on the inside and out..def my next car....i love the front of it..and it get's 39 mpg..until u sit in 1 of these dont say anything about it cause it look's GREAT in person...like if u agree...:-)
I like the old one!!!
@CyberGTX09 People didn't eventually "accept" the design of the '09 Acura TL. It got a facelift after only 2 years.
Wonder if the same thing will happen to the new Civic...
Hate it or love it, good cars don't need to change. Look at the Porsche Carrera, Aston Martin's.This has evolved, not too much but just right. Honestly the person who buys a regular Civic doesn't want power, they want it to be quiet, reliable, roomy, good on gas and this car does it. And the Si is a lot better, with the more displacement Si owners will start to know what torque is.
IMO it's a better car overall but I'm not sure if it's a better Honda Civic.
Honda Civic and Hyundai Sonata had a baby together.
@mes59 Most people look at buying a car as an investment (and they should because it is) and most people know that buying a Honda is about the best way to make a good investment when buying a car.
@idontcare80 the steering won't fall off. GM was checking to see if they were properly installed. And honda had a recall on ALL 2006-2008 Civics for loose wheel bering that could cause the wheel to fall off. At least GM caught theres within a few months of it being on sale in N.A. and not in 2 yrs
i own one this car rides great a lot better than some larger vehicles and better than the 11 civic. you just need to test drive it to see. i average 32 to 34 mpg highway and city. the 11 looks great and the 12 adds to that why change perfection. mine has blue tooth which works great. this car rides better than the elantra and to me is not overboard in style.
@CrumBhosale I've already gotten rid of it. I bought a Subaru Outback now, and i'll keep it.
@Timx4 From the rear, it looks like old 2002-2003 Camry...
@FordsBetter516 I know. That's what I thought when I first seen the taillights too.
the best ever!!!!
well its just an ex, but for sure they need to step it up a notch! Hopefully they can make an Si that screams!
@pandahero707 thats kinda random but i agree 100%. love that car
Actually it is an i-VTEC engine. It's biased towards economy, not performance. The VTEC cam is for gas mileage and it engages during light load situations like cruising down the highway. It's intelligent because it engages actively depending on driving conditions. SOHC i-VTEC is not the same as DOHC i-VTEC, which uses VTC in addition to performance-biased VTEC.
it has direct injection for more power and fuel economy?
it has a cvt to save gas?
it looks more like a prius but i understand is to save gas in freeway
@CyberGTX09 Your right about that. I remember people complaining that it was too angular and that the gauges were too abstract and different, but now they're everywhere. I don't mind this one, I'm looking into one for myself, this or the last generation. Yeah Honda could've done a better job with the rear but I like the interior and you can't match Honda's reliability and quality . People just need to sleep on it and get over it.
The Focus and Cruze blow this out of the water.
@DocWolph it looks more like the 2011 jetta its wider and narrower than the fcx grille
@seriousalti nope you cant put after maket exaust on these cuz of the new pollution systems same with all ford focuses and volkswagens
@sexyboi142 Actually, Honda is doing it right by not having steering wheels that fall off!
@seriousalti Oh god.....don't forget the "performance" stickers!
@madpistol
The '07-'08 design eventually got a facelift from the '06 Civic as well, but not too far off from the original styling. I understand if the TL had to eventually get a facelift (because it looked so butt ugly), but they're not as popular as the Civic here in the US.
I wouldn't be surprised if the '13 Civic gets a re-styling if people complain this much. But a Civic is still a Civic in the end, and that's what people buy it for: good mpg, reliable, and affordable.
WE WANT THE OLD HONDA TO COME BACK ><
legend like:
- NSX
- S2000
- Type R (who is manufactured in Japan)
- Prelude
- Legend
etc
The beige interior looks like it belongs back in the 1990's.
Maybe they just don't want to screw up something that has been selling good for the last couple decades.
@blkguynlex it is a balance between cost vs efficiency, Ideally the more gear ratios you have the better. but too many on a tiny engine will add complexity and weight. but i am certain this engine will yield 10% better gas mileage with one more gear... i am a mech engineer.
@chevyblows2001 ...out of the 13 Hondas that have been owned by various members of my family and my GF's family only 1 (which was obviously never taken care of by it's first owner) has burned any oil at all. I will admit that I don't have a huge amount of experience with Honda auto transmissions, but I still have yet to see one that is less than 10 years old that has problems. My GF's 2004 Civic has 120,000+ miles on it and its auto transmission is still as smooth as my mother's 2012 Civic!
the front end of 2012 kicks the shit outta the 11
I was very disappointed when they first revealed this car. It looks like they took a step backwards. I was hoping the new Civic would take some of the styling cues from the Honda CR-Z, which looks sharp inside and out.
Ford, GM and Chrysler best take advantage while Honda and Toyota seem to be down.... I mean look at this, now is the time to take advantage and take the lead for the BIG 3!
@qbthething I agree!
@wtf000000000000 o i wasnt listing to it 1.8L that makes more sence to me now and give the car alot more props lol
@DocWolph ive seen the fcx several times. yes they both sweep upwardly but you dont notice it as much as the general shape which is more or less identical in proportion to the jetta. also notice the character line over the rear wheels that reaches towards the front of the car that was stolen from the hyundai genesis coupe and the toyota camry rear end. lets not pretend honda cares to design their own unique (read: not boring) cars.
Why did they lard it up? The civic was one of the few cars out there that didn't look fat.
@TheKhafre Haha, I'm not that surprised.
Thumbs up if you would buy the 2012 Focus over this like I did!
very nice in thailand
@CARTSpeed22 I first read this comment before watching the video and was like "yeah, right." Then I almost spit my milk out when I saw the rear end. Spot on sir. Fistpalm Honda.
i think that honda should take some of the CR-Z's design keys and put them on the civic ..
For those ranting about how this car can't go 0-60 in 6 secs should really shut up and look into a market. As mentioned before this is NOT a sportscar people. My friend just got one 17k right off the lot. As for the looks, I don't see them that bad. The tail lights kind of remind me of a Mercedes C300 (yes not the greatest mercedes but who cares) the front, ehhh, could've done a little better, but hey, like most of us on here, I'm not a design specialist.
i use to want a honda civic as my next car.......I no longer want a honda civic as my next car
What is the total clamping force of all the spot welds on this vehicle?
I don't know why everyone says this looks worse, it looks almost the same as the old car. Have you seen the new Subaru Impreza? Now that is what I call WORSE.
All these people putting down the 2012 Civic are Civic haters to begin with. Yeah I agree its not anywhere near revolutionary as the 8th gen Civic, but its a better car, like the reviewer said, its faster, better fuel economy, roomier, and more composed to the limit. The previous gen is already an excellent value for money its amazing they where able to improve on all those areas and maintain virtually the same price, if you don't like it go buy an over priced Focus or a slow gas guzzler Cruze.
Please someone tell me when is the 2012 civic coming to india ?
ive been waiting for this car a long time now and there are no better options
and i desperately need a new car .
@pandahero707 yea an they gotta make there corrolas rwd again
@mofayer Yes.. I have lost sleep over it..
I love Honda but they need to change it up more and make more exciting cars. The rear looks like the last gen. Camry, out of all cars to style after.
is it just me or does the front resemble a corolla and the back is like an 04 Camry..
Honda needs to hire new design engineers.
@idontcare80 I agree that Honda makes dependable cars, but so does Kia if not on par with Honda's reputation. I bought a brand new 2009 Optima EX. I paid only $17500 for it and there has been absolutely no defect since the time of purchase and the car runs as smooth as any Japanese cars out there. I wish I could let you drive this car so that you understand what I am talking about.
i want a Jetta!!
@xacuraxx right....if you give it 140 hp and no tq anything is reliable.
@puremaplesyrup22 wow nice. Well, you'll have a car that'll last w/o much maintenance. Congrats . Having been through a couple cars and being 24 yrs old with little money that sounds pretty good. My civic which I purchased 2008 has 180,000k only thing i've really replaced is a starter (junk yard 09' for 50 bucks). Even though I can afford "more" since I have a good job and completed school I'm thinking of getting another. Hate the new body compared to 8th gen looks weak but $ talks.
rear view similar to 90's camry and sonata
What's with the special license plate? What does it mean? Why do you have it?
@rayzian dare we mention the 2011 vw jetta front grille?
were they designing in the dark?
this weighs less than a sentra 2.0 and has the same hp but still slower. Sentra times 0-60 8.6sec and 1/4 16.6@84mph
@idontcare80 Get what you'd like but I want to point out that the goodness of a car comes from the buyer, not its brand name.
@planedestroyer94 producing humm...140hp from a 1.8L engine is very good in my book , but yeaa the Si term comes with 2.4L now.... good and bad
@sexyboi142
That's what people said back then. They refused to accept the new look. Just watch and wait. I never said it would be easy for everyone to accept. They will just naturally accept it eventually.
I will just keep my 93 civic coupe running looks better than the new ones and is only slightly behind on performance.