| Honda Civic |
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Honda Civic
Introduced in 1973, the Honda Civic is one of the longest continually produced cars on the market, representing one of the most significant faces of Honda Motors. Initially a subcompact model, the Civic has grown over the years and now comfortably occupies and even dominates the compact car segment along with its rival, the Toyota Corolla. Now in its eighth generation, the Civic remains one of the best values for the buck, a reliable model known for retaining its value over time.
Back in the early 1970s, a subcompact car had to only distinguish itself by offering a few amenities that we take for granted today: an AM radio, reclining bucket seats and front power disc brakes. Powered by a tiny 1.1 I4 engine, the first generation Civic offered all that and more including a surprising amount of interior room. When compared to the leading American subcompacts of that day, the Ford Pinto and Chevy Vega, the petite front wheel drive Civic offered buyers more stuff and at a lower price.
Like the larger Accord, the Civic switched to a four year product cycle beginning in 1980. This means that every four years an all new model came out, one that was usually larger, heavier and better equipped than the previous generation car. That effort meant that Honda could stay one step ahead of the competition which also meant that more and more Civics were sold each model year.
Over the course of time, several different body styles were developed to represent the Civic. Initially, a two door coupe and three door hatchback were sold, followed by sedans and wagons. Indeed, in the mid-1980s a "shuttle wagon" design was introduced and sold for a few years, a model that appeared to be a cross between a minivan and a station wagon. Engine size began to creep upward hitting 1.5L to the 2.0L I4 powering the Civic today. As the larger Accord grew and expanded so did the Civic which has now conceded entry level honors to the Honda Fit.
Though the hybrid Honda Insight was a first of its kind model introduced to the US market (just ahead of the Toyota Prius), Honda has also seen to it that the Civic offered a hybrid model in the North American market as well. Diesel technology is available outside of the US, but hybrid technology has been available in the Civic since 2003. Oh, yes, a natural gas Civic is also available and, like the hybrid model, comes with a federal tax credit.
The Civic was last updated for the 2006 model year and though the production cycle has been stretched out to five years it remains one of the best selling cars sold in America. The current iteration is sold in a variety of body style and package choices offering upmarket amenities such as seventeen inch alloy wheels, leather wrapped steering wheel and high definition headlamps. Few compacts are as generously equipped as the Civic while offering matching levels of quality.
And, when it comes to the tuner set, the Honda Civic is well represented with aftermarket companies supplying enthusiasts with everything they need to customize their rides.
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