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2014 Honda Civic Sedan Review By Katrina Ramser



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2014 Honda Civic Sedan


HEELS ON WHEELS: 2014 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN REVIEW

HEELS ON WHEELS
By Katrina Ramser
San Francisco Bureau
The Auto Channel


KATRINA SAYS: "Those who praise value cannot deny the 2014 Honda Civic is a smart choice, and continued tweaks keep this compact both desirable and modern."

INTRO TO THE CIVIC VEHICLE
Honda continues to give the compact Civic sedan improvements, even though just last year the vehicle was in all the right places. Praised for its value and reliability the 2014 model receives interior upgrades and stronger powertrain components that also results in improved fuel economy and a gain of 3 horsepower.

I drove a 2014 Honda Civic sedan with a revised 143-horsepower 1.8-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and a new Continuously Variable Transmission. The Civic has slimmed its trim offerings down to the base LX, EX, and EX-L, with my top-of-the-line EX-L trim featuring the following standards: heated front seats; power driver’s seat; leather-trimmed upholstery; six-speaker audio system; leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted controls; HondaLink: Bluetooth; SMS text reading function; Pandora Internet radio; USB and auxiliary input jacks; rearview camera; power moonroof; push-button start; and seventeen-inch alloy wheels. Price as described came to $22,740.

Specific changes for the model year include a combined fuel economy of 35 mile-per-gallon, a seven-inch touchscreen and firmer suspension (on Si and coupe models).. Main compact sedan competitors also offering such overall value include the Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra.

HEELS ON WHEELS REVIEW CRITERIA

Stylish But Comfortable Results: The Civic receives even more premium materials throughout the cabin, despite last model’s upgrades from cheap plastics to higher quality materials. The layout is a working formula that doesn’t need changing as the center stack and instrument panel information is presented in a highly visual manner. However, many controls like volume have gone pure digital; you will at first constantly turn the climate dials. HondaLink provides voice-control plus a variety of search, audio and social media functions with a seven-inch touchscreen. You need an iPhone5 to run the Pandora app, however. Cargo space is 12.5 cubic feet, making it a strong competitor against the Cruze and Focus.

Reliability & Safety Factor: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the 2014 Honda Civic sedan ratings of “Good” in all crash-test areas, making it a Top Safety Pick. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awards the sedan with an overall score of 5-Stars. Standard safety equipment includes Vehicle Stability Assist, anti-lock brakes; Electronic Brake Distribution, and a rearview camera.

Cost Issues: Honda systematically finds way to bring value to the Civic with every model year – for a base LX at $18,390, you get such highlights as Pandora Internet radio, a rearview camera, Bluetooth, input jacks needs for media devices, and an SMS text reading function.

Activity & Performance Ability: A hallmark of the Civic is strong fuel economy numbers, and the 1.8-liter four-cylinder doesn’t disappoint as it goes from 32 miles-per-gallon on average to 35 with an increase in horsepower. Steering and suspension refinements create a more composed and predictable compact car ride, and we image the Si and coupe models deliver more.

The Green Concern: The Honda Civic sedan has a fuel economy of 30-city and 39-highway for a combined 33 under the new CVT; the five-speed gets 28-city and 36-city for a combined 31. There is also a natural gas and hybrid version.

FINAL PARTING WORDS
Those who praise value cannot deny the 2014 Honda Civic is a smart choice – continued improvements keep this compact desirable, modern, and favorite for first-time car buyers.

©2014 Katrina Ramser