Honda Civic VTi Road Test & Review

Pros: Composed ride, competent steering, good engine.

Cons: Dated interior, basic equipment.

By Nadine Armstrong | May 15th, 2010

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Price: $16,650 to $28,080

Our Rating:

Performance, Ride & Handling	3.5
Comfort and Interior	4
Quality & Design	4
Value & Features	3.5
Safety	4
Green	4.5

2010 Honda Civic VTi Road Test & Review

Honda Civic VTi gets the basics right, but is that enough?

Model Tested: 2010 Holda Civic VTi; 1.8-litre SOHC i-VTEC, four cylinder, petrol, five-speed automatic, sedan - $25,290*

CarAdvice Rating:

There’s nothing innovative or exciting about the Honda Civic VTi, but that doesn’t stop it being a very solid performer and a pleasure to drive. If you were writing a school report for the VTi, in-class performance would definitely be ‘satisfactory’.

The Honda Civic sedan is available in three models, the VTi, VTi-L and Sport. Both the VTi and VTi-L house Honda’s 1.8-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine, while the Sport sedan moves up to a 2.0-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine. All models offer the choice of an automatic or manual transmission, mated to a five-speed gearbox. It’s nice to have this choice across the range. It’s only when you move up to the R-Type hatch that you score the six-speed gearbox, but in manual only.

Our test vehicle is the base model VTi, five-speed automatic. At face value, the VTi represents a nice package, but when you draw comparison to the market, the Civic falls short of its feature-packed competitors such as the Mazda3 and Holden Cruze. Remember the over-achievers in your English class that made your ‘satisfactory’ work seem, well, less than satisfactory? For the Civic, the Mazda3 and Cruze epitomize those annoying classmates. Just when you think you’ve got it sorted…

The Civics body is built on a classic shape with nice sharp lines. It’s a conservative shape that stands the test of time and has the potential to please a broad customer base. If you’re after a look that screams something beyond wholesome, you can stump-up for a few eye-catching options such as front and rear spoilers and side skirts, fog lights and chrome exhausts.

The Civics 1.8-litre engine puts out 103kw and 174Nm – just a smidge under that of the 1.8-litre Holden Cruze at 104kW and 176Nm. The Civic is, however, 192kg lighter than the Cruze CD, weighing in at 1202kg. The Civic translates this power into a spritely drive, respectable for a vehicle of this type.

From standstill, the Civic is quick to action. It feels obedient and responds with an eagerness to please, like a well-trained puppy. There is a lovely simplicity to the Civics performance that is quite endearing. While it’s no showstopper, there’s a lot to like about its on-road performance. I thoroughly enjoyed driving the Civic VTi, despite my love of all things bling and the Civic’s distinct lack thereof.

Gear changes are well spaced and power is constant and smooth. Not for a moment did I feel cheated in this regard.

While the steering wheel feels a little cheap in hand, the actual steering is great. It handles well, offering nice feedback through the steering wheel. You feel a connection with the road and you can steer with the confidence that good feedback provides. Suspension is firm, but nicely tamed, to deliver a very comfortable ride with minimal body roll. The Civic is nimble and handles with poise, even under pressure.

Visibility is very good and manouvreability is a breeze, which makes the Civic a great city car, although rear parking sensors would be a nice addition. These are an option across the range.

It’s the Civics interior that is the biggest let down. It’s plain, outdated and underdone, particularly when you line-up against newer, more flashy competitors.

The interior plastics are cheap looking. The steering wheel and handbrake feel tacky in hand and the drab grey interior of our test vehicle does this car no favours. The dash and instrumentation is very basic and lacks visual appeal.

The centre console includes a couple of storage boxes with retractable lids. In, say, a Volkswagen these retractable lids look classy, but the Honda doesn’t pull it off with the same flair.

Design woes aside, the cabin is very comfortable. The manual adjust seats are comfortable and offer good support, the driving position is good and everything is in easy reach of the driver.

The audio system is very basic, with just a single CD in-dash and four speakers throughout the cabin. It also lacks simple pleasures such as steering-wheel mounted audio controls. It pumps out a decent level of sound nonetheless.

The Honda Civics cabin space and comfort is great, for all passengers. The second row seats are very comfortable and offer good head, leg and shoulder room, but you’re left wanting for air-vents and a centre arm rest.

The cabin is well insulated, with minimal road and engine noise to be heard. The Civic provides three child-seat anchor points.

When it comes to load space, the Civic has a boot capacity of 376 litres. Our test vehicle did have a second row split fold function, however, it was one large fold rather than a 60/40 split configuration that can be found in the VTi-L and Sport. For someone like me, who is rarely without a child seat, this type of split fold is rendered useless.

To engage the release for the seats you need to pull a lever in the boot and push the seats forward. I’m too short to reach the seat backs through the boot, and so I had to head back around to the second row to pull the seats down.

Remote opening of the boot via the key is good.

The Civic VTi manual claims to return a combined fuel consumption of just 6.9 litres of fuel per 100km, and 7.2 litres for the automatic, with CO2 emissions of 171g per kilometer.

The Civic measures up well when it comes to safety. Every Civic features Honda’s Vehicle Stability Assist with Traction Control. Anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution are also standard. All Civics also come equipped with driver and passenger front and side airbags as well as a curtain airbag that extends to the second row. The Civic sedan scores a four-star safety rating from ANCAP.

The Honda Civic is an incredibly mixed bag which sees highs and lows in equal parts. Nice exterior, drab interior. Great steering, cheap steering wheel. Great cabin comfort, lacks modern conveniences. Priced at $22,990 for the manual and $25,290 for the automatic, the Civic is not a cheap buy. Competitors such as the Mazda3, Holden Cruze and Mitsubishi Lancer sully the efforts of the Civic when it comes to base model bang for buck. They drive well, too, so while the Civic gets the basics oh so right, it may not be enough to stay in the competition.

And so the school report would finish with something like uninspiring, like, ‘the Civic adequately completes all tasks at hand, but could try harder’.

Ratings:

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The competition

cfc

What have Honda actually changed about the Civic visually in the past four years? It’s looking very dated. It’s safe and reliable, but so is a Mitsubishi Lancer for a lower price.

Barnonz

Yes I agree – what is this reviewer really comparing the interior to. Surely not with the rest of the current Japanese and Korean product in the same class. Yes there is other good product out there but do any of these really make the Civic’s interior look dated?
Maybe this is one small area where your Kiwi cousins are better off as the base model 1.8S here does come equipped with steering wheel audio controls, rear seat centre arm rest, and 60/40 split fold function as deemed so important by Nardine A.
After four years of trouble free Civic ownership this machine remains a pleasure to own and drive.
http://caradvice Ray

cfc – a car model SHOULD be able to hold its own for at least four years. This Civic is probably getting close to replacement time, but is still able to hold its own thanks to being a quality product from the start. Unlike other cheaper manufacturers who are forever updating/facelifting their models in an attempt to maintain interest in their mediocre product
arri

my civic 2009 is really handy, however I am not really happy with the sound created from the engine. especially when you are parking or moving slowly. The knocking sound is irritatting, and getting loudder
I went to honda dealer for regular service, and they said it does make sound lake that- not helpful.
Does any one experience the same issue?

http://www.caradvice.com.au FG

I’ve got a 07 automatic model, which I own since new. Soon after purchasing it, I started to hear a strange knocking coming from the engine compartment specially when engaging gear (D) or when stopped at the lights.
I’ve mentioned the problem to the dealer at the first service (1000km free service) but I was told that they could not find anything wrong with it. Few months later, I went to the dealer and requested a Honda mechanic to come with me for a test drive and then could explain about the noise that was making me crazy. Some phone calls after, including Honda Japan, they fixed the problem. I can not tell you what the problem was, but I was told that is nothing major or very expensive to fix. Your Honda dealer should be able to help you. Keep trying until they do help you.
I deal with Scotts Honda, Artarmon, Sydney.(this is no publicity).
Good luck.
Zach Saw

I’ve just sent it in to get the knocking noise fixed. It’s the enclosure that is on the bigger side of the tolerance being paired with bearings that are smaller than usual on a tolerance. So it’s a design flaw – the engineers don’t understand design for manufacturability (DFM). This will be the first and last Honda for me.

8thGen

I don’t see the Mazda 3 as the natural adversary for the Civic. It’s pokey inside and way too ‘Y’ gen. The Holden Cruze is where the Civic demographic is going. But when it comes time to sell, the Civics will do better than their daewoo rivals.

Tim

Oh wow, you criticise Civic’s interior, yet praise the one found in Toyota?! How does this instrumentation look boring? It is clearly one of the more inventive and unique interiors in its class.

http://na Johnny2Step

Totally agree…

All the pro toyota news and reviews are getting abit outdated, not the civics interior.

I would like to know which jap manufacturer has the civic covered in terms of a ‘less outdated’ cabin.
http://caradvice Ray

Agree too – what’s with knocking the equipment levels of what is in effect the base model of the range – obviously its not going to have CD stacker etc. Neither to the entry level spec cars of the Mazda or Toyota. At least it has Cruise!
NotTheStig

So true. A Civic looks different and has some individual styling.

I guess if you love Toyotas, you won’t like Hondas.

And sorry, this reviewer has no credibility with me from comments in this and prior reviews.

pg

i’ve owned the car for about 2.5 years now, and its great
given us no trouble at all, and looks great in black with alloys.
as for the interior, it tends to show up scuff marks and the like but it’s very handy and pleasant place to be.
my only real complaint would be the fuel economy, we drive in semi-city conditions and only achieve 10L/100km.
otherwise a great buy, although these days i would be tempted to choose the Mazda3 over this

zahmad

You’re needing to rev the I-vtec…hence the fuel economy..
Zach Saw

I also have a 2007 end of year model and like you, I get 10L/100km. A mate of mine also bought the same model Civic and he got it written off and the insurance company replaced it with a mid 08 model. They’re much better on fuel economy – he now gets 8L/100km on the same roads and traffic conditions he’s been driving with the old car.

I fear there’s something wrong with the end of year ’07 model, apart from the silent recall by Honda regarding the infamous engine knocking sound when idling with gear engaged.

Damian

A Thai built base model Civic for over $25k? No thanks!

This thing is way overpriced for what it is. The interior reeks of Fisher Price, and that digital dash is lifted straight from the 80s. Anyone who says the digital dash is “revolutionary” or “innovative” are just fools.

V8

Hondas has always been better in quality (inside and out) then TOYOTAS, hence higher prices. So what’s wrong with higher prices?

Hayzel

To tell you the truth I don’t like any reviews made by Nadine Armstrong. It seems that she based her reviews on “how a car looks to her” instead of how a car is in comparisson to others in its class or in its price range.

I’ll give an example:

In this review Nadine wrote: “The centre console includes a couple of storage boxes with retractable lids. In, say, a Volkswagen these retractable lids look classy, but the Honda doesn’t pull it off with the same flair”

Which volkswagen? GTI? Brand bias comment? As a reviewer you shouldn’t really pull things out of a hat, you need to coordinate you response with a little more explanation.

Camry lover

No personal attacks please. How would you feel if I criticised your work?

Damian

And who made “Camry Lover” the class president? Your hypocrisy is laudable. You criticise Hayzel for scrutinising Nadine Armstrong’s journalism (and he did offer evidence to substantiate his views), yet, you’re the one branding individual Car Advice readers as “racists”. Double standards much, “Camry Lover”?

A reader has every right to offer constructive criticism, regardless of whether you perceive it to be warranted. Car Advice does generate revenue from site traffic and advertisements, which means that it is directly deriving income from its readers. This alone, gives readers the absolute right to express their reservations regarding the material that is posted on this site.

Trainspotter

“Your hypocrisy is laudable” ?? Surely you mean laughable. If it’s laudable, that makes it a good thing.

Hayzel

Criticism and feedbacks are the only ways one can improve one’s work. I’m sure everyone would agree. I criticize Nadine for her work that is put out for the reader (in this case, me)to read and it was not intended as a personal attack and shouldn’t be taken as one. A personal attack would be one totally unrelated to the matter and mostly well, personal.

Al Juraj

I think it’s not even worth reviewing the lids. This isn’t a BMW or Audi so attention to detail doesn’t exactly come to mind in designing this car. You could make more worthwhile comments like the bonnet being of zero visibility from the driver’s viewpoint, which I believe is a design flaw. In the interest of aerodynamics, I became uninterested and bought something else.

ABMPSV

All Japanese cars a ery good quality, relibility, service cheap…etc only one big problem FUEL ECONOMY. For a Civic to use 10L/100km in today world not really good. It should be closer to 8L/100km.

F1MotoGP

Spot on. Fuel economy is bad and I would like to see CA put fuel economy as not combined – it means nothing – but city and hwy. I only check city fuel economy if I am happy with that rest is OK!

8thGen

The R18 engine is unique in that City and Highway are different engine ‘modes’. This is called iVTEC. Around town you can ring it out to get the traditional Honda VTEC power happening, on the highway it electronically switches the CAM to the economy cycle allowing it to use significantly less fuel than it otherwise would.

ErrNo!

Made in Thailand, Lancer gives MILES more and Japanese built engineered, superior in EVERY single way

Qikturbo

Under the specifications heading you have the 2.0L with the 1.8L specs,the 2.0L has 114kw and 188 nm.
Qikturbo

@ErrNo

The Lancer is a rubbish looking car which is already dated.The interior has hard plastics and it has no innovative engineering because the cars are from the 1970′s design era.Basically it’s a brick on wheels.I’m sure that the re-sale value is extremely dissapointing. The only car that Mitsubishi makes well is the EVO X,all it’s other cars in the range are woeful.
I would hate to own a Lancer!!!

Al Juraj

Man you simply don’t know how to look at cars. And the 1.8 VTi has 103kW, not a 2.0-matching 114.

Mitsubishi = Crap.

Your kidding me right? The parts are made in Japan, then sent over to Thailand to be put together. Toyota and Honda are probably the best cars makers out there in my opinion.

For Mistubishi, its crap, if you want to drive it for a few years and then sell it, its alright, but for a long term car. You have got to be kidding me, the second hand value is crap.

sammo

I think over 25K for a base-model small sedan is a bit exxy. Although considering its good build quality you could consider it acceptible.

I don’t quite understand the rating of this review, you give it 3.5/5 but for every complement there is a criticism, so I was expecting more along the lines of 2.5 or 3.. Good photos however!
http://Autoness.com Autoness

Waiting for new Gen Civic

vti07

ANCAP have not re-tested the Civic since 2007 after which the airbag count increased and ESC became standard throughout range (previously only on top of line model).

The car is due for an full replacement hopefully by 2011/12 as minimum 5 star safety is expected these days. However as is, its still an OK package. I believe it’s one of the few cars that has a rear flat floor for passengers (i.e. no hump in the middle).

http://Autoness.com/forum Autoness

Though not a fan of Chevy, I would prefer Cruze over current Civic.

http://caradvice ian

have owned 5 civics over the years on trips all got 45 to
48 mpg current model manual gets 7.5 l/100 town running
AAA

These days Honda cars are waaaaaaaay overpriced especially the Thai made ones. Wonder if it has anything to do with the Honda Australia’s head being Japanese?
Dennis

Have Honda Australia lost the plot?

They only sold 3063 cars in April! Down from March figures of 4153…

I don’t get it, most cars are built in Thailand therefore they should price them accordingly.

Does the free trade agreement with Thailand come into affect with Thai built Honda’s?

RD

I believe so, I don’t think they’d pay any substantial import tariffs etc..

Sexythang

i dont think cruze should be mentioned in the same breath. its just another epica. they said the same things about that car when it was released. now look at it. forgotten.

fuel economy for auto at 7.2-7.5litre/100km is about right. the cruze engine isnt exactly fuel efficient so comparing it is moot. the driver dash design is unlike any other car (except maybe the euro civic type r). boring or outdated isnt the right word.

but i agree price should be a bit cheaper. though it does sell well even with average reviews.
Al Juraj

The EK Civic (1996-2000) was the best ever, a very good recipe of an economy car. The next one was plain yucky and this current model is okay but no longer the best. Honda used to be able to offset the lack of standard equipment with class leading performance and stellar quality, but this time, the competitors have caught up. $25K for a car without alloys is plain ridiculous. The rear tail lights just don’t cut it. The dashboard is nice and the digital speedo a novelty, but on the road, it feels like driving a space ship. You sit too far back with the dash being too deep and the drooping bonnet is impossible to see, even if you stoop forward. This is not ideal for 3-point turns and bumper-to-bumper traffic.
mmmm

how does this car “measures up well when it comes to safety” it’s one of the only 4 star cars left in its class.
Korea can make 5 star small cars but honda can’t – not good enough in 2010.
honda is behind the times resting on its past glory days, and overcharging aussies for cheap thai cars.

Jon

When ANCAP tested the Civic VTi, it did not have stability control and curtain airbags (hence 4 star). It now has all these features and should achieve 5 stars if re-tested.

Hayzel

One of the reason Honda is a tad bit on the expensive side and does not sell a lot of cars is because of some general limitations associated with production numbers. Honda runs a lot less factories in comparisson to the likes of TOYOTA, GM in its glory days as well others and does not build as many cars. The benefit gained from such minimal expansion is that quality control can be easily enacted and ensured. FOr example, TOYOTA has expanded quite a lot being number 1 car manufacturer and thus suffered as a consequence referencing the massive recall debarcle happened not long ago. HOnda stays true to its philosophies over the years in producing extremely reliable cars. I can substantiate my claim by providing one example out of many, a very recent article put up by Car Advice about Honda being crowned the king of customer loyalty in the US.

Limited expansion and low production numbers of course come at a price and talking in the most literal sense the price is well, the price of the cars. Quantity (low price) over quality (higher price)? I prefer quality and thus I prefer Honda than most other cars and will buy a honda if they have the model I need. I may come to be labeled as biased in saying that but I have a reason to be a little bit as I like to choose a car that I know will last me years to come…oh and by that I mean every bits of plastics, metal, rubber, glass and really every nuts and bolts.

vti07

For those that are interested, Honda cars tend to hold their value well. I’ve done a bit of research for resale value of say a 2007 civic auto (base model) as compared to its competitors (Japanese brands). Here is the ranking from best to worst (up to a $4k difference):

Civic
Mazda 3 Neo / Corolla Ascent (close enough to be a tie)
Lancer

Hayzel

Oh and now I have read this article twice, there seems to be more pictures then words. WHat is up with that?
ABMPSV

There is a mistake. The 2 liter Civic is 114kW and the 1.8 liter is 103kW.
Ricky

I have to agree that the interior is dated. Nobody likes digital speedometers – they are an 80s fad. The push-button temperature controls are also very 80s. Almost all cars now have 3 simple dials, which is all you need in a manual system. Having nearly a dozen buttons just over-complicates things.

Al Juraj

The digital speedo is a cute thing to have, but unless it’s accurate to the dot, every speed it’s showing is a lie. And under hard acceleration, you’d always want to see speed building up through the needle and not like a stopwatch.

vti07

NZ get Japanese made and better specced Civics.

vti07

Eventually, more and more cars will be built in Thailand due to lower production costs. e.g. new Mazda 2 now built in Thailand.

tim

Just buy the Kia Cerato!!!

vti07

Kia / Hyundai make good cars these days but sadly, some people still won’t consider buying Korean.

Al Juraj

Wrong, the i30 has long been outselling the Civic.

ohsotorque_

Wrong.

More 8th gen Civics have sold than any Hyundai i30.

Ricky

This comment is ridiculous. The Civic has been around since early 2006, while the i30 only came out in late 2007. It’s had nearly a 2 year head start, so of course the Civic has sold more. The i30 has outsold the Civic since 2009, though.
ohsotorque_

I don’t deny i30 has sold more in 2009.

However the previous blanket statement that “i30 has long been outselling the Civic” is incredibly ignorant.

Although I see Ricky isn’t far off Al A-rab’s logic.

If comparing a model that’s been selling 2 years ahead of another model isn’t fair, then how is comparing a newly updated model to an already 4 year old model any better?

So when the Civic’s updated model wtfpwns the present i30 what arguments will you have>?

“oh but its so much cheaper and better but but .. “

StarGhazzer

Surprisingly, not many people, even car review websites mention the Kia Cerato. For slightly over 26K you get a top range SLi automatic which has features that shame most Japanese competitors of the same price range since the latter will only be the basic models.

Many criticise the Cerato for its harsh ride, but as an owner of one for nearly half a year now, I find the ride comparable to other C-segment rivals. The 4-speed automatic box is indeed inferior to others who offer 5 speed (3, Civic) or CVT (Lancer), even Cruze’s 6 speed, but it’s no deal breaker.

The Cruze, for some reason (maybe bearing Holden badge?) often gets mention as one of the best values in this segment but the various cons such as lethargic engine and high real-life FC are frequently disregarded.
Mythfrances

The Koreans need cool badges! Hyundai – italic “H” and Kia – “KIA” are simply not good enough. (but somehow I find Honda’s “H” quite appealing. I am just biased lol)
Anyway, a cool badge can really change something.

LessQQ

What about “SK”

for South Korea, and the North Korean’s can shotgun “NK”
Gilly

That price gets a Suzuki AWD SX4 with a 112kw 2.0, CVT, made in Japan and better equipped. The design of the Suzuki is personal taste but they look good to me with decent rubber under the guards!
Then there is always the Mazda 3, the sharpest car in its class!
tim

I agree. They need a new badge. Specially for Hyundai!!!
tim

I agree. They need one cool badge. Specially for Hyundai!!!
Leon

I like Daewoo badge.

Al Juraj

Retard

ABMPSV

I find nothing wrong with Thai build Honda’s.
“Honda says Thai take-out is about as good as Japanese, and better than its US cars” HONDA says that its 14-year-old manufacturing facility in Ayutthaya, Thailand, ranks almost as highly as the Japanese plants for quality and eclipses some of the company’s western production sites. Source: Goauto 20 August 2010
sam

I bought 2010 limited edition Honda Civic. It is built in very poor quality material and when compared with my previous car 2005 Toyota Corolla. Roof cover cut too narrow and starts showing gap in between centre pillar and cover. I had been to Honda dealer two times to get it fixed. Although it has been fixed it is not quite right. The gap start showing again if there is a force on it that other cars do not have. Second problem I have is centre pillar bottom cover start come off without any reason. I am contacting dealer to get it fixed. When you buy brand new car you don’t want to have any issues. I will never buy Honda again. I am totally disappointed about their cheep quality. Will never recommend any one.

simarik

I’ve had a 2010 Civic standard since September last year, and I don’t have any problems with it. As someone else said, it looks great in black and mags, and that’s true! It’s road handling and steering are so superb, I almost feel I’m driving a sports car. If only the engine had enough oomph, but it wasn’t designed that way. I really love my car.

Sam

Civic is no. 1, new lancer s rubish, crize s so so, marda 3 4get it
chaitanya

I agree with sam here. I bought a Limited edition 2 2010 model. Now i have to get the lower part of the engine replaced. It makes a loud knocking noise when moving from first gear. They said they will have to contact Honda Australia to carry out the repair and they have called me a month later to change the whole lower potion of the engine. Yesterday the first gear was giving way and i was finding it very hard to get the vehicle moving.
ANYONE THINKING OF BUYING THE CIVIC- PLEASE DO NOT BUY ONE.
There is something radically wrong with this model. I have had the automatic civic from 2007 which gave no trouble. The ones being sold now are hopeless. There is rattling noise from everywhere and the mechanic from Honda can hear nothing. The car car has barely done 2500km. There is no point arguing with the honda dealer as it has always ended up as a waste of time. PLEASE GUYS STAY AWAY FROM THE CIVIC.