Living legends dont get much bigger than Uehara-san. He is Hondas Mr. Sports car, the engineer responsible for the creation of the NSX, S2000 and Integra. Honda brought him over from Japan for the 2001 Honda Civic press event. I met him. I played pool against him. And I schooled him.
But, as usual, ye olde brain was slow on the uptake. I should have played him for money or, at the very least, made a bet like, OK, if I win, you have to sing karaoke of Britney Spears Oops!...I Did It Again That would be quite the story to impress friends with. All I said was, Thank you. Good game.
Another missed opportunity. The story of my life. Oh well. Mr. Sports car or not, I highly recommend attending one of these press gigs if you get the chance. You get to stay in a nice hotel, eat lots of expensive food, and drive cars around. All Honda asks for in return is a story in a magazine, preferably a coherent one that avoids phrases like This car is absolute crap. I can do that.
In case youve been living on Mars under a rock with your fingers in your ears, we like Civics. The 96 to 2000 cars were affordable, easy to work on, fairly sporty, and were compatible with a huge selection of aftermarket parts. This car is the poster child for aftermarket tuning. How many times has a Honda Civic appeared on the cover of Super Street?
For the seventh generation of the Civic, Honda says it looked to build on the strengths and customer expectations of previous Civics. But it also wanted to elevate the new car even further in terms of safety, comfort, quality, and fuel econ-omy. Of course, this is the exact same hype every automaker trots out when a new vehicle debuts, so the key question here is whether Honda actually pulled it off. And did they? Well, yes. Mostly.
For 2001, there will only be two models available in America: the four-door sedan and the two-door coupe. The sedan comes in three trim levels (DX, LX, and EX) and the coupe in four (DX, HX, LX, and EX). Heres the disappointing part: The 160hp Civic Si is no longer available, and the hatchback will be sold only in Europe.
No redesigned car is worth its weight in McDonalds Happy Meal toys these days if it doesnt claim a stiffer body structure. The Civic obliges, with torsional rigidity up 53 percent and bending rigidity up 19 percent. The benefit should improve crash-test scores, reduce NVH, and provide a more stable ride. Despite the stiffer body structure, curb weight has only increased 5070 pounds, depending on the model. And overall length has decreased slightly for both models.
This decrease in length has not come at the expense of interior room. Interior volume is slightly more than last years models, actually. Given a quick glance, the interior doesnt look much different. But there are many detail improvements like a flat floor and a substantial increase in rear-passenger legroom.
You might be asking yourself how Honda managed to make the Civic shorter in length but still larger on the inside. The answer lies in a new front suspension. All 01 Civics have a MacPherson strut design rather than the previous double-wishbone. Honda engineers were able to further shorten the Civics front end by relocating the steering box higher up in the engine bay and fitting 43-percent longer tie rods.
While the previous Civics steering was precise, it often felt like it hadnt had its morning coffee yet. This has been addressed with the new model, as the steering ratio is quicker (now with a 14.5:1 ratio). Its variable-effort now, too, for easier parking and a better feel while driving.
More improvements find their way into the powertrain. For 2001, Civics engine has minor mechanical changes and a slight bump in displacement. Depending on the model, the new 1.7L engines torque has increased 6 to 13 percent at 4,000 rpm. DX and LX models benefit the most. They now produce 115 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 110 lb-ft of torque. EX Coupe and Sedan engines are equipped with VTEC, naturally, but for 2001, Honda has switched EX cars over to VTEC-E for improved fuel efficiency. Horsepower is the same as last year at 127 at 6,300 rpm, but torque rises to 114 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm. Highlighted mechanical changes include revised cylinder-head intake ports, a plastic intake manifold with equal-length runners, improved fuel injectors, reshaped combustion chambers, new pistons, and a more rigid crankshaft. The engine is lighter and more compact, and the five-speed manual has an even better shifter feel thanks to improved First- and Second-gear synchros and a new, flexible flywheel that minimizes engine vibration.
After a day of driving LX and EX Coupes and Sedans, it would seem that Hondas improvements worked as advertised. The increase in torque was hard to detect, but the improved shifting action of both transmissions was noticeable. The new suspension designs and reduced spring and bushing rates have also made the ride smoother and softer than before. Interior NVH seems to have been reduced, as well.
The new Civics are clearly better, but do you really care about a smoother ride, more rear legroom, and reduced NVH? What about performance? Honda engineers were coy about a return of the Si (maybe 2002 or 2003). Combine that with the disappearance of the budget hatchbacks, a negligible horsepower boost, and changes in suspension components and tuning and it seems as if Honda has focused more on mainstream buyers than enthusiasts. You might be tempted to get mad (like the DSM heads did when Mitsubishi came out with the 2000 Eclipse), but look at it this way: now theres even more of a reason for the aftermarket.