Honda Civic - 2007 Review

I live in Tampa, and my daughter lives in Atlanta, so when it came time to trade in my 2000 Nissan Maxima (with over 175,000 miles on it) I reluctantly headed out into the wilderness to hunt for a new (used) car that I could trust to make that trip every other weekend.  I focused my search on used Accord LX Coupes at first, mainly because, except for the Maxima, all I had ever driven was a Honda... and because I really liked the look.  I am 6' 5" tall, and soon learned that in order to fit comfortably in an Accord, it would have to be an LX without power seats and/or a sunroof.  That cut my options severely, and my search became more difficult.  All during my search, my father kept telling me to look at the new Civic, but I knew it wouldn't be big enough for me... right?

Wrong!  Granted, no one is able to sit behind me when I have my seat positioned comfortably.  But then, no one could in the Maxima either.  Trips to Home Depot and/or Lowe's can be an adventure, but I bought the car for its gas mileage and reliability, not its hauling capacity.  And, in fairness to the Civic, I did get a 30 x 80" bifold door in it with the trunk closed last weekend.

The fuel mileage is fantastic.  I get a little over 35 miles per gallon on the highway with the air conditioning on, and I'm not what you'd call easy on the accelerator.  At times, I do miss the power of the Maxima's V6, but I didn't buy the Civic because it's fast... I bought it because gas is expensive and my trips to Atlanta are 1,000 mile round trips. 

I bought the car in November, and I've already put almost 16,000 miles on it, and haven't had a single problem.  I love the way it handles... tight and precise... without sacrificing too much in the ride department.  Having driven a 1983 Prelude, I can tell you that's not always the case.  Another thing that surprised me was how little road noise there is for a car this size.  Don't get me wrong, I hear a lot more than I did in the Maxima, but it's a lot quieter than my father's car... and he drives a Mercedes.  

One of the things I thought I wouldn't like is the speedometer.  I'm an analog gauge guy, but I have to admit that I actually like the digital readout.  It was a bit distracting at first, but once I got the brightness adjusted to my liking, I have found it to be completely unobtrusive.  It makes it very easy to see the three most important gauges with just a cursory glance so you can focus your attention on the road.  Among the other interior features I am pleased with are the seats and the cup holders.  The seats are firm and supportive.  While some may complain that they aren't "plush" enough, I find I have much less lower back pain after long trips in the Civic than I did in the Maxima.  Seats that are too "plush" tend to let your spine get into positions it shouldn't be in, but the Civic's seats keep mine in the proper position, no matter the distance.  My only complaint about the seats would be the lack of adjustments, but then again, I did opt for the LX.  My other favorite interior feature has to be the cup holders.  Whoever designed these things deserves a raise.  They function great, and when you drink as much coffee on the road as I do, little amenities like cup holders become a lot more important.

Sometimes, when I see an EX or an Si, I wish I had opted for one of those models.  Of course, every time I make my car payment, I'm glad that I went with the LX.  My main objective when I traded in my Maxima was to buy a car that would not only be economical, but also reliable enough to reasonably expect to put a quarter of a million miles on it if need be.  With the Civic LX Coupe, I think I've achieved that objective... and then some.