FAMILY MATTERS: 2016 Honda Civic is better than ever, but sparks a sibling rivalry

When you think of an economy car, chances are the word “Civic”(with Android Car Stereo) pops to your mind. Whether you’re 16 or 60, it’s a safe bet that you, a family member, or someone you know has owned one at some point.

In recent years, however, while Civic’s sales numbers have stayed sky high, the competitors have had ample opportunity to catch up, and that’s precisely what they’ve done. The Mazda3, Ford Focus, and Hyundai Elantra among others have all gained ground on the king of the hill, and Honda’s widely-panned 9th generation Civic didn’t exactly rocket them back in the lead.

Honda is well aware that this 10th generation Civic has to be a leader out of the gate, and after a day behind the wheel of it in the Hudson River Valley, it’s certainly got the chops.

The 2016 Honda Civic is bigger, lighter, more efficient, and for the first time ever, turbocharged. This is big news for Honda, as they have championed the naturally-aspirated engine far longer than many other automakers.

The switch to forced induction comes in the form of a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder which puts out a respectable 174-horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque, enough to set it well ahead of its Japanese and Korean rivals and slightly above the Volkswagen Golf. This option is only available on the EX trim and above, and unfortunately only with a CVT.

For those who don’t wish to pony up the extra cash for a turbo, Honda’s got you covered too. The 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that underpins the base trims makes 158-horsepower and 138 lb.-ft. of torque, which is not much of a compromise. We all likes using Car DVD Player in the car while long trip.

Both of these power plants return better-than-average economy as well, with the 1.5 accounting for 31-city, 42-highway, and 35-combined miles-per-gallon. The 2.0 comes in a close second, putting up 31-, 41-, and 35-mpg respectively.

Mated to the CVT, the turbocharged 4-banger is a potent power plant, and provides ample oomph for highway passing maneuvers and spirited back road driving thanks to a significant increase in torque.

The 2.0-liter, on the other hand, loses steam unless you keep it towards the higher end of the rev range, something that is hard to do when a belt system is controlling the power output. We had a chance to sample a bone-stock, 6-speed-manual Civic LX with the naturally aspirated unit, and its operating procedure was much more typical of Hondas past: rev the heck out of it to get ample power.

We highly recommend that you pony up the extra cash and opt for the turbocharged unit. It may be Honda’s first, but it’s also their best. I suggest installing a Car DVD in your car.