Honda After Your Heart – The New Civic Really Wants to Win You Over

Honda Civic Kaare Long Review

The 80’s Rocked didn’t they?

Without aging myself too much – Do you remember the days of the little hatchback Honda Civic that everyone wanted to learn how to drive in because it was so compact and easy to drive? Most vehicles were standard transmission then, so the easier a vehicle was to drive, the better – If you don’t know what that means, then you are way too young to remember the Honda Civic in all it’s glory – which is too bad. It was quite epic, considering it was about the size of  what a smart car is today. Everyone loved the Civic.

Yes, I was a teen in the 80’s – I’m good with that. I think I was lucky to have been that age during the most colourful era of our time. Here I’ll show you a picture so you can immediately remember the Civic that we all knew so well…This Honda advertisement looks like a late seventies model.

Honda Civic Advertisement 1979ish?

 

Ahh, do you remember?  I’ve been so lucky as to spot a few of them still driving around today. That is a testament to the longevity and hard work ethic of this vehicle. I once had a car salesman, in trying to sell me an American vehicle mixed with a Japanese vehicle, tell me that I wouldn’t  want a civic – it is too much like an appliance. I wondered if he really understood what he was saying, as I thought – “That’s the best you can do?” – To me, that means the civic is a household standard, well regarded, well liked and functional. I suppose, for some people that is not a selling feature, but for others who just want a good reliable vehicle that looks good, performs well and is safe – that is a prime selling feature.

Now, let me be perfectly clear here – I am a truck lady – modestly so, as I drive an SUV, but a small, fully functional true,4×4 Suzuki Grand Vitara. I prefer being high up, having the truck capacity ( 4×4 ) and being small and nimble enough to race through the city with no issue. BUT, that being said, when I was asked to review the new Honda Civic Sedan by Destination Honda in Burnaby, I did so through the eyes of someone who would be looking for that perfect, reliable, always ready, hard working vehicle that incidentally, also looks pretty darn cool!

So, here it is –  My straight up review:

Honda Civic Sedan – 2017 Touring Model

At first look, the Honda Civic Sedan is pretty sporty and aggressive looking – not bad for an appliance. It has certainly grown up alot since the 80’s – and it looks like it’s been to the Gym too. Rougher, tougher and means business. It doesn’t look or feel like a thimble driving through the streets, and it holds its own in a world full of SUV’s and Mini’s on steroids.

Inside this vehicle is where the magic of our century resides. Still boasting the reliable mechanics of the sturdy civic, this touring sedan pulls out all the stops to woo you with safety, comfort, style, functionality and class with smart technology. This vehicle really takes your safety seriously with lane and road departure warning systems, collision mitigation system, forward collision warning, traction control, adaptive cruise control and all kinds of airbags which sense how close you are to it so that it doesn’t fully explode and slam into your face if you are small like I am and need to be fairly close to the steering wheel to be able to touch the pedals.

As a parent, safety is really a prime concern at all times. I bought my first new vehicle because I wanted the best in safety for my kids. It is that important. If you drive a lot, the safety system will be like a handy co-pilot that knows when to speak up and knows the fine line between annoying backseat driver and actually helpful support.

I found the safety systems a bit much for my tastes, but I am also a very passionate driver. I take it seriously and I know my vehicles very well. I can do my own oil changes, change tires and know essentially how they function. My vehicle is an extension of me so I am always super alert when driving. But, this is not the standard connection for most to their vehicles – they are often a necessity for work and function in a family. So, I could see how these safety features would be like having that loyal dog in the family – the Civic will always be looking out for your safety. If it’s important to you, you’ll enjoy these features immensely and the civic outperforms itself in this area.

The safety is the biggest plus for families in this vehicle, but the bonus is it is still a super cool, sporty car. You get an amazing sound system and it is all integrated with your smartphone – it even has a cordless charging system for android models! In the 24hrs I had this vehicle, I still couldn’t learn all there was at my disposal in the dash system.

My super sassy teen and I took this particular vehicle out on the Sea to Sky highway to Squamish, B.C.  for the day, so I really got to test out it’s handling and highway grit. It was incredibly smooth, took corners like it was the little sibling of a high performance vehicle and really wanted to be like it – it was fantastic on the highway. Of one note that is important to me, and that I notice with foreign vehicles as opposed to domestic – I find domestic vehicles feel disconnected to the road and on long trips this can make you dozy and feel like you are driving your couch down the highway. This is great for comfort, but not for actual driving. The Civic prioritizes the driving and you feel connected to the road while your passengers can adjust seats, interior climate and have tons of space in which to relax – since it’s ok for them to do that – they aren’t driving at 80kms/hr and can fall asleep if they want to.

While we’re talking about highway driving, we might as well get into fuel economy. This vehicle stays true to its desire to balance the best of both worlds by offering both the sporty, ‘suck up the fuel’ version (which is still pretty tame) and the economy enviro option where everything, including the air conditioning, gets dialed down to save fuel and be a little less ‘consuming’ while on the road. You will save tons in fuel costs with this vehicle for sure.

Honda Civic Sedan - Kaare Long Review

The Civic is pretty confident in it’s looks as you can tell from the image above. It doesn’t try too hard and it doesn’t get into your face. It is subtle style that might even get a second glance – but it doesn’t need it. For a 4 door sedan it is a looker.

As much as it looks sporty, it performs in the space area like a true sedan. Huge space in the backseat for passengers and the trunk is big enough to…well…to load up a sassy teenager with extra room for luggage.

Honda Civic Sedan - Kaare Long Review

In summary, this classy, sophisticated Honda Civic Sedan has truly grown up from the 80’s and it is serious about safety, style and comfort. And you can be assured of it’s longevity and reliability since it’s got such a good track record.

If I was in the market to purchase a vehicle that would service my family and me for years to come and work hard to earn it’s keep, this vehicle would be first on my list.

Honda is still after your heart with it’s classic loyalty and desire to do as much as it can for you. It’s grown up over the years to become quite the looker as well as having lots of smarts. Both the braun and the brains – a fantastic combination for an addition to the family. A hard worker that won’t let you down.

The Sassy teen and I give this road star a hefty viking ‘thumbs up!’

Honda Civic Sedan - Kaare Long

If you want to learn more about this vehicle, connect with Destination Honda – the staff there were very helpful and took the time to walk me through all the numerous features of this newest member to the Honda Family – www.destinationhonda.ca

FB Live inside the Honda Civic:

Exterior of Vehicle VIDEO:


FINE PRINT: This is not a sponsored post, but a basic review. I am not paid to spin my opinion to promote this brand, I give my honest opinion on this product to assist you in making your own decisions if you are in the market for a new family vehicle.

 

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