2011 Honda Civic

The Honda Civic has always represented the best value for money vehicle. But at times, especially with the base DX model, it feels a bit too basic without air conditioning. But given the segment that the Civic finds itself in, most of its competitors also follow the same route. Some of the 2011 Civics’ prime rivals include the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, and the Ford Focus. So, is the Civic still a reasonable choice among its other reasonable rivals? Let’s find out.

The 2011 Honda Civic Sedan is available in five trims: DX, LX, EX, EX-L, and Si. models. The DX-VP and LX-S models are more of an additional package for the respective trims that add more features.

The base DX Sedan starts from $15,805 and in that price range, it has very basic specs. It gets 15” steel wheels, power windows, tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, and height-adjustable driver's seat. The DX model is so basic that it doesn’t even get a radio of its own, owners will have to install it aftermarket.

The LX Sedan amps up the feature list. Starting from $16.555, the 2011 Civic LX model add on a Cruise Control, Power door locks and keyless entry, and standard 16” wheels. The LX-S model further adds leather-wrapped steering, a rear deck spoiler for visual purposes, a 5-speed automatic transmission, and 16” alloy wheels.

Both the EX and Si Sedan are top-of-the-line models, The EX-L Sedan with a starting MSRP price tag of $21,955 gets leather seats with heaters, vehicle stability control, and XM Satellite radio as part of its standard features. There’s also a power moonroof available with the EX model, something that is not available to other models in the line-up.

The top of the line Si trim is every enthusiast's dream. This model gets a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged engine under the hood that offers excellent performance at a reasonable price. Furthermore, the Civic Si also gets several performance features in the form of limited-slip differential, stiffer sports suspension, vehicle stability assist, traction control, and standard 17” alloy wheels.

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If performance is the name of the game, then the 2011 Civic Si with its turbocharged engine and sporty equipment is worth the money. But if you want something that will satiate your daily needs with ease and not burn a big hole in your pocket, then the LX-S Sedan is worth considering.

The 2011 Honda Civic Sedan gets a naturally aspirated engine and a turbocharged engine, available exclusively with the Si model.

The base standard engine, the 1.8-liter inline-4 unit comes mated to a five-speed manual, and in upper trims, you can opt for a five-speed automatic as well. The power output of this engine is at 140 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque. This unit might not have impressive acceleration figures, but it is peppy enough to drive in the city. The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine in the Si produces 197 hp and it comes mated to six-speed manual transmission only.

With the base engine, the Honda Civic can finish the 0-60 mph sprint in 7.4 seconds, and the quarter-mile stretch within 15.6 seconds.

The above 0-60 mph timing confirms that the 2011 Honda Civic with the base engine is still faster than the rest of the competition. This is followed by the Ford Fusion and the Hyundai Elantra that take 8 and 8.1 seconds. respectively. And finally, with the least power output at its disposal, the Toyota Corolla is the slowest in this competition.

One of the biggest factors for automobiles in the mid-size sedan segment is being fuel-efficient. The 2011 Honda Civic gas mileage numbers with its long lieu powertrain options are different too. The base 1.8-liter inline-4 engine is reasonably efficient, especially when seen in context to its competition. Under normal circumstances, the sedan returns 26/34/29 MPG in city/highway/combined situations. It can hold only 13.2 gallons of fuel and that helps the Civic with 449 miles on the highway.

The 2011 Ford Focus has a marginally bigger fuel tank that can hold 13.5 gallons of fuel that helps for a range of 472 miles. But the Hyundai Elantra is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in this competition, despite having the smallest fuel tank (12.8 gallons) in this competition, it goes the farthest at 486 miles. This is clearly due to its highly efficient mileage rates of 28/38/31 MPG in city/highway/combined situations. The Toyota Corolla closely follows the Elantra in terms of fuel economy numbers.

The interior of the 2011 Honda Civic Sedan is simple and better than average. The height-adjustable front seats have great headroom, but the rear seat occupants will have to be wary since the swooping roofline compromises mildly on the headroom. But what stands out in the cabin is the dual gauge layout - there’s one traditional analog instrument cluster behind the wheels, followed by another digital speedometer above the cluster. This unique layout did compliment the interior during the Civic’s initial days, but now it feels dated.

Convenience features, like heated leather seats, soft touches are available in upper trims, but the quality is not that great. Base models see a lot of hard plastic touches all around, and the upper trims also have padded armrests, leather seats - yet, there are quite a bit of hard plastic surfaces too, and it bogs down the overall experience to some extent. However, it lacks in terms of cargo capacity where the Hyundai and Ford shine with trunk volumes of 14.8 and 13.8 cubic feet.

Some of the standout interior features are:

• Leather-wrapped steering wheel (Optional)
• Fog Lamps (Optional)
• Adjustable Steering Wheel
• Auxiliary Power Outlet
• Ambient interior lighting
• Bucket Seats

How intuitive is the 2011 Honda Civic Sedan’s infotainment unit?

The base Civic models barely get any infotainment features, like, the base DX trim doesn’t even get an air condition system. It’s only when you step up to the EX model, will you get some infotainment features like a Bluetooth HandsFreeLink alongside a USB audio interface, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a navigation system. There are also steering-mounted controls besides the dashboard and the Navigation system gets a voice recognition option as well.

So to sum up, some of the salient infotainment features are:

• AM/FM Stereo
• CD Changer
• Bluetooth (Optional)
• USB port (Optional)
• CD Player
• Satellite Radio (Optional)

From the outside, the Honda Civic has stayed relatively the same for the past five years. Honda has kept the exterior design similar, deliberately to capitalize on the trend that the Civic had started. The swooping roofline, aerodynamic front end, with a secondary scoop-like opening on both the sides, and the sleek headlamps have become instantly recognizable.

On the other hand, the Honda Si trim gets a dark grille bar instead of chrome alongside oval fog lights in the bumper’s outboard opening. It also features a rear spoiler in the edge of the trunk lid, and it rides on unique 17” wheel alloy wheels, that are exclusive to this trim.

The 2011 Toyota Corolla is the heaviest while the Ford Focus is the lightest one of the lot. The Corolla also has the most ground clearance, enough to clear uneven road patches and bumps with ease. The Hyundai Elantra has the longest wheelbase which translates to an overall better space inside the cabin. Both the Toyota Corolla and the Ford Focus have much shorter wheelbases.

Some of the standout exterior features are:

• Steel Wheels/ Alloy wheels
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Fog Lamps (optional)
• Auto-Off Headlights
• Remote Engine Start (optional)

The 2011 Honda Civic was awarded by the IIHS as their 'Top Safety Pick' car, with a “Good” score in all categories. However, when it comes to safety features - standard across all trims are front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, and active front head restraints. All models also get anti-lock brakes, but only EX and Si models get four-wheel-disc brakes.

Some of the salient safety features are:

• Daytime Running Lights
• Child Safety Locks
• Emergency Trunk Release
• Front-Seat Side Airbags
• Side Curtain Airbags
• Vehicle Anti-Theft System

The 2011 Honda Civic Sedan is a reliable vehicle and its wide range of trim options makes sure that there is one for everyone, Whether it's in the form of a hybrid vehicle, or with a gas engine, there’s a Civic for everyone. The Honda Civic was the better-looking car as well, but in recent times, competition has caught on. And in this populated segment, if the Civic does not get an update, it risks being the outdated model in this competition.