Just a Test Drive...My hands on Honda Civic!

Yesterday evening, I went to a Honda showroom nearby to inquire the features/price of 2008 Honda Fit and 2008 Honda Civic. And i test drove both the cars. I have nothing much to write about the Fit, as it was more like a Santro/Getz in India. Very less legroom, minimal engine pickup and a poor visibility from the driver's view point. I tried my hands in the Civic next. Wow!! was my first expression. I felt more like sitting in the cockpit of an airplane. The console of the car is the first thing to catch the eye. To my knowledge, it is the only car featuring a digital speed display in its segment. And the fuel and engine temperature displays are also digital, the brightness of all these things being adjustable. It had a pretty decent legroom. I tried the version with automatic transmission and other basic features like ABS, side airbags, AC, etc., It did not have a moon-roof, which would have made the interiors perfect! Overall, I felt quite amused, at the interior design aspect of this car.

I then started the engine and slowly accelerated the vehicle. It moved as a charm, with minimal noise and pleased me with a very smooth ride. Civic has a 4 cylinder 1.8L engine and 140 hp@ 6300 rpm. I drove over 5 miles and had a 'feel-good' factor falling in my mind slowly. The first 2 miles were as smooth as a butter, as I steered the Civic that way. The next 2 miles, I tried all that I wanted to try. I pressed the metal to the pedal and checked on the engine power. Quite good for a mid-segment car. Not terrific though. I knew Civic is not the car for fast pickups. The steering wheel, seat adjustments, hand rest, power windows and everything around the driver is neatly made, ensuring maximum comfort to the driver. The rear of the car had quite enough legroom as well. As expected, the boot space was quite ample.

Coming to the exterior, almost anybody would not have missed the Civic on the roads. It for sure grabs the attention of an on-looker for a second look. And i found the sleek lines and futuristic style of the exterior fantastic. Overall, its quite an appealing car for around 18K to 20K(USD) range. I'm tempted for sure ;)