Honda Civic Review: 2009 Model | Civic | Car Buyers Guide

I didn’t fit in very well in secondary school. My family wasn’t as well-off as those of my classmates, so I couldn’t get involved in discussions about tennis or horse-riding or whatever show was on BBC the night before. My clothes weren’t cool and I didn’t sport the latest hairdo because we simply couldn't afford them, and I ended up trying a little bit too hard to fit in, making a fool of myself in the process.

The Honda Civic reminds me of me, in a way. It’s an odd-looking thing – not necessarily ugly, but certainly different. An ‘acquired taste’ would be the nice way to describe it. It’s got a bizarre dashboard with the most annoyingly haphazard ergonomics of any car I have ever driven, and while it’s competent in every respect, it shines in none, apart from reliability. It didn’t fit into the Irish market terribly well – the hatchback range was limited to two engines (excluding the hot Type-R), and the saloon version was so different (and dull) it may as well have been a different car.

But now that the diesel has arrived, the Civic is making new friends. With engine capacity no longer an issue for Irish drivers, the fact that it’s got a large 2.2-litre motor makes no difference at all. What matters here is that its CO2 output of 135g/km is low enough to see it slip into Band B (as low as the 1.4 petrol’s) and that it needs only 5.1 litres of diesel for every 100km travelled.

Its performance makes its shortcomings a lot more palatable as well. Who cares if the stereo display is half a metre from the stereo itself (which is closer to the passenger than the driver) when you’ve got 140hp and 350Nm of torque under your foot – enough power for a rapid 8.6-second 0-100km/h time and a top speed of 205km/h. It’s an excellent engine, too, smooth and refined, with plenty of pep all the way through the rev-range. Its slick six-speed gearbox and light clutch make it a simple task to keep the engine on the boil, and thanks to the Civic’s sophisticated chassis, the ride remains compliant, there’s almost no torque-steer and the car feels as agile as just about anything in its class, with the exception of the Ford Focus.

But just when you think the Civic’s finally going to be seriously popular, Honda goes and ruins its chances by offering the diesel in only one bodystyle and specification – the five-door SE-S. Sure, you get lots of equipment like 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, electric windows all round and cruise control as standard, as well as ESC (VSC in Honda-speak) and six airbags, but it’s priced at €28,000, which puts it out of reach for many family car buyers. What’s needed here is a Type-S version to give the diesel a little sex appeal, plus a lower-specification entry-level version to make it accessible to more people. Maybe then we’ll see the Civic find its place in the world.