2008 Honda Civic

The 2008 Civic is my fifth Honda. I've previously owned a Prelude, Accord, and S2000, and still have a Honda Pilot in the garage. Going nearer the "bottom of the line" than I ever had before, I didn't have high expectations in terms of refinement when I purchased the Civic. I wanted functional transportation that met my needs in an economical way, but have so far been delighted to get much more than that from the Civic.

After much wrestling with myself, (do I want a coupe or sedan? manual or auto? leather or cloth?), I decided on a taffeta white EX-navi coupe with automatic transmission and cloth interior. Leather is available from the factory for the first time on 2008 Civics. The $1,200 option also adds front seat heaters and heated side mirrors. I've never been impressed with the way leather wears in any car, so I decided against it. One of the major reasons that I didn't more seriously consider a new Accord or CR-V rather than the Civic is that neither of those models can be outfitted with factory navigation without also adding leather, which pushes both nearer the 30,000 dollar mark than I cared to be.

Exterior
The Civic's exterior, in both coupe and sedan form, is typical Honda--conservative but modern, inoffensive but just shy of boring. The coupe has a sportier stance than it's four doored sister, with very nice looking rear lines. The front exterior is nearly identical no matter how many doors you opt for, and is a bit wide and stubby to my eye. EX models ride on clean looking 16" alloy wheels. Lesser LX and DX trims have plastic wheelcovers.

Interior
When I bought the Civic my friends and family joked that I bought the car to get a cup holder. And there's some truth in that. (Anyone who has spent time with an s2000 as their daily driver can immediately relate to this). With the s2000 as my everyday car for four months, I longed for a place to set my morning coffee, cubbies for coins, and somewhere to put my sunglasses. The Civic delivers on all of that...with several in-dash slots for storage, deep cupholders that can be concealed behind a tambour door, a deep armrest with secondary power outlet, spacious door pockets, and a glove box (again, those with s2000 experience will appreciate why I am gushing over a glovebox).
With more and more customers demanding leather for their seating surfaces, it seems that many manufacturers have allowed their cloth offerings to become chintzy afterthoughts. Not so at Honda. My ivory seats are swathed in soft, durable fabric. The center inserts have a subtle pattern that keeps the interior from seeming too "flat". The darker brown dash and satin metal accents give the cars interior a very sophisticated look. (Even the navigation screen's background can be changed to an oil-rubbed bronze like finish that complements the interior).
The two-level dash is, at first blush, rather odd. But stacking the speedometer and other instrumentation higher keeps the driver's eyes on the road. After a few hundred miles adjusting to this unusual layout, I was sold on it.

Electronics and Safety
The factory voice-activated navigation system is quite complex. The manual for this feature is nearly as large as the manual for the whole car. The dealer reports that after a year with the same system in his Ridgeline, he is still finding new features. Set aside an evening to read the manual fully to get the most from the navigation if you opt for it. Most functions of the audio and nav system can be voice-controlled. Simply hit a button on the steering wheel and say what you want. The voice recognition is remarkably accurate, and the system gives you great feedback. (It will even answer the perennial question of "Are we there yet?" By giving the estimated time to arrive at the set destination.)
The Civic has scored well in crash tests, no doubt in part because of the numerous airbags. Standard front, side, and curtain bags, as well as whiplash preventing advanced head restraints mean the Civic will do its best to protect its occupants no matter where a collision occurs.
The Civic also features a tire pressure monitoring system. I've NOT been pleased with this feature on other cars because of the false low-pressure readings that can register in cold weather. My Honda dealer suggested filling the tires with more stable Nitrogen, and so far I've had no false readings from the Civic.
The Maintenance Minder on the 2008 Civic is more advanced than I've had on previous Hondas. The digital odometer/trip meter will also give the exterior temperature and oil-life remaining and coded maintenance reminders letting you know when its time to rotate the tires, change the filters, etc.

Driving the Civic
Particularly after getting used to the harsh ride and noisy cabin of my S2000, the Civic offers refinement I didn't expect from a car in it's class. Smooth, quiet, and comfortable best describe being behind the wheel of the Civic. While I think the Civic could benefit from a little more off-the-mark power, it's 140-hp 4 cylinder engine is more than capable. The suspension is smooth without being "cushy", the steering is precise, and cornering is tight.

Overall
Honda continues to move the Civic and Accord models upmarket. The Civic has become what the Accord was a few model generations ago. Larger, more luxurious, and better refined than previous Civic designs, the current version offers a lot in a very economical package.
I've so far been very impressed with the low levels of cabin noise, smoothness of the automatic transmission, and fuel economy (I averaged just shy of 35 MPG on a 300 mile road trip averaging 75 mph) For the price, the Civic really delivers a lot. Even a fully loaded model with leather and navigation can be had in the low 20 thousands. And if you're willing to do without some features, a Civic can be yours for around $15,000.
Updates
05-06-08 After nearly 9,000 miles in the 08 Civic, I can still stand by my original assessment. There are times I ache for a bit more power under the hood, but overall, the car has been trouble free. No squeaks, rattles, or issues to speak of.

05-18-09
I've now spent 30,000 miles with the Civic, and thought I would provide an update. The car has continued to exceed my expectations--smooth, comfortable, and quiet. It has had only one minor warranty repair done--a loose speaker cover on the dash.
The following are my maintenance expenses for the first 30,000 miles (all service done at the dealership, and I service at 5,000 mile intervals rather than waiting for the maintenance minder just for ease of remembering when to take it in.)
at 5,000 miles: first oil change, inflated tires with nitrogen to prevent cold morning false low readings on the tire pressure monitoring system. $80.47
at 10,000 miles: oil change and tire rotation. $58.87
at 15,000 miles: oil change, new air filter, and removal of a parking lot ding with paintless dent removal (amazing!) $119.93
at 20,000 miles: oil change and tire rotation. $116.05
at 25,000 miles: oil change. $39.96
at 29,000 miles: replaced original tires. Very disappointed that they didn't last longer, considering I rotated them regularly, don't drive aggresively, and had them inflated with nitrogen (which normally extends life) New set of tread-life warrantied tires runs $564.08
at 30,000 miles: oil change, air and cabin filter changes, transmission flush and change, multi point inspection, $330.50
Total maintenance and repairs for 30,000 miles: $1309.86. I consider that high for a car in this class, even if I back out the nitrogen, dent repair, and the "extra" oil changes.