2016 Honda Civic Coupe, Possible Turbo And A Manual?
By Mike Garcia
The latest Civic shows sporting intentions with their latest offering.
During the L.A. Auto Show, I had a brief stint in the latest 2016 Honda Civic. While I had hoped for a manual transmission, it’s easy to understand that only CVT transmissions were available. After all, not every driver knows how to drive a manual transmission. It is a bit unfortunate. I mean, who would want to test drive a car that smelled like a burned clutch?
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Needless to say, I enjoyed my test drive in a Civic sedan. I took the
2.0
liter
for a spin, which is capable of a robust
158
horsepower
, and
138-lb.ft.
of torque. Why the 2.0 liter? Back then, that was the only car available in a manual transmission. The ride was smooth over rough Los Angeles roads. The suspension was very compliant, with no flex felt into the chassis at daily driving speeds. My test drive was short, but relaxing and comforting, perfect for the daily commute.
Motorweek spent some time in the latest iteration:
The coupe was a slightly slimmer, lower profile. It resembles a sport coupe or near hatchback shape without veering too far from the sedan’s original design. While the Si version is not available yet, Honda did announce that he 1.5 liter turbo-charged model, capable of 174 horsepower and 162–lb.ft. of torque (at just 1,700rpm), will be available in either the CVT or 6-speed manual transmission. Estimated gas mileage for the 2.0 liter with a manual transmission is 27/40, with a combined average of 31 miles per gallon. The Touring model with the 1.5 liter turbo and the CVT, has an estimated gas mileage of 31/42, with a combined average of 35 miles per gallon.
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Chances are, the 1.5 liter turbo with the 6-speed manual transmission will have the lowest gas mileage rating overall. I’m betting it’ll still average around 30 miles per gallon, but would be a lot more enjoyable with the turbo-charged 4-cylinder providing abundant torque at low revs and a slick, smooth-shifting, 6-speed manual transmission.
For those that may be a bit more budget conscious but still want to have fun, the manual transmission with the 1.5 liter, turbo-four, may just be the way to go. The turbo/manual transmission combination may be a bit of a wait before its’ release, but it’ll be well worth the wait.