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Honda Civic 2005
(Special Edition): The Weekly Driver Review
by
James Raia
At last count, Honda offers nearly 40 varieties
of the 2005 Honda Civic. It's a perennial
best-buy, and with the Ford Focus and Toyota
Corolla, the Civic is one of the most visible
vehicles on the road today.
And there's little argument Civic's popularity
isn't warranted. Honda has capitalized on the
compact car's success by presenting three body
styles and the notable options of a gas/electric
hybrid and two-door hatchback. But does Honda
really need another option in the Civic line?
Apparently it does, considering my test drive
for the week, the Special Edition, 4-door, EX
model. It's an effort in some ways to make the
Civic something it's not — a sports car or an
economy vehicle with high-end standard features.
The Special Edition features include a
leather-wrapped steering wheel, a AM/FM 6-Disc
in-dash CD, with six-speakers, MP3 playback
capability and an equalizer display function, 15
or 16-inch alloy wheels and a rear wing spoiler.
And while many of the features are
perfectly fine, what really
is the point of a spoiler on a Civic? Just how
much can it possibly help a vehicle that
features a 1.7-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder, 127-
horsepower engine with an automatic
transmission?
Nevertheless, beyond its special edition
features, the 2005 Civics offers plenty of what
has made the car what it is — a reliable,
economical vehicle with myriad standard
features, few weaknesses, good resale value and
the availability to suit budgets beginning at
$13,000 and continuing to nearly $21,000.
In my weekly drive, the Civic performed to
satisfaction and featured one of the nicest
colors I've seen on the road. While red and
white are still manufacturers' favorites, the
Civic is available in a deep blue offering
called Eternal Blue Pearl. The color provides
the Civic with a small dose of sophistication
despite its economy car status.
The Civic performs as well as any economy
vehicle. Its lack of acceleration and
restrictive rear-seat headroom are low points.
But those are acceptable shortcomings,
particularly since Civic owners are likely
looking for different attributes, most notably,
fuel economy. The Civic has estimated ratings of
31 (city) and 38 (highway) mpg, and that's a
strong enough characteristic to persuade many
potential buyers.
But the Civic also offers a nicely designed
interior, including well- arranged controls,
well-conceived space allotment (with the
exception of the aforementioned rear-seat
limitation), a comfortable, if not particularly
quiet ride, and solid steering and handling.
Seats are cloth in all models and leather is not
an available option.
Air conditioning, 60/40 rear-split back seat,
power windows and door locks, cruise control,
various map and cargo lights, 12-volt power
outlet, power moonroof, rear window defroster
are all standard.
With an offered special edition discount of
$400, my test vehicle priced out at $18,660, the
fifth most expensive Civic. Considering the
entire line's standard feature of no scheduled
tune-up maintenance for 110,000 miles, it's hard
not to praise the Civic.
It's likely the best economical vehicle on the
road today. But it would do just fine without a
spoiler.
2005 Honda Civic (Special Edition)
Safety features – Dual-stage driver and front
passenger dual- stage front airbags. Antilock
brakes.
Fuel Mileage (estimates) – 31 mpg (city), 38 mpg
(highway).
Warranty – Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,000
miles; Power train, 3 years/36,000 miles;
Corrosion, 5 years/unlimited mileage.
Base price – $18,660.
James Raia is a Sacramento, Calif., journalist
who writes about sports, travel and lifestyle
topics as well as the automotive column, The
Weekly Driver Review. To read more of his
content, visit the web site: ByJamesRaia.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/
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