mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

I believe pricing on the Si is projected to be around $19,500. Pricey for a Civic but considering it is bascially a DC5 replacement not too shabby. I'd rock one.

dom

US prices....

Honda has stated the Si will be under 20k. The number floating around is 19,600. There will be 3 types of Si's available.

- Si
- Si with perfomance summer tires
- Si with Navi and XM
- Si with Navi, XM and performance tires

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

Should be slightly cheaper. It's an RSX replacement, but with a Honda badge.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

18"'s will be a dealer option. Factory 18"s on a Civic

dom

FYI

When the Civic Si's 200hp figure was announced, a lot of people automatically assumed the Si would be getting the same K20A2 that was fitted to the '02-'04 RSX Type S. But to us it didn't make sense for Honda to pull a motor out of retirement for an all-new car, and it turns out we were right. What we got is a new iteration of the K20 which (according to Honda R&D folks) is most closely related to the K20 found in the (JDM) Accord Euro R. For the '06 Si, the motor is labeled K20Z3 and sets itself apart from the K20Z1 ('05-'06 RSX Type S) with its balancer shaft, drive by wire throttle, and electric power steering system (EPS). In keeping with Honda's recent adherance to the latest revision to the SAE's J1349 standard, this motor has been rated at 197hp and 139lb-ft of torque, just shy of the announced 200hp. This compares favorably to the RSX Type S' K20Z1, which is now rated at 201hp and 140lb-ft. The difference in output between the K20Z1 and K20Z3 is said to be mostly related to the additional inertial mass of the K20Z3's balancer shaft, with some of that loss offset by the gain of the EPS.

Teh Jatt

Source: vtec.net

Stevens24

Prices only rose 750 over last year. More hp 5speed AT, Side curtains, 16" alloys, tilt/telescope, etc really isn't a huge jump. the Accord to get this year is the LX SE adds 4wheel discs 6CD changer 16" alloys EBD, Steering wheel audio controls for 900 more than an LX

dom

Give me a break, I had my son in one arm and typing with the other.

Teh Jatt

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

I can't wait to see what kind of power they can pull out of that motor.

Bring on the boost.

heyitsme

DejaVu, integra gsr, 10+ years ago we already saw the power.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

Completely different motor my friend.

K-Series > B-Series

heyitsme

Well even then, 1.8l, 195 @ 8000 RPM, 130lb ft @ 7500 RPM, redline 8400 RPM, maybe a newer is better only because current engines get more support.

Think there is an obvious problem with the power output of this new civic.

JJ4Short

Looks too much like a saturn

heyitsme

0325.JPG[/IMG]

heyitsme

Sedan LX & EX:
Atomic Blue Metallic/Gray
Nighthawk Black Pearl/Ivory
Royal Blue Pearl/Ivory OR Gray
Galaxy Gray/Gray
Tango Red Pearl/Ivory
Alabaster Silver Metallic/Gray
Taffeta White/Ivory
Shoreline Mist Metallic/Ivory
Coupe LX:
Atomic Blue/Gray
Nighthawk Black/Ivory
Royal Blue Pearl/Ivory
Galaxy Gray/Gray
Alabaster Silver/Gray
Taffeta White/Ivory

EX adds:
Rallye Red/Black

SI (all interiors are black)
Nighthawk Black
Fiji Blue Pearl
Galaxy Gray
Rallye Red
Habanero Red
Alabaster Silver
Taffeta White

Hybrid:
Opal Silver Blue/Ivory
Galaxy Gray/Ivory
Magnetic Pearl/Blue
Alabaster Silver/Blue
Taffeta White/Ivory

youngTL

You can't get an accord LX V6 for the same price as an EX Civic. You're looking at that point an Accord LX with the 4 banger. The only way that would happen is if you got Nav on the Civic. And either way, the Accord is much more expensive to run! The Civic will net you AT WORST 25 or 26mpg around town, probably 29mpg average, whereas the V6 accord will be way more expensive to run at 21mpg average around town.

And as far as the fuel economy goes, just look at the Accord. The EX and the DX get the same. It's not like the weight variation between models is 200lbs or something. It's more like 30 to 70. Sit one extra person in your car, does your fuel economy change measurably or significantly? It does change, just not a lot.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

WTF are you talking about?

TSX69

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...c-hybrid_x.htm

Redesigned hybrid has flair
Timing, if not quite everything, sure is a lot. Honda is about to launch a thoroughly remade Civic gas-electric hybrid rated 50 miles per gallon in town and on the highway just when gas prices are high and supplies are sometimes spotty.

No, hybrids don't really deliver the fantastic fuel economy implied by the big numbers on their window stickers. No, hybrids won't save enough on fuel to repay their typically higher prices in the foreseeable future, even when gas is $3.

But they are hot, hot, hot nonetheless. And the 2006 Honda Civic might be the best yet.

Best because it benefits from the total overhaul of the entire Civic line for the 2006 model year. The '06 Civics in general are sleeker, roomier, quieter, more powerful, more refined and a lot of fun to drive. Future Test Drive columns will assay the gasoline-powered Civics. But the hybrid version is interesting enough to consider separately.

Civic Hybrid is Toyota Prius' main competitor, though Toyota will sell 100,000 Priuses this year, and Honda is planning a meager 28,000 Civic Hybrids a year. The plant in Japan that builds Civic Hybrids can crank out some thousands more but not enough to, say, double the planned volume, Honda says.

The car's interior is equally daring, with an efficient instrument panel and attractive blue lights.

The Civic Hybrid continues to look almost identical to other Civics, instead of being a wholly different car, as Prius is. Civic Hybrid does get a bigger "hybrid" badge on the rump and has a tiny spoiler on the trunk lid, uses different wheels than the other Civics and has turn-signal lights in the mirrors that other Civics don't. But it's not for people who want to parade their dedication to fuel efficiency, as Prius is.

Civic Hybrid goes on sale Oct. 5 and will start at about $21,500, similar to the current version.

Here's what stood out in 166 miles of mixed highway and suburban driving.

Pluses:

•Hybrid power. The 50 miles per gallon fuel economy rating has risen a couple of mpgs. (The '06 gasoline Civics are rated 30/40 mpg.)

It's more powerful than the one it replaces — rated 110 horsepower for the gas engine and electric motor combined, vs. 93 combined hp for the '05 — making the Civic Hybrid easier to use and less strained in demanding driving. Still no rocket, it will merge onto the 75-mph big roads without causing anxiety.

Idle stop — the feature on all hybrids that shuts off the gas engine at stoplights or waiting in clogged traffic — is employed more often than on the '05. Honda's new-design air conditioner usually doesn't require the gasoline engine to be running, as did the previous model.

•Styling. Somewhere between engaging and gorgeous. The silhouette's swoop is what you'd expect on an auto-show car or in a designer's first fevered sketch, not on a production vehicle.

The interior is equally daring, featuring what Honda calls a two-tier instrument panel. Speedometer, battery gauge and gas gauge are arced atop the dashboard above the steering wheel, at the lower edge of the driver's line of sight. Checking how fast and how full doesn't require the eyes to be diverted much from the road ahead. Tachometer and other gauges are in the conventional, lower location, requiring a normal glance down. Lighting is a delightful blue, somewhat like Volkswagen's.

•Details. Climate-control knobs rotate with smooth precision. The gear lever has a satisfying, mechanical feel. Seats are more comfortable. A plug is provided for MP3 audio devices.

Grippy material on the steering wheel is marvelous to grab.

The nearly flat rear floor provides useful room for back-seaters.

•Feel. Civics generally have had a sportier character than rival small cars and have been more fun to drive as a result. Hybrid's no exception.

Minuses:

•Vibration. The gas engine in the preproduction test cars shuddered when it restarted after the idle stop. Honda promises to banish that in showroom cars.

•Transmission. The manual transmission has been discontinued. The hybrid comes only with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). OK for most drivers, but it engages in grabby fashion in reverse, especially when backing uphill.

•Noise. Typical of hybrids, the hard, easy-rolling tires raise more road noise than conventional tires do. One preproduction tester also had significant wind noise around the driver's window, presumably a one-car problem as it wasn't present on the other hybrid.

A short electromechanical whine almost like a beep rears its head when braking. Honda promises it'll be gone on production models.

•Mileage. The trip computer recorded 36.3 mpg in 166 miles of mixed driving, after posting averages in the mid-40s during highway-heavy portions. An '05 Civic Hybrid driven similarly delivered 38.9 mpg.

•Accessories. Not enough for some tastes. No leather, no seat heaters, no anti-skid control.

•Cheapness. Plastic trim on the steering wheel spokes feels thin and brittle. Door handles are less than satisfyingly hefty, too.

While the Civic Hybrid has its issues, they are minor. The car comes across as desirable, but mostly because it's a new Civic rather than because it saves a little gas.

2006 Honda Civic Hybrid

•What is it? Gas-electric hybrid power version of the redesigned Civic small car. Front-wheel-drive, four-door sedan made at Suzuka, Japan.

•How soon? On sale Oct. 5.

•How much? About $21,500, similar to the '05 Civic hybrid. Honda won't disclose exact prices until just before it goes on sale.

•Who'll buy? Honda says they'll be environmentally conscious, probably married men who are college graduates and will fall into two age-and-income groups. One will average 35 years old and have $65,000 average annual household income. The other averages 50 years old and $85,000.

•How many? 28,000 a year, a small number compared with Toyota Prius' 100,000-plus yearly sales. Honda says it could get more from the Japan factory, won't say just how many more, but not enough to double the planned sales figure.

•What's the drivetrain? 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine rated 93 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 89 pounds-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm, coupled to electric motor rated 20 hp at 2,000 rpm, 76 lbs.-ft. the instant it begins turning. Total combined power: 110 hp at 6,000 rpm, 123 lbs.-ft. at 1,000 rpm.

The total is not simply the sum of the gas and electric ratings because the two deliver their maximum rated power at different speeds.

A continuously variable ratio automatic transmission (CVT) is the only transmission available. Manual has been discontinued.

•What's the safety gear? Expected bags and belts plus anti-lock brakes, front-seat side-impact air bags and front and rear head-curtain air bags. Anti-skid control is not available.

•What's the rest? Hybrid is equipped similarly to top-end EX gasoline model. Standard features include: automatic climate control; AM/FM/CD stereo with WMA playback capability and input jack for MP3; power steering, brakes, windows, locks, mirrors; cruise control; telescoping and tilt-adjustable steering column; rear defroster; remote-control locks; trip computer.

•How big? 176.7 inches long, 69 inches wide, 56.3 inches tall on a 106.3-inch wheelbase. Weight is listed as 2,875 pounds. Passenger space is listed as 90.9 cubic feet, trunk as 10.4 cubic feet.

•How thirsty? Rated 50 miles per gallon in town and on the highway on regular-grade (87 octane) gas. Test car's trip computer showed 36.3 mpg in mixed driving.

•Overall: Dandy to drive, nice to view, better than its predecessor and welcome in a time of $3-a-gallon gasoline.

corey415

Si Dyno Results from TOV:
http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-ar...icle_id=403644

DownUnder

Here are some "real world" pics of the Civic EX sedan with navi. Initially I didn't like it at all, but now I'm starting to kinda like it.

charliemike

Anyone else see a resemblance to the Prius?

DownUnder

Yeah, the front and side profile is similar, but even so IMO the new Civic looks 100X better then the Prius.

Teh Jatt

Belzebutt

This is the best-looking Civic sedan ever. I predict it will sell very well. :tup:

Infamous425

wish they brought the 5-door hatch to NA

Teh Jatt

I saw sedan on the road today, it looked nice.

phile

So EX gets the silver trim on the doors, and others (like the pics posted by heyitsme) don't?

TMQ

Front end would look better with a grille. Not sure about the view from driver's seat: interior just looks too busy, and the steering wheel is just too weird. I wonder if the interior will appeal to the masses.

heyitsme

This modded black lx sedan on ebay looks pretty nice, its a shame it doesn't have anything under the hood to back up the looks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda...ayphotohosting

Infamous425

that body kit looks nice. looks like a stock kit since its being sold by a dealer

TSX69

Who'd Have Thought a Civic Could Be So Primal?
Honda's redesigned 2006 Civic shows evidence of being the latest in a long, laudable line.
The redesigned Civic Si is where the fun really starts.

Honda is putting all Civic models on sale within a few months instead of over several years to "step out with our best foot forward," says Prexa Doshi, senior product planner for Civic. Introducing the normal models, the hybrid and the high-performance Si between Sept. 15 and Dec. 1 should "avoid watering down" the impact of the redesign.

The gas-electric hybrid was reviewed Sept. 9. Today we look at gas models.

The Si, available only as a coupe (a two-door car, by definition) is a stunning performer with more finesse than expected. It's easygoing in traffic for a car so quick, so solid, so primal when the driver's throttle foot inches toward the floor.

It has a 2-liter, four-cylinder engine rated 197 horsepower coupled to a six-speed manual transmission that slips through the gears almost without effort, seeming to anticipate where you plan to shift. The regular sedan and coupe have 1.8-liter four-cylinder engines rated 140 hp and five-speed manuals.

Honda likes to trumpet Si's "thrilling acceleration" and "razor-like handling," and for once a car company's not guilty of hyperbole.

Honda's engineers left a peak in the power-delivery curve at about 6,200. It feels almost as if a turbocharger is kicking in. Honda figured enthusiasts would like the power slap.

A limited-slip differential keeps power at the correct wheel in tight turns. A shift light on the dashboard makes it easy to time your full-bore gear changes without dropping your gaze to the tachometer.

Si is forgiving in stop-and-lurch traffic, boasting a smooth clutch that leaves little chance of killing or lugging the engine.

Equipped with optional high-traction tires — summer-only tires, Honda descriptively calls them — Si ran through a serpentine course on a big parking lot with the precision of a race car but without the harshness or fussy behavior.

Honda
The Civic sedan is no slouch, but don't drive the Si first or you might be hooked.

Lesser Civics aren't as stellar, though are very appealing.

The 1.8-liter engines are powerful enough to make them fun to drive. They'd only seem tepid if you drove the Si first.

The coupe is aimed at younger, single buyers, so it has jazzy audio options, different trim and interior lighting and is 2 inches shorter.

The coupe also has bigger, stiffer springs, shock absorbers and stabilizer bars than the sedan does to provide a sportier road-going persona than the sedan.

Highlights, many shared with the hybrid reviewed Sept. 9:

• Styling. Civic's sweep and swoop seem dramatic but not silly or overwrought.

• Interior. Delight without immaturity or stupidity. Two-tier instrument panel. Honda puts the speedometer, gas and temperature gauges in an arc atop the dashboard where drivers barely need to divert their eyes from the road ahead to take note of the readings. Tachometer and other gauges and warning lights are lower, in the normal spot. It makes safety sense and has visual impact well beyond its fairly simple execution. If you don't like digital readouts, though, you're going to be grumpy, because that's the only type of speedo Civic offers.

Room is good for a small car. Back-seat space benefits from the nearly flat floor long-promised by front-drive cars but seldom delivered.

Storage nooks on the console are sized and shaped to hold what you really carry — sunglasses, MP3-style music player, cellphone, checkbook, pens.

• Finesse. Handling is agile, steering is well-tuned to stay on-center when that's what you want, responds quickly when a turn is needed. Brakes feel sure, firm. Knobs rotate crisply. The automatic transmission lever is pleasant to maneuver.

The gap between the tire and the fender — something you might never have considered — is a tight 50 mm, or just shy of 2 inches. That suggests to the eye that the tires are oversize and ready for anything. That tight tire-fender gap is one reason Audis look so good.

The tight fit could make it easy to jam the opening with mud or snow, but additional clearance up in the well of the fender well should accommodate muck.

Hundreds of miles of test driving, mainly in normal errands and commuting, pointed out where Honda could have done better:

• Manual transmission. Shift feel is disappointing in the non-Si models, the lever failing to move smartly from gear to gear, often hanging up between second and third gears. Clutch engagement is a hair touchy. Those who are casual about their pedal work could find it too easy to kill the engine.

There's also an annoying jerkiness after each shift when getting back onto the gas pedal. (Si doesn't have that problem.) Deliberate drivers can minimize it, but it shouldn't be there in the first place.

• Driving position. The seats are more comfortable than in Hondas past, but it can be tough to get the right relationship among pedals, steering wheel and seat.

• Features. Leather upholstery, seat heaters, remote start, stability control, trip computer (including fuel-economy gauge) and other useful accessories aren't in the catalog. Honda sees those as low priorities for Civic buyers. And, indeed, such premium items often are missing from the choices available to buyers of other small cars.

But as Americans increasingly turn to small cars as an antidote to high fuel prices, it's easy to imagine a well-off buyer, fed up with high gas prices and the poor fuel economy of a larger, premium vehicle, wanting upmarket features in a tight-feeling, nice-driving, good-looking car such as the Civic.

On the other hand, buyers looking for more of the good behavior that Civic always has delivered, can go back to the Honda store and sign up for another.

And the sporting crowd is well-advised to wait for the Si in December. It makes most other small sports coupes — perhaps all of them — seem disappointing.

2006 Honda Civics, gas models

• What is it: Complete redesign of the Civic small car, available as a four-door sedan, two-door coupe and high-performance Si coupe. Also available a as gas-electric hybrid (reviewed in Test Drive Sept. 9).

Coupes, including Si, are made at Alliston, Ontario; sedans at Alliston, East Liberty, Ohio, and Suzuka, Japan.

• How soon? Sedan and coupe on sale since Sept. 15; Si on sale Dec. 1. Hybrid on sale Oct. 5.

• How much? Base DX sedan with manual transmission starts at $15,110, including $550 destination charge. Top-of-the-line EX sedan with navigation system and automatic transmission is $21,110. Coupes range from $14,910 to $21,360. Expect to pay close to full window-sticker prices, online car-shopping services say.

Prices aren't set for the Si or hybrid. Honda says expect $19,000 to $21,000 for the Si, $20,000 to $23,000 for the hybrid.

• How many? 162,000 sedans, 85,000 coupes, 15,000 Si coupes, 28,000 hybrids annually.

• What's the drivetrain? Sedan and coupe have 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine rated 140 horsepower at 6,300 rpm, 128 pounds-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm; five-speed manual transmission. Si: 2-liter 4-cylinder, 197 hp at 7,800 rpm, 139 lbs.-ft. at 6,200 rpm; six-speed manual; limited-slip differential.

• What's the safety gear? Expected belts and bags, plus side-impact and head-curtain air bags; anti-lock brakes.

• What's the rest? Standard features vary. All have power steering, brakes, windows; height-adjustable driver's seat; tilting and telescoping steering column. Other details are available at www.honda.com.

• How big? Sedan: 176.7 inches long, 56.5 inches tall, 69 inches wide, 106.3-inch wheelbase. Coupe, Si: 174.8 inches long, 53.5 inches tall, 68.9 inches wide, 104.3-inch wheelbase. Weights range from 2,593 pounds to 2,877 pounds.

Passenger space is listed as 90.9 cubic feet, sedan; 83.7 cubic feet, coupe. Trunk space: 12 cubic feet, sedan; 11.5 cubic feet, coupe.

• How thirsty? Sedan and coupe with manual: 30 mpg in town, 38 on the highway; with automatic, 30/40. Regular gas is specified. Si mileage hasn't been determined.

• Overall: Small-car standouts; Si has stunning performance, as well.

heyitsme

Can't stand when someone claims to have test driven a car but can't produce their own mpg numbers, performance numbers, etc..

heyitsme

Mokos23

sweet civic, i wish the hp numbers were higher a little to compete with the Mazda 3.

dallison

the back end looks a little like the rsx

cusdaddy

I like it

heyitsme

Lots of pics

http://www.canadianautoreview.com/honda_civic.htm

Speed_Racer

Never noticed that the shifter is at an angle:





Is that big handle for adjusting the seat? Doesn't that remind you of an ejection handle or something. . .

heyitsme