Hapa DC5

I didn't think this Civic was all that bad.

Aman

Or all that good, really. It looks like another mild refresh with the taillights stolen from a 10-year-old Camry.

Moog-Type-S

Thanks OP....we were really in need of a Civic thread around here.

:ibmerge:

biker

^+1 - still not feeling it

vas25tl

Fail.

This is a redesign?

TSXKid2010

Don't like it, just like Honda and Acura, It's losing it's sportiness.

tmnhs81

The fuck? Front looks like last gen coupe front end..

Moog-Type-S

Same as it ever was

TSX69

Honda Civic Hybrid Owners Unhappy w/ Fix

Faced with complaints of battery packs in Civic Hybrids dying prematurely, American Honda Motor Co. offered a free software upgrade last summer to fix the problem. Many owners say it only made things worse.

"My mileage went from 40 mpg to 25-28 mpg after a software upgrade last year," 1 woman said in a comment posted earlier this month on the automotive Web site Edmunds.com.

The software patch followed years of complaints that battery packs on the Civic Hybrid were failing prematurely.

Batteries in hybrid cars are generally expected to last for 100,000 miles or more. Consumer Reports magazine recently tested a 2002 Toyota Prius with over 200,000 miles on it and, after comparing test results with those of an identical car tested when it was new, found virtually no change.

But many people posting on Internet discussion boards complained that Honda Civic Hybrid battery performance faded after just 30,000 to 50,000 miles.

"I have a 2007 Civic Hybrid that began exhibiting gradually degrading battery performance at around 40,000," wrote one person on the Edmunds.com discussion board.

In some cases, Civic Hybrid owners were able to have the battery replaced under warranty. When not covered under the car's 8-year/80,000 mile hybrid component warranty, a replacement battery costs about $2,000, plus installation charges.

A Honda spokesman would not discuss the Civic Hybrid battery and software issues because they are the subject of lawsuits against the automaker.

Consumer Reports' surveys show that, while battery problems occur in only a few Civic Hybrids, the car has a higher rate of battery trouble than do Toyota Prius Hybrids or Ford Escape Hybrids, said David Champion, heading of auto testing for the magazine.

Complaints like these can be damaging to an automaker's reputation, especially when they focus so consistently on a specific model.

"You just don't see these discussions around the Prius or the Escape," said Bob McDonald, who runs the hybrid vehicle message boards on Edmunds.com.

The fix that maybe wasn't

Honda's software update altered the way the car used its hybrid system and was supposed to reduce wear on the battery pack without reducing fuel economy.

Owners claim the new software only made matters worse.

"In a couple cases it seemed as if the car did not want to accelerate from a stopped position," Honda Civic Hybrid owner Tim Lake wrote in an e-mail. "This has put me in a dangerous situation more than once when trying to cross an intersection."

Rhonald Shaw said the fuel economy in his Civic Hybrid dropped from the mid-40-mile per gallon range down to the low 30's, or about the same as a non-hybrid Civic.

"I'm not getting reasonable power and I'm not getting the hybrid assist and I'm not getting the fuel economy," Shaw said in a telephone interview.

Consumer Reports' Champion cautioned against putting too much credence in drivers' own fuel economy claims, since they're not based on carefully run tests.

On-line message boards, in general, can also tend to magnify the occurrence of what may be relatively rare problems, Champion said. People having trouble with their car tend to seek out forums and post messages while those who aren't having problems stay silent.

Not every owner was ultimately dissatisfied with Honda's repairs. Danny Nail, a Civic Hybrid owner in Florida, wrote in an email that the software patch did not help but that the situation was ultimately resolved when his battery was also replaced.

"The car now functions normally and gets good mileage," he wrote.

Honda will release an entirely new version of the Civic Hybrid this spring. The new Civic Hybrid will have a more powerful lithium-ion battery that is completely different from the ones used in past versions.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

lol there a lot of haters at TOV too.

F23A4

It's not and it will sell just fine, Azine enthusiast disapproval notwithstanding.

TSX69

Honda Recalls 36,656 Civic Hybrids to Replace DC Converter

Ford, Mazda and now Honda have announced recalls this week – each for very different reasons ranging from dangerous to just downright bizarre – but the latest recall by Honda poses a threat to all automakers who sell hybrids.

A major hurdle faced by automakers who sell hybrid or electric vehicles is the customer perception that hybrids and electric cars rely on unproven and overly complicated technology that is prone to failure and expensive to fix. As a result, when an automaker is forced to recall a hybrid/electric vehicles, the image damage can be felt across the industry in a way that is unique when compared to traditional recalls that tend to only tarnish the brand from which the vehicle in question was manufactured by.

Unfortunately, this is one of those cases in which the recall does include a key component of the hybrid drivetrain, the DC-to-DC converter, which is part of the Integrated Motor Assist hybrid control system on the 2006 and 2007 model year Civic Hybrid sedan. Honda says that the converter may experience an internal failure that can cause the vehicle to stall, and the headlights to fail.

To date, there have been no known crashes or injuries as a result of the problem.

Honda will officially begin sending notices to the 36,656 affected customers on March 18, and begin the repairs from that point.

ParaSurfer1979

Heres a video of the 2012 Civic EX by VTEC.net.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=38AlEBDLfKU

Looks good to me.

arahim32

Im just going to wait till I see it in person before I Bash it lol

Belzebutt

At first glance I thought "OK they're showing the old one first, where's the new one".

pttl

The differences are so small, at least in the sedan, that it's hard to tell them apart from the current gen without them being side by side.

Invisible

Looks good to me. But all those ricer boys over there hate it. they expect BMW 3-series handling and performance from the Civic, but at Honda Fit prices.

jasonwdp10

most of the complaints on TOV were concerning looks.. try again

phile

comments were about how hardly noticeable the changes were. even Jeff the admin over there had something to say about it, along the lines that Honda just doesn't know how to fine tune the details.

No one was wanting what you just wrote.


it's people like you actually who shoot down every negative thing said about Honda over there and try to pass them off as ricer comments (and making that place intolerable, BTW). not going to fly over here.

And if you thought those comments were bad, it appears you haven't read the few pages of this thread prior til today.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Here are some real world shots (there's also a video) from TOV:
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=965440

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

The wheel gap doesnt look that bad in those pics. Im liking the Si. Need to see the sedan in person too.

Infamous425

after looking at it a few times i think the exterior is fine. its the interior design that i dont like. compared to the new focus/cruze/elantra it falls short

Aman

Chinese model looks loads better than what we're getting

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

The wheel gap from what I can see is similar to the current Civic.

Honda seriously needs to spend more time and effort with its PR photos. First impression is very important. They messed up the PR photos and a lot of people now have a bad impression on the car, even if it's better than it really is.

phile

i dunno, the rear wheel gap still looks kinda jank to me.

Invisible

I really think those original PR shots were CGI. If you look really closely, all the shadows are identical, the wheels looks oddly angled, the reflections and undercar look totally photoshopped.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Yea, that's what some people have been saying.

SSFTSX

Is this pix posted here.
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-image?...ic_klui-01.jpg


The car is so much better looking. The side mirrors, squarish front, the hood, Wind screen. It is like evolution from E46 to E90 BMW but much better executution. You can pretty much bet on it this car is going to get better fuel economy than those 6sp Ford Focus/Hyundai Elantra.
Hyundi/Jetta has that outdate Torision beam suspension. Jetta is an embrassment as far as pix is concerned.

Crazy Bimmer

At the Hyundai.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

^

At least one design department has some balls.

SSFTSX

you can add Ford Focus which engine wise and dynamically far superior car than Elantra and has won C&D and Edmunds comparision test. Rearlly same car wins both C&D and Edmunds test.
but for fuel economy, rear seat legroom, NVH, Design elegance and reliability my money is on Civic. and Civic is going to be lighter than Focus so licensing fees will be less.
Ford Focus interior is too complicated. These small cars should not over designed
http://www.freep.com/article/2011033...sey=nav%7Chead
Mark Phelan: New Ford Focus has advances, small quality problems

Aman

I dunno about the Hyundai, I feel like the headlights/taillights are too big for the car.

dom

Had a chance to test drive a new Elantra on Sat. Back to back against an 11 Civic. There's really no comparison, the Hyundai was superior in every conceivable area IMO. Honda better have stepped up with the 12'.

Only problem with the Elantra is that they weren't budging at all on prices. Pay sticker or take a hike. And since the showroom was jammed, it was hard to argue. Funny, The Honda, Toyota, Ford and Mazda dealers we also visited were ghost towns.

dom

I thought so as well. But in the flesh it all comes together nicely. Its a great looking car.

Brandon24pdx

Yeah it's overstyled to me. "I try too hard"

Costco

That's surprising to hear, Dom. Maybe there are fewer Hyundai dealers in comparison to the # of Toyota and Honda dealers?

In any case, seeing the Elantra in person, yes it looks good. I got over the ginormous bug-eyed look of cars like the Fit and Fiesta as soon as I saw them in person. The current Civic looks boring, always has and I don't know if the '12 is any improvement, but we'll see.

Honda may still have that small-company mentality, but their stylists have taken the Toyota route of going vanilla

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

@ Elantra is right. it looks nicer in person too.

dom

Not all that surprising. Through Q1 the Elantra is Canada's best selling car. Sonata is up there as well. Salesman claimed they only had 3 in stock. Can't keep them on the lot.

Great deals to be had on 11 Civics though. Still a smart buy considering the solid reliability it should provide.

SSFTSX

My point is that 9G Civic is now more squarish and will be good platform for Acura upcoming sub TSX.
Acrura can refined it further. and add things like HID, push button start.
It will be good competitor to Ford Focus Titanium.

phile

I said the same thing about it in picture, but the Elantra does look nicer in person.