2011 Honda Civic Review and Prices

by Chuck Giametta

Table of Contents
2011 Honda Civic Review and Pricing
2010 Honda Civic Review and Prices
2009 Honda Civic Review and Prices
2009 Honda Civic Quote

2011 HONDA CIVIC BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Honda Civic is the best car for you if you want the redesigned version of America’s best -- and best-selling -- compact car.

• It’s all new in style and specification for the first time since model-year 2006. The 2011 Honda Civic inaugurates the ninth-generation of the automobile that proves small-car shoppers recognize precision engineering and forward-thinking design -- and shell out a few extra bucks to get it.

• Should you wait for the 2011 Honda Civic or buy a 2010 Honda Civic? Wait for the 2011 Honda Civic. It’ll put you in the first year of a brand-new Civic design, one that’ll retain its basic shape and engineering through 2016 or so.

2011 HONDA CIVIC CHANGES

• Styling: Honda is doing its usual stellar job keeping a secret, so details of the redesigned 2011 Civic are sketchy. It’s certain to retain four-door sedan and two-door coupe body styles. Hatchback versions are offered in Europe and Asia, but sell poorly in the U.S. There is an outside chance Honda would expand the line to include a small crossover-type wagon, possibly launching it for model-year 2012 or beyond. Exterior dimensions of the U.S.-market 2011 Honda Civics won’t be much different from the 2006-2010 generation. That means the return of a sedan and a slightly shorter coupe. Neither is particularly large on the outside compared to other compact cars, but both have as much or more interior space than any rival. That’s because Civics have historically had the longest wheelbases in the class. Wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear axles. It’s a key factor in how much interior volume a car can devote to passenger space, especially leg room. The eighth-generation Civic’s wheelbase was 106.3 inches for the sedan and 104.3 for the coupe. Any expansion to the redesigned 2011 Honda Civic would be minor to keep costs in check. Interior volume could nonetheless grow via marginally elevated ceilings to create more-upright seating and therefore more head room. But Honda would have to balance that against its stylists’ desire for low the rooflines that contribute to Civic’s sporty profile.

• Most-recently illustrated by the couture sheetmetal and daring dual-tier dashboard of the 2006-2010 Civics, these small Hondas have established themselves as the most futuristic-looking cars in the compact class. Civics designed for overseas sales are even more adventurous than U.S.-market models. But the severely tapered noses and raked-back windshields that give European and Japanese Civics such bold styling are not apt to migrate here; U.S. Civics must appeal to a broader and more conservative audience. Still, it’s a good bet the 2011 Honda Civic coupe will again have more aggressive sheetmetal than the sedan, befitting its younger buyer demographics. Some industry observers speculate the 2011 Honda Civic Hybrid will be positioned as Honda’s chief Toyota Prius-fighter because it’s a better size and price match than the smaller, less-expensive pure-hybrid Honda Insight. Honda hasn’t previously styled the Civic Hybrid to differentiate it drastically from conventional-powertrain Civics. But it could give the 2011 Civic Hybrid more visual distinction to better battle the space-pod Prius. In any event, expect all Civics to remain in the vanguard of small-car design, with road-hugging contours and artfully creased skins that speak to tomorrow. Civic styling tends to look ahead of its time, even as the years pass.        

• Mechanical: The redesigned 2011 Honda Civic sedan and coupe will retain front-wheel drive and four-cylinder gas engines. Also returning will be a 2011 Honda Civic Hybrid sedan with the latest iteration of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) gas-electric powertrain. The roster of gas four-cylinder engines will reflect a successful formula. It starts with a basic engine of around 1.8-liters, which could get a calculated bump in horsepower to around 150 from 140. Similarly, sporty Si versions of the sedan and coupe will keep their hotter four of around 2.0-liters but could increase to 200-210 horsepower, from 197. There’s also a chance Honda will see sales potential in topping the 2011 Civic lineup with a 220-plus-horsepower high-performance edition similar to the Type R model offered in Europe and Japan. It would likely be offered only with a six-speed manual transmission. Base-engine 2011 Civics would continue with both manual and automatic transmissions. Honda could advance from five-speed automatics to ones with six speeds if it believes gains in performance and fuel economy outweigh potential additional costs. The 2011 Honda Civic Si could be the first Si model to offer an automatic transmission.

• The 2011 Honda Civic Hybrid will again combine a gas engine with electric- motor assist. Some sources suggest a 1.8-liter might be substituted for today’s 1.3-liter gas engine. The philosophy behind Honda’s IMA will continue to differ from that of the hybrid system used by archrival Toyota. Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive uses electric power as frequently as possible to minimize gas consumption and exhaust emissions. Honda’s IMA, which is also employed in the Honda Insight and sportier Honda CR-Z, can tap the electric motor to propel the Civic Hybrid for very short distances on battery power alone. But mostly it employs the motor as a power-assist for the engine. This reduces fuel consumption and emissions two ways: by enabling use of a smaller gas engine; and by allowing the engine to shut down at stops and restart as the driver depresses the accelerator. Honda could realize a significant advance in energy-storage capacity if it’s ready to switch from nickel metal-hydride batteries to lithium ion batteries. The 2011 Honda Civic Hybrid will again use a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which acts like an automatic but employs a rheostat-like delivery of power rather than set gear ratios. Honda could decide to offer the Civic Hybrid with a traditional manual transmission, too. That would make it and the Honda CR-Z the only hybrids to offer stick shift.

• Features: Honda defines each trim level by an escalating set of features. Don’t expect the 2010 Civic to stray far from a lineup that begins with very basic DX models. These typically include a full complement of safety equipment and a few amenities, such as power windows, but leave items like air conditioning to higher-priced Civics. The heart of the line has traditionally been the midrange LX model, which comes admirably equipped with all the core conveniences, such as cruise control and remote keyless entry. To get a power sunroof, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, alloy wheels, and other gimcracks, Honda buyers have had to step up to EX models. To get leather upholstery, heated front seats, or a navigation system, they’ve had to spring for the EX-L models. The 2011 Honda Civic should repeat this pattern.

• Don’t expect Honda to offer options a la carte on the 2011 Civic. But it might turn to a more granular model lineup. For instance, it could slip in a version between the DX and LX that would including air conditioning but stop short of full LX equipment. Civic’s navigation system, which already includes voice recognition, might migrate for 2011 to lower-line Civics. Or Honda could begin allowing buyers who don’t want the nav system to independently acquire satellite radio and Bluetooth cell phone connectivity. It could also extend availability of a USB audio interface for iPods and other MP3 devices to the entire Civic lineup rather than just the most-expensive models.

2011 HONDA CIVIC PRICES

• We’re a long way from knowing 2011 Honda Civic prices, but the car’s successful track record dictates a fairly broad span that hovers just above that of prime competitors. Entry-level 2011 Honda Civic DX models should again start in the $16,000-$16,500 range. (Price estimates in this report include the manufacturer’s mandatory destination fee, which was $670 for 2010. Add about $800 if you want automatic transmission.)

• Volume LX versions of the 2011 Honda Civic probably would stay in the $18,000 neighborhood, EX models in the $20,000 neighborhood. Another $1,500 or so would be required for an EX-L. The 2011 Honda Civic Si models look to be priced from around $23,000, the 2011 Civic Hybrid from around $25,000.

2011 HONDA CIVIC FUEL ECONOMY

• New federal fuel-economy standards take affect with the 2011 model year, and Honda will rely heavily on the economical Civic to help it achieve its mandated 30.1-mpg fleet average for cars.

• Look for 2011 Honda Civic DX, LX, EX, and EX-L models to beat today’s 26/34 mpg (city/highway) ratings, and for Si versions to improve on their 21/29 ratings. Reflecting its inability to run at around-town speeds on electricity alone, today’s Honda Civic Hybrid is rated at 40/45 mpg (city/highway). An advance to lithium-ion batteries could increase electric-only running time and boost those numbers for the 2011 Honda Civic Hybrid.

2011 HONDA CIVIC RELEASE DATE

• Expect the 2011 Honda Civic in showrooms in late summer or early autumn 2010. About 90 percent of the Civics Honda sells in the U.S. are built at Honda plants in North America.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE HONDA CIVIC

• Pressure in the compact-car market is for high style, roomy cabins, and advanced features. Lively performance and great fuel economy are on the agenda, too. The Civic has been a pacesetter in all these areas, so part of Honda’s job with the all-new 2011 Civic is to raise a bar it’s already set pretty high. For style, it can cast an eye toward the Civic versions it sells overseas, but how much of their avant-garde design Honda feels is appropriate for U.S. tastes is debatable.

• It might believe the time is right to supplement the American lineup with two- or four-door hatchback body styles inspired by its overseas offerings. Chances are better, however, that Honda will use the redesigned Civic as a platform for a crossover-type wagon. This would be smaller than today’s Honda CR-V SUV, but have a roofline and seating position higher than the Civic sedan. It would also likely offer all-wheel drive to complement Civic’s standard front-wheel drive.    

• Honda might also see high-performance models like the Type R as appropriate for a permanent place on Civic’s U.S. roster. Civic performance enthusiasts are already debating whether Honda should consider turbocharging or stay with high-revving VTEC technology. That stands for Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control and refers to a design that allows the engine to produce good power over a wide rpm range.  

• Despite the relative steep cost of diesel fuel and diesel engines, new fuel-economy standards and potential gas-price hikes might make it financially viable for Honda to offer future Civics with the diesel powertrains it sells successfully in other markets. A plug-in hybrid is also a future Civic possibility.

2010 HONDA CIVIC COMPETITION

• Toyota Corolla: Civic’s archrival for sales in the compact-car class, but no match for driving enjoyment. Corolla’s successful because it’s a comfortable small sedan that holds its value. It was all-new for model-year 2009 and it won’t change significantly before model-year 2014.  

• Mazda 3: Revamped for 2010 with bold and polarizing new styling. Offers a four-door hatchback in addition to a four-door sedan body style. Halo model is the turbocharged 263-horsepower MazdaSpeed3. This compact rivals Civic for driving fun but not quite for refinement or broad appeal. Next redesign will be for 2015 or so.

• Hyundai Elantra: Already a value star by virtue of low prices and high equipment levels, this compact sedan and especially its sportier wagon version are coming up fast on the outside as Civic and Corolla challenges in terms of roominess and quality cabin materials. Mechanical polish still has a ways to go. Elantra won’t change significantly before model-year 2013.