squeeeb

i am buying a new car shortly, looking at either honda or toyotta, as i have had one corrolla, and one civic over the last 20 years and they have gotten 40 MPG and lasted forever with no problems (i ended up donating the corolla, it had over 200,000 miles).

so i go to the honda place to check out the new civics, and they look incredibly stupid. the front is all sloped and the car looks gay. i know they did it for the wind resistance and more efficiancy and all, and i'm not usually one to care about aesthetics, but....it just looks goofy.

and the corrollas are huge now. so i am looking at a yaris, which looks like a snub nosed version of the old corolla.

but i am bummed at the civics. such great cars, but i can't get over the new look....

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hambone

I thought the Civic looked weird too and then didn't buy it partially cause of that. I hear people tend to end up really liking the placement of the speedometer after a while though (easier to keep eyes on the road and check it they say).

they are still too cheap spaceship looking for me though.

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QuasiMondo

I love how the new Civic's look. Hopefully if the finances are right, I could find myself behind the wheel of the Si sedan. The only other car in this class that looks decent IMO is the new Lancer. The Corolla, Sentra, Cobalt, and Focus just look outright goofy.

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BadNick

I also think the current Civic Si is about one of the best looking Honda coupes/sedans ever. To my taste, some of the positive design hints that were touched-on in the otherwise over-the-top aftermarket body kits are perfectly embodied in this new design.

shakran

the new civic looks great IMO except for the back end of the coupe. Shame, 'cause it'd handle better than the 4 door.

troit

All this talk without a picture:

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Willravel

I don't particularly like how the new ones look, but I've not liked them since the fifth generation.

shakran

more accurate version.

telekinetic

Is there a reason you're not considering a Fit? I bought on e a few months ago and have been absolutely in love with it ever since. Since you mention liking the civic, but considering the Yaris, I'm confused.

I test drove and researched both the Yaris and Fit extensively, and the Yaris never struck me as anything other than a baby corolla. The Fit, on the other hand, is a cleverly designed engineering masterpiece. The interior room and utility is absolutely amazing, the gas mileage is enough that i'm making my car payment in gas savings over my old v6 minivan commuter, and yet it has enough power to take the hills from Phoenix to Flagstaff with the cruise on 90mph.

I find the styling (interior and exterior) to be delightfully unapologetically Japanese. I so much prefer a car to say SOMETHING other than 'rental car.'

Plus, if it's the space-ship styling of the new Civics that is bothering you, you're in luck! Here's my (very un-spaceship) baby:





OK, enough Fit shilling for now.







ok one more...did I mention it's already been out half a decade in europe and Japan, so they've already got the first-year bugs out?

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Scorps

07 Accord Coupe



Im not a fan of imports but doesn't look bad at all

squeeeb

twistedmosaic - honestly, i wasn't even aware of the fit. funny you should mention it, the other day my wife came home and said "we should look at the honda fit." so yeah, that is now a definate option, more so now that you have raved about it. thanks...

scorps - that accord does look pretty cool, but sadly, the accord is too big for me...i want a small car that can hold a snowboard or a bike....

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Bear Cub

IMO, they get uglier and uglier every year.

I wouldn't rule out Hyundai given a chance. I admittedly am not a big fan of imports, but then again, my job entails working with Chevelles, Bel Airs, Vipers, and 1000+ horsepower domestics on a daily basis. I test drove an '06 Tiburon for my ex girlfriend, and I was VERY impressed, much moreso than the Civics, RSX, and Mazdas I had driven earlier in the day.

It was not the Hyundai I had come to know. Fit and finish was VERY nice, the v6 with the 6 speed had some definite balls to it, no squeaks, rattles, very quiet, you name it. When I saw what it cost and just how good their warranty was, I was blown away. May be something worth looking into.

Walking Shadow

Hyundai has gotten way, way, way better in terms of quality and fit and finish, they're almost at Toyota/Honda levles, now. Add in the loaded cars that cost $1000's less then comparable US & Japanese models and they are well worth a looksee.

Leto

Now that's a beautiful vehicle. And it's not an import, it's made right here in Ontario.


I find the Civic Si coupe to be not bad, but the Civic sedan is ugly. So is the Fit. Ugly and small. Too much flat sheet metal on the doors, with a high sill line.

I was in the market for a small SUV and was looking very closely at the Honda CRV. But the re-design, while bold, served to minimalize the presence of the vehicle. It also curved too much in the roofline for the rear seat passengers making it seem too tight, with less head room.

I ended up with a Toyota Rav4 (2007) which is easily one of the best vehicles I have ever purchased: good styling, good gas mileage, roomy...

parahy

For your situation, I would recommend a Honda Fit. The Toyota Yaris is crap. Sure, it's small and good on gas, but is it really worth looking at? The engine is really small, and the actual car is really small as well. And, it isn't even that safe, or "revolutionary", like the Honda Fit. The Honda Fit is not only small (external dimensions) and really good on gas, it doesn't compromise on safety, comfort, or styling. It has 6 standard airbags, which is really rare for that price range (even as an option), and it has enough space inside. I know people who are over 6' tall who fit perfectly in one.

If you're still not convinced, I can convince you more.

If you wait till next year, you might be able to get the next-gen Fit as well.

Halx

Cool looking new Accord, but if you pay attention, almost every design cue was stolen from another car.

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parahy

Still a nice car.

Willravel

Let's not forget that Honda and Acura are one and the same, too. I would call the theft reasonable. The TL is a nice looking car.

Walking Shadow

Please, you can say that about every car and every car company these days. And stolen isn't the right word to use.

Cynthetiq

If you look closely at the models from the past across different automakers, the designs were always quite similiar, especially in the compatitive markets.

Pony cars, full size sedans, wagons, vans, trucks. You name it.

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Randerolf

What is you MPG? I'm also looking at Toyotas and Hondas; I was looking at the Fit, Yaris, Prius, and Civic. Consumer Reports was disappointed in the Yaris, but had nothing but praise for the Honda Fit.

parahy

I've heard of reports that Fits are more fuel efficient that Yaris'. And, at least in Canada, Honda has found a way to get even more MPG out of the manual.

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telekinetic

I get about a real actual 35mpg, split pretty evenly between 85mph highway and stop-and-go city, and I drive hard. I also have the auto and abuse the padel shifters daily.

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cyrnel

I've been trying to find something about the goofy little Fit to complain about.

It has paddle shifters? How about a twist-grip throttle? It might deserve a test drive.

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telekinetic

Test drive one, it's more fun than you think a 1.5 liter can be

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parahy

The next-gen Fit (coming to Japan this fall) can get 55 MPG combined in their testing methods.

BTW, EPA figures are bs. The highway speeds they use is 55 MPH. That can explain why twistedmosaic gets 35 MPG, since he drives at 85 MPH.

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Leto

it's just too small/ugli. Otherwise, I'm sure it's quite passable.

telekinetic

That's why I specified my highway speed. I <3 the Phoenix freeway system.

And Leto, I don't find it to be ugly (although clearly that's subjective), and small? Well, externally, maybe, but it's got plenty of people room for road trips, and the cargo capacity is positively staggering.

Transported a 14' x 11' rug and a 10' x 12' at the same time, with my wife in the car.
Transported a 48" diameter kitchen table and four chairs, again with a passenger
Transported an 8' stepladder and a door

etc etc

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parahy

Interior space is the Honda Fit's specialty.

You'd be surprised by the amount of interior space it has. Honda relocated the gas tank to another place, so the rear is FULL of space. And the Magic Seats full down completely. It can Fit objects that are 7'10" long and has 41.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded down. That's more than a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry that each both have less than 20 cubic feet of trunk space.

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telekinetic

I need to start a web page, 'stuff in my fit' that shows everything I can cram in every time it's heavily loaded.

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MSD

Is that a Saab with an extra chromosome?
It's a 350Z ... but not.

Plaid13

All new cars look silly to me. Call me crazy but i like to sit in the drivers seat and see a hood in front of me. at least 4 foot of it. but i like big cars. Im a freakish 6 foot tall not the average 5 foot tall person these cars are designed for. For some crazy reason i dont like to drive cars where i dont have room to strech my legs out a bit.

soundmotor

Unfortunately, the Civic 3DR is not available in the US market.

QuasiMondo

Am I the only one who notices how much the front of that 3-door resembles the grumpy smiley?

__________________
Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer.

-From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

shakran

Ahhh but the Mugen Civic Si will be coming to America.

Shauk

as a tiburon owner, its a mere 2001, I must say, they are definately not crappy cars, I've not had any issues with mine aside from bad body work which left my electronics for my keyless entry shot and uncovered by insurance and unclaimed by the body shop "wedidntdoit!" People still ask me what kinda car it is on a regular basis or tell me "thats a hot car, for a pizza delivery driver" its almost getting insulting but, meh, its my car, i lub it.

altho, that fit is nice looking too, I think I might grab that one next, I need a bigger vehicle that I could live out of for a year if I felt like it. hrm.. tint the windows, load out the inside with some nice aftermarket sound, move my studio gear inside after fitting a power inverter or 3. yeah I could see it. :P

soundmotor

The next generation Tiburon is going to be nuts!

New Tiburon

QuasiMondo

These cars look so angry. That one looks ready to eat little schoolchildren.

__________________
Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer.

-From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator