2008 Civic Coupe LX Growning up.

I was looking for a daily driver and came upon the 2008 Civic LX. I wanted something with good mileage but wasn't too slow. I think the Civic is a good compromise. It is great to get from point A to point B.

I picked this car up 2 weeks ago, for $300 under invoice and free all season mats, $15,750. Honda also has great financing till the end of the year. I got a 2008 Honda Civic LX 5 speed manual in Alabaster Silver. I would have prefered Taffeta White, but there was only 1 in the entire midwest and I wasn't about to drive 400 miles to get a car when I worked out a good deal on this one.

So far, I'm happy with the car.

Exterior: I think the new design is growing on me. My favorite look of the Civic was the 96-00 model years; I thought the next redesign looked horrible. But I think the 06-current design isn't too bad. I think the rear end of the car also looks great. The LX has body color mirrors and door handles, something only the EX got in the past. However, the LX has steel rims; the EX gets Alloy ones (which I have to admit are sharp). The EX gets more interior color choices.

Interior: The interior of the Civic has changed quite a bit. The dash is split into 2 sections; the bottom has the Tach and some warning lights, the top part has the speed which is digital, fuel, and temperature. It took me a while to get used to it, but it is nice in that you don't have to look down as much to see the speed.

The seats are comfortable. They hug you a bit, which is far from what the seats in the older Civic did. There is ample storage space in the arm rest and 2 pockets under the dash, and a smaller one right behind the shifter which is handy to keep your cell phone.

The rear seats are not quite as comfortable, but if I was going to carry people around I would have gotten the 4 door. The Coupe has child seat tethers in the rear seat. The rear seat also folds down. In the EX, the rear seat is a split 60/40 fold down.

The stereo is decent, 160 watt with 6 speaker. The EX gets a 350 watt 7 speaker system. Both get AUX inputs, and the EX has a navigation option.

Air conditioning is also standard, along with an auto driver's side window up and down. You also get cruise controls on the steering wheel. The EX gets audio controls also. If you are looking to add controls to your LX, it can be done, with the factory components and factory radio, just e-mail me and I will let you know how.

It also has some nifty cup holders which adjust to the size of the cup. You will have a perfect fit.

I have cloth seats, the EX has a new option this year of leather (Leather in a Civic!).

The controls for the car also seem very refined, solid. They do not seem cheap. The radio buttons, the door lock, the window buttons all feel solid and smooth, not cheap.

There is plenty of room upfront for me, and the trunk is very large. I think I could put 3 or 4 sets of golf clubs in there.

Mechanical: All the Civic coupes (DX, LX, EX) get a 140 hp 4 cylinder motor. This was not the case in the past, as the EX got the more powerful VTEC motor. But here, all coupes are the same (Except for the Si). This translates to some go power and decent fuel economy. The EPA standards are 26/34 for the manual and 25/36 for auto. Yes, auto gets better mileage on the highway. Please note, these are with the new methods. If you want to know the old numbers, look at the 07 numbers.

The handling is ok on the car. From the seat of the pants, I think a Mazda 3 actually handles better, but the Civic has more of a refined smooth ride to it (Except on cement highways.. I experience some horrible bumps). There isn't much roll either when you turn through a corner.

But put together, the engine, suspension, and the steering of the car work very well. The steering ratio feels quick, it seems like it takes less turns to turn the car. If your looking for sporty though, go with the Si.

The brakes are good on the car also. It doesn't take much effort to stop. I'm still bedding them though, so I haven't been on them that hard yet.

The clutch engagement is immediate. I have an Acura Integra, and I have more room to play with that clutch. You have to slip it out to get it to move. But on the Civic, if you slip it out fast you're going to get a jarring ride. It might take a few tries to master this clutch. But otherwise, I love the feel of it; there is just enough resistance.

Safety: I'm sure some people are worried about small cars and safety. The Civic comes with ABS standard and side curtain airbags. It earned a 5 star frontal impact rating and 4 stars on side impact for the front passengers and 5 stars for the rear passengers. I'd say the car is safe.

Summary: I think that the Civic just gets better and better. It has a good powertrain with power to get you by, and it has good handling and great steering. The ride is refined, and the interior space is roomy. Among the small car segment, I don't think there is a better car. If you are in the market, make sure you test drive a Civic.

Pros:
- Nimble steering
- Refined ride on asphalt
- Storage room
- Trunk space
- Gas Mileage
- Honda reliability
- Goodies that you had to get the EX to have in the past
- 140 hp engine
- AUX input for radio

Cons:
- Rear seats (get a sedan if you're going to use them)
- Ride over cement roads (why is it so bad?)
- Might take a bit to get used to that split dash
- I wish the handling in the coupe was a bit more sharp.