Honda Civic 2005 (Special Edition): The Weekly Driver Review

At last count, Honda offers nearly 40 varieties of the 2005 Honda Civic.
It's a perennial best-buy, and with the Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla,
the Civic is one of the most visible vehicles on the road today.

And there's little argument Civic's popularity isn't warranted. Honda has
capitalized on the compact car's success by presenting three body
styles and the notable options of a gas/electric hybrid and two-door
hatchback. But does Honda really need another option in the Civic line?

Apparently it does, considering my test drive for the week, the Special
Edition, 4-door, EX model. It's an effort in some ways to make the Civic
something it's not — a sports car or an economy vehicle with high-end
standard features.

The Special Edition features include a leather-wrapped steering wheel,
a AM/FM 6-Disc in-dash CD, with six-speakers, MP3 playback capability
and an equalizer display function, 15 or 16-inch alloy wheels and a rear
wing spoiler. And while many of the features are perfectly fine, what
really is the point of a spoiler on a Civic? Just how much can it possibly
help a vehicle that features a 1.7-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder, 127-
horsepower engine with an automatic transmission?

Nevertheless, beyond its special edition features, the 2005 Civics offers
plenty of what has made the car what it is — a reliable, economical
vehicle with myriad standard features, few weaknesses, good resale
value and the availability to suit budgets beginning at $13,000 and
continuing to nearly $21,000.

In my weekly drive, the Civic performed to satisfaction and featured one
of the nicest colors I've seen on the road. While red and white are still
manufacturers' favorites, the Civic is available in a deep blue offering
called Eternal Blue Pearl. The color provides the Civic with a small dose
of sophistication despite its economy car status.

The Civic performs as well as any economy vehicle. Its lack of
acceleration and restrictive rear-seat headroom are low points. But
those are acceptable shortcomings, particularly since Civic owners are
likely looking for different attributes, most notably, fuel economy. The
Civic has estimated ratings of 31 (city) and 38 (highway) mpg, and that's
a strong enough characteristic to persuade many potential buyers.

But the Civic also offers a nicely designed interior, including well-
arranged controls, well-conceived space allotment (with the exception of
the aforementioned rear-seat limitation), a comfortable, if not particularly
quiet ride, and solid steering and handling. Seats are cloth in all models
and leather is not an available option.

Air conditioning, 60/40 rear-split back seat, power windows and door
locks, cruise control, various map and cargo lights, 12-volt power outlet,
power moonroof, rear window defroster are all standard.

With an offered special edition discount of $400, my test vehicle priced
out at $18,660, the fifth most expensive Civic. Considering the entire
line's standard feature of no scheduled tune-up maintenance for
110,000 miles, it's hard not to praise the Civic.

It's likely the best economical vehicle on the road today. But it would do
just fine without a spoiler.

2005 Honda Civic (Special Edition)

Safety features – Dual-stage driver and front passenger dual-
stage front airbags. Antilock brakes.

Fuel Mileage (estimates) – 31 mpg (city), 38 mpg (highway).

Warranty – Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,000 miles; Power
train, 3 years/36,000 miles; Corrosion, 5 years/unlimited mileage.

Base price – $18,660.

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James Raia is a Sacramento, Calif., journalist who writes about sports,
travel and lifestyle topics as well as the automotive column, The Weekly
Driver Review. To read more of his content, visit the web site: ByJamesRaia.com

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