The new Civic was entirely off my radar until a week or two ago, which is somewhat odd (or perhaps a testament to how bored I'd become with them) considering I've owned only Hondas since my first car in high school, a 1988 CRX DX. Following the CRX was a 1994 Civic DX coupe, then a 2012 Civic Si Sedan, and next a 2013 Fit Sport (automatic, ugh). I'd always looked forward to owning an Si after driving and modding the CRX and Civic, but was somewhat disappointed when acquiring the 2012 Si. Its departure from the old school Civic was quite noticeable, and while performance wasn't terrible, it just didn't feel like a Civic should, in my opinion. I plan on making this a long-term review, updating once a week or so. [5/4/2016] Yesterday I drove home the 2016 Civic LX coupe equipped with the 6-speed gearbox, and after a few miles behind the wheel it seemed as though finally a new Civic had a bit of the grit of the previous generations coupled with the convenience and comfort I now appreciate more than I would have 15 years ago. The driving position feels natural, as does the operation of controls, pedals, the gear shift, etc. I'm quite surprised by how lively the 2.0L (K20C2) engine is, especially in the low-mid RPM range. It's not a speed demon by any stretch of the imagination, but for getting around town and commuting to and from work while also getting good gas mileage, I don't see how this doesn't fit the bill. The gearbox seems pretty crisp, maybe better than the 2012 Si. There's been some speculation about which engine will appear in the Si and Type R models for 2017, and I feel as though the K20 coupled with forced induction would make a solid power plant. I'm a bit confused about the actual compression ratio of the K20C2, since I've seen both 9.8:1 and 10.8:1 reported in different places. Regardless, I am pleased with the configuration. After comparing some of the numbers between a 2000 Civic Si coupe (curb weight: 2,612 lbs, 160hp/111ft-lbs torque, 22/29 city/highway MPG) and the 2016 Civic LX coupe (curb weight: 2,739 lbs, 158hp/138ft-lbs torque, 31/41 city/highway MPG), they are actually quite close in terms of power and weight on paper. What's very noticeable is the dramatic increase in fuel economy with the new model. I'm quite pleased with the vehicle after the first couple of days, but who knows what will happen down the line. I'll continue to post updates periodically as I get in more drive time. [5/10/2016] It's been one week to the day since taking possession of the Civic and I am struggling to find anything I don't like. The vehicle, plain and simple, feels solid. It should though, right? I've logged just about 200 miles -- she's still a newborn. So in that respect, yeah, I would be seriously concerned if there were issues or things I noticed that didn't seem right. However, compared to the ride quality and cabin noise of my 2013 Fit, the Civic far exceeds it. This could be to the numerous changes to the suspension and chassis components (new rear suspension, bushings, stabilizer bars, rear damper brackets, etc.)*, and only time will tell if the durability holds up. Regarding fuel economy, I am averaging right around 31mpg. With that said, I can say with confidence that if I spend more time babying it and trying to get better mileage it will be quite easy to break into the mid and upper 30's. Even when accelerating mildly to keep pace at highway speeds the mpg gauge hangs around 40mpg. The Fit would average about 30mpg, which always disappointed me. The Civic is far more enjoyable to drive and will almost certainly achieve more greater efficiency around town and on the highway. Prior to my Fit I always owned vehicles manual transmissions. I really, really dislike automatic transmissions, so coming back to a manual has been quite refreshing. What's more refreshing is the satisfying feel and sound (yes, there is some degree of a nice "click") of shifting gears with this particular gearbox. It may not be as crisp as what you would find from the factory in the S2000s, but for the base model Civic, literally the cheapest Civic the dealer had on the lot, I could not be more happy. Back when I had my 1988 CRX and 1994 Civic DX coupe, I longed for a close ratio 6-speed, and to see Honda mate this gearbox with the K20C2 is quite encouraging. It feels as though the engine is allowed to work as designed by not having it coupled with a longer geared 5-speed. If there's one thing that has baffled and frustrated me a bit it would be the Bluetooth system. It could be an issue with my phone (Galaxy S4), but I have encountered pairing issues a few times. Either the phone will fail to connect over and over when the Civic seemingly rapidly attempts to connect and send a verification code, or it will only connect to phone audio and not media audio. A few minutes of trying to rediscover and pair the devices usually fixes the issue. *Source:Official 2016 Civic Coupe Press Kit
