2012 Honda Civic, WTF is Honda thinking?

[Kroze]

They should fire the person in charge of making the decision to release this car to public.

"When the 2012 Honda Civic made its debut in April, it was chastised by many publications for being a horrible redesign and re-engineering. Consumer Reports went as far as to remove the Civicfrom its list of ‘recommended’ vehicles and called it ‘cheap’ and ‘insubstantial.’ A review by the Wall Street Journal called it ‘a betrayal’ by Honda.
Obviously, for a car that is the Japanese brand’s bread and butter, those kinds of words are horrible – especially when the new Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and the Chevrolet Cruze have been getting nothing but praised.
Honda is now moving quick to make some mid-cycle changes.

“We take feedback seriously, regardless of who it’s from, and we will act accordingly quickly,” John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president, said. “I don’t know how much we can do, and how quickly… but the comments of Consumer Reports and our customers have not gone unnoticed. We are appropriately energized.”
Click here for more news on the Honda Civic.

The mid-cycle refresh for the new Honda Civic would originally occur in spring 2014, but Mendel said the changes are likely to come sometime in 2013."

 

[NutBucket]

I guess I'm not really sure what the issue is. I know the powertrains are all carryover....not that they were terrible or anything. I guess the interior added more features but at the expense of material quality?

I haven't looked at 2012 but I was seriously considering purchasing one before I got the CR-Z.

 

[jmarti445]

I don't think that the civic has gone downhill as much as people say it has, that being said, I'd wait till 2013 to get one. The Toyota Corolla has had this same problem and while it still is a reliable car it has gone down hill compared to the old XRS models with the Celica engine that was 1.8 liters and did 190HP. Fit and finish went down as well. Its known as being too comfortable in ones market. I partially blame them taking a page from american vehicles especially since the 2012 Civic isn't even offered in Japan anymore. I think honda just needs to go back to traditional power steering(they use electric which is not good for handling and feel) and add an extra cog or two in the transmissions as well as bring their interior quality back to what it was in 2011 and prior.

I'm the owner of a 2008 Civic EX Coupe, it is literally the most reliable car I've ever owned and the best built car(and I've owned other an other foreign car, a 2000 Nissan Maxima as well as a couple of other domestics). Even though it isn't a luxury car, I can't find a fault with the car with the exception that it could use a few more HP. If Honda wants to do a quick fix they could always import the Acura CSX from Canada and make it the EX and EX-L and make their current EX the LX model(I refused to buy an an LX because it has Drum brakes and cars with Drum Brakes do not stop so good). If you notice the Consumer reports review they are testing cars with Drum Brakes and not the EX, EX-L or the SI. I guarantee it would get about 8-10 points higher then what it gets with the LX model. Its worth paying the extra $1500 IMO.

P.S. Yes the power is underwelming on the civic(the Maxima I had was 222hp and the Impala SS I had was 303HP) but I've been thinking. They make a R20a which is a two liter engine version of the R18a, they could just as easy put that in the EX model. I've been thinking about doing a swap on mine and 12% more power(the R20 makes 155HP) could go a long way in a car as light as my civic(it weighs 2700 pounds, I could always swap an SI engine but my skills at Stick Shift aren't so good and I do live in a City with a lot of stop and go traffic, I know how to drive stick though).

 

[Vic Vega]

The biggest complaint seems to be the bland styling. Chances are underneath not a lot has changed.

Auto reviewers and auto marketing people like to throw around "completely redesigned" quite a bit.

 

[jmarti445]

The biggest complaint seems to be the bland styling. Chances are underneath not a lot has changed.

Auto reviewers and auto marketing people like to throw around "completely redesigned" quite a bit.

Consumer reports back in 06 tested the EX, EX-l and the SI model which both have disc brakes, stopping distances are a factor in the tests that they run and likely contributes a few percentage points. Plus the electric power steering doesn't help when you increase the steering ratio to make up for the fact that you add 40% to the steering travels to make a turn. Granted Electric power steering adds a 1-2 MPG(its one of the reasons the Focus gets 40MPG on a 2.0L engine as well as direct injection) vs. one that is driven with a power steering pump but it makes the steering numb and not very quick.

Honda just needs to bite the bullet and make the EX the LX(as well as go back to a pump based power steering) minus the sunroof and import the CSX and make it the EX and EX-L. The LX can become the DX(who buys a car without air conditioning?) and I think they are back in the good graces with the Honda fans.

 

[Doppel]

Wall street's review: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204346104576639391879623856.html

Agree about exterior styling, I can't really tell the diff, but then to me many cars seem hardly to change, like the Mustang over the past few releases.

That article really doesn't seem to pick apart much but the interior. I have little interest in picking apart the cheap materials in econoboxes, as civics, corolla, etc. are. I believe most buyers (as do the manufacturers, which is why these cars typically do have spartan interiors) just want something that won't break down. I am confident that the Civic will be reliable as previous generations have been.

Can the car really be that bad?

Well, CR gets away from the interior to more meaningful complaints: http://news.consumerreports.org/car...oo-low-for-consumer-reports-to-recommend.html

 

[CraigRT]

Wall street's review: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204346104576639391879623856.html

Agree about exterior styling, I can't really tell the diff, but then to me many cars seem hardly to change, like the Mustang over the past few releases.

That article really doesn't seem to pick apart much but the interior. I have little interest in picking apart the cheap materials in econoboxes, as civics, corolla, etc. are. I believe most buyers (as do the manufacturers, which is why these cars typically do have spartan interiors) just want something that won't break down. I am confident that the Civic will be reliable as previous generations have been.

Can the car really be that bad?

Well, CR gets away from the interior to more meaningful complaints: http://news.consumerreports.org/car...oo-low-for-consumer-reports-to-recommend.html

No, it's not that bad.
I still believe (after being in both and driving both) that the Civic is 100% superior to the Corolla. The new Corolla is abysmal. Total epitome of a grandma car. Rides like a 50's Cadillac, and built like garbage inside. The materials and feel are way better in the 2012 Civic over the Corolla. Mind you, I still do prefer the 8th gen (06-11) Civic and I own one, but the 2012 Civic made me like it a lot more than I thought I would after driving it, especially compared to the Toy.

 

[Kroze]

Wall street's review: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204346104576639391879623856.html

Agree about exterior styling, I can't really tell the diff, but then to me many cars seem hardly to change, like the Mustang over the past few releases.

That article really doesn't seem to pick apart much but the interior. I have little interest in picking apart the cheap materials in econoboxes, as civics, corolla, etc. are. I believe most buyers (as do the manufacturers, which is why these cars typically do have spartan interiors) just want something that won't break down. I am confident that the Civic will be reliable as previous generations have been.

Can the car really be that bad?

Well, CR gets away from the interior to more meaningful complaints: http://news.consumerreports.org/car...oo-low-for-consumer-reports-to-recommend.html

"I'm reminded of Dorothy Parker's great line: "They sicken of the calm who knew the storm." The Civic redesign is complacent, and Honda execs couldn't help but know it. The exterior styling changes are so subtle as to be subliminal: some character lines here and there, a narrowed stare from upswept headlamps, a slightly more rakish windshield. The dash and instrument console has a more organic shape to it, but the layout is incoherent, with the driver's side air vents looking like they belong in a different car than those on the right. Civic meanwhile doubles down on a couple of the previous generation's more unloved qualities. The split-level instrument design now includes an even wider horizontal display under a larger binnacle on the cowl, at the base of the windshield, this to accommodate the new i-MID (Intelligent Multi-Informational Display). And even though Honda has gotten an earful about the Civic's exuberant sprays of cheap-feeling plastic, the new Civic has even more."

 

[Kroze]

I speak from experience as I have own (2) 8th generation Civic. 2006 Civic DX Coupe and 2011 Civic Si Coupe, both of which I bought brand new. When I went into the dealer to check out the 2012 model year, it was repulsive. They cheapened out on the interior so much that I wanted to puke. Materials and designs in the Civic's interior look and feel cheaper than a pre 2006 Hyundai Accent. And to call this a 9th generation, they didn't do anything on the exterior. Just someone's half-ass attempt of remodeling the car.

 

[vshah]

the split instrument panel being unloved is totally subjective.

everyone who bought the last gen liked it. and an awful lot of people bought the last gen.

i think the last gen looks much better from the outside. the rear had some individuality to it, now it's just another angly taillight car.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

I agree that the 2012 style is awful. It's reminiscent of a corolla. The styling prior to the current one was pretty decent IMO.

 

[CraigRT]

the split instrument panel being unloved is totally subjective.

everyone who bought the last gen liked it. and an awful lot of people bought the last gen.

i think the last gen looks much better from the outside. the rear had some individuality to it, now it's just another angly taillight car.

For sure, 8th gen sedans are great looking cars. I love the looks of them, especially the 09-11 SI sedan.

 

[KeithP]

Can the car really be that bad?

Headline from another story at the same site linked in OP "Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra tie for first place in Kelley Blue Book’s compact sedans test".
http://www.egmcartech.com/2011/08/2...antra-tie-first-place-compact-sedan-test-kbb/

So, to answer your question, it doesn't seem so.

-KeithP

 

[ShawnD1]

the split instrument panel being unloved is totally subjective.

everyone who bought the last gen liked it. and an awful lot of people bought the last gen.

I had whatever gen the 2006 was. I loved the instrument layout. The tach is a nice gauge in the middle of everything then your speed is displayed as a number with no gauge. I liked how I could see my speed while looking at the road.

The up side of this is that you can haggle the price down a lot. When I bought a 2006 model, there wasn't much wiggle room. There was a waiting list to buy the car. It sucked.

 

[exar333]

Honda probably got scared and decided to NOT change the styling, since everything they have styled in the past 5 years has been total crap.

 

[MiataNC]

If cars like 2011-2012 Elantra, Focus, and Cruze had not come along, no one would be ragging on the Civic as hard as they currently are.

 

[ShawnD1]

If cars like 2011-2012 Elantra, Focus, and Cruze had not come along, no one would be ragging on the Civic as hard as they currently are.

But that's exactly the point. Compared to others in the same category, it sucks (apparently). It would be like AMD releasing a new processor that is actually slower than the previous processor in many of the tests... Actually that did happen. lol AMD.

 

[MiataNC]

But that's exactly the point. Compared to others in the same category, it sucks (apparently). It would be like AMD releasing a new processor that is actually slower than the previous processor in many of the tests... Actually that did happen. lol AMD.

Honda/Toyota got complacent. Just like Ford/GM/Chrysler did back in the 70s-80s.

Those who fail to learn from history....

 

[ElFenix]

whatever honda and toyota are doing (and it doesn't look like they're doing much), they beat the cruze and focus last month D:

http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html#autosalesC

 

[ShawnD1]

whatever honda and toyota are doing (and it doesn't look like they're doing much), they beat the cruze and focus last month D:

http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html#autosalesC

Cruze is a new car. We have no idea if it's any good or not. For all we know, they explode after 100k miles. Despite all the cheap plastic, there's reason to believe a Civic will still work 10 years from now with minimal repairs. Ford I just don't trust. Way too many horror stories, and my own Ford Tempo was a pile of junk.

I don't even care what the reviews say. I would still buy a Honda Civic again. More reliable than a Corolla but it still feels like a real car, unlike the Corolla.

 

[vi edit]

whatever honda and toyota are doing (and it doesn't look like they're doing much), they beat the cruze and focus last month D:

http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html#autosalesC

Which is really hard to beleive at least where I live. I see Cruses and new Foci everywhere. The number of Focus hatchbacks I see zipping around is crazy actually. I'd be amazed if the Ford dealers can keep them on the lots.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Didn't honda say they are going to advance the refresh?

 

[vshah]

they did the same thing with the Acura beak (toned it down immediately)

why can't they do things right the first time?

 

[Kroze]

Didn't honda say they are going to advance the refresh?

I hope the abolish the abomination altogether and make the 2013 Civic a brand new car.

 

[Arkaign]

whatever honda and toyota are doing (and it doesn't look like they're doing much), they beat the cruze and focus last month D:

http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html#autosalesC

Look at the YTD totals, Cruze is still ahead overall, some of the Civic sales are probably sell-off of '11 leftovers. The Focus is up there too, and you have to take into account that it's more expensive on average. YTD for Civic and Corolla are both falling notably below last year. I wonder why?

I was incredibly disappointed in the new Civic. I remember telling several people considering '11s to wait, but Honda really nerfed this one. A similar thing happened to the SI about a decade ago, the 6G was miles better than the 7G (hatch only) disappointment. They screwed up the suspension by going to a cheaper setup, and the result was a dog-walking slow mess.