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  • Honda says that the creation of this new 10th generation Civic represents one of the most

  • comprehensive and ambitious new-model developments theyve ever undertaken. Now a lot of the

  • time that kind of PR-speak is simply just that, but in this caseit’s completely

  • believable because this Civic just turned the compact class on its ear.2016 Honda Civic

  • TouringThe previous gen Civic, which launched about 5 years ago, proved to be a rare misstep

  • for Honda. Their beloved compact had completely lost its way. Then, just one model year later,

  • they righted that wrong with a much more competitive model. But this 2016 Civic is so far and away

  • better than any Civic before it that it’s a total game changer.Honda has resuscitated

  • the fun of driving. The mini Accord-like styling is engaging. And this new Touring trim offers

  • a more premium Civic experience.Longer, wider yet trimer, the biggest takeaway from my week

  • with this car is how amazingly it drives. There’s an optional new turbo under the

  • hood and it’s the piece de resistance of the Civic’s complete reengineering. Its

  • 162 pound-feet of torque is completely lag-free while the motor’s 1.5-liters of displacement

  • leave the car’s excellent fuel economy unadulterated. Though not selectable on the base LX trim

  • and thus not offered with a manual transmission, the price premium for the turbo over the base

  • 2.0-liter engine is $1,160. The power delivery is surprisingly quick and broad in its range,

  • it runs with a burble of sportiness and the 174 horsepower output is achieved with regular

  • unleaded to the tune of 31mpg city/42mpg highway. Zero-to-60mph happens in a faster than it

  • seems 6.8-seconds. Honda’s unique CVT plus torque converter transmission works wonderfully

  • here, delivering smooth and immediate takeoff in addition to the more desirable traditional

  • automatic sounds and sensations. And it incorporates a Sport mode with delayed upshifts and greater

  • engine braking.The Civic’s sporty new driving dynamics are such a huge leap forward that

  • I swear if you were dropped into this seat blindfolded you’d think you were driving

  • something from the luxury class. The new turbo is a perfect fit, the CVT never gets in the

  • way and the steering is sensational. If the regular Civic is this good just imagine what’s

  • in store for higher performance variants.Further contributing to the Civic’s newfound wow

  • factor is the more serious handlingthe culmination of a number of contributing factors,

  • including but not limited to, a new multi-link rear suspension, lower center of gravity,

  • and brake vectoring called Agile Handling Assist. To go with that, the brakes feel better

  • suited for aggressive driving and the new Electric Power Steering system with variable

  • gear ratios is quicker, light to the touch and offers darn near perfect feel. But this

  • isn’t a suspension tuned for just sporty driving; this Touring trim and its fluid filled

  • bushings all around absorb road anomalies with a deft, premium touch. It’s quiet with

  • a very tight body free of harshness.Inside the Touring, soft Ivory leather and a tri-setting

  • heated driver’s seat with a power adjustable bottom provide a high comfort/excellent visibility

  • helm. The gauges now live on one level and contain a multi-information display and a

  • green ring that glows in accordance with your eco driving style. The tech is good too though

  • the main conduit isn’t greatHonda’s touch-based controls are OK, can be used with

  • gloves and present an uncluttered cabin, but a couple of knobs wouldn’t hurt. The new

  • switchgear on the steering wheel appears a little flimsy but incorporates a touch slider

  • for volume just like on the head unit. The features of the system themselves are excellent,

  • incorporating the ease of Apple CarPlay, a feature I’ve quickly come to appreciate.

  • The wire guides from the USB port to the device holding area are nifty, too. And then there’s

  • this configurable center console with armrest, deep storage and sliding try and cup holders.

  • Honda keeps the cabin free of unnecessary distractions, and here on the Touring, loaded

  • with cool tech and an upgraded 10-speaker, 450-watt sound system. I’m not usually a

  • big fan of lane keeping assist but welcome to semiautonomous driving Civic-style. Now

  • I realize it’s not meant to be used in this manner but I couldn’t help but take my foot

  • and hands off the wheel to watch Honda Sensing work its magic. It also includes such out-of-class

  • features as adaptive cruise control with low speed follow, collision mitigation braking,

  • and LaneWatch among others as radar and multi-cameras continue to revolutionize automotive safety.The

  • Civic is more spacious than before but it can no longer tout a flat floor for the kid

  • in the middle.Other goodies on the Touring trim include heated rear seats, rain sensing

  • wipers, LED headlights though not matching fogs, chrome door handles, a power passenger

  • seat, though one that sits too low and lacks height control, and embedded Garmin navigation.

  • Remote start is welcome, too. This Burgundy Night Pearl example stickers for $27,335 giving

  • Civic shoppers a new range-topping choice. A base LX model starts at under $20,000.Fresh

  • off its much deserved win as North American Car of the Year, it’s nice to see that the

  • Civic is back and better than ever.

Honda says that the creation of this new 10th generation Civic represents one of the most

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