Generations! (Honda Civic)

[2o6]

A popular car that has ingrained it's name in the hearts of schoolmarms and car enthusiasts alike. For a long time, it was a great balance between family car and sporty commuter, even proving to be capable of slaughtering cars on the track that are quadruple the price.


Which is your favorite?

[68_427]

7th gen type R

[Cookie Monster]

Hard to choose between the 4th, 5th and 6th for me.

[2o6]

5th for me. Always thought 4th was too spartan, and 6th too bland. (To look at)

[Cookie Monster]

5th for me. Always thought 4th was too spartan, and 6th too bland. (To look at)

Well, I've always liked the super boxiness of the EF sedan for some reason.

I think between the 5th and 6th though, I'd choose the 5th.

[hotrodalex]

4th.

5th is a close second, though.

[Onslaught]

4th. But in the end I've never been a huge fan of any of them. I can't stand my girlfriends 2000 Civic EX

[sportyaccordy]

Ohh this is tough.

Let's get the bad ones out of the way. 1st & 2nd have H&H significance but are not exciting. 3rd gen was neither significant nor exciting. 7th gen made advances, but got a little too big and had the worst rear suspension design to ever come from Honda. Race teams have gained permission from governing bodies to completely redesign them to make them competitive. They were that bad when lowered (stock they were alright). First try at strut suspension came w/some issues too. 9th gen looks better than the 8th gen but the CSi was severely neutered. Still has that awful dash too.

4th gen was excellent... maybe the 3rd best for a performance platform base (more on this later). CRXs can be brought down well under 2000lbs with drivers and DOHC VTEC engines in race trim. I kind of like how these look.

5th & 6th gen were only better... taking off from where the 4th gen started and adding much needed (but still inadequate) chassis rigidity, and respectable interior space. These are tied IMO for 2nd best performance platform. I'm partial to the more developed looks of the 6th gen, particularly in coupe form.

8th gen IMO is the best performance platform. The CTR speaks for itself, either hanging ten with or outright beating Honda greats like the NSX & S2K on the track. Rear suspension was revamped and fixed, along w/the little issues from the front. USA CSi got 90% of the engine it deserved with the K20Z1, which is a little anemic in stock form but potent + punch w/mild aftermarket input. Still too expensive to be the weekend warriors the 4th-6th gen have come to be, but great as a daily driver. If only they rectified that awful dash....

My pick of the litter would prob be a 6th gen coupe for a DD, and a 4th gen hatch w/an H22 for a weekend tool. For me DDability takes top priority as nearly anything small, stripped and uncorked can be great fun... so 6th gen it is.

[BimmerM3]

I don't have a whole lot of experience with Civics, but the EP3 Si I drove sure was fun.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I have owned a 4th and 7th gen Civic. I liked the 4th better. It won autocrosses, and was fun.

[2o6]

I thought the 7th Gen's problem was the switch to MacPherson struts, not changing the rear suspension?

[Soup DeVille]

I thought the 7th Gen's problem was the switch to MacPherson struts, not changing the rear suspension?

They go hand in hand: and neither end worked as well as the previous ones did.

[Vinsanity]

In its day, the 5th gen seemed to be the biggest leap in progress compared to the others. To me, at least...I always considered that time period to be a coming of age/golden era of Japanese cars in general. The 5th gen Civic was often referred to as a poor man's shrunken Acura Legend. My sister's first car was a '94 Civic EX sedan, and I thought it was pretty neat; it was packaged very well for its size. Ultimately, it got my vote because it's the body style that made the most people familiar with the Civic name.

[S204STi]

Which gen was the last Si hatch?  I'd go with that one.

[2o6]

Neon and Civic were the cars to beat in the mid 90's. Neon had quality issues, but it drove great and was super quick. Civic was fun to drive and well built. The rest is unremarkable, IMO.

Which gen was the last Si hatch?  I'd go with that one.

7th. But Europe did get an 8th gen Si hatch, but it's widely regarded as being disappointing. (Torsion beam rear end makes the whole car sad)

[Eye of the Tiger]

I thought the 7th Gen's problem was the switch to MacPherson struts, not changing the rear suspension?

Struts were boring and the understeer was dumb, and I don't even remember what the rear suspension was.... but it had a FLAT REAR FLOOR OMG YAY. Not a bad car for crusing, but not as fun as the older ones.

[2o6]

Struts were boring and the understeer was dumb, and I don't even remember what the rear suspension was.... but it had a FLAT REAR FLOOR OMG YAY. Not a bad car for crusing, but not as fun as the older ones.

It was a multilink setup, IIRC, compared to the double wishbones on all wheels on the old cars.

[The Pirate]

Loved my 6th gen, still sometimes wish I had it.  I put a ton of miles on that car in short period of time with minimal issues.  Decently fun for what it was, too.

[the Teuton]

I love the 4th and the 6th. I'd probably get a 6th.

[Cookie Monster]

In its day, the 5th gen seemed to be the biggest leap in progress compared to the others. To me, at least...I always considered that time period to be a coming of age/golden era of Japanese cars in general. The 5th gen Civic was often referred to as a poor man's shrunken Acura Legend. My sister's first car was a '94 Civic EX sedan, and I thought it was pretty neat; it was packaged very well for its size. Ultimately, it got my vote because it's the body style that made the most people familiar with the Civic name.

Yeah, I really enjoyed my friend's '92 Civic Sedan, even though it was completely beat to shit. It was a surprisingly fun car to drive.

[hotrodalex]

I wish my dad would have kept his '92 Integra and sold the Saturn instead.

[Cookie Monster]

I wish my dad would have kept his '92 Integra and sold the Saturn instead.

It always seems like parents own the cool cars before we can drive...

I would've loved to have my dad's '83 GLC or his Olds 88.

[the Teuton]

I wish my dad would have kept his '92 Integra and sold the Saturn instead.

Take that back!

[hotrodalex]

It always seems like parents own the cool cars before we can drive...

I would've loved to have my dad's '83 GLC or his Olds 88.

My brother drove it a couple of times. I moved it around in the driveway, but I think that's it. It was quite cool. Of course compared to the BMW he bought next, I'm not sure which one is cooler. (though I won't be getting the BMW when he's done with it... )

[280Z Turbo]

CRX

[sportyaccordy]

It was a multilink setup, IIRC, compared to the double wishbones on all wheels on the old cars.

That in itself wasn't bad, the Accord has been running a multilink out back since '87

It was something to do with the motion ratio of the shocks. 4th-6th gen Civics needed no more than maybe 1000lb springs in the rear to handle effectively on the track. And the geometry worked well when lowered + loaded. The 7th gen needed something like 4000lb springs (which required very custom shocks to control), AND its geometry blew. They kept the same multilink arrangement for the 8th gen, but addressed the motion ratio and loading issues. The front end had problems with tie rod placement that were also fixed. So the same setup w/some tweaks became instantly competitive....

[CALL_911]

Now that I think of it, I've never driven a Civic. That said, I sure do fancy a 6th gen Type R. Wouldn't mind a 7th gen Type R either.

Also, wow, I didn't realize how good the 4th gen Civic looked.

[cawimmer430]

4th generation by far. Clean and elegant "typical 1980s Japanese" design. Handsome to look at. It also has aged well and in some cases could pass for a car designed just a few years ago.

I also like generations 1-3. After the 4th generation the Civic started looking really boring. I have a little appreciation for the 6th generation, especially in 1.6 SiR form, but that's about it. I like the old Civics.

[2o6]

I liked the 8th generation "cheese wedge Civic". It still looks fresh despite being introduced in 2006.

[68_427]

Also, wow, I didn't realize how good the 4th gen Civic looked.

I see one everyday, and trust me... not all of them look good.