Best endurance tester of 2023. The Honda Civic is the nicest endurance tester we have had in 2023.
The finest endurance tester of 2023 has returned to the importer. There he was welcomed with open arms, because the new Honda Civic was so popular after its introduction a year ago that demand far exceeded supply. The model was even removed from the European price list. Fortunately, we have been able to enjoy perhaps the best C-segment hatchback of the moment for six months, and this copy may become available soon!
In a comparison test against the Volkswagen Golf, the qualities of the latest Civic were confirmed. With a score of no less than 38 points, it defeated the German hatchback in the head-to-head comparison by three points. Scores higher than 35 points are rare anyway.
Unanimously enthusiastic
Everyone who drove the car during their stay in our Endurance Test garage came away very enthusiastic about the red Civic with the most complete equipment: it is an Advance. That enthusiasm was not so much caused by the lavish decoration, but by the excellent driving characteristics. The only downside is the somewhat noisy chassis. Noises from outside penetrate considerably into the interior. The dynamics and lightness, coupled with an otherwise high degree of comfort (except for that sound), the materials in the interior, but especially the direct response of the hybrid drive-train, complete the party. And that too with good consumption. On average we drove 1 in 18.8. The immediate response to the accelerator pedal makes it fun to drive for a hybrid. The degree of regeneration with the paddles provides an extra portion of fun, because it even makes braking fun and in Sport mode it imitates a traditional automatic with a lot of resistance.
The golden times of the Civic are unfortunately far behind us. The Honda of that name was particularly popular in Europe in the 1980s and early 1990s, at a time when there were many variants on the Civic theme. We brought back those times on a one-off basis by bringing together various colorful derivative versions. The current generation is a lift-back, which in that respect is reminiscent of the Civic five-door hatchback that you could buy in our country from 1995 to 2001. A fifth door is quite practical, but headroom on the back seat is limited. By the way, this body type has never caught on in the C-segment in Europe. It also makes the current Civic a bit of an odd one out, which is of course reinforced by the fact that it will not be available in Europe for the time being. However, there will still be 81 Civics registered in the Netherlands in 2023. As part of Honda’s golden years, we took the Civic to Swindon, England, where many Honda cars once came off the production line, but where no car is now produced.
1 in 20.7 achieved during the trip to Germany
The hybrid Civic produces 184 hp, has two electric motors and a 2.0 four-cylinder that more often serves as a generator than as direct drive to the front wheels. During the chassis dynamometer measurement, the Civic produced 180.9 hp and the combustion engine appeared to contribute to the drive. It depends on the circumstances whether the 2.0 four-cylinder, which itself produces 178 hp (but that does not count for the system power), does that. During the sprint measurement that a car undergoes during Techzle tests, we achieved three-tenths of the time from 0 to 100 km/h that the factory specifies, meaning that the Civic needs less than eight seconds for the well-known sprint. We drove very economically during a trip to Metz, France, where we saw 1 in 19.5 at the pump on the way there. On a drive to central Germany there was even a neat consumption of 1:20.7.
There is also little to criticize about the multimedia system, although compared to what we encounter with the competitors, it is not that nice and is quite simple. We are also satisfied with the driver assistance systems, which intervene properly and do not come to the fore in an annoying way.
Now we should see the Civic more often, because that means more people can enjoy the car.
Honda Civic in numbers
Initial position 9,104
Final score 24,835
Driven kilometers 15,731
Liters refueled 837.58
Average usage 5.3 l/100 km (1:18.8)
Fuel costs 1,658.05