2013 is ending soon, and to be exact, another 2 days, and this year, one could only see Honda Civic as the only strong C-segment contender from the Japanese makes. Of course, comes 2014, we shall have the all new Mazda 3 and Toyota Altis, which will kick Civic's butt real hard.
Take a look at the following table, and all 3 contenders are pretty close to each other, and the Civic sat between the Altis and Mazda 3 in specification and power. Toyota is always at the end of the chart and shall march on with the 7-year-old engine, with most basic safety, yet attract the biggest sales volume. The Civic is really for people that wanted a change, who are very sure Toyota is for the forties and above and the Mazda has yet to build its reputation here in Malaysia. Whether it is in the 1.8-litre, 2.0-litre or even the 1.5-litre hybrid version, the Civic actually looks good. The rear lamp cluster though take many looks for one to start loving it. Till the Mazda 3 make inroad, it is the sportier looking C-segment car, carrying the famous Honda i-VTEC SOHC engine. Many people think Dual Overhead Cam is always better, and this is totally wrong. It does not matter as long as the unit performs well and could be fuel efficient.
Take a look at the following table, and all 3 contenders are pretty close to each other, and the Civic sat between the Altis and Mazda 3 in specification and power. Toyota is always at the end of the chart and shall march on with the 7-year-old engine, with most basic safety, yet attract the biggest sales volume. The Civic is really for people that wanted a change, who are very sure Toyota is for the forties and above and the Mazda has yet to build its reputation here in Malaysia. Whether it is in the 1.8-litre, 2.0-litre or even the 1.5-litre hybrid version, the Civic actually looks good. The rear lamp cluster though take many looks for one to start loving it. Till the Mazda 3 make inroad, it is the sportier looking C-segment car, carrying the famous Honda i-VTEC SOHC engine. Many people think Dual Overhead Cam is always better, and this is totally wrong. It does not matter as long as the unit performs well and could be fuel efficient.
| Civic 1.8 | Altis 1.8 | Civic 2.0 Navi | Altis 2.0V | Mazda 3 2.0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Power | 140HP/174Nm | 137HP/173Nm | 152HP/190Nm | 143HP/187Nm | 153HP/200Nm |
| Transmission | 5-speed | CVT 7-speed | 5-speed | CVT 7-speed | 6-speed |
| Airbags | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | Maybe = 6 |
| Traction Control | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty (Yrs) | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Price (RM) | 116k | 116k | 137k | 138k | 139k |
The interior of the Civic looks all familiar from the previous generation, adopting dual-stack cluster, with the digital speedo on top of the analog RPM meter. Looks futuristic, but I would want all analog needle if at all possible. After owning the digital cluster from a Citroen C3, it just look boring, especially in a sporty sedan! The all new Mazda 3 will have a digital speedo also, but the cluster looks much better, with emphasis on the RPM meter. Why are they making digital meter nowadays, just hate it. The 1.8-litre Civic's center dashboard is simple, and the transmission shift looks really outdated here. A gated shift should make it here to make it more elegant. Guess Honda is sharing this part with their other models, thus retaining the inline shifter! Big mistake here.
If you want the fully equipped Civic, you have to get the 2.0-litre, which has additional 2 side-airbag, HID headlights, cruise control and a 6.1" Navigation system with reverse camera. The drawback, this unit does not come with Bluetooth connectivity, which is so strange as the normal 2.0-litre S-model has this. Anyhow, Vehicle Stability feature is standard across all models, unlike the Altis, which only fit it to the most expensive model. Overall, the Civic always drive good and it is comfortable as the target market is toward the family oriented owner. For now, let's wait till the new Altis and the spectacular Mazda 3...it is year end anyhow, no one going to buy a 2013 manufactured/registered car in the last 2 days of the year, right!
