Honda Civic VTi 2016 Review

Honda Civic VTi
Road Test

Surprisingly stylish and modern, the latest iteration of this Honda classic has plenty to love – a smooth behind-the-wheel experience and spacious interior to name a few. However, its most impressive feature – the innovative Apple CarPlay function that sees the dash display mimic your iPhone – can be found in other models. Forking out extra for the top-spec version will score you plenty of safety extras, but no amount of money can buy the X-factor this comfortable, functional sedan is missing.

“But it’s too nice to be a Honda!” was the most common refrain amongst my family and friends when they laid eyes on the surprisingly sleek Civic VTi Honda Civic sedan I drove for a week.

While the name suggests a car that is pedestrian at best, the latest iteration of the Civic is surprisingly stylish. In less appealing colours the exterior design – with its sharp ridges and attempt at aerodynamics – can look a little clunky, but in the pearl white I drove it was inoffensive, even a little bit sleek.

The interior of the Civic is undoubtedly a highlight. Even with the fabric seats of the entry-level model it feels expensive, thanks in part to its spaciousness and a swish display screen. There’s plenty of storage for knick-knacks, including a cosy spot out of sight near the USB charging ports for your phone – a good way to avoid getting distracted by incoming messages.

Modern features like a push-button ignition, Bluetooth connectivity and a touchscreen ensure the car feels positively 21st century. I could have done without the teeny tiny parking brake lever, which I kept forgetting to activate. Really, it’s quite lucky I’m not writing this from the bottom of the Yarra River.

The back seat has plenty of legroom for adult passengers and the boot is impressively deep given the car doesn’t actually look that hefty from the outside. Annoyingly, the boot doesn’t have an obvious handle and is best opened using the control on the key. For some reason, the car I drove took several button pushes to respond – irritating when you have suitcases or heavy shopping in hand.

Parking is aided by a great reversing camera but hindered by a lack of rear windscreen wiper (which I always find irritating in the rain but maybe it’s just me) and no parking sensors. To me, having a reversing camera without parking sensors is like having cake without icing – unnecessary, cruel and disorientating.

Apparently the Civic sedan top-spec VTi-LX offers more in the way of safety features – like forward-collision warning, lane-departure warnings and adaptive cruise control – so if you’re not willing to pay the required $11,000 extra you’ll just have to settle for being a safe driver all on your own. Boring, I know.

One handy feature I used a lot was the speed limit function on the cruise control. I have a bad habit of speeding up in time to whatever music I’m listening to, so this kept me in check. There’s also a brake-hold function should you get sick of using your feet when stopped at the lights.

On that note, when you’re stopped at the lights there’s plenty of fun stuff to play with. I like how the display screen reverts to an image of the starry night sky when you’re not using it – very calming. The volume control is a bit fiddly on the dash so best to manage volume or track changes with the handy steering wheel controls.

I’ll tell you what – by far the best part about the Honda Civic is Apple CarPlay. It’s an absolute revelation. All I had to do was plug my iPhone in using a USB cord and I had access to all my apps through the car’s touchscreen. Even better, there’s a kind lady inside the car (let’s call her Donna the Robot) who will read your text messages to you so you don’t have to text and drive. She even knows to read out the emojis that are so essential to modern communication.

Donna also replies to messages for you and allows you to change your mind several times. “Do you want to send or change that?” she asks politely. “Good thinking, Donna. On second thoughts, it’s probably not the best idea to send my boss that particular emoji. Thanks for having my back.”

Being able to easily run my iTunes and Spotify through the car was also a big bonus for me, someone who’s accustomed to fumbling around with a phone in order to change playlists.

The Civic feels smooth and safe on the roads, the steering and brakes are responsive and there’s minimal noise. My fuel consumption was 7.5L/100km, slightly higher than the advertised figure of 6.0L.

The car offers a mysterious “ECON” mode that’s meant to enhance fuel efficiency, presumably at the cost of performance. The difference is nearly imperceptible but pushing the button does light up the dashboard in green. Otherwise, I could see no real benefit in opting for it.

Unfortunately for the Civic, I can’t fault it in any major way but I also can’t quite pinpoint a distinguishing feature that would entice me to spend more than $22,000 on it. Apple CarPlay is excellent, but since it’s available in other cars from other manufacturers it’s not enough of a draw card.

If I were a teacher writing a report card, I’d give the Civic an A+ for effort. After all, it has improved in leaps and bounds since its last assessment and plenty of people have noticed.

Unfortunately, the Civic lacks initiative and creativity and could benefit from hanging out with some of is artier classmates. Might I suggest some one-on-one time with the Citroen C4 Cactus?

2016 Honda Civic VTi pricing and specifications:
Price: $22,390 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 104kW/174Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 6.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 148g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Nissan Pulsar (from $19,990 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Corolla (from $20,740 plus ORCs)
>> Kia Cerato (from $19,990 plus ORCs)