Test drive Honda Civic sedan 2006 - 2008 sedan

DEPARTURE TIME

Previously, a class C hatchback - a compact car for all occasions - could be bought by comparing the price and three characteristics: the volume of the motor, the type of gearbox and the color of the body. But the class of the same type remained in the past. And if the car is not intended for itself, but to one of the relatives, the mistake of choosing can be scandalous. Well, let's say, they took a ticket, but the fact that he was not on that flight was already stuck during landing ...
It is interesting to observe the competition of Japanese automakers, because it is unpredictable, like a duel of sumo fighters. A few rounds in a row you can see a strange fuss without a visible movement: two mountains of meat in the center of the circle rested and move until someone alone slides. But the next two rounds can fly at a frantic pace, in seconds. One big man Shmyak of his opponent about a clay platform is a victory! And the second, it turns out, is also not a mistake: as the enemy will throw him outside the circle, as if not two hundred, but some twenty kilos of living weight ...
 
A similar exchange of blows took place between Honda and Mazda in the compact car segment. For a long time, the struggle was sluggish, squeezing out with an advantage on the side of Civic, historically more popular than the family of three hundred twenty -thirds. But in 2003, a revolutionary Mazda3 was made in Hiroshima, which even in Europe, where there are their golf idols, became a real bestseller. Honda did not remain in debt and made a response.
IN QUEUE! As soon as the first Mazda3 appeared in Russia, unrealistic queues lined up behind the novelty - the waiting time exceeded the year (now, fortunately, it has been reduced to about the quarter). This is not to say that Honda dealers at this time have a relaxed lifestyle (chords and CR-V were and remain and remain popular in the lineup). But when the manufacturer showed a completely new Civic, potential buyers began to literally break the phones. Those who did not have time to make the application in the spring will wait for their brand new citizen until the fall ... 2007.
 
This is now the demand for compact class cars at a price of $ 25,000. Phenomenon? By no means. The excitement (and not only in Russia) for cars with a bright, expressive appearance is explained by the fact that in the purchasing audience focused on class C, the percentage of bore was noticeably reduced. Those who want to buy a practical machine switched to more affordable tricks, almers and lansers. Those who have acquired larger Korean cars have also been withdrawn for the same money. There were those who choose, guided by feelings. Plus generation Next.
 
Can a young wealthy person pass by a flattened and unrealistically futuristic Civic 5D, which makes any passerby stop and rub your eyes? Attach wake and missile stabilizers to it, and you will see in the novelty ready -made requisites for shooting another Lukasi star wars saga. The Hondians especially praise their trihedral concept (even the pipes of the exhaust system and fog lights are made triangular) - they say, each face symbolizes beauty, high technologies and practicality. Yes, perhaps everything is so. Except the last. Looking at the back of the Civic 5D with its massive skirt, a low-down fifth door and a huge composite glass (on which, by the way, the dirt is eagerly going), it’s scary to even present the costs and duration of the repair if some kettle completes the braking in all this granny splendor .
 
Hatch Mazda3 epithets in my address also heard a lot. And although next to Civic the car looks somehow landed, even recalling the station wagon, against the backdrop of other classmates, the Japanese treshka stands out anyway-the back over the rear arches, flowing into the bully LED stop-signals, certainly arose in the head of the designers Mazda3, when by They rushed about Porsche. The recent restyling made the image of the car even cleaner, sports and dynamic.
 
Excellent controllability characteristics in Honda Civic have reached an increase in body rigidity and a decrease in unsaved masses in the suspension. In front, an independent McPherson scheme with aluminum levers has been applied. The rear wheels are suspended on a simple twisted beam with a reptile stability stabilizer. Mcpherson racks are also installed in the front, but with four -point mount and hydronized bushings. A multi -link rear suspension is characterized by single -pipe shock absorbers and low springs - a similar design is compact.
Bout attacks. The standard equipment of Mazda3 (and we got the most ordinary 2-liter Touring modification with mechanics for the test) you can’t call the poor: the steering wheel and all sorts of sides are sheathed with skin, instead of air conditioning-advanced climate control, pillows and safety curtains-six pieces, driver seat It is adjusted in height and has heating. The glasses of all doors are equipped with an electric drive, mirrors are also regulated by motorcies, lights are controlled by the headlights, and an advanced package of ABS, EBD and DSC is controlled by the dynamics of braking. But looking at the version of the Mazda3 Sport, which is most expensive for $ 1,500, I want to exclaim with joy-add an aerodynamic body kit, the Black Out, rain sensor and a route computer, xenon headlights and 17-inch cast discs in return for 16-inch. The updated machine received improved sound insulation, handles on the fifth door of the trunk, as well as a 20-gigabyte hard drive (option) to an audio system, into which thousands of three hits of all time and peoples in the MP3 format can be loaded.
 
What does Civic answer? A five -door modification can cause a deafening fan screens with its equipment! The full-time are 17-inch discs and the rear spoiler. In the cabin, an advanced dashboard with a digital speedometer shines and a super -bass audio system with separate squeaks sounds. The gas pedal is floor, the gearbox gearbox is raised and is distinguished by short clear moves of the lever. The doors are closed without effort and noise. Electronic assistants Full set: rain and light sensor, ABS, EBD and VSA. You do not even perceive the upholstery of the salon as a fabric - black elements on the silver sidewalls of the seats look, for example, as suede. For a small surcharge, you get a wheelbarrow from a blue backlight, with aluminum pedals and a sporting front spoiler. And if you overpay about two more thousand, then you can take a modification with a robotic box with petals on the steering wheel and a luxurious transparent roof above the crown. See and math from envy.
 
The 140-horsepower four Honda 1.8 liter is endowed with a branded system of switching the gas distribution phase IVTEC and the Drive-By-Wire intelligent controller-electronics takes into account the speed, turnover, position of the accelerator and clutch pedals. In addition, the high -speed Honda engine can be very economical - it is enough to avoid sharp accelerations. MZR 2.0, standing on Mazda3, is also not deprived of advanced systems: there is a sequential control mechanism of the SV-T phases, VIS inlet collector changes geometry depending on the mode of operation. The 150-horsepower Mazda motor turned out to be a traction on the bottom and vigorous in the area of \u200b\u200bhigh revolutions.
Sleep. Coming on Civic, you constantly catch the gaze on yourself. In the trail, all the heads, as if on command, turn in your direction. And what is characteristic, no one asks stupid questions on the topic of whether the new car is good, which is why the feeling of awkwardness is growing even more. They all expect antics from you. Ready, frowning, to follow the rule to give way to the fool. This is the effect! Yes, on Hammer, you feel more vulnerable in the city stream than on the new Civic.
 
And the trick, for that matter, can afford. Honda steers with inhuman accuracy, allowing you to feel noticeably large side overloads in the turns than in Mazda3. The 140-horsepower motor is in high speeds with a chilling, almost motorcycle bapto, and gives a powerful, not yet sports, but still very spectacular acceleration. The brakes are impeccable, although first of all for this I must say thanks to excellent low -profile tires.
Mazda3 no longer react, as before. The attitude on the road is friendly and permanent. And what can she be opposed to? The car is nibble as a mouse, and dynamic, because for 150 forces and a new six -speed mechanics with a nearby program, its own weight is nothing. The motor easily captivates the car forward and from four, and from three, and even from two thousand revolutions.
 
Mazda3 moderately soft and not noisy on the go. She is more comfortable than a prerestyled model. And at the same time - and his formidable competitor, who on an uneven road forces to discard speed more and more: 130, 100, 70, 40 ... And Civic still shakes. Let the steering control of the Mazda3 have increased nervousness, however, squeezing the steering wheel, you will fly a crashed part of the asphalt, without even thinking of slowing down from 180, and passengers will not feel anything at all. In Civic, at the same speed, I do not want to move, to put it mildly, although the car keeps the road at maximum modes perfectly. The fact is that it is worth the tachometer arrow to cross the pole - a mark of four thousand - as a motor hum is noticeably intensifying in the cabin. In any gear.
 
I can imagine a situation when Civic stops at a clear day next to Mazda3 at a traffic light, from the window of which a satisfied physiognomy will stick out: Well, a bush, we will start? If the driver of Mazda3 shows elementary quickness when working with a stirrer and a clutch pedal, he will make the Honda drives admire the stern of his car without tearing the motor at all. But with others circumstances - night, music, girl - peacefully standing civic, warming the ass of his owner with a warmed sloping hood, will lure the entire party community. Now her departure time has come.
9:00, pm. Honda has repeatedly tried to experiment with the interior, but in the new Civic the search for new forms reached the climax. As in that joke: saw an orange? -- Yes! - And this does not look at all. Not similar to nothing at night is discouraged by illumination, and during the day - multi -tiered geometry. Fortunately, the most important governing bodies are where they are supposed to. Problems are only that closely standing the same hands adjusting temperature and volume - instead of decibel, you get global warming. A large speedometer scoreboard, made under the very edge of the windshield, is always in sight, and you need to habitually look down to the tachometer arrow. Although, based on purely racing reasons, it would be reasonable to change the devices places. The chairs are convenient in profile and are characterized by a large range of adjustments in the longitudinal axis. The fantastic shape of the steering wheel is configured in small limits. An important plus of the interior Civic is volume. The salon moved forward and stretched in length is so spacious that, transplanting after a larger class D after a car, you find it cramped. And the most noticeable minus is the quality of plastic. Solid, creaky, in some places uneven. We hope that this problem is characteristic only by citizens of the first issue.
9:00, am. The Mazda3 salon smolders reddish lights very effectively at night, but it makes a better impression in the daytime. Here, too, you will see plastic everywhere, and suspiciously hard to the touch. But the quality of the performance of each panel is significantly higher than that of the competitor, and the salon does not annoy extraneous sounds. The chairs are less good in shape, but the larger selection and range of adjustments will conveniently get a driver with any complexion. I would like to praise Mazda3 for a cool, skin sheathed with large tuning limits, for a thoughtful console and a convenient rear sofa. A stylishly designed dashboard left double emotions. Yes, tunnel design eliminates glare, but deeply drowned white dials with gray icons due to small contrast are not read out. The choice of finishing materials was not impressed. It feels like Mazda interiorists have been limited from the very beginning: here you have black and gray - combine as you want. Even ordering a car with a leather salon, you cannot get away from gloomy troops. Well, it seems that cheerful flowers have saved for the next planned restyling.

Text Ruslan Tarasov, photo Andrey Danilov

We thank Mazda Motor Rus, (495) 788-1001, and LLC Honda Motor Rus, (495) 745-2080.
 
 
Mazda3 2.0
 
Gasoline engine, 4 in a row
Working volume (cubic cub) 1999
Power (L.S. at rpm) 150 at 6500
Moment (nm at rpm) 187 at 4000
Front drive
Gearbox 6-speed, mechanical
Length/width/height (mm) 4415/1755/1465
Equipped mass (kg) 1260
Maximum speed (km/h) 202
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 9.1
Fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 10.6/6.4
Price in Moscow (price of the tested car) from $ 22,800 ($ 22,800)
 
Honda Civic 5d
 
Gasoline engine, 4 in a row
Working volume (cubic cub) 1799
Power (L.S. at rpm) 140 at 6300
Moment (nm at rpm) 174 at 4300
Front drive
Gearbox 6-speed, mechanical
Length/width/height (mm) 4248/1765/1460
Equipped mass (kg) 1263
Maximum speed (km/h) 205
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 8.9
Fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 8.5/5.5
Price in Moscow (price of the tested car) from $ 25,200 ($ 27,000)

 

Source: "Autopilot"