The 2012 Honda Civic: Good, in a sea of Great

The Honda Civic is an institution. Since its introduction to the US market in 1973, it has grown in size, presence, and reputation to be the 2nd best selling small car today (only beaten by soulless and dated Corolla). Throughout most of its life, it has won buyers over with its conservative styling, straightforward interior, and impressive fuel economy.

When it came time for the men and woman at Honda to redesign the Civic for the 2006 model year, the powers that be decided to separate the US Civic from the European Civic. Another huge departure was ditching the handsome, conservative styling in favor of a new sharp, angular design language . The wedge-like Civic proved popular in the marketplace, despite reviews pointing out the odd interior set up.

The very unusual gauge pod setup sure didn't seem to phase buyers: Honda sold more than 260,000 Civics in 2010. The angular model that hit the scene as a 2006 model was still selling well, but after 6 model years in the marketplace it was time for a change. In early 2011 Honda began releasing teaser images of the next generation Civic. The internet community was buzzing over what stance Honda would take to fight in a segment that was becoming ripe with new competitors.

Ahead of the 2011 New York International Auto Show, Honda digitally pulled back the curtain on the new Civic. The internet responded with a collective "meh..."

Sure, there were some changes. A nip here, a tuck over there, and a new grille design up front. By and large, though, a casual observer likely wouldn't even notice that the car was changed. Honda was quick to point out that the new Civic shares "next to nothing" with the outgoing model. So, Honda designed all new parts that look, in many cases, exactly like the parts they're replacing? 

That's not entirely a bad thing, though. The outgoing Civic is recognizable, and the new car tidys up some of the details without looking completely different. Where Honda seems to have dropped the ball completely is obvious when you open the door. Not only is it not much different from the outgoing model, it's actually worse: An odd mishmash of shapes and themes, punctuated by the beyond dated double-DIN drop-in stereo head unit. While compact-segment competitors from other Japanese manufacturers don't exactly feature upscale interior design or materials, the Civic will be fighting tooth-and-nail against two other recently redesigned small cars: The Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Domestic automakers aren't known for their small cars. The compact class has generally been all but ignored by GM, Ford, and Chrysler, and their entries were typically half baked, half-hearted attempts. And why wouldn't they be? The profit margins on small cars are a fraction of the cash they can get off of an F-150 or Suburban.

And, in the rare event that a domestic brand made a "bold move" in the small car arena, like Ford bringing its European Focus to the States in 2000, they typically lost interest and backed off. The Focus was cheapened and decontented as the rest of the world was given a brand new model that was widely praised as best in class. A modest update to the Focus in 2008 addressed many issues, turning the econobox into a nice competitor, but it paled in comparison to the other Focus, seen around the world.

Likewise, GM doesn't exactly have pedigree when it comes to small cars. They've never hit the sweet spot of the segment. To further their problems, they've gotten into a habit of renaming their small car with each redesign. Nova. Cavalier. Cobalt. Cruze. It's expensive (and difficult) to reeducate your customers when you release a new nameplate every few years.

Well, times have changed. GM and Ford right now have the strongest two entries in the segment with their Cruze and Focus.  Both designed leveraging global resources, resulting in superior interior design and quality, as well as driving dynamics.

The new Civic features an "HF" trim level, aimed at increased fuel economy. It manages an impressive 41MPG on the highway, which is enough to edge the Ford's 40MPG but not the Cruze's class-leading 42MPG. Also, the new Hyundai Elantra is rated at 40MPG across the board, no special package required.

A sporty Si model will continue to be available, as will the gas-electric Hybrid model.

By its own merits, there's nothing wrong with the 2012 Civic. It will continue to sell to Honda loyalists, and they'll probably be happy with it. Honda's problem may come as buyers are increasingly less brand loyal, looking at several competing models before buying.

No, there isn't anything wrong with the new Civic. It's just that while Honda turned up the volume to 8, the competition took it up to 11.