LAST redesigned In 1995, the 1998 Civic sedan offers a 106 horsepower 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with above average fuel economy, a comparatively roo! rior and trunk, sporty handling and a fully independent suspension. Test drive the new Civic at Pacific Honda, 725 Marine Drive, Nerth Vancouver. - onda Civic is a favorite with bu iy “First: was that the 1998 Honda Civic pulled ahead of the Chevrolet Cavalier as Canada’s best-selling car in the first four months of 1998, ending the Cavalier’s long- time reign as Canada’s most popular car. Second was that the 1993 _Civié was recently rated the -most reliable. used smal! car in North America by J.D. Power and Associates, an indepen- - dent research company based in California. This research confirms the ownership expe- riences of Canadian Automobile Association members and Consumer Reports magazine subscribers who both report that the Civic is very reliable. - The 1998 Civic’s increas- ing popularity is all the more interesting when you consider thar it was last redesigned i in the Fall of 1995. Usually, a car’s best sales nerformance is experienced in the first or second year when its design is still “fresh.” Perhaps it’s not a coinci- dence that the Civic’s reputa- tion for reliability and trou- ble-free motoring comes at the same time as increasing sales. According to the CAA’s annual buyer survey in Autopinion °98 Buyer’s Guide, reliability ranks as the second most important factor in the vehicle purchasing decision (after price). Since about the mid 1980's, the Civic’s strong, points have been reliability COLLISION SPECIALISTS B.C.A.A. - e = AR.A 2 APPROVED CENTRE ~Dirr 4 gh Year ALL MAKE COLLISION REPAIRS “LIFETIME GUARANTEE” Aiternative transportation arranged * Estimates * TALKING nsultation 5 985-7455 771239. 9000 (2.4158 ear DON TAYLOR 174 Pemberton, N. Van (5 biks south of Narine) (backed up by a five year : Pont cle warranty } }, excel- nt fuel consumption, and sporty handling. The fact that most Civics soldi in Canada are built in Alliston, Ontario, may also be appealing to some buyers. The current Civic is avail- able in three body styles, a two-door hatchback, four- door sedan, and two-door coupe. All share a similar platform, suspension, interior and engine except the Coupe Si which offers a more power- ful VTEC version of the stan- dard 1 ,6-litre four-cylinder engine. Civic sedans come in two trim levels, LX and EX. LX Sedans range berween $15,700 and $18,200, and Civic EX sedans start at $17,000 and top out at $19,500. This week’s test car is a Civic EX sedan with auto- matic transmission, air-condi- All wheel drive f ABS Air bags tioning, power conveniences and anti-lock brakes. Civic sedans have a com- paratively small, but high- revving 106 horsepower 1.6- litre four-cylinder engine with a single overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder. With a relatively low curb weight of 1106 kilograms, the Civic sedan offers decent acceleration for general around-town and highway ~ driving use, however it does- n’t have the low-end torque of the bigger four cylinder engines offered by domestic competitors, and the engine is somewhat noisy under hard acceleration. At highway speeds, the engine is relatively quict though, turning over 2600 r.p.m. at a steady 100 km-h. Fuel economy is excellent. Consumption in the city with the automatic transmission is just 8.3 L/100 km (34 80 watt AM/FM cassette Keyless entry Fog lamps & sport rack 165 H.P. engine Power windows & locks Power a mirrors m.p.g.), and highway con- sumption is just 5.9 L,/166 kin (48 m.p.g.). Fuel econo- my with the standard five- speed manual transmission is even better. . The four-speed autocratic transmission, by the way, is one of the best I’ve tested in a small car. Despite the high- revving characteristics of the engine, gear changes are not jerky or sudden. The Civic’s automatic transmission just slides from gear to gear, almost like a continuously: variable transmission. Its “Grade Logic System,” added this s year, keeps it from “hunt- ing” when climbing, a grade, or dropping into wp gear when coasting down a grade. Handling has always been a Civic strong suit, although until this year, base models had narrow 12-inch tires as standard equipment. Thi: year, 14-inch tires were made low centre of gravity, excel lent (front disc, brakes, and low more fun to drive. : For a. small sedan, th Civic has a very roomy interi or, offering plenty of front; and rear legroom and ade- quate headroom. It also has roomy (11.9 cubic.feet) tril with a flat, ted floor and * low liftover height. How ever, the trunk’s tall’ design partiatly obstru car’ visibility when backing yy The interior is generally well-designed with simple, : elegant stalks for lights! and wipers, a0 easy-to-read See Civic page 30°