Vehicle Overview
Redesigned just a year ago, the Honda Civic has re-established its standing as a no-brainer choice for a small car. Think of it this way: Are you interested in impressive fuel economy and/or class-leading acceleration? Yep, the Civic's got that. What about a comfortable, roomy interior filled with upscale materials? Check. Do you want something livelier than the typical sedan? Well, Honda's got a sporty coupe, a new Civic hatchback, and the performance-focused Civic Si and Type R on the way, too. No matter how you look at it, the 2017 Honda Civic is one of the best cars in its class.
We also think you'll like the way the newest Civic drives. Around turns, you'll feel as if you have great control through the car's steering and grip; it's an entertaining car to drive and have some fun. Out on the highway, the Civic earns high marks, too, with a composed ride quality that doesn't get overly floaty or harsh. Honda has also packed in plenty of the latest technology, from smartphone integration to advanced driver aids that can help you avoid accidents.
Before going all-in on a new Civic, though, there are still some excellent competitors to consider. The 2017 Mazda 3 is also one of our favorites. Like the Civic, it offers a classy interior, excellent fuel economy and sporty driving characteristics. If in-car tech is one of your top priorities, the 2017 Ford Focus with its superior Sync 3 infotainment system is worth a look. And if you want to eschew all those and go with something inexpensive that's packed with value, take a look at the 2017 Kia Forte. Overall, though, the 2017 Honda Civic sits right at the top of our list. No search for a compact car will be complete without it.
Performance and MPG
The front-wheel-drive 2017 Honda Civic comes with a four-cylinder engine, but the exact type varies depending on the trim level you pick. The base engine for the sedan and the coupe is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 158 hp and 138 pound-feet of torque. It's paired to either a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that functions like an automatic.
With the coupe, EPA-estimated fuel economy stands at 32 mpg combined (28 city/39 highway) for the manual, while the CVT gets an estimated 34 mpg combined (30 city/39 highway). In the sedan, when the 2.0-liter engine is paired with the manual, it's rated at 32 mpg combined (28 city/40 highway) and with the CVT it's rated at 34 mpg combined (31 city/40 highway).
Optional for the coupe and sedan but standard for the hatchback is a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder paired to either a CVT or a six-speed manual transmission. Horsepower and torque vary depending on the transmission pairing and trim level.
In the hatchback, when paired with the CVT in the LX, EX and EX-L, the 1.5-liter engine is rated at 174 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. With the manual transmission in the LX, horsepower remains the same, but torque goes up to 167 lb-ft. Go with the CVT in the Sport and Sport Touring and the 1.5-liter engine makes 180 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. The Sport hatchback with the six-speed manual transmission is rated at 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque.
In Edmunds testing, a Civic Touring coupe with the 1.5-liter engine (and CVT) sprinted from zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, while a Touring sedan with the same engine was able to do it in 6.7 seconds. Both times are very quick for a small car in this class.
Fuel economy for the turbocharged Civics is actually slightly better but also varies slightly depending on whether you go with the coupe, sedan or hatchback. There is a different EPA fuel economy estimate for each engine/transmission combo and for every body style (coupe/sedan/hatchback). Generally, though, EPA combined fuel economy estimates range from 30 to 36 mpg combined with the 1.5-liter engine.
Safety
Standard safety equipment on the 2017 Honda Civic includes stability control, antilock disc brakes, front side airbags, side curtain airbags and a rearview camera. Starting with the EX trim, a right-side blind-spot camera (LaneWatch) is also standard, as is the HondaLink system, which also includes emergency crash notification.
Optional safety equipment for the Civic includes the Honda Sensing safety package, which adds adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane departure intervention, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking.
We've found the forward collision warning system to be a bit oversensitive in real-life driving; it frequently sets off the dashboard "Brake!" alarm in instances where other such systems aren't as prone to react. The adaptive cruise control also feels a bit too quick to react, putting on the brakes, too slow to speed back up again and generally not very good at maintaining a constant speed.
In Edmunds testing, a Civic Touring sedan came to a stop from 60 mph in 117 feet, a few feet shorter than average. A Touring coupe did the same simulated panic stop from 60 mph in just 113 feet, which is much shorter than class averages and closer to the performance of a sports car than a compact economy car.
In government safety testing, all three Civic models (the coupe, sedan and hatchback) received five stars (out of a possible five) for overall crash protection. The Civic coupe received four out of five stars for front-crash protection and five stars for side-crash protection. Both the hatchback and the sedan received five stars for front- and side-crash protection.
When the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the Civic, both the sedan and the coupe received top marks for safety. Both models received the IIHS' top score of Good for the small-overlap and moderate-overlap front-impact tests as well as a Good score for the side-impact, roof strength and head restraint/seat (whiplash protection) tests. Notably, the optional safety equipment on the Civic received the IIHS' top score of Superior for front-crash prevention.
Additional Information
Now in the second year of its most recent successful redesign, the 2017 Honda Civic has once again proven that it is a go-to choice among compact sedans. Not only does the Civic offer a roomy cabin, great highway comfort and lots of standard features, it also has class-leading acceleration and excellent EPA fuel economy ratings.
Contrary to what you'd expect in a small car, the 2017 Civic's interior is quite spacious, with plenty of room in the trunk to handle whatever you throw in it. The interior feels more upscale than most compact cars, with excellent cabin construction and high-quality materials, all of which are pleasing to the eye.
Just like the beautiful interior design and build quality, the 2017 Civic's ride quality and handling have also been well thought out. The Civic expertly rides that fine line between a composed ride and superb handling around corners. The steering feedback is great too, allowing for an enjoyable experience when you get it on a winding back road.
True to the brand?s reputation for value, the 2017 Civic returns excellent fuel economy. The six-speed manual and automatic versions of the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine provide an EPA estimated 32 mpg combined (28 mpg city/40 mpg highway) and 34 mpg combined (31 city/40 highway), respectively. The available 1.5-liter turbocharged engine provides more power and boasts even more impressive ratings, with the manual returning 35 mpg combined (31 city/42 highway) and the automatic 36 mpg combined (32 city/42 highway).
On the technology front, Honda has packed in great options, including smartphone integration and the Honda Sensing forward collision warning system. There are some tech quibbles, however. The adaptive cruise control is slow to respond and that forward collision warning system is slightly oversensitive, both of which can be frustrating for drivers. The touchscreen interface proves to be less intuitive than desired and can lag in response to input.
Despite a few minor technological drawbacks on the inside, the 2017 Honda Civic is a great car overall. It's at the top of its class when it comes to acceleration and fuel economy, and the interior comfort, ride and excellent overall build quality more than make up for any downsides the car may have. Any seasoned Honda buyer will consider this a no-brainer.
If you're considering the 2017 Honda Civic and the sedan isn't really your speed, Honda has some great options for you. There?s a sporty coupe, a new Civic hatchback and the performance-oriented Civic Si. And the racy, much anticipated Type R is on its way. Clearly, there is a Civic for everyone.
Aside from the different body styles, the Civic also comes in a few different trim levels depending on personal preference and budget. The LX is the base trim, continuing onward to the EX, EX-T, EX-L and Touring trims. The EX offers more features than the standard base trim, while the EX-L moves toward a more luxury package. Edmunds can help you find the perfect 2017 Honda Civic to suit your needs. 2017 honda civic si first drive
The new 2017 Honda Civic Si signals the end of a great shift among sport compact cars. For driving enthusiasts in the U.S., the Si badge was the mark of an affordable Civic that offered sporty handling and a high-revving engine. The Si continued this way for years, even while each one of its sport compact competitors adopted turbocharging to meet ever-increasing power demands and emissions requirements.
Now, for the first time, the Honda Civic Si is turbocharged, too. The result is a better-driving car, but take note, Si faithful: Things have changed.
Offered as a coupe or sedan, the 2017 Si uses the same 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine found in the standard Civic, but in the Si it gets a larger turbocharger with more boost. Alas, the resulting 205 horsepower merely equals that of the previous Si with its larger, non-turbocharged engine. More importantly, Honda's focused on strengthening the engine's midrange. The new Si's peak torque of 192 pound-feet occurs at just 2,100 rpm, a change designed to make this Civic Si feel more powerful during more common driving situations.
Putting the Power Where You Feel It
While the differences in peak power and torque straddle between zero and minor, the way that horsepower and torque are delivered is a wholesale change to the Si driving experience. The engine feels much stronger at lower rpm when it's on boost, resulting in a gutsier car around town. The newfound low-rpm power means you don't have to downshift as frequently to access the fun part of the engine's powerband — you're always in it.
Right up until you're not. Where previous Sis packed a distinct aggression at the top end of their admittedly narrow powerbands, the new Si starts to falter the closer you get to its 6,500-rpm redline. Honda added shift lights to the gauge cluster that illuminate as you wring out the engine, but there's little reason to see them when the horsepower peaks at 5,700 rpm. And while a freer-flowing exhaust system emphasizes engine sound in the midrange, it becomes indistinct at high speeds. You have to reference the tach to match revs on downshifts as wind and road noise overcome the engine sound.
The engine also retains an annoying quirk from the last Si where the engine speed bumps up when you release the gas pedal to shift. It also takes longer than we'd want for the engine speed to fall. Honda has shortened the throw of the shifter and strengthened its base to withstand aggressive gear changes, but this engine behavior negates the need to shift quickly when you want to be smooth.
Grip It and Rip It
While adjusting to the engine's new character might take some time, there's no learning curve when it comes to the car's handling. The Si doesn't feel light like its predecessors, which makes sense considering it's heavier and larger in every dimension. Yet it still drives with a poise and confidence that encourage ever higher corner-entry speeds.
Credit goes to the usual performance tweaks that include a stiffer suspension and larger wheels, tires and brakes. One key addition is a set of dampers that continually adjust as you drive. They help maintain control but also add smoothness, ensuring the Si isn't as rigid or brittle as some more aggressive sport compacts out there.
A Sport setting, accessed by a button to right of the shifter, stiffens the dampers, sharpens the throttle response and increases the steering effort. You have to pay close attention to notice the differences, but they are appreciable under the microscope. The steering provides little feedback in either mode, but it's still precise and pleasing. We also welcome the new seats with stronger side bolsters, though they might be tight for wider drivers. A warning to taller folk, too: Headroom in the coupe is tight.
Bragging Rights
At $24,775, the Si is a relative bargain compared to its closest competitors. There's only one option: a set of summer tires (Goodyear Eagle F1) for a mere $200. Standard equipment is impressive, including a moonroof and dual-zone climate control. And while navigation isn't available, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard — and superior in the eyes of many. The Si is also the only car in the segment to come with a standard mechanical locking differential.
Alas, Honda continues its tradition of being among the least powerful vehicles in its segment. The Civic Si may be lighter than the Ford Focus ST, Subaru WRX and Volkswagen GTI, but its power-to-weight ratio only betters that of GTIs without the optional sport pack. The GTI also offers a dual-clutch automatic, which may be preferable to some drivers. The Si is manual-only yet still boasts class-leading fuel economy with an EPA rating of 32 mpg combined (28 city/38 highway). That's an impressive feat, but perhaps not what you want to brag about to your car enthusiast buddies.
Something else you won't want to brag about? Undefeatable stability control. The Si tells you stability control is deactivated when you press the button, but it remains working in what Honda calls a light mode. Most drivers may not notice since Honda's clearly worked to make the system as nonintrusive as possible. But more sensitive or experienced drivers will find the intrusion a frustrating block to the freedom that should come with exploring the abilities of an enthusiast car.
Is a Turbocharged Si a Better Si?
Turbocharging makes the Si more usable day to day, but it alters the character that made the trim appealing in the first place.
Nevertheless, the Si remains supremely enjoyable and quick on a back road, but also compliant enough to take you to work and back without complaints.
Some of the fringe Si fanatics might be disappointed in the change, and for them Honda will soon offer a more hard-core front-wheel-drive performance car with the Civic Type R. If that's too much of a stretch for you, consider this: The Si is a mere $2,400 more than a similarly equipped Civic EX-T and yet the Si has 205 hp, adaptive dampers, a mechanical locking differential, and an excellent manual transmission — a no-duh upgrade. 2017 honda civic type r first drive
We've been reminiscing far too long over the cars that Honda used to build. Cars such as the Civic Sis from the late '90s, the original NSX, the S2000 and the Integra Type R — the only Type R to ever be sold in America. A quick glance at Honda's current lineup reveals a sea of very competent but middle-of-the-road machinery. Yeah, you can still buy an Accord Coupe with a V6 engine and a manual, but that's where the fun starts and stops.
Honda must have felt the same way in recent years as it has teased us with concepts and promises of Sis, NSXs and possibly a Type R or two. Then the NSX showed up, followed by the all-new Civic Si. Now comes the long-awaited Civic Type R, the most powerful and aggressive version of Honda's compact car ever sold in the U.S.
Is this the rebirth of the Honda we used to know?
What the Type R Is and What It Isn't
Those of you expecting a lightweight, stripped-down, no-compromises coupe possessed by a high-revving four-cylinder engine should set your time machines for 1997 because Honda doesn't build that Type R anymore. Times have changed, the market has changed and, more importantly, Honda has changed.
The 2017 Civic Type R sedan is far from stripped down. In fact, it's equipped like a Touring level version of the standard Civic. That means it includes features such a navigation system, dual-zone climate control, a 540-watt, 12-speaker audio system, LED headlights, a proximity key and push-button ignition. There's ample sound deadening and a quiet exhaust system, and even though the seats are aggressively bolstered, they're generously padded and more comfortable than they have a right to be. This is very much a 2017 version of the Type R.
The engine is just as modern and specific to the Type R. Displacing 2 liters, the turbocharged four-cylinder knocks out an incredible 306 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and an eyebrow-raising 295 lb-ft of torque from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. It uses dual overhead cams, a single scroll turbocharger with an electric wastegate, direct injection, forged connecting rods and, yes, VTEC. Even with all that power from just 2 liters, this motor is friendly, flexible and willing.
One thing that hasn't changed about this modern Type R is the transmission. It's only available with a traditional, shift-it-yourself manual. If you want to choose one of its six available ratios, you're going to have to push the clutch pedal in by yourself.
Is Front-Wheel Drive Enough?
When word spread that the new Type R would send more than 300 horsepower through its front wheels, there were some, uh, reservations. We're pretty sure there are still dozens of Mazdaspeed 3s, Cobalt SSs and Neon SRT-4s stuck in trees because of the tendency for the steering wheel to jerk one way or the other as the front wheels helplessly tried to both steer and deliver power to the ground at the same time.
The front suspension on the Type R is different from that of the lesser Civic models. It utilizes a dual-axis setup with some very expensive-looking aluminum knuckles that help keep the steering and suspension duties as separate as possible. Translation? Torque steer is not an issue.
But getting the front suspension right doesn't mean a front-wheel-drive car will handle well since they can be just as susceptible to an overly stiff rear end. For the Type R, Honda has modified the multilink rear suspension with a stiffer spring rate, thicker stabilizer bar, firmer bushings and over an inch of additional track width. The Type R-specific adaptive dampers reside at each corner and are drive mode dependent. The dampers get information from four stroke sensors, three G sensors and a steering angle sensor to decide which setting will work best. And you know what? They're right. A lot.
Something else worth mentioning is the Type R's helical front differential. This is not an electronic diff, but a real mechanical one that doesn't use the brakes to modulate power. It behaves naturally and does an excellent job of getting you into and out of corners with a minimal amount of wheelspin. Road or track, the Type R is ready to go.
From the Spec Sheet to the Road
Even with all the power and countless other performance upgrades, this is still a Civic. All of the goodness inherent in the standard Civic is still here, albeit with a lot more red on the seats and the steering wheel. Pulling away from a stop reveals a linear and not overly light clutch uptake matched perfectly to a direct and well-weighted shifter. There's a little growl from the exhaust, and shifting below 3,500 rpm gives you just a taste of the power that awaits at higher engine speeds.
As mentioned earlier, this is not a high-revving and torqueless motor. Honda might have been a little late to the game with turbocharged engines in the States, but it has come back strong with the engine in the Type R. Let's be clear: It's not free of lag. Below 3,000 rpm there's a distinct lack of power, but it's not enough to make the Type R a sitting duck. When the boost does arrive, it comes on not with a spike, but a predictable surge. You can time it, and when you know the road, or the track, you can use it to your advantage.
During our brief drive in the Type R, we started out in Comfort mode and found it to be an excellent setting for around town. Comfort does not mean dull; the steering has a nice weight to it, and the body control is quite good. Flicking the driving mode rocker switch into Sport mode firms up the shocks, sharpens the throttle response, and adds a little unnecessary heft to the steering. It also adds a little red to the instrument cluster as a friendly reminder that things are getting more serious. You could certainly be excused for simply driving around in Sport all the time since it seems to suit the character of the Type R quite well.
But there's one more mode to go, and that's +R. Selecting this mode saturates the already red instrumentation into a hue you cannot miss, firms up the dampers one more notch, loosens up the stability control (also making it possible to disable it completely) and provides an even sharper driving experience all around. It's in this mode that the Type R really starts to distinguish itself from its competition. There's a nimbleness and confidence that start to vindicate Honda's insistence on not using a heavy all-wheel-drive system. The car is never unduly harsh, even over broken pavement, and the lighter weight allows you to transition from corner to corner using the chassis instead of relying solely on the tires. And through all of this, it's still a familiar Civic.
Everything You See is Functional
We need to discuss the big, winged elephant in the room. The looks of the Type R can be ... polarizing. You'd not be wrong to note more than a few similarities with Subaru's WRX STI, but Honda has taken it considerably further. Everywhere. The aero-laden design of the Type R is the polar opposite of the subdued and minimal styling you'll see on the Focus RS and the Golf R, and it could be the main reason some buyers never give the high-powered Civic a second look.
Honda assures us that every vent, intake and scoop is functional. There are brake intakes hidden above the splitter, and the kickups before the front wheels help maintain an air curtain around the front wheels to reduce drag and add a bit of downforce. The hood scoop not only provides engine bay cooling but also routes air out below the car, enabling a slight ground effect at higher speeds. And that wing? That wing isn't just a place to put your drinks. In conjunction with the vortex generators ahead of the rear window (think of the ones from a Mitsubishi Evo), the wing provides real downforce at higher speeds.
The Competitive Set
The Type R isn't out to pick a fight with the Focus ST, the Golf GTI or the Subaru Impreza WRX. It's going after their bigger brothers — the ones with all-wheel drive.
The Focus RS, Golf R and Impreza WRX STi might not seem like a fair match for the front-wheel-drive Type R, but only the brutal Focus RS makes more power. And it was a conscious choice by Honda to not follow the AWD trend, instead preferring to save the weight that comes with extra driveshafts, differentials and all the other business that comes with powering four wheels instead of two. As a result, the Civic Type R comes in at just over 3,100 pounds, making it 200 to 300 pounds lighter than the above competition.
And if a few hundred pounds doesn't seem like much of an advantage, perhaps a few thousand dollars will. All in, the Type R has no option packages and lists for $34,775. With similar equipment, the other three are all hovering around $40K. That's a lot of tires or track days or burritos.
The high-performance compact segment is now alive and well with interesting choices to suit a wide variety of buyers. But the Civic Type R isn't just big wings and tires; it's a real player right out of the box. The confidence and capability it delivers are surprising from what is essentially an all-new car. It's nice to see that the performance people at Honda haven't taken their gold watches and retired. Instead, they were training their replacements.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
