Honda has just gotten a big black eye from a longtime fan.
Consumer Reports, which has long given top ratings to the Honda Civic, downgraded the redesigned 2012 version because of poor performance in its road tests — and dropped the Civic (at right) off the magazine’s coveted Recommended list.
The magazine’s test drivers cited poorer handling and a less-appealing interior than the previous Civic, as well as a choppy ride, long stopping distances and pronounced road noise. “While other models like the Hyundai Elantra have gotten better after being redesigned, the Civic has dropped so much that it now ranks near the bottom of its category,” said David Champion, senior director of the magazine’s auto test center. Ouch. (The review appears in the magazine’s September issue; subscribers can see it on CR’s web site.)
The weak review comes as insult upon injury to Honda, which yesterday announced that its quarterly profit had plunged nearly 90 percent after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan had hammered production and sales.
Meanwhile, the Hyundai Elantra now tops the magazine’s small-car category, with what the magazine describes as impressive fuel economy, roomy interior and strong value. The Elantra is on the Recommended list. The Civic finished ahead of only the redesigned Volkswagen Jetta, which Consumer Report also roundly criticized. (See Consumer Reports Slams New Volkswagen Jetta).
Honda, not surprisingly, disagreed with the Consumer Reports findings.”The new Civic excels in areas that matter to small-car customers, including fuel efficiency, safety and reliability,” the company said in a statement. Indeed, one of the positives about the Civic cited by Consumer Reports is its gas mileage, which tested at 30 mpg in combined city and highway driving — second only to Toyota Corolla
For years, Civic and Corolla have dominated sales in the small-car category. But, motivated by high gas prices and federal mileage requirements, competitors have begun fielding strong entries with not only high mileage but comfortable interiors and features previously only seen in more expensive midsize cars. General Motors’ entry, the Chevrolet Cruze, is cited approvingly by Consumer Reports from previous testing.
Source: Consumer Reports Blasts New Honda Civic - CBS MoneyWatch.com
