Driving impressions
This evening while I was in Sioux Falls, I finally had the chance to drive a 2006 Honda Civic. I'm not sure which generation this new car represents, but I do know that the Civic has been on sale in the United States since 1973.
It's been a while since I've had the chance to drive a late-model Honda Civic. The last was a 2005 Honda Civic EX coupe. Needless to say, slipping behind the wheel of a 2006 Civic EX coupe proved to be a very satisfying experience.
The first thing that struck me was the redesigned interior. More specifically, I first noticed the steeply-raked windshield. It's angle, coupled with the design of the interior, gives one the impression of being in the cockpit of a fighter jet rather than the cabin of a passenger car. I think one magazine said that the windshield angle in this new Civic coupe is similar to what has been used in Honda's Acura NSX supercar.
Another striking feature of the new interior is its two-tiered instrument panel. The top pier includes a digital speedometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge. The lower tier houses an analog digital tachometer. It would take some time for me to get used to such an instrumentation set up, but I already know that I think that it's cool.
I also like the overall design of the interior. It, like the rest of the car, seems more upscale and refined than the old car was, and the seats were nicely bolstered and comfortable. The only aspect of the interior with which I wasn't thrilled was the shifter. It made changing gears easy enough, but it lacked precision, in my opinion. The shifters in my Mazda6 and Miata feel a lot more precise to me.
When the time came to actually drive the car, I was again pleasantly surprised. The new 1.8 liter engine seemed like it had plenty of power for everyday driving, and was quiet in its operation. The ride was comfortable and quiet, and the suspension seemed to soak up the bumps and other road imperfections well. Because most of the roads on which I drove were straight, I didn't have much opportunity to test the car's handling limits. Perhaps another drive will give me an opportunity to see how well the car tackles the turns.
Although I was only about to spend about 20 minutes with the car, I already know that I like it. Maybe I'll get the chance to drive one more in the future. In the meantime, I'll do more research on the car to learn more about it, and also think about what kind of replacement it might make for my Mazda6.
Now, the car dilemma that I'm facing is whether it would be better to buy a newer car or put some money into the Mazda6. If I keep the Mazda6, I'd likely either leave it as it is now, or perhaps accessorize it by adding 17-inch wheels and tires, and maybe a sport grille. Buying a new car, if only to have something different, is always appealing, but adding equipment to my current car would be a lot less expensive. Again, it's not a serious debate, but it's fun to think about nonetheless.
It's been a while since I've had the chance to drive a late-model Honda Civic. The last was a 2005 Honda Civic EX coupe. Needless to say, slipping behind the wheel of a 2006 Civic EX coupe proved to be a very satisfying experience.
The first thing that struck me was the redesigned interior. More specifically, I first noticed the steeply-raked windshield. It's angle, coupled with the design of the interior, gives one the impression of being in the cockpit of a fighter jet rather than the cabin of a passenger car. I think one magazine said that the windshield angle in this new Civic coupe is similar to what has been used in Honda's Acura NSX supercar.
Another striking feature of the new interior is its two-tiered instrument panel. The top pier includes a digital speedometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge. The lower tier houses an analog digital tachometer. It would take some time for me to get used to such an instrumentation set up, but I already know that I think that it's cool.
I also like the overall design of the interior. It, like the rest of the car, seems more upscale and refined than the old car was, and the seats were nicely bolstered and comfortable. The only aspect of the interior with which I wasn't thrilled was the shifter. It made changing gears easy enough, but it lacked precision, in my opinion. The shifters in my Mazda6 and Miata feel a lot more precise to me.
When the time came to actually drive the car, I was again pleasantly surprised. The new 1.8 liter engine seemed like it had plenty of power for everyday driving, and was quiet in its operation. The ride was comfortable and quiet, and the suspension seemed to soak up the bumps and other road imperfections well. Because most of the roads on which I drove were straight, I didn't have much opportunity to test the car's handling limits. Perhaps another drive will give me an opportunity to see how well the car tackles the turns.
Although I was only about to spend about 20 minutes with the car, I already know that I like it. Maybe I'll get the chance to drive one more in the future. In the meantime, I'll do more research on the car to learn more about it, and also think about what kind of replacement it might make for my Mazda6.
Now, the car dilemma that I'm facing is whether it would be better to buy a newer car or put some money into the Mazda6. If I keep the Mazda6, I'd likely either leave it as it is now, or perhaps accessorize it by adding 17-inch wheels and tires, and maybe a sport grille. Buying a new car, if only to have something different, is always appealing, but adding equipment to my current car would be a lot less expensive. Again, it's not a serious debate, but it's fun to think about nonetheless.
posted by DrummerScribe | 9:59 PM
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