Look through the wheel and there’s a large, fully digital speedometer with various info displays within, including a turbo boost graph. To the right, a fuel gauge. To the left, temperature gauge. No tachometer though.
^^ I guess your presser Civic listened and grew a tach for you, Peter!
and trunk volume shoots up by about 20 percent.
...except it has intruding hinge arms...
Still no manual shift modes, far too many dummy covers given that you're driving the top o' the line model, and a prominent warning label that cannot be removed - really cheapens up the interior. How ugly.
Otherwise, this Civic is now the benchmark. Perfect? no. Upmarket? Probably not, either. Upscale? yes. Honda made some very good calls here, and one could not go wrong with either engine, although I suspect the increased mass will make the more powerful base engine (2.0L) more of a necessity than an upgrade...
Edit:
I've now gone through Honda's site and am actually fairly disappointed in the packaging. Case in point, it's steel wheels until you go to the EX ($24,364.75), the CVT is "optional" (as in, you have to pay more for it - $1,300 on top of moving up from the DX to the LX), Honda Sensing is $2,200 (Subaru's EyeSight is $1,300), gotta move up to the EX to get a moonroof ($3,700), and same goes for Variable Intermittent Wipers - need to get the EX for it!!!
These are all relatively minor, but seems like a step backwards in terms of Korean-like value offerings.
So in terms of getting a volume model, the Civic LX CVT is $20,190, compared to the Corolla's LE CVT is $19,960 - so not far different.
...but shoppers have to decide what's important to them. The Corolla gives LED lowbeams standard, whereas you need to step up to the Touring to get them with the Civic. A moonroof can be had in a Corolla for less, as well as variable intermittent wipers.
I just find the above disappointing.
