Test Drive Honda Civic Sedan since 2012 Sedan
Test Drive Honda Civic 1.8 and Mazda3 2.0: Japanese Broke
The Honda Civic Camery Machine was notable - we found it in the previous comparative test. Suppose that the strengths of the sedan should manifest itself in something else, we headed for a racing ice track, taking with you close Honda in the spirit of the Mazda3 sedan.
Manufacturer companies assure that both Mazda3 and Honda Civic are real driver's pleasure generators. And a number of tests of the machines of this segment, conducted by the portal Kolesa.ru, testifies to the same: you want an inexpensive lighter for these Japanese. Both are similar in power of engines and close consumer characteristics, that is, are the most direct competitors. The ice trail will show who of them will be greyhound.
If you judge the appearance, then the Honda Civic 4D cannot be suspected anything. Is that according to a squat silhouette with a slope roof. And so, seemingly the most ordinary sedan. Not a sample of harmony and style, but quite cute, especially in gray-blue color.
Mazda looks more interesting. At least relief arches and a huge mouth of the front air intake. For the same element of criticism at one time passed through cars Peugeot, but Mazda for some reason for some reason for some reason. But here is a color such a car should be bright: bright blue, bright red, but not black. Even the motley dealership stickers cannot give the image of the treshka at least a drop of expressiveness.
What way the Honda engineers are going to injected endorphins into the driver's brain, you understand when you sit behind the wheel. The seat is placed so low that it seems as if you sit on the floor. The thick steering wheel is small in diameter, and right behind him a huge tachometer. The central console is addressed to the driver. It lacks only aluminum pedals and the atmosphere of the sports car would be recreated completely. That's just why all this in the usual sedan?
However, no more hints for the sport. Is that tourism. Space. Those who will be behind the wheel of Civic for the first time will immediately pay attention not to pseudo-alternating entourage, but on a two-storey digital dashboard. When she first appeared on the ancestor of the hatchback in 2006, there was no limit to the delights of buyers. Today there are no such turbulent emotions. Yes, it is cool, but wow effects weaken. But even taking into account the unusual front panel architecture to use all the secondary functional of the Civic conveniently. Buttons on the central console and on the steering wheel are large, with an intuitive purpose.
Under the hood Honda, the only available engine 1.8 with a capacity of 142 hp A pair of gasoline motor is offered either mechanical, or (as in our case) five-speed automatic transmission. With such an installation, the civic accelerates to 100 km / h in 10.7 seconds and even reaches 200 km / h.
Call outstanding passport speed characteristics, of course, it is impossible. But! Feelings from accelerating dynamics are pleased: the engine is happy to work at high speed, and the thrust is easily controlled by a soft sensitive gas pedal. Slightly pressed, and the civic mig catapults forward. Especially perky temper of Honda becomes when you translate the transmission lever to Sport mode - in normal mode, the gearbox smoothes the speaker slightly.
Honda keeps a straight line and willingly goes into turns, but the steering in the sedan seemed to be rearranged from the passenger bus. From the stop until the stop - more than three revolutions of artificially inexpressible effort. With increasing speed, the steering wheel becomes harder, but the sense of unity with the civik does not occur. Road trifles and even Coldbins more shock absorbers are perfectly quenched, but the passengers have done the entire suspension work still feel. Most of all, the car does not like sharp joints - they are reflected by noticeable blows.
Checking Honda Civic on an ice racing track showed that the car instantly lescribe to provocations, with the ease of failure to fall into a deep skid. And thanks to the engine starting to pull already from 2000 revolutions, and straighten the car with gas does not constitute problems.
Enjoy the slide disturbed only untouched winter tires, which desperately did not want to cling to naked ice. An unimportant assistant was a specific stabilization system. In the first seconds, she closes his eyes to a skid, allowing you to feel pleasant light side accelerations. But when the driver begins to straighten the car with gas itself, the system immediately intervened, breaking the fuel supply. It interferes with an experienced driver, and inexperienced can cause surprise.
And what will the answer say to Mazda3?
If the triple looks more interesting outside, then in the salon Mazda, on the contrary, the eye is not clinging for something. Salon as a salon, without two-storey consoles and electronic dashboards. The feeling of quality in the salons of two cars is approximately the same. Is that plastic top panel in Mazda softer than in Honda. And not a single hint of sportiness. Even the speedometer arrows and the tachometer no longer look strictly down as it was before. Is it really smaller than the light in the car?
We found out this on the example of a two-liter gasoline engine hiding 150 horsepower. In a pair with the engine, it works the same as on a cying, five-speed automatic. Despite the motor larger and power, Mazda accelerates to 100 km / h in just 0.1 seconds faster than Honda, and the maximum speed is 203 km / h. At least on paper ...
And on the ice it turned out that the advantage in acceleration does not make Mazda sports. Trece Motor enough There is no shortage of any power or in a pull. But the sensations from the dynamics are completely different. Mazda3 accelerates intensively, but as if from under the stick, a lot of feeling arises due to an elastic, resisting the pressure of the gas pedal. Yes, and the engine itself clearly manifests its capabilities only after three and a half thousand revolutions.
In many ways, this behavior is a consequence of setting up a five-speed automatic transmission. In the brain box, unlike Civic, deprived of sports regime, the main priority of comfort. You can, of course, play yourself with manual switching, supporting the engine in the tone, but click the buttons quickly bored. And the tresk with a two-liter motor and mechanics in Russia simply do not.
On the other hand, Mazda3 remains a very understandable and obedient machine. The tight suspension and more heavy than the Civic steering wheel, allow you to accurately direct the sedan into the drive, from the beginning and to the end controlling the trajectory of turning the turn. But in motion it gives a feeling of not excitement, but rather calm, security ...
The same story and a breakdown from the trajectory. The skid on Mazda3 develops smoothly, and output from it, unlike the Civic, is accompanied by a constant search for optimal thrust on the drive wheels. A slightly fured and Mazda strives to bounce back into the inner tires-bumps, it was not enough and the treshka carries on the drifts of the outer edge of the route. By the way, to adjust the trajectory of the handbrake is more relevant again in Honda. In Mazda, the handle has to reach through the central tunnel.
Our verdict
Experts from Hiroshima paid comfort and economy so much attention that the light of the new Mazda3 began to burn dimly than before. Their efforts did not turn the troika in the ordinary city car, the drive in it is enough, but the accents changed clearly. As if survived by the transitional age, Mazda became an adult and balanced.
Bring Civic to ideal Engineers from Tokyo prevented their same colleagues marketers. The car was made smaster in the habits, taking no attention to the pits and other troubles of our roads. Fortunately, it did not prevent Honda to be more interesting in the movement of most of her classmates. Perhaps many classmates available for comparable money.
Independent opinion
Vasily Grakhov Champion of Russia 2003 on track auto racing and director of the school of driver's skills.
- To be frank, none of these machines inspired me the front-wheel drive and the automatic in my presentation is far from gambling. But if you choose from two, then my preference on the side of Honda. In many ways, thanks to the engine: Civic pulls it clearer, predictable. It is easier to lay it in turn, but it's easier to adjust. Only unwashed tires for driving on ice are not at all suitable. Mazda on spikes clings to the track better, but it's not interesting to ride on it on the top three, calm.
The editorial board of Kolesa.Ru is grateful to the company EUROSIB Auto Pulkovo - the official dealer of Mazda and the Russian representative office of Honda Motor Rus for the cars provided.
Also kolesa.ru thank the center of technical sports growth Rosto motorket and personally Vasily Grakhov for help in preparing the material.
A source: Magazine "Wheel" [February 2013]
