ALT-1 Good Small Cars for the UK
I have been down the "downsizing" route recently and tried just about all of the middleweights. For me there was a clear winner. The Honda Civic 2.2 ES diesel is not the cheapest but is easily the best in terms of space efficiency, being nice to drive, economy and high levels of equipment. On top of that the dealer offered good, old fashioned service and that's a rarity nowadays.
In trading down from a larger car there were certain "luxuries" that I didn't want to forgo - like cruise control and dual zone climate control. It is surprising how many competitors charge extra for such things or don't offer them at all.
The car is very spacious too, much bigger than you think. Te one area that takes some getting used to is the dash. This is a bit "space ship" and you need to spend time getting used to it. I fear it may put some potential owners off. The lack of a rear wiper seems to get mentioned a lot too but frankly the car doesn't need it. Rear visibility is not that good so parking sensors might b a good idea as standard fit.
The diesel engine is a gem and it is easy to believe that Honda rewrote the rulebook when they designed it. This is the first diesel I have owned or driven that doesn't need the "... for a diesel" apology (as in "quiet.... for a diesel", "quick... for a diesel", or "smooth .... for a diesel"). This is just a really good engine, quiet (even when cold), smooth, and really muscular. It has six gears to, but that is really just a fashion statement, it could probably make do with four if they were spaced out properly, it does mean you are at the legal motorway limit at less than 2000 rpm though.
Any regrets? None whatsoever, the Civic is a really good car, well-designed and extremely well built. You simply can't argue with 50mpg (imperial) and performance that would have been near-supercar a generation ago. And being a Honda it just works!
