2001 Honda Civic EX Sedan

It's always risky to mess with success, especially when that process involves the wholesale redesign of a vehicle that's attained near-legendary status among buyers around the world. In recasting its perennial best-selling Civic for the seventh time, Honda created the biggest, most sophisticated and arguably best version ever to wear that revered badge. About the only element that hasn't changed much is pricing. With stickers ranging from $12,760 for a basic DX coupe to $18,400 for a fully loaded EX sedan, it remains within a couple hundred dollars of the 2000 lineup. So how well did Team Honda pull off this critical makeover? We spent a week in a top-line four door to find out for ourselves.

Oversize taillamps help emphasize the sedan's mild wedge shape and frame its larger and more easily accessed trunk.

Proceeding from well-established core values, the Civic designers moved to upgrade virtually every functional system on the 2001 model. Guided by a "Man maximum, machine minimum" philosophy, they developed a package that offers more space for both people and cargo without any change in vehicle footprint. Yet, in moving from sub-compact to compact status on the EPA scale, the Civic line managed to drop an average of 50 pounds in curb weight while making significant gains in overall strength and torsional rigidity-the latter up 39 percent in the sedan and 53 percent in the coupe. Complementing a more robust central passenger cell, the new Civic boasts enhanced crush zones, front and rear, plus reinforced side rails. Bumper structures also received special attention in an effort to minimize repair costs that result from more common low-speed impacts.


Visually, both the Civic sedan and its slightly more aggressive two-door sibling wear Accord-flavored sheetmetal that can best be categorized as pleasantly refined but a bit light on visual flair. However, it's much harder to find fault with the fit of these conservatively bent body panels. Gap tolerances have been trimmed to world-class levels, in some cases as low as .002 millimeter. Attention to aero detailing and enhanced use of sound-deadener help keep wind and road noise impressively low for a car in its size class.

Possessing much of the feel and flavor of a scaled-down Accord, the new Civic's well-finished passenger compartment is roomy, quiet, and comfortable. Redesign process eliminated the central floor tunnel and made the Civic's rear quarters more compatible with full-size adult passengers.

Inside, the new Civic also displays an Accord-like look and feel. Materials, fits and finishes are all of typical Honda quality, while highly legible instrumentation, well-placed switchgear, a tilt steering column and a height-adjustable driver's seat make it easy to feel right at home behind the wheel. Up front, redesigned bucket seats are wider and more aggressively bolstered. Enhanced passive protection comes courtesy of new, dual-stage front airbags that can be supplemented by optional dual side bags. And, in an industry first, both the shoulder and lap belts on the front seats are fitted with pretensioners. Expanded aft quarters will reasonably accommodate two adults or three kids, thanks in part to a new floorpan design that completely eliminates the central tunnel and contributes to even more leg room. Out back, the Civic's wider, more user-friendly decklid cutout conceals an 8-percent larger trunk that can now swallow up to 12.9 cubic feet of cargo.


All 2001 Civic models—GX, HX, DX, LX and EX—use a 1.7-liter SOHC four-cylinder engine derived from the existing 1.6-liter. The extra displacement comes from a longer stroke, which also contributes to increased output on HX, DX, and LX versions and more torque across the board. But that's only the beginning of the story. Repositioned in the engine bay to accommodate the requisite front crush structure, this all-alloy engine is fitted with a plastic intake manifold, tubular steel exhaust, and magnesium cam cover that help trim dressed weight by 8 percent. It's also smaller, more fuel efficient, and meets ULEV—and in the case of the CNG-powered GX Coupe, SULEV—smog standards.