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2019 Honda Civic Touring CVT Review by David Colman - E15 Approved +VIDEO
2019 Honda Civic Touring CVT
It's Sporty!
By David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL
2019 Honda Civic Touring CVT
Back in 1976, Honda claimed that their new Civic hatchback was "built like a sports car" with "rack and pinion steering" and "4-wheel independent suspension."
That Civic of 43 years ago also boasted an engine that "doesn't redline until 6000 rpm," and a "five-speed" manual transmission that could " do things sports cars
can't do." All that for just $3,469, and the cherry on top was the combined mileage figure of 40 mpg. Now let's jump ahead to 2019 and compare that original Civic to the current
Civic coupe. Called the Civic Touring CVT, this one can't be had with a manual gearbox like the 1976 model. To make sure you understand that fact, Honda adds "CVT" to the description
line of the new Civic Touring. CVT indicates that this model comes only with a continuously variable belt drive transmission. Unfortunately, the 6-speed manual gearbox offered on other Civics is
unavailable on the Civic Touring. The CVT mimics the performance of a gearbox by providing you with 7 pre-arranged engine speed stages that can be accessed by using the paddles provided on the
steering wheel for selection.
2019 Honda Civic Touring CVT
This CVT does a reliable job of harnessing the rather modest output of the Touring's 4 cylinder turbocharged engine. Since this "Earth Dreams" motor makes just 174hp and 162lb.-ft.
of torque, managing its performance via CVT operation is important to extracting maximum acceleration. An attentive driver can coax the Civic to run from a standstill to 60mph in 6.8 seconds, and
post a standing start quarter mile time of 15.2 seconds. But you will have a difficult time duplicating those numbers if you chose to leave the CVT in "Drive," where throttle response
varies from poor to decent. Rather, you need to prime the pump by selecting the proper rpm range needed for acceleration by manipulating the CVT paddles.
Much hotter than this car's performance was its exterior color. Finished in "Toxic Yellow Pearl," the Civic coupe looked like it was good for a 0-60mph run of 3 seconds and a top
speed of at least 200mph. If you can envision a whole car painted the Optic Yellow color of a Wilson tennis ball, then you've got a good notion of how bright this Civic looks. The exterior
design, with its various planar embellishments, nicely enhances the way light plays off the coupe's intense color. Honda also does a nifty job of tailoring the interior with a pleasing medley
of black-on-gray seating surfaces that look like subtle checkered flags. But the leather trimmed front seats look racier than they actually are, since you will find yourself spilling out of their
upper bolsters during hard cornering.
Sporty driving is a strong point of the Civic Touring. Just like its predecessor of 1976, the latest Civic makes a habit of cutting apexes with precision. At each corner you will find a Touring
model specific alloy rim mounting a 235/40R18 Conti Pro Contact radial with a Wear Rating of 400 and a Traction rating of AA. When you put this contact patch to the test, the Touring willingly
slithers through turns with the ease of a sports sedan. So it's nice to know that this latest Civic, like its predecessor, "can still do things sports cars can't do."
In addition to its cornering prowess, another thing the coupe does that trumps sports cars is its ability to carry 4 adults in relative comfort, and 5 in a pinch. While the back seat occupants
won't enjoy an abundance of leg or thigh room, they will at least find the back seat acceptably comfortable for short hops. Climbing in and out of the rear, however, is not a chore you want to
tackle on a daily basis. Or ever.
2019 Honda Civic Touring CVT
If you opt for the Touring version of the Civic, your new car will be outfitted with the following items that distinguish this grade level from lesser Civics: paddle shifts, CVT transmission,
LED headlights, leather seats, 1.5 liter turbo 4, and navigation system. Note that for 2019, Honda has finally returned a volume control knob to the entertainment system, and upped the display
panel touchscreen to 8 inches. Honda Sensing, the integrated safety warning system that will keep you in your lane, help brake you for impediments you have not yet seen, and prevent you from backing
into dangerous cross traffic is now standard equipment on all Civics. Civic prices start at $19,450 for the entry level LX model, and $20,250 for the LX with CVT. The Honda Civic Touring CVT we
tested carried a base price of $28,220 and an all-in price of $26,850.
