Dressed to the nines

Hatch and sedan have flexible cabins and brisk and balanced road manners

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The Civic is one of the oldest continuous nameplates on the Australian market, dating back to the 1970s.

Then it was a modest little car, best known for its propensity to rust before your very eyes, but that was before Honda moved upmarket and established itself as a maker of premium small cars.

The model introduced in 2012 was the ninth generation in the Civic line and gave owners plenty of choice, the variety of models including a hybrid and a diesel.

For the purposes of this review we’ll stick with the petrol and diesel models and leave the hybrid for a specific review at another time.

In effect there were two cars in the ninth generation, a swoopy British-built five-door hatch and a more sedate fourdoor sedan that was produced in Thailand. Models in the range comprised the petrol VTi, VTi-S, VTi-L, VTi-LN and Sport and the diesel DTi-S.

Most people who signed on for the petrol engine drove away with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder that produced a respectable 104kW/174Nm. Those who went for the Sport got the extra zip of a 2.0-litre four that produced 114kW/ 190Nm.

Those who were keener on a diesel were satisfied when Honda added a 1.6-litre fourcylinder turbo diesel to the range in 2013. With 88kW/ 300Nm, and claimed fuel consumption of 4.0L/100km, it delivered the smooth driveability and miserly thirst expected of a diesel.

Honda gave buyers of the petrol engines the option of a five-speed manual gearbox but most owners chose the fivespeed automatic. If you bought a diesel you could have only a six-speed manual.

On the road the Civic was a nicely balanced performer. Its performance was smooth and brisk enough to satisfy most people and it handled with aplomb while retaining a comfortable ride.

Inside, the cabin was airy with a practical and flexible layout, while the boot was of a good size.

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Owners are unanimous in their praise for the ninth-generation Civic. Virtually all say they are happy with its performance, even those who say it isn’t as nippy as some other small cars say they are content, and they also say they’re pleased with its fuel economy.

They also heap praise on its cabin, describing it as comfortable and quiet, and they like the flexibility of the seating that allows them to carry quite large items when they need to.

There are a few owners who aren’t happy with their cars but they are usually the ones who have had to replace their brakes at quite low kilometres.

It seems that Honda has used a softer pad lining material and that results in high pad wear for some owners. It isn’t unusual to hear that owners have had to replace the front and rear brakes, pads and rotors alike, at 40,000km.

For most it has come as a rather expensive shock when they have taken their cars in for its 40,000km service.

Anyone shopping for a Civic should be wary of the issue but, apart from the brakes, there are very few complaints that secondhand buyers should be concerned about.

Regular servicing is scheduled for every 10,000km or six months, which is more frequent than many of its rivals, but it’s vital that this is done as Honda recommends.

Missing services is a sure way of causing premature wear in engines. Sometimes it can even be the cause of serious engine damage. Ask for a service record to confirm the car you are considering buying has been regularly serviced.

OWNERS SAY

Danny O’Brien I love my 2012 VTi-L hatch. It has got plenty of power, the fuel consumption is pretty reasonable and after almost 30,000km it is still running perfectly. Tom Carroll Overall I am happy with my 2012 hatch but I was surprised to be told at the 20,000km service that the brakes were almost worn out and would have to be replaced in the next 10,000-15,000km. Pat Jackson My VTi-LN is a dream. It feels luxurious, it’s quiet, comfortable and the seating is flexible enough for me to carry quite large items. Sam Chan I bought my VTi-S secondhand and so far I’m very happy with it. It’s well finished inside and out and, while not a high performer, it does what it needs to do. Milton Everett: I’ve had my ninth-generation Civic for a long time now. In that time it has been very economical and very reliable and I’m very happy with it.

SMITHY SAYS ★★★★

A safe and reliable choice for small-car buyers.