2016 Honda Civic Sedan First Drive Review - Pick Your Flavor

It only took Honda 15 years to get the Civic right again.

After Honda, a company known for engineering prowess in the 1990s, attempted to make the Civic a more palatable option for plain jack and janes — enthusiasts either hung on to what they had or went elsewhere.

To me, the last real Civic was the sixth-generation model, which Honda sold from 1996 to 2000. It was also the last generation that Honda sold as an honest to goodness hatchback in North America. Sure, the British-built Si came to our shores later, but you needed to shell out big bucks for Honda’s pride and joy from Swindon.

Thankfully, the automaker is going back to its roots — 15 years in the past — to deliver a driving experience I’ve missed since saying goodbye to my 2000 Honda Civic Coupe many, many years ago.

And, to top it all off, there are now two flavors — regular and turbocharged.

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  • Spookiness The Mazda interior really is nice. I recognize the rationale for the Mazda infotainment interface design in lieu of a touch screen, but the filthy masses have spoken. As with the rotary engine, it's time to move on. To sell more cars they'll need to have touchscreens. Other carmakers have evolved beyond the iPad-screwed-on-top-the-dash look, so I'm sure Mazda can come up with something aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly. (Another quibble: I really don't need or want AWD, so I wish it wasn't forced. But again, the masses have spoken.)
  • Lou_BC “We are always listening to the customer. "You sayin' the baller/gangsta types don't want Escalades on 24's that don't make vroom vroom rumbly sounds?
  • AZFelix I shall fully endorse the use of autonomous cars on public roads once they have successfully completed my proposed Turing test for self driving vehicles. This test requires the successful completion of an at fault incident and accident free 24/7 driving session in Buffalo and upstate New York from October 1st until March 31st, and throughout the city of Jakarta, Indonesia for one consecutive year. Only Level 1 and Level 5 vehicles are permissible.
  • Lou_BC I'd go Rav4. No Mazda dealer in my town and from what I've seen, Mazda's tend to rust.
  • Steve Jacobs I've got a bright Red Kia EV6. Easy to find in a parking lot.