The new (UK) Honda Civic is giving VW some stick

Wonderfully weighted controls, sharp steering and endless heave mean you punch along with verve

The Honda Civic definitely isn’t a car for your gran. Not only is it good for 135 and 60 in 8.5, the 2.2 diesel is so smooth, harmonious and refined, it’s better than a Golf.

Wonderfully weighted controls, sharp steering and endless heave mean you punch along with verve.
And if you push the eco button to keep the leaves on the dashboard green and use the stop-start in traffic, you’ll get close to 70mpg.

It’s a cracking little hatchback that feels upmarket, brilliantly built and unburstable. I’m sad to see the triangular exhaust pipes and ­deco-esque door handles of the old model have gone, but instead there are magic rear seats that fold totally flat or flip vertically backwards.

What your gran would like is how easy it is to drive slowly or fast and with so much torque you don’t have to stir around the six-speed box, hunting for the right ratio. Everything’s intuitive, beautifully balanced and the gear change is gorgeously slick.

You’ll also like the 90,000-mile warranty, 42 per cent retained value after three years and one of the best reliability records in the industry.

When’s the last time you saw a broken-down Honda on a low-loader? Best of all, it’s made in Swindon and at £21k it’s a decent deal.

So don’t be horrid about Hondas – the only thing senior about them is the startling excellence of their engineering.

Help put the petrol cap on more fuel rises
MOST of the big supermarkets are reducing fuel prices by 2p a litre over the bank holiday.
Don’t stockpile or queue, but it is worth enjoying what could be a ­short-lived price war.

The other day I saw diesel at 153p a litre, which is nuts. Even some Tory MPs now say they should have cut fuel duty rather than the 50p tax.

I’m determined to torpedo the 16p-a-gallon rise planned for August by getting MPs to vote against it in the Commons. You can join the campaign at www.fairfueluk.com

Source;
http://www.mirror.co.uk/opinion/lifestyle-opinion/quentin-wilson/the-new-honda-civic-car-is-giving-819854