This farewell is final in several ways: with the Honda After more than six months, Civic Tourer not only left a popular long-term test car, but it is also imminent to say goodbye to the German market. Already at the beginning of 2017, the new Civic came - for the time being without a station wagon and definitely no longer with the praiseworthy Magic Seats.
In addition to the idiosyncratic exterior look, it is above all those “magic seats” that distinguish the Honda Civic from other competitors in the compact class. Like other station wagons, the Japanese offers a back seat backrest that can be folded in two simple steps. The first highlight: At the same time, the seating area also drops significantly, creating a deep, pot-level and 1.670 liter maximum storage space. The second highlight: As an alternative, the seat of the rear seat can be folded up like a cinema chair, which in addition to the standard trunk creates a lavish storage space for large luggage between the driver's seat and the rear seat. In everyday use, this Honda solution, which has so far been unique in automobile construction, allows more uses than is normally the case with station wagons. The swallowing rear is the biggest asset of the compact model.
Accordingly, the tourer was in demand in our editorial team for transport and vacation trips. Especially since the Civic with the 1.6 i-DTEC still offers a particularly efficient and lively diesel. Mostly it was about the 5 liters that the compression ignition engine consumed on 100 kilometers. Even on tight express tours, the diesel thirst rose only slightly over six liters. And brisk pace suits the actually small engine. With 300 Newtonmeter torque, it feels like a rich pull. The gear selector lever slips smoothly and reliably through the six forward lanes. In the long translated sixth gear we could sometimes drive the digital speed display to a proud 230 km / h, at which the almost 4,60 meter long Honda - at least in the unladen state - lay comfortably calm and safe on the highway.
However, we will not miss the digital display itself, it is part of an idiosyncratic cockpit concept that is dusty despite certain futuristic style elements and also annoyed with conceptual weaknesses. For example, if you want to set a new radio station via the central touchscreen, you will no longer see any navigation information at the same time. The touchscreen for the infotainment navigation system knows only one either-or mode. Systems from other manufacturers allow, for example, split-screen displays or a parallel display on an additional display. A comparatively clever networking of on-board and navigation system is foreign to the Civic. Not to mention the occasional system crashes of the signpost.
A little tip: When buying the still current Civic, you should better do without the Honda Connect Navi, which is up to 1.100 euros expensive, depending on the equipment. The standard audio system in the Comfort and Elegance versions is sufficient. Alternatively, you should invest the money in the 750 Euro expensive driver assistance package, which, among other things, makes everyday car work safer with collision warning, traffic sign recognition and blind spot warning. And there would still be plenty of money for an additional navigation system.
Despite the frustration with navigation, the Civic Tourer was particularly convincing in terms of quality. Materials and workmanship are of a high standard. Even after more than 20.000 mileage, the interior was as good as new after a thorough cleaning. The upholstery did not show any signs of wear and tear, and scratched hard plastic did not disturb the eye of the beholder. Well, of course you can expect that after this mileage, but not all competitions meet it. The Japan station wagon was just as impeccable in terms of reliability: failures or breakdowns did not occur, nothing rattled or fell off. Due to a slight starting weakness of the turbodiesel, the play with the accelerator and clutch pedals was sometimes tricky only on steep hill starts, which in turn caused harsh smells from the direction of the clutch.
Analogous to quality, the price at Honda is also at a high level. According to the list, the station wagon with diesel costs 22.260 euros. In view of the approaching model change, however, the time for bargains seems to have come. New copies with discounts of around 30 percent are offered on Internet exchanges. So if you want the Civic as a tourer with the practical Magic Seats and the convincing 1,6er diesel, you should be able to strike particularly cheaply in the coming months.
(Mario Hommen / SP-X)