2008 Honda Civic

I bought my 2007 Honda Civic EX Coupe about 3 weeks ago. Mine is a nighthawk black model with the five speed manual transmission. I added the Fog Lights, Splash guards (mudflaps), door edge guards, all-weather mats, and a block heater (to help fight our cold winter temperatures).

Why did I choose the Civic? My price range was $20,000 and below. I was looking at Toyota, Honda, and Subaru vehicles. I feared that the Yaris and Fit were too small and/or not sporty enough for what I was after. The Corolla/Matrix styling was long overdue for an update. And the Subaru Impreza I could buy on my budget would have been a base model without any bells and whistles. The Subaru Impreza did have all-wheel drive, but I also noticed that this fact lowered its gas mileage drastically. (23/30 for the Impreza, versus 30/38 for the Civic.) I found that for $20k, I could get a fully loaded Civic with premium sound, alloy wheels, and a sun roof. Sounded good to me!

I selected the Civic coupe for a simple and superficial reason: I did not like the rear-end styling of the sedan. The coupe, in my opinion, has a more streamlined, sporty look. I don't have children and my husband has a Subaru Forester, a small SUV that's perfect if we're driving around with friends or relatives. Though my most recent car, a Saab 900, was a 4 door sedan, my first and favorite car was a two-door VW Beetle, so I am used to (and even prefer) the two-door lifestyle.

I ordered my Civic coupe from another dealership because our local one did not have one with the options and color I wanted. I was a bit surprised when it came: I expected Nighthawk Black to be, well, black. And while it IS black, it actually has metallic blue flecks in it as well. At first I wasn't sure I liked this -- I had selected black specifically because I didn't want a metallic color. But, it is just a subtle sparkle and adds a beautiful shine to the car when it's in the sun.

What do I love about my Civic?

First, I should mention the customer service I received at the dealership. I purchased my vehicle through GF Honda in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The salesmen and staff were all helpful and friendly (and very patient with me when I kept excitedly calling to ask the status of my ordered car!). The salesman sat down with me and explained my vehicle's manuals and options to me, making sure I knew what the dashboard buttons did and how to activate various features of the car. After my purchase, I received phone calls from the dealership and the Honda Finance center making sure that I understood everything and asking if I had additional questions.

Next, this car is very comfortable. I'm a person who gets car sick fairly easily from cars that are too "smooth" due to weak shocks. I LOVE the stiff shocks on my Civic. Some people might find the shocks too stiff and the ride too bumpy, but I absolutely love it. The seats are very comfortable as well. My husband and I are both nearly six feet tall and we feel quite at home riding long distances in the Civic. In fact, I don't even have the seat all the way back from the steering wheel. I think this car could easily accommodate a taller person. I should note here that the same cannot be said for the back seats. Obviously, a Coupe is designed around the driver, not the back seat passenger. When I sat in the back, my head touched the rear window and roof of the vehicle. This would not be a comfortable place for average or tall adults to ride any distance.

The engine, though only 140 HP, performs to my liking. It's a quiet car with a fair acceleration rate. This car gets up and goes. The clutch is easy and the car shifts smoothly. My gas mileage in town has been around 32 mpg, which is very good for a car with a manual transmission. The ride is quiet even at speeds above 80 mph. We're looking forward to taking a long trip in this car. The spacious front cabin is very well-designed, and the large trunk with 60/40 folding rear seats offers versatile cargo room.

What don't I love about the Civic?

As far as the body style, I think it's pretty silly that it doesn't have any kind of body-bumper. Most cars I've owned have had some kind of rubber or plastic strip around the car to protect it from the inevitable shopping cart or door ding. I don't have any dings yet, but it's going to be a bummer when I finally get one. Additionally, the fabric seats and accents are dirt magnets. I have the black interior, and I think my biggest complaint about the car overall is how easy it is to collect dirt on those seats. I'm a very clean person and I don't eat in my vehicle, yet every little hair, crumb, or speck of dirt that somehow enters the car shows up on my seats and fabric-covered arm-rests. If you tend to ride with a window or the sun roof open, this issue will affect you.

Additionally, since the seats are black, I see any dust mark that gets on them. If I set my handbag on the seat and it's dusty, there'll be a light-colored dust mark when I pick it up. If I brush my arm across the armrest and I have any dry skin, that stays on the armrest as a dusty light-colored mark. Pretty gross. I also have two cats at home (one of which is light-colored), so any cat hair that migrates out of the house with me gets stuck to my seats. I've taken to keeping one of those sticky roller lint-removers in my center console to take care of this issue. I think that the micro-fiber/spill resistant fabric I've seen in other vehicles (like the Toyota Prius) would have been a better choice for the Honda.

Edited in October, 2007 to add: The new 2008 models have a leather option for the seats. This review is for the 2007, which did not offer this option. I thought it might be of interest to you, however.

The plastic/vinyl components of the interior collect finger prints like crazy, too. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way either -- I noticed another new Civic in the parking lot recently and saw that its owner, like myself, is carrying around a can of armor-all cleaning wipes. These wipes take care of the immediate issue, but not the problem itself.

I don't like the tires that came on the car, either. They appear to be pretty much the cheapest Bridgestone all-weather tire the company could find. I know tires are a source of controversy and disagreement among car owners, but personally and throughout my family, Bridgestones are on the "would never buy" list. They do have a one-year warranty, however.

Aside from these minor complaints, I do really love my Civic. The good by FAR outweighs the bad. I feel proud to drive it and I definitely feel like I got a great car for my money. Speaking of Money, the Honda financing has been very straightforward and hassle free so far. They offer online payments, over-the-phone payments, and by-mail payments, which is very convenient.