This essentially gives you the advantage of getting a 1996 Honda Civic for less money than when it was new.
If the 1996 Honda Civic was properly maintained, you also have a good chance of steering clear of problems that would have developed when the car was new.
On the other hand, a reputable dealer will normally have some kind of limited warranty, so you can drive away knowing that if the car breaks down right away, you'll be covered.
A certified vehicle will cost more because warranty service is provided that normally doesn't come with a used car.
Your bread-and-butter model was totally redesigned for the '92 model year and sold a record-breaking 267,000 units in '94 in the United States. Would you (a) not mess with success, or (b) order an extensive redesign?
Although many car companies would choose "a" for even less-successful models, "b" was Honda's course of action for its wildly popular Civic.
The '96 iteration retains all the virtues of the previous version but is roomier, more powerful, cleaner running, more feature packed, better handling, and even sweeter driving.
One reason Hondas offer rewarding driving experiences while similar cars lack their precise, solid, confidence-inspiring feel is the company's constant pursuit of excellence in the details.
You won't notice these-or hundreds of other-miniscule changes individually, but collectively they'll have you exclaiming, "What a great car!"
Honda will continue to offer three Civic models: the popular four-door Sedan; the Coupe (a surprise sales success); and the Hatchback, now relegated to the role of price leader (under $10,000 in CX form).
Honda performance fans will bemoan the absence of the pocket-rocket Civic Hatchback Si, leaving the quickest Civic to be the five-speed Civic Coupe EX. The fuel-miser role moves from the Hatchback VX to the Coupe HX.
Meanwhile, even the mileage-leader HX is well equipped, with power windows, door locks, and outside mirrors, as well as a tachometer, a trunk light, and more.
This pays off in more headroom: in front, an additional 0.7 inch for the Sedan, 0.2 inch for the Coupe. Consequently, the Sedan is now rated by the EPA as a compact rather than a subcompact.
Honda says the base 106-horsepower unit, four horses more powerful than last year's 1.5-liter midlevel offering, will be the first production gasoline engine to meet California's Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) standards.
The electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission, available on all Civics save the Coupe HX, features an enlarged 16-bit microprocessor.
This bigger electronic brain monitors throttle position, road speed, brake activation, and rate of acceleration or deceleration to select among six shift "maps" (Porsche's Tiptronic has only five) to choose appropriate upshift points.
Among the Civic's impressive array of new technology is a seemingly retrograde cost-cutting return to rear drum brakes.
Indeed, the Sedan EX's ABS-enhanced 134-foot 60-0-mph performance, though lackluster, is within the test-error margin of the 131-foot mark set by a '94 Sedan EX we tested (May '94).
Subtle suspension changes include progressive-valve gas-filled shocks, new bushings, and longer rear lower control arms to improve the camber and toe change curves.
The new Civic may not produce the best ultimate at-the-limit handling numbers (there was no facility for our skidpad or slalom tests at Honda's under-construction proving ground), but it's predictable, forgiving, and confidence-inspiring-the essence of "good handling."
Purple outlines on the gauges lend a jaunty feel, and split fold-down rear seats now grace all Civics.
Based on our first sampling, we feel this sixth-generation Civic is so good it should apply for a promotion to Honda's Acura division.
Though the basic concept has appeared previously (Subaru offered a production version in its Justy), a CVT has never been offered coupled to an engine as stout as Honda's 1.6-liter/115-horsepower VTEC-E.
Honda's CVT, available only in the Civic Coupe HX, offers the fuel mileage of a high-gear-ratio manual transmission, but with performance rivaling a low-geared manual and smoothness surpassing the best automatics.
Meanwhile, with the CVT in its performance-oriented "S" mode, the Coupe HX sprints 0-60 mph in 9.4 seconds, only 0.7 second slower than the 127-horsepower Coupe EX with a five-speed manual, and 1.1 seconds quicker than a four-speed automatic-equipped Sedan EX.
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