Civic carries twin buckets in front and a bench in back. All seats were rebuilt with more support and stronger bolsters, and cushions were mounted higher so you can slip more easily into a sitting position. A clean and efficient layout for the cockpit provides a revised instrument panel set below a rounded bonnet. For the coupe, these dials have highlight rings of silver and amber illumination. Front seatbacks in the coupe measure wider and deeper than in the sedan, and headrests are hollow at the center.
Seatbelts attach to a side bar that moves out of the way of a passenger crawling into the rear.
Also, the front bucket slides forward when you tip the seatback forward to create a broad portal for entry to the rear seat, and it returns to its original post when you pull the seatback upright again. Civic's stiff new structural system supports a new suspension with MacPherson struts mounted in front and a double wishbone design for the back. We also noted the quality of quietness in these designs. A stronger structure, in conjunction with new engine mounts plus special noise and vibration-damping insulation stuffed into Civic's body cavities, work together to tone down sound and vibration, while wind noise has been negated by streamlining Civic's shell. Bob Plunkett has been reviewing automobiles for more than 20 years.