2008 Honda Civic : New Honda civic 2008 review

2008 Honda Civic
by Fei Lim
Coming in with some newer models is the 2008 Honda Civic. Body styles are the usual 2 door coupe and 4 door sedans. Being included in the sedan line is a gas/electric Hybrid model. In both sedans and coupes are the DX, LX, and EX models. New models in 2008 is the EX-L, Si trim and the Civic MUGEN Si sedan. Available only to New York and California markets is the Civic GX. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration front crash test rating gave five stars to both driver and passenger fronts. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave 4 star ratings (4 star being the highest) across the board in all areas it judges minus a 3 star for driver torso. The MUGEN Si has Twin-Ring Motegi track- tuned suspension with stiffer springs and firmer dampers. BF Goodrich g-Force T/A KDW High grip tires (215/40R18) surround the forged aluminum rims (18 x 7.5 inches). It comes with is a "Cat-Back" sport exhaust system. With the added aero-package you get front spoiler and sports grill, side spoilers, rear diffuser, and adjustable rear wing. Under the hood you'll find the 122 cubic inch, 197 hp, 2.0 liter, 16 valve inline 4 engine. It has an aluminum block and head with port fuel injection. Torque is 139 pounds per foot at 6200 rpm, maxing out at 8000. It'll go 0 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds. Transmission is a 6 speed manual. Wheelbase is 106.3 inches. Brakes are ABS and vented disc/disc on the front wheel drive. There is only planned for a release of only 1,000 per year with a MSRP for this model of Civic starting in at $30,000 Standard features on the 4 door sedan or the 2 door coupe EX-L model include Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) with airbag cutoff sensor for the passenger controlled by weight in the seat, electronic brake force distribution and in-glass radio antenna. EX-L models come with heated front seats and leather upholstery. Seats 5 passengers and is available in 12 trims. Engine specs come in at 110 cubic inch, 140 hp, 1.8 liter, 16 valve inline 4 cylinder. Torque comes in at 128 pounds per feet at 4,000 rpm. Only a 5 speed transmission here that's manual or automatic front wheel drive with navigation system and standard overdrive. Wheelbase for the EX-L is 106.3 inches. Also coming standard is the ABS. MSRP for this model $19,910. The 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid is loaded with standard features including but not limited to XM satellite radio, OPDS, and tire pressure monitor just to name a few. This gas/electric hybrid is at 110 hp combining both gas and electric requiring no plug-in charging. When you need a boost to your acceleration the electric motor will kick in automatically. It's got a 110 hp, 1.3liter, 8 valve inline 4 cylinder with a VAR speed automatic transmission. Torque for this model is only 123 pounds per foot at 2500 rpm when running on gas or electric. The 15 inch tires on the Hybrid are stopped by disc brakes in the front and drum in the rear. Comes with independent suspension all around on this front wheel drive. MSRP for this model starts in at $22,600. With the last of the newer models is the GX. The 2007 model was named greenest car of the year. This car runs on compressed natural gas. This models standard engine specs are 1.8 liter, 113 hp inline 4 cylinder with multi port fuel injection. It is accompanied with a 5 speed automatic transmission with overdrive. Torque comes in at 109 pounds per foot at 4300 rpm. This front wheel drive has disc brakes in the front and drums in the rear. 15 inch wheels are all around the car with a wheel base of 106.3 MSRP starts off at $24,590. Hondas Civic DX is the basic version. This 16 valve, 1.8 liter, 4 cylinder engine has a multi port fuel injection system pushing torque to 128 pounds per foot at 4,300 rpms. You can get the 5 speed transmission in either 5 speed automatic or manual. The DX is riding on 15 inch all season wheels with and independent suspension containing front struts and a rear double wishbone. For stopping the ABS brakes have electric brakeforce distribution among the two disk brakes that are ventilated and drum in the rear. This car is available in both coupe and sedan with a starting MSRP at $15,010. The first upgrade to the DX is the LX. It upgrades feature including cruise control, air conditioning, and a more powerful audio system as well as other features not seen on the compact class. The Lx caries the same engine as the DX. The ABS brakes are the same as well. MSRP start is at $16,960. The EX goes above and beyond in with the features over that of either the DX or Lx. Some of these features are alloy wheels, moonroof, 60/40 split fold down rear seat. You can also get an available navigation system. Once again like the LX the EX caries the same engine and brakes as the DX. MSRP starts off at $18, 710.