Inside Story: 2009 Honda Civic Sport

Review and photos by Michael Clark

News flash! The Honda Civic is still very much for sale!

Did we really need the bulletin? When you factor in all the hoopla from the introduction of the Honda Insight low-dough hybrid, the Swiss Army Knife practicality of the Fit, plus the general return to cubism amongst the compact set, we’re at least bordering on “gentle reminder.” The sales numbers tell a different story, as if advertising has returned to the subliminal no-nos used in the 1950s. Not only was the Civic the top-selling passenger car in Canada for 2008, it was also the best-selling vehicle overall, the first passenger car in 15 years to do so.

Like the Accord, the Civic tends to go through an update every two to three years. While the clay on the next-gen mock-up is probably getting dry and flaky, it’s a good time to dig into the current Civic, and identify areas for improvement. (There’s gotta be SOMETHING.) This week’s IS tester is the Civic Sport sedan, in manual stick trim, with an MSRP of $21,780. (Prices shown do not include freight, taxes, regional or promotional incentives.)

Sometimes, change is good. Knowing when to leave things as they are can be just as enjoyable. The manual tilt/telescope wheel adds cruise control tabs on the right-hand spoke, with the left-hand spoke barren of audio controls, an EX-L/Si model exclusive. The driver information display, located below the tachometer sweep, is accessed by tabs on the dash, to the driver’s extreme left. Next to those tabs is a delightfully simplistic dimmer control. The display provides dual trip meters, outside temperature, and engine oil health.

Wipers possess intermittency, while headlamps do not yet provide an auto detent. The upper speedometer display is flanked by coolant temperature and fuel level gauges. Suggestion: implement the colour-changing speedometer display of the Insight Hybrid as a simple way to influence good throttle behaviour. The centre stack provides easy-to-understand controls for the CD head unit and HVAC.

Exterior mirror heating works in concert with the electric rear window defrost. The five-speed manual shift presented no engagement issues, with a well-spaced gate. The driver’s door pod houses an auto up/down switch for the driver pane only, and a power toggle pad for the exterior mirrors. The fuel door and trunk release are controlled with opposite inputs through a floor mount lever, with a keyed lock-out for the trunk.

Cubbies!
The non-locking glovebox becomes overwhelmed quite quickly with the owner’s literature, though it does contain an absolute must: a Civic-specific Quick Start Guide. The side door pockets are unable to accept bottles for the front doors, while you could almost add ice in the rear door cavities. Flip up the console lid, where you’ll find a USB tether for audio input. You can also use the auxiliary audio input jack on the dash, below the HVAC, with an adjacent 12-volt DC powerpoint. The dual front cupholder is hidden by a rubbery roll-top door.

The Civic still retains the accolades for Best Dang Cupholder in Automobilia. There are four spring-loaded tensioners per holder, where many competing marques make do with one cincher per cup cavity. Twin cubbies are found below the HVAC controls, and to the left of the driver. For inner security concerns, IS suggests that the larger floor cubby receive a roll-top door or removable biscuit as standard equipment. The front passenger seatback adds a soft storage pocket

A manual day/night mirror joins hard plastic visors with unlit vanity mirrors. The Sport is the first trim level for the power moonroof to appear in the Civic hierarchy, with auto vent and slide.

Seat Treat
Driver positioning can be fine-tuned with the manual height adjustment lever. Door openings are ultra-wide fore and aft, with ample head and legroom. Heated front seats only appear on one Civic model, the EX-L.

Cargo Embargo
Seatback release for folding the seatbacks forward is accomplished in the trunk, with two pull levers. The fold is relatively flat, though the height of the fold could cause problems with loading larger items.

Spare Care
The cargo floor does not receive a hanger to hold aloft for spare access, nor is it easily removable. The temporary spare tire uses an inner foam biscuit for rattle-free tool stowage. Honda will change that tire for you, during the first three years of ownership, with no mileage limit.

The Mill
A 140-horsepower 1.8-litre inline four populates the Civic Sport engine bay. Kudos to Honda for allowing its engines to look like engines. Access to fluid fill points and accessory drive components is a snap. Labour costs should be minimalized for the long haul. Transport Canada pegs the one-eight with five-speed stick configuration at a city consumption of 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres, and a highway sip of 5.4 litres per 100 kilometres. Translation: the fuel gauge doesn’t move.

The Verdict
As “Maytag” cars go, the Civic is an attractive appliance. It’s also downright patriotic, as the majority of Civics for Canadian consumption are built by fellow Canadians, in Alliston, Ontario. As I mentioned earlier, there’s GOTTA BE SOMETHING. IS would like to see the larger storage cubbies equipped with security covers. Heated seats really need to become available on lower-end cloth-quilted buckets, even at the DX entry level. Maybe another 12-volt DC powerpoint in the glovebox. And a Bluetooth interface. That’s it. That’s how little a Civic is missing.

Source (with additional pic's!);
http://www.canadiandriver.com/2009/07/02/inside-story-2009-honda-civic-sport.htm