2012 Honda Civic Wins About.Com "Best New Cars Award", Praise From Derek's Grandma

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

Honda’s decision to redesign the current Civic after barely a year on the market was described to me by one former Honda insider as “the closest they will ever come to admitting to gross incompetence.” Even though the Civic has been panned by most outlets, the staff at About.com called the Civic one of the Best New Cars of 2012.

Aaron Gold, author of the piece, lauded the Civic for being

“… the most comprehensive compact car on the market. You can get a sedan or a coupe; a high-fuel-efficiency version; a high-performance version; a leather-lined version; a hybrid version; even an alternative-fuel version that runs on clean natural gas. And whichever Civic you choose, you’re virtually guaranteed years of trouble-free motoring.”

Gold’s depiction of the Civic brings to mind an automotive buffet. And like most buffet restaurants, the abundance of choice cannot be correlated with the quality of the offerings. Seeking a neutral, third-party perspective, I decided to get the opinion of a car enthusiast with decades of experience driving all kinds of cars on multiple continents – my grandma.

At 78 years old, Yvette Lerner has lived a rich and full life and shows no signs of slowing down. Although she is more interested in bridge, Masterpiece Theater and her adult education classes, Lerner is a car enthusiast, having owned everything from an MG Magnette, a Skoda convertible, a ’65 Mustang with a 289 V8, a Chrysler LeBaron K-Car and a 1993 Escort with a 5-speed manual, that she purchased after she had turned 60. Grandma also owned one of the first 1973 Civics in North America, and now drives a 2000 Honda Civic sedan (with a 4-speed automatic) with 47,845 miles, and had a 2012 Civic LX as a service loaner while her car is in the body shop. She also notes that she “did [her] driving test in England. It’s harder, and I had to do it on a [manual] shift car. And park on a hill.” That’s more than can be said for most drivers today.

“I liked that new Honda!” said Lerner. “It was really peppy, much more than mine is. The windows go down automatically and you sit higher up. The radio was much better too.” When asked if she would trade in her 2000 Civic, considered to be the best generation ever made by enthusiasts, the answer was an emphatic yes, but Lerner noted she’d spend her money on something besides a new car, and her current Civic was in “immaculate condition.” Notably absent were complaints about MacPherson struts, electric power steering systems or the ECO mode, though Lerner did praise the ride quality as being “smoother than my Civic.”

While journalists such as Gold get their Civics dropped off and picked up from their home or workplace with a full tank of gas and insurance provided, Lerner paid for her own fuel, used her own insurance policy and was weighing a possible purchase decision, as a retiree living on a fixed income. Her car enthusiast pedigree is also stronger than that of some of the people you meet on press launches.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Silverkris Silverkris on Feb 06, 2012

    How coincidental. My wife had a 2000 Civic EX with 107K miles on it and for several months wrestled with whether we should trade it in or not - as the dealers were offering extra money for trade-ins and good pricing on the 2012 models. Well, a couple of weeks ago, we finally pulled the trigger and traded in the 2000 EX for the current model. Compared with the old model, yes, instrument panel looks a bit busy and the plastics are harder and not as nice. But the car is quieter, has a bit more zip (1.8L vs. 1.6L in the 2000 model), and gets better fuel economy at the same time. Not to mention updated safety features like curtain airbags and the like. My wife is happy with the car, and for her, the new model works well.

  • CRConrad CRConrad on Feb 08, 2012

    "And like most buffet restaurants, the abundance of choice cannot be correlated with the quality of the offerings." What, you never heard of negative correlation? :-)

  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
  • Corey Lewis Think how dated this 80s design was by 1995!
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