irishcar.com - Honda Civic 3-door

Available in 5-door hatch, 4-door saloon and now in a striking 3-door form, Honda’s new Civic is quite a different animal from its immediate predecessor. Visually, the new three-door has moved towards monospace design - tall with short overhangs and a large glass area.

Well proportioned with a short bonnet, swept back windscreen and neatly sculptured tail section, it catches the eye. The side profile is rather tall with a lot of bare metal - and not a hint of side strip to break up the look. Not the sort of thing to set your pulse racing but, nevertheless, it’s distinctive and stylish.

Engine sizes are 1.4 and 1.6 litre VTEC plants, and trim levels are standard and SE.

Testing the 1.4litre SE 3-door was a treat. Slipping inside the first thing that becomes apparent is the vast amount of cabin space. For a car in this class, it’s huge.

The dashboard is clearly and logically laid out and all switches fall easily to hand. The dashboard-mounted gear change mimics MPV ideology - and works very well. Interestingly, the 3-door hatch has a full centre console which is not only practical but also actually looks better than the open floor arrangement of the 5-door. As with all Honda products quality is to the fore, and the fit and finish of everything is absolutely beyond reproach. In short, the new Civic's interior scores ten out of ten.

My test car was powered by Honda’s 1.4 litre SOHC engine. Engine technology has always been a Honda strong point and this one is no different. The unit is lively and free revving - endowing the 3-door with plenty of get up and go - and providing more torque than its previous incarnation. 0-60mph takes about 12 seconds. And with well-chosen gear ratios there's plenty of mid-range punch for safe overtaking. On the economy front a week of mixed returned a very healthy 36.9mpg.

Ride and handling is generally very good. The suspension set up is obviously geared towards comfort rather than spirited handling. Push it on in a corner and there's a reasonable degree of body roll. Grip is tenacious whether on wet or dry roads and the levels of refinement are typically very high.

Standard equipment on the 1.4 SE includes ABS with EBD, front and side airbags, air-conditioning, a quality CD player, electric windows, immobiliser, central locking and a tilt/slide glass sunroof.

The New Civic offers more than just the sum of its parts. It has an air of class and quality that puts most (though not all) of its rivals in the shade. Residual values should be very good and reliability is unquestionable. Hondas engines outshines the competition and if those are virtues you value then the Civic should most definitely be on your shopping list.

Personally, while accepting the practicality of four and five door siblings, I much prefer the shape, the tightness, and the sheer responsiveness of the 3-door.