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OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, July 8, 2009 · 16 Honda's made-in-Canada is the gold standard of compact cars By Jim Robinson Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine It's amusing to hear our American friends going on about the importance of buying products made in the U.S.A. when one of their favorite cars is made by a foreign power ­ us. Yep, the Honda Civic sedan is just one of the vehicles made in Ontario at Honda's production facility in Alliston. The perennial top selling compact car in Canada and the U.S., the current generation Civic blurs the line between compact and mid-size because 2009 Civics aren't really all that small anymore. The Civic is 4.4-metres long with the passenger volume of 2,574 litres. It may be considered compact on the outside, but it's mid-size on the inside. There are no less than six different Civic models: four trim levels (DX, DX-G, Sport, EX-L) of the sedan, the sporty Si with a bigger 2.0-litre engine that revs freely to an amazing 7,800 rpm and the Hybrid that boasts fuel economy numbers of 4.7L/100 km city and 4.3L/100 km highway. Tested here is the Sport that replaces last year's LX model. The Sport features a leather wrapped steering wheel, black cloth interior with silver contrast stitching and little things like a chrome exhaust tip and USB device connector. The shape of the Civic sedan, as well as the coupe, has now defined the Honda "family look" with a steeply raked front windshield that is part of a sweeping roofline that actually starts at the nose then arches up and over in one curve to the rear deck. That is combined with a wide track and extremely short overhangs for a look that seems hewn out of one block. All Civics, including the Sport, have what Honda calls its Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) Body Structure. In a frontal crash, the energy is dispersed through a network of load bearing structures in the front of the vehicle. To make it work, the front-end frame structure incorporates new upper and lower frame members to significantly enhance energy dispersion in a frontal collision. HONDA CIVIC SPORT SEDAN 2009 AT A GLANCE BODY STYLE: Compact sedan. DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, front-wheel-drive. ENGINE: 1.8-litre SOHC inline fourcylinder (140 hp, 128 lb/ft). FUEL ECONOMY: Five-speed manual, 7.4/5.4L/100 km city/highway; five-speed automatic, 8.2/5.7L/100 km city/highway. PRICE: $31,780, as tested, $23,158.90. WEB: www.honda.ca Photo by Jim Robinson The Honda Civic has been one of Canada's favorite cars from the very first ones sold back in 1973. There are no less than six Civic models including Civic sedans (Sport model shown) built in Canada. The design of the Civic also takes into account what happens when a pedestrian is hit. The Civic's hood and fender areas are designed to deform if contacted by the head of an adult or child. Energy-absorbing collapsible hood supports, wiper arms and fender mounts are designed to allow substantial deformation in an impact. The interior of the current generation Civic takes advantage of its greater width. For instance, the seats are wider, and thus, more supportive. The centre console is big enough to hold 25 CDs. The most prominent aspect of the cabin is the two-tier instrument panel. A digital speedometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge are housed in the upper level to be more in line with the driver's line-ofsight, resulting in shorter eye movements between the most commonly referenced gauges and the road. The lower level of the instrument panel houses a tachometer, multiinformation digital display, odometer with trip meter and a variety of warning indicators. Once seated, just about anyone can find a comfortable driving position, including my son who is just too tall for most compact and mid-size cars. With a long seat travel and standard tilt/telescoping steering wheel, even the new race of giant children we are building can drive a Civic. Power for the four main Civic sedans, including the Sport, is a 1.8-litre SOHC inline four-cylinder producing 140 hp and 128 lb/ft of torque. Standard transmission is a fivespeed manual with a five-speed automatic as an option. Fuel ratings for the manual are 7.4/5.4L/100 km city/highway and 8.2/5.7L/100 km city/highway for the automatic. The automatic tested here is typically Honda-ish in that, if you pull down on the shift lever in one motion, it bypasses D (Drive) on the shiftgate and slots in one gear below in D3. Unlike most autoboxes where you just select D and let the transmission do the shifting, Honda believes most people want a little more peppy response around town where most driving is done, thus a higher initial gear. The only way around this is to pull down the shifter deliberately for D. The view forward is quite differed from the norm for the first time Civic driver. Due to the wind-cheating shape of the car, the hood falls away sharply forward from the windshield. The driver, seated further back has no visual sense of where the front corners are. This can cause problems when parking. Experience, as in everything, is the best teacher and the perimeters are soon learned. The vehicle is also wide, and along with the length and high rear deck, I found the Civic a challenge to back into my standard sized garage. In fact, I found an Acura MDX (also built in Alliston) easier to back in. The DX and DX-G come with a solid fold- down rear seat back while the Sport and EXL have a 60/40 split/fold rear seat. This can be used to augment the 340 litres of cargo volume in the trunk. A nice inclusion is a standard 12-volt power point, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, integrated glass radio antenna, six airbags, and on the Sport, steering wheel mounted cruise control. Suspension is coil springs over MacPherson struts with stabilizers bars at the front and a double wishbone independent system with stabilizers bars at the rear. It would have been far cheaper for Honda to go with a simple twist beam at the rear. However, the double wishbones, because of the relatively long wheelbase (2,700 mm), make for a more refined ride that's enhanced by better adhesion. Breaking is power ventilated discs at the front and solid discs at the rear. Four-wheel ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution Control is standard on all Civics. If you want stability control it is only available on the EXL, Hybrid and Civic Si Coupe. The Sport has a starting price of $21,780 and will probably be the volume seller. My tester had just two options, the five-speed automatic at $1,200 and floor mats ($178.90) for an as tested price of $23,158.90. The Sport is well equipped for the price and it's roomy too. It's a great car for going across town or across the country. Others have tried, and are still trying, to duplicate or better the Civic, but it remains the Canadian gold standard for compact sedans. EXPERIENCE THE BEST PATRICK MAGUIRE MANAGER CHADD LOCKWOOD DEALER "The only deal we can't beat is the one we don't see." oakvilledodge.com VIEW PHOTOS & VIDEO OF OUR ENTIRE INVENTORY ONLINE @ OAKVILLE DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP & 270 Oak Park Blvd. T R A FA L G A R D U N D A S 905-845-4211