Again, the goal is to avoid airbag injuries. The new Civic offers a host of refinements, large and small. The tighter body and new suspension system gave the test EX sedan a more controlled feel. The car rolled less in turns and curves than its predecessor. There is, overall, a more buttoned-down driving feel.
Instruments are larger and easier to read, and more switches are illuminated at night.
The glovebox latch has moved from the middle of the glovebox door to the left, where the driver can reach it. Seats are new and bigger and no longer feel like heavy sponges, the way last year's Civic seats did. They have 36 inches of legroom in the Civic sedan compared with 33.2 inches in the Corolla. The Focus sedan has 37.6 inches. Front legroom in the Civic sedan is 42.2 inches, less than the 42.5 inches in the Corolla and 43.1 inches in the Focus sedan.