Thoughts on the 2012 Honda Civic?

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We recently bought on since the 2011 Kia Sportage was not getting the fuel economy we hoped for. Our overall impressions are 100% positive and we are really enjoying this car.

So I understand that Honda is changing the 2013 because they say the 2012 is a disappointment...

We have yet to find anything we don't like about it. Granted this is our first Civic but I just don't get it.

Hey who knows, maybe this will become a collectors item since they only made these for one year...
 
I had one for a rental for about a week, probably put 250 miles on it.

It is a LOUD car... Real loud. But the lines are nicer than the older one, IMO, it was comfortable to drive, and was easy to get real good MPGs. It has a gimmicky green to blue lighting scheme that to me is brighter than it needs to be and thus distracting, but I do like it as it helps (along with the MPG gauge, etc) to identify just how optimally you are driving. I just wish it was dimmer/smaller.

Would I buy one? No, there are better cars out there and if I wanted a high MPG commuter car Id spend just a bit more and buy a stripped prius.

But it wasnt a bad car.
 
Interesting. I find it to be much quieter than the 2011 Sportage we had. And, well... My 1997 Subaru is super noisy so I must have a skewed interpretation of what a loud car is.
 
I'll agree it's a loud car. I've been in a few, and they've been much louder than other midsize cars (let's cut the mustard, these are midsize cars now). They also seemed less composed through corners and over bumps than my Cruze, despite the higher-tech suspension on the Civic. The rear seat always seems compact to me, and I'm average size/weight for a guy. It was fine for 20 minutes, but the once I spent an hour in the backseat made me long for the more spacious front seat.

Agreed, that generation of Legacy is indeed a very noisy car too. So the Civic might just be quieter.
 
The disappointment had to do with cheaper interior than previous and less sporting drive/handling.

The truth is majority of drivers could care less about the stuff except maybe interior quality.

The nice thing about Civic is a very simple and proven drivetrain. It will likely remain very reliable for years and if a repair happens not a shocker.
 
A lot of the noise factor is because of the tires. Lower profile tires tend to be nosier. When it was time for new tires for my daughters Civic, we did a lot of research including the Tire Rack ratings. Replacements made a huge difference over the noisier factory OEM.
 
My friend has a 2012 Civic. She has about 15k on it, and I've both driven it and serviced it.

My thoughts on the car are that it does not do anything particularly well - even for a C-segment car. It does not handle particularly well, does not have particularly good NVH, does not have exceptionally good fuel economy, etc.

It is a very average car which does not impress in any particular area, which is probably why Honda decided to move forward with a 2013 refresh.
 
Let me preface this by saying that I have owned 2 Civics and an Integra so 3 de-facto Civics.

The Honda Civic is not what it used to be.

Used to be the benchmark for the segment. The car that the others were measured by. Now it's really hard to find anything in the segment that isn't at least as good.

If you can get past the front fascia styling, the Mazda3 is better in most categories. Mitsubishi Lancer comes up a little short on fuel economy but is a nice car for usually a little less than a comparable Civic. Similarly, the Kia Forte comes up a little short on fuel economy but Kia has done well with the texturing of the hard plastics in the interior. It looks like a much more expensive car and it feels more powerful when you push down the long skinny pedal. The Elantra finally out-Civic'd the Civic. It may just be the new benchmark. Subaru is Subaru and it has a fiercely loyal following for a reason. The Corolla has earned a reputation for reliability even if it is a boring car.

The real surprise is the domestics. Back when Civic was king, domestics were a second thought. They didn't compare favorably. The Escort was noisy and harsh, the Neon outpowered and out torqued the Civic, and handled well enough for SCCA success but was cheap on the inside and initially had some reliability issues. The Cavalier was a Cavalier.
Now the domestics are quite possibly the best cars in the segment. The Focus is very good, the Cruze is possibly better, and the Dart looks to match the Cruze's success.

I would definitely take a look at the domestics.
 
A co-worker of mine bought a 2012 Civic about a month ago. It ultimately replaced a 1997 Civic that was wrecked before the end of its life. He was trying to see 333,333 on the odometer, but it was totalled out at 331,something before he could get there.

He drives about 150 miles a day and the car is doing exactly what he wanted. It's a pleasurable commuting companion for him and he knocks down about 41 mpg on his commute. He only paid something like $17,000 for it, so his cost/mile is very low.

I've ridden in it, and think it's a fine small car. I can compare it directly to riding in a new Mazda 3, as another co-worker just test-drove one of those recently. The Mazda clearly has nicer interior materials. Though I didn't like the canvasy seat fabric in the 3, the dash and door panels had nicer materials than the Honda. The Honda had a softer and quieter ride, though. People who say that a Civic is loud haven't ridden in a 3.
 
Yeah, I can attest to the "lack of quiet" in the Mazda 3. My daughter has an '06 3i and there can't be much insulation in the car. Even with very quiet tires(Hankook Optimo H727's), you still hear road noise. Her previous tires(Dunlop Signature) were far worst. But, the drivetrain is amongst the smoothest/quietest in it's segment. Love the rest of the car though!...Drove a rental...a new 2nd Gen 2010 Mazda3(in 2010) when they first arrived. No difference!

OTOH...The Civic's seem to have lost some of it's soul as are most Honda's(that nice crisp handling). Read the reports! But, I think that Honda is trying to apeal to a broader market that didn't like the harshness associated with typical Honda vehicles. The interior material are just another cost cutting factor where Honda didn't think it would matter much but, as the Press has noted...It does!

When I was buying Honda's, they were the standard in the class of vehicles in which I was purchacing. And everything else that I looked at didn't measure up in terms or quility, interior materials, refinement, drivetrain-mpg/power output, interior layout etc. They always felt more expensive than their dollar amount. But now, I like just about anything equal to or better than a Honda.

I'm not saying that I wouldn't like the next Honda that I drive, I just don't want to miss out on the other MFG's offerings! For a while there(80's-90's), it was only Honda's for me! Ahh, I had a few Toyota's too. But hung on to the Honda's longer!
 
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I don't see too many on the road around here. The local Honda's lot is over run w/them! I owned the previous gen. Civic and it had many faults. One thing I will say for Honda they addressed a few of the issues found on the previous generation. (Terrible front tweeter location/hand blake location.) Honda's don't hold the mystic they once had. Lots of other choices. Talking about other cars in their price segment, IMO the VW Golf 2.5 is by far the best car/value. Doesn't quite get the best gas mileage but it is extremely safe and comfortable. 2012 gas Golf's 0% 60mo financing going on now. Your Honda should last a long time, safe and happy motoring!
 
I drove a Civic Hybrid the other day and was pleasantly surprised. It was much roomier and more comfortable than any Civic I've driven recently. The new interior is an evolution of the older model and better for larger folks.

Still, with new domestics like the Focus, Cruze, and Dart, I can't imagine buying one. We just got a few Darts in and they look and feel nicer than almost any Asian compact except maybe the new Elantra, and we'll see how that car holds up.

Bottom line, the Civic is a very good car that sells mostly on its reputation, much like the Corolla. There are other excellent alternatives out there. The compact segment is white hot so no need to buy an inferior car. There are too many good choices.
 
I've got a 2012 Civic Si and I love it. The only drawbacks are the interior, which is really bland, and the suspension is too soft. The suspension definatly has potential and that is what I was looking for as I don't plan on keeping it stock. The interior doesn't really bother me because I didn't buy the car because it was stylish, I bought it for the excellent engine and 6-speed transmission.
 
Originally Posted By: Scott_Tucker
I've got a 2012 Civic Si and I love it. The only drawbacks are the interior, which is really bland, and the suspension is too soft. The suspension definatly has potential and that is what I was looking for as I don't plan on keeping it stock. The interior doesn't really bother me because I didn't buy the car because it was stylish, I bought it for the excellent engine and 6-speed transmission.


Id consider an si civic, just not the run of the mill...
 
Yeah, if I was going to get another Compace to replace my 2011 Focus, I'd be looking at the Cruze and '12 Focus.

Dart ... eh ... everyone here knows what I think of Chrysler
 
Originally Posted By: sw99
We recently bought on since the 2011 Kia Sportage was not getting the fuel economy we hoped for.


Off topic alert-

Did you trade in the Kia because of the mileage?
 
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Originally Posted By: Miller88
Yeah, if I was going to get another Compace to replace my 2011 Focus, I'd be looking at the Cruze and '12 Focus.

Dart ... eh ... everyone here knows what I think of Chrysler


Technically it's more of a Fiat, specifically an Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

Pretty exciting! We get the opportunity to buy an "Alfa Romeo" in the USA. One does wonder how much of the Alfa DNA made the transition to Dodge though.

Still haven't driven one.
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I do like the Cruze. Even the LS model with the 1.8. I like that you actually get a few models with a manual transmission in stock at the dealer.
If you don't want a white base model Focus with the plastic wheel covers, seems like you have to get the horrid DCT from dealer stock.
 
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Yeah, if I was going to get another Compace to replace my 2011 Focus, I'd be looking at the Cruze and '12 Focus.

Dart ... eh ... everyone here knows what I think of Chrysler


Technically it's more of a Fiat, specifically an Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

Pretty exciting! We get the opportunity to buy an "Alfa Romeo" in the USA. One does wonder how much of the Alfa DNA made the transition to Dodge though.

Still haven't driven one.
21.gif


I do like the Cruze. Even the LS model with the 1.8. I like that you actually get a few models with a manual transmission in stock at the dealer.
If you don't want a white base model Focus with the plastic wheel covers, seems like you have to get the horrid DCT from dealer stock.


No special order needed for my Cruze with the 1.4T and manual transmission. It was picked out of dealer stock.

The Civic is a solid, if dated, choice. Can't wait to see what Honda has for 2013.
 
Originally Posted By: sw99
We recently bought on since the 2011 Kia Sportage was not getting the fuel economy we hoped for.

What sort of MPG did you hope for and what MPG were you actually getting from the Sportage?

It's an SUV after all...
 
I think it was a change mid '12 model year that you can get any of them but the titanium with a 5 speed now.

Granted, dealers don't stock 5 speeds.

Should be a 6 speed
 
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