Written By: MyRide.com
Reprinted under license.

Refinement enters the sport compact car lexicon

Introduction

Coupes are more expressive and aspirational than conventional sedans, but modern automotive marketing wisdom says that unless it's a luxury or sports car like a BMW 3 Series or Nissan 350Z, a two-door won't sell. Buyers of small cars choose them because they must for reasons of practicality, the theory goes, and a coupe is clearly impractical. Yet Honda, never afraid to buck a trend in the process of setting a new one, has continuously offered a Civic Coupe since 1992.

That tradition continues with the introduction of the redesigned 2006 Honda Civic. The new Civic Coupe is still less practical than the Civic Sedan, but moves solidly into expressive and aspirational territory with a big dose of style and refinement.

Radically cab-forward in terms of design, the 2006 Honda Civic Coupe possesses a strong European flavor, a spirited driving character, and an upscale ambience that belies its fully-loaded price of around $20,000. Coupled with Honda's technologically-advanced four-cylinder engines - among the most fuel efficient and least polluting available today - and a nearly complete roster of safety equipment, the all-new 2006 Honda Civic looks to be a smash hit. If you don't mind the lack of rear doors, that is.

What It Is

Honda offers three different versions of the 2006 Civic Coupe, each equipped with the same 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine teamed with either a manual or an automatic transmission. The base model is called DX, the popular mid-grade version is the LX, and the most upscale Civic is named EX.

Standard equipment on the DX includes seat-mounted side-impact airbags, front and rear side-curtain airbags, and antilock brakes. A tilt and telescopic steering column, power windows, a driver's seat height adjuster, and a rear window defroster with a timer are also a part of the entry-level price. The 2006 Honda Civic DX Coupe rides on 15-inch steel wheels with wheelcovers, has a small lip spoiler on the decklid, and features black door handles and black manually adjustable side mirrors. The rear seat folds down to expand cargo capacity, but is not split.

If you want a stereo, air conditioning, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power mirrors, cruise control, and other niceties, we'd suggest giving the 2006 Honda Civic LX a look. It also comes with floor mats, 16-inch wheels wearing wider and lower profile tires, body-colored exterior trim, and a huge center console storage bin with a sliding armrest. The Civic LX also gets upgraded interior d cor; map lights; a power driver's window with one-touch up and down functions; and a 160-watt audio system with CD player, speed-sensitive volume control, tweeters, and an auxiliary input jack for your iPod.

Pop for the 2006 Honda Civic EX and you'll bask in the sunshine thanks to a standard power moonroof with one-touch open and close. The premium for the Civic EX also includes spiffy five-spoke alloy wheels and rear disc brakes. EX trim is also your ticket to a remote power trunk release, variable wipers, a rear seat center armrest, a 12-volt power outlet in the center console, a split-folding rear seatback, and an outside temperature display. A navigation system is optional on the Civic EX, and it includes a digital audio card reader. The Civic EX is also wired for XM satellite radio, and comes with a kick-ass 350-watt audio system with six speakers and an eight-inch subwoofer. Ambient center console lighting bathes the middle of the Civic in a warm glow at night, and on the outside the EX gets a chrome exhaust finisher.

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How Much It Costs

Despite an on-sale date of September 15, 2005, Honda hadn't set final prices for the redesigned 2006 Honda Civic Coupe when we published this story. Estimates ranged from about $14,500 for the Civic DX to $18,500 for the Civic EX. Honda plans to sell about 85,000 Civic Coupes a year, roughly 25-percent of all planned Civic sales.

What's Under the Hood

Every 2006 Honda Civic Coupe gets the same engine, a 1.8-liter, inline four-cylinder equipped with i-VTEC variable valve timing. With 140 horsepower available at 6,300 rpm and 128 lb.-ft. of torque peaking at 4,300 rpm, the 2006 Civic Coupe's engine is more powerful than both motors offered in 2005 and runs on regular unleaded fuel.

A five-speed manual transmission sends the power to the front wheels, and is estimated to provide 30 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. The optional five-speed automatic is expected to do even better when it comes to fuel efficiency, matching the manual's city rating but getting 40 mpg on the highway.

Suspended by MacPherson struts in front and double wishbones in back, the 2006 Honda Civic Coupe gets tighter spring and shock tuning than the Civic Sedan for a sporty ride. The Civic DX wears P195/65 all-season tires, while the Civic LX and EX get P205/55R16 treads. All three models have a conventional hydraulically-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system, unlike the drive-by-wire electric units in the Civic Hybrid and Civic Si sports coupe. Ventilated front disc brakes are standard, but DX and LX make do with rear drum brakes while the EX trades up for solid discs for better, more balanced braking performance.

What It Looks Like 

This redesign of the 2006 Honda Civic might be the most radical of any in the car's 33-year history. It is a distinctive, forward-thinking package defined by European flair and subtle detailing, and should wear well over time. From some angles it's hard to tell if the 2006 Civic is coming or going - so short are its hood, rear deck, and overhangs - but there's no denying that this is a contemporary, upscale look for the new Civic.

Importantly, the 2006 Honda Civic Coupe shares no exterior sheetmetal with the Civic Sedan, though the cars look similar from the windshield pillars forward. Up front, the sedan's chrome grille spear is replaced by a dark metallic-finish garnish, and the headlights on the coupe are different. Also note that the Civic Sedan's front quarter windows and folding side mirrors are replaced on the Civic Coupe with a single pane of glass and fixed mirrors. And the rear of the coupe is entirely different from the sedan.

While we're having trouble warming up to the 2006 Honda Civic Sedan's rear end, we think the Civic Coupe is extremely attractive. It resembles the sleek Honda Accord Coupe, but with that bigger car's fleshy hips liposuctioned to proper proportions. From the side, our favorite bits are the rakish roofline, the wedge profile, the hefty door handles, and the neatly integrated moldings in the lower character line.

The 2006 Honda Civic Coupe's trunk holds 11.5 cubic feet of cargo, and while that doesn't sound large, the cargo area is usefully shaped with a low liftover height, a large opening, and a nice lining. Plus, with a folding rear seat, the Civic will hold longer items when necessary. Gooseneck hinges mean fragile packages need to be stowed toward the middle, and we didn't see a handle on the inside of the lid to assist with closing, but otherwise the Civic should prove capable when it comes to carting stuff.

Continue to 2006 Honda Civic Coupe First Drive from MyRide.com

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