Honda Civic VTi-L 2012 Review
Inoffensive. In a word. The Civic used to be such a fun, sporty little car but who's hiding it and when can we get it back?
Honda is doing a great job out of Toyotaring Toyota, with a car that does everything extremely well but is almost totally devoid of character. This one on the other hand feels like it is targeted at retirees (not a bad thing considering this is a growing market).
PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Prices for the VTi-L start at $20,990 plus on road costs. The auto adds $2300 bringing the total to $23,290. But the Sport at $27,990 is another $4700 but includes the auto. The extra dosh buys you a sunroof, leather upholstery, fog lights and 17 inch alloys. Standard features in both models include Bluetooth and iPod connectivity.
TECHNOLOGY
Even though the VTi-L has a smaller engine than the Sport, it goes nearly as well and is not disappointing. The VTi-L model’s 1.8-litre SOHC four-cylinder petrol engine with 16 valves and a dual-stage intake manifold is a refined version of the previous engine.
The engine produces almost identical figures to last year's model at 104kW of power and 174Nm of torque. It's hooked up to either a five-speed manual or five-speed adaptive auto with steering wheel mounted paddle shifts. The Sport in comparison produces 114kW/190Nm seems hardly worth the effort.
The new engine has extensive changes that reduce friction, improve emissions and increase fuel economy. The changes have reduced fuel consumption from 7.2 litres/100km to 6.7 litres. During our test program the car returned a figure of 7.4 litres/100km which shows it is more than achievable. CO2 emissions are slightly down too at 158g/km (previously 164g).
SAFETY
Gets a full five stars for safety. A long list of standard safety equipment including front, side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and next-generation Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA).
DRIVING
The VTI-L is a big vehicle for a small car with plenty of room for mature adults. It’s easy to get in and out of and easy to drive and park. The Motion-Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS) improves steering response at low speeds. I like the big centrally located digital speedometer which makes it easy to tell exactly how fast you're going at a glance. But I don't like the space saver spare, even though there's room for one in the biggish boot.
The VTI-L is extremely smooth and quiet inside and zips through traffic with consummate ease. It lacks the low down torque of the Sport with its larger 2.0-litre engine but there is very little difference in the way they drive once it's up and running. With the ECON economy option activated, throttle response is more gradual, shift pattern is reconfigured in the auto and climate control operation is altered. It certainly saves fuel but throttle response is sluggish.
VERDICT
After driving the two Civic sedans back to back I've come to the same conclusion as last time. And that is, forget the Sport, save your money and stick with this the entry level VTi-L model.
2012 Honda Civic VTI-L
Price: from $20,990
Warranty: Three years/100,000 km
Engine: 1.8-litre, 4-cyl petrol, 104kW/174Nm
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body: 4540mm (L); 1755mm (W), 1435mm (H)
Weight: 1180kg
Thirst: 6.8 L/100km, 161 g/km CO2
Pricing guides
Range and Specs
Vehicle | Specs | Price* | |
---|---|---|---|
VTi | 1.8L, ULP, 5 SP MAN | $6,160 – 8,690 | 2012 Honda Civic 2012 VTi Pricing and Specs |
Type R | 2.0L, PULP, 6 SP MAN | $15,400 – 19,800 | 2012 Honda Civic 2012 Type R Pricing and Specs |
VTi-L | 1.8L, ULP, 5 SP MAN | $7,810 – 11,000 | 2012 Honda Civic 2012 VTi-L Pricing and Specs |
Sport | 2.0L, ULP, 5 SP AUTO | $8,800 – 12,430 | 2012 Honda Civic 2012 Sport Pricing and Specs |
$7,990
Lowest price, based on 111 car listings in the last 6 months