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2001 Honda Civic: Up a Notch
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| 2001 Honda Civic: Up A Notch |
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| Updated |
Mar 17, 2005 19:41:50 |
| Rating |
 16 ( -2 -12.5% ) | | Author | Tara Baukus Mello |
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Description:
It's been a long time since I've been behind the wheel of a Honda Civic and I found my driving experience a pleasant surprise. Honda has redesigned its Civic (the best-selling small car in the U.S. for the last five years) for 2001, updating its styling, improving the engine performance and boosting the interior room. The overall result has taken the Civic one step higher---from a practical, inexpensive car to one that is also tops in safety and driving performance for its class. My opinion of the redesigned Civic was reinforced in a shopping mall parking lot during my week behind the wheel. Since I needed to visit several stores in the shopping center, I parked in the middle of them, so I'd be able to walk to do all my errands instead of moving the car several times. On one trip past the car to another store, I found two college-aged men staring at the front of the Civic. Since they had pulled into the space directly in front of me, I thought at first that they had misjudged the distance and were now inspecting the front bumper for damage. As I approached the car, I watched them move to the side and then to the rear. Soon, I realized they were checking out the car! I walked past the car toward the next store to finish my errands. My ears perked up when I eavesdropped on their conversation as I strolled by. "Man, that is phat,".
"Oh, yeah," said the other enthusiastically. "Got to get me one of those." From the import-tuning crowd to sensible singles looking for a reliable car at a good price, the Honda Civic has always been at the top of many buyer's lists. With the redesign for 2001, there's even more reasons to park one in your driveway. All trim levels of the new Civic feature 1.7-liter engines that boast horsepower gains of five to 10 percent as well as improved fuel economy. All of the new engines are more environmentally-friendly than the earlier models, with every 2001 Civic meeting the Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) standards---the first car to be sold in all 50 states with this rating. Our test 2001 Honda Civic EX coupe featured a new 1.7-liter, 127 horsepower, four-cylinder engine with improved torque (114 foot-pounds at 4800 rpm up from 107 foot pounds at 5500 rpm). The increased performance made for a peppy drive around town as well as when accelerating rapidly, such as when entering a highway. Even the entry level Civic, the DX, received a mild performance boost-115 horsepower up from 106 horsepower last year. As with previous models, the highly fuel efficient Civic HX (which gets 36 city/44 highway mpg with the manual transmission) and the natural gas powered Civic GX are also offered for 2001. The redesigned Civic now has a flat rear floor, which offers an average of 2.3 cubic feet of additional interior room, bringing the vehicle into the "compact" category. 2001 models now offer advanced dual-stage front airbags that monitor seatbelt usage and crash severity in order to deploy the airbags with the appropriate amount of force. Three-point seatbelts are located in all seating positions, including the rear center passenger and all models come with the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) child seat system as well as an emergency trunk release inside the trunk. Side airbags are now optional on all Civic trim levels, while the front passenger side airbag has a cutoff switch which will prevent the airbag from deploying if a child or small adult is leaning into the side airbag deployment path. All Civics come standard with features such as power steering, an adjustable steering column, AM/FM stereo and an immobilizer theft deterrent system. The LX trim level also includes other features such as air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, cruise control and an AM/FM/cassette. The EX, the top of the line version of the Civic, also had anti-lock brakes, a moonroof, AM/FM/CD stereo with anti-theft, keyless entry and larger 15-inch wheels and tires. The entry level Civic, the DX has a base price of $12,760 for the coupe and $12,960 for the sedan. Our test Honda Civic EX coupe with optional side airbags was priced at $16,660. By Tara Baukus Mello
for Autobytel, inc. Copyright 2001, Tara Baukus Mello. All Rights Reserved.
Standard Equipment:
All Civics come standard with features such as power steering, an adjustable steering column, AM/FM stereo and an immobilizer theft deterrent system. The LX trim level also includes other features such as air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, cruise control and an AM/FM/cassette. The EX, the top of the line version of the Civic, also had anti-lock brakes, a moonroof, AM/FM/CD stereo with anti-theft, keyless entry and larger 15-inch wheels and tires.
Pricing
The entry level Civic, the DX has a base price of $12,760 for the coupe and $12,960 for the sedan. Our test Honda Civic EX coupe with optional side airbags was priced at $16,660. |
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