Civic remains among best compact cars on road
This week, we test drive the 2004 Honda Civic EX four-door, a vehicle you’ll appreciate more and more each time you pass a gas station. The legendary Civic — at 32 mpg city, 37 mpg highway — remains one of the best compact vehicles in the market and throws in some new looks for good measure with the 2004 model.
Our EX tester represents Civic’s top-of-the-line offering. The DX model starts at a mere $13,010, with the LX beginning at a reasonable $15,360. At these prices, it’s hard to go wrong if this is the vehicle class you’re shopping.
New for 2004 is a redesigned front end that includes new headlights, bumpers and grill. The Civic also features 15-inch alloy wheels, dual body-colored power door mirrors, body-colored door handles and side molding, and green-tinted glass. It adds up to a stylish look that belies the Civic’s inexpensive nature.
However, there’s more to talk about than looks, as the Civic earns a five-star frontal-crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The safety list is mindful of a more expensive sedan, with dual front airbags, side-impact door beams, front and rear crumple zones and anti-lock brakes all standard. Also, the Civic’s bumpers conform to federal performance standards when tested at 5 mph. The view of the road is excellent, as are all instrumentation and control switches.
Under the hood, a 1.7-liter, 16-valve VTEC four-cylinder engine mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission powers the Civic. The small engine produces an impressive 127 horsepower and has good throttle response. The engine in the EX produces 12 more horsepower than the lesser priced LX and DX models, the latter relying on a different valve-train setup.
As for the cabin, again, don’t think cheap car, simply think Honda. The Civic is built right, with air conditioning with filtration; AM/FM/CD stereo with anti-theft feature and four speakers; adjustable-height driver’s seat; a front center console that includes an armrest and storage; cruise control; power windows and door locks; 60-40 split, fold-down rear seatback with lock; map lights and cargo area light; front and rear beverage holders; 12-volt accessory socket; rear-window defroster with timer; and power moonroof with tilt. Whew!
Important numbers include a 103.1-inch wheelbase, 12.9 cubic feet of cargo room, 2,612 pound curb weight, and a 13.2-gallon fuel tank (that’s small, but at peak mileage, it’s still good for almost 500 miles).
The Civic remains one of the best small cars on the road. On a two-hour round trip, we forgot we were in a small, inexpensive car. It was a smooth, effortless, comfortable ride in a quality vehicle.
Cornering is very good, thanks to a well-built suspension featuring MacPherson strut setup in the front and a double wishbone design in the rear. The brakes stop the Civic with authority, thanks to a standard ABS system (extra in the lower-priced models) and a front disc/rear drum blueprint.
We rate the Civic an 8.5 on a scale of 1 to 10.