Review: 2017 Honda CR-V Touring – It's Our Problem-Free Philosophy

I am not wowed. I do not stand here in awe. 

My mouth is not agape. My knees are not weak. My heart does not need to be stilled. 

THE GOOD + Exemplary ride quality + Huge inside space + Very fuel efficient + Plenty of pep + Quiet cabin

THE BAD – She ain't pretty – Slow infotainment startup – No available engine upgrade – CVT only – Annoying idle sounds

The Honda CR-V, even brand new as a 2017 model in its fifth-generation form, is not the kind of vehicle that can wow you; it doesn't have the potential to blow your mind.

It's not a CRX Si or a Civic Type R, let alone an S2000. If you want more power or three pedals or low-profile tires, look elsewhere. 

So my socks have not been knocked off. 

Yet rarely have we spent a week with a manufacturer-supplied test vehicle that induced such a high level of automotive contentment. In the same way in which a Mazda MX-5 Miata entirely fulfills its mission, the way most modern light-duty pickup trucks go above and beyond the call of duty, the way most minivans make life so easy, the 2017 Honda CR-V Touring is precisely what a Honda CR-V is supposed to be. 

At GCBC, we don't shy away from voicing our complaints. But in order to take issue with the all-new CR-V, one must search long and hard for problems. The search is largely fruitless.

WHAT IS IT?
Honda began building the first CR-V in 1997. Two decades later, with three more generations of CR-V here and gone, the fifth Honda CR-V bowed for the 2017 model year. It's not the most attractive CR-V ever, but it's already beginning to cement a reputation as the most popular. 

2017 HONDA CR-V TOURING Base Price: $28,515 * As-Tested Price: $39,915 * Colour: Molten Lava Assembly: Alliston, Ontario Drive Type: all-wheel drive Transmission: continuously variable Engine: 1.5L turbo DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder Horsepower: 190 @ 5600 rpm Torque: 179 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm Curb Weight: 3565 pounds Length: 180.6 inches Width: 73.0 inches Height: 66.5 inches Wheelbase: 104.7 inches Tires: Bridgestone Blizzak Tire Size: 235/60R18 Passenger Volume: 2877 litres Cargo Volume: 1110 litres Max Cargo Volume: 2146 litres EPA City: 27 mpg EPA Hwy: 33 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 8.7 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 7.2 L/100km Observed: 27.7 mpg Observed: 8.5 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1825 in fees.

In Canada, where the CR-V is assembled, all 2017 CR-Vs are equipped as standard with the Civic's optional engine, a 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque, the latter plateauing just above idle. 

Aside from the entry-level LX, all CR-Vs come standard with all-wheel drive. Together, HondaSensing and AWD add $2800 to the cost of a basic LX. 

Another $3500 leap to the $34,815 CR-V EX adds a sunroof, 18-inch wheels, a power driver's seat, and LaneWatch. 

$2300 higher up the ladder, the $37,115 EX-L adds leather, a heated steering wheel, a power tailgate, heated rear seats, power for the passenger seat, and memory for the driver's seat. 

To GCBC Towers last week, Honda Canada delivered a 2017 Honda CR-V Touring, priced just a hair under $40,000. At $39,915, the sunroof is panoramic, the touchscreen adds navigation, the audio is upgraded, and there's blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert.

HOW BIG IS IT?
Not much bigger than it's ever been before on the outside, the CR-V is nevertheless far more spacious inside today than it was twenty years ago. 

The wheelbase of the new CR-V has grown by little more than an inch in twenty years, overall length is up by three inches, width is up by a more significant four inches, and the newest CR-V is less than an inch taller than the oldest CR-V. 

Despite those modest increases, the 2017 Honda CR-V has 4% more passenger volume and 32% more space for cargo than the 1997 Honda CR-V. 

The one utility vehicle that has the capability of selling more often than the CR-V, Toyota's RAV4, isn't quite as long as the CR-V but offers marginally more passenger space and marginally less cargo volume. Both stand out as leaders of the pack in terms of space efficiency in their segment. 

The CR-V is nearly a foot longer than its Honda HR-V sibling but makes good use of its length: the CR-V has 6% more space for passengers (it feels like 15% more) and 69% space for stuff. More than a foot longer than the CR-V, the Honda Pilot has room for 1583 litres of cargo behind the second row of seats, or a third row of seats plus 524 litres of extra space.

DOES IT WORK?
Perhaps an easier question to answer: In which ways does it not? 

The 2017 Honda CR-V does not yet offer the infotainment unit from Honda's next-generation Odyssey minivan, a system already revealed that won't be featured in dealers until the Odyssey arrives later this spring. With this older system, start-up time is a slog, causing long waits to select climate control settings afte you turned the CR-V on, for instance. And while Apple CarPlay may improve upon the antiquated and sometimes convoluted Honda system in normal operation, you'll have to be corded to do so. We don't all want that. 

Honda also doesn't want you to have any choice when it comes to the CR-V's powertrain. You will have this (admittedly inconspicuous) continuously variable transmission and you must not ask for anything more than the (admittedly sufficient) 190 horsepower. You'd rather accelerate onto the highway with the Ford Escape's 2.0L EcoBoost and six-speed automatic or the Subaru Forester XT's 2.0L turbo and CVT, but you won't soon get an alternative from Honda, which sells all the CR-Vs it needs to without certifying another powertrain. 

And while the cabin is generally hushed, the ticky-ticky-tick-tick at idle gets old fast, and the general silence of the interior highlights whispering wind noise at the top of the A-pillar on the highway. You also may prefer to tidy up the front end design and choose wheels that at least one individual in the human race find attractive. 

But in every other regard, there are no problems to speak of. 

Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

For me, the CR-V test starts with the rear seat's lower anchors. While at first they seem too hidden behind the seatback, your child's seats will go in without a fuss, aided by plenty of leg and knee room so you can make room for yourself during installation. Honda keeps the rear floor fairly flat, though three-across seating is still going to be difficult if you're trying to squeeze an adult in between two child seats: it's not a minivan. 

Front seat comfort is bolstered by very adjustable seats, at least in Touring trim, that provide four-way lumbar support. Visibility is excellent in all directions. Ingress/egress is predictably ideal for humans of nearly every height. Controls are nicely weighted – there's even a volume knob – and gauges are easily decipherable. 

Loaded up for winter adventures with a Stiga GT Snowracer and a big-wheeled Baby Jogger Summit X3, there's cargo room to spare. And my, did we ever need to be prepared for winter, with nearly one metre of snow falling in less than a week during the CR-V's visit. 

Thanks to the installation of Bridgestone Blizzaks, we weren't slowed by winter, lopping an additional 400 kilometres onto the CR-V's odometer. Despite the cold, snowy, urban environment and the winter tires, we still managed to consume only 8.5L/100km in the CR-V, outperforming its city rating. We weren't trying to be eco-minded. The CR-V is just powerful enough to make acceleration-for-the-fun-of-it worthwhile. While I'd still prefer the positive shifting of, say, the Honda Ridgeline's six-speed, this CVT isn't offensive, and to claim otherwise just to bolster your anti-CVT cred would be silly.

Despite losing a measure of its sharpness to the Blizzaks, the CR-V handles well thanks to a sub-3600-pound curb weight and nicely weighted steering. It's not a corner carver in the vein of Mazda's CX-5, to be sure, but ride quality is superior to the CX-5 and all of the Honda's other rivals, as well. You'll hear a minor thwack on rough roads, but it's doubtful you'll feel it.

It's doubtful you'll feel much at all. The CR-V assures occupants of a decidedly isolated experience. If you want the most athletic small crossover, this ain't it. But the CR-V marries exceptional rough road behaviour with above-average mid-corner composure in admirable fashion. 

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Everybody's buying it. 

The CR-V is a traditional top seller south of the border – America's best-selling utility vehicle in five consecutive years – and an intermittent monthly leader in Canada. But this new generation aims to take things up a notch. 

---

Historical Monthly & Yearly Honda CR-V Sales Figures
2017 Honda Ridgeline Sport Review
2017 Ford Escape Titanium EcoBoost Review
2016 Kia Sorento SX Turbo Review

---

January 2017, the first full month for the new model, marked the highest January sales output in the nameplate's history both north and south of the border, and by a wide margin.

The CR-V was Canada's sixth-best-selling vehicle overall in January – only the Honda Civic and four pickups were more popular. In the U.S. last month, the CR-V ranked fourth overall, trailing three pickup trucks but outselling all other utilities and all passenger cars.

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
Let's assume you want to spend less than $40,000 on a SUV/crossover and don't want to pay a premium for a luxury badge, losing equipment and space in the process. What are your options? There are too many to list.

The CR-V is decidedly more refined than most rivals, a top-tier player in terms of efficiency both with fuel and space, and comes equipped with abundant safety gear at a low price point. It's a difficult full meal deal with which to compete. 

The Ford Escape offers more power and more engaging ride/handling, but doesn't feel as well built and isn't nearly as spacious. Toyota offers a legendary reliability reputation, but the RAV4 otherwise feels behind the times. Mazda's CX-5 nicely blends interactive handling with good looks and fuel efficiency, but again, the CR-V is simply the quieter and more comfortable vehicle. 

Wait a day or two, however, and there'll always be another new compact crossover around the corner: a new Volkswagen Tiguan, a new diesel-powered Chevrolet Equinox, a revamped diesel-powered CX-5. 

---

---

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
The 2017 CR-V Touring with which we spent a week is the very same CR-V that sits at the bottom of the lineup, priced at $31,315 with AWD. Sure, there are $8600 worth of missing features, but it's the same quiet, composed, efficient, spacious, and sufficiently powerful vehicle in LX AWD guise as it is here in Touring trim. 

And it's not under-equipped in 2017. The CR-V LX finally has proper alloy wheels, so it doesn't look like poverty spec. 

Heated front seats, Apple CarPlay, Lane Keeping Assist, adaptive cruise control, auto high beams, proximity access and pushbutton start, and the tilt and telescoping steering wheel all conspire to make the least costly all-wheel-drive CR-V feel far more luxurious than the most impressive CR-V of twenty years ago.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
I didn't take the long way home from the grocery store. I didn't turn back for a second glance. My life was not transformed by moving the shifter from D to S. 

The CR-V is not the kind of vehicle that ought to be remembered. But now with the week over and a replacement installed in our driveway, how can I quickly forget a vehicle so free from faults?

Honda's fifth-gen 2017 CR-V isn't perfect. But its flaws are minor and would be easily remedied. Making family transportation easy shouldn't be that difficult, but in this segment, no automaker does it better than Honda.  

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The CR-V was supplied by Honda Canada's press office.

Read More

Review: 2017 Honda Ridgeline Sport - Decent Pickup, Exceptional Vehicle

We don't want automakers to introduce copycat sports cars. There's room for diversity in the sports car arena; room for a Subaru BRZ, Mazda MX-5, Nissan 370Z, Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Porsche 911 to coexist. 

We don't expect SUVs and crossovers to fit into two narrow size categories and approach the market with identical attitudes. We want different vehicles; Mazda CX-9s and Chevrolet Suburbans and Jeep Wranglers and Porsche Macans and Subaru Foresters. 

THE GOOD + Top notch ride quality + Exceptional handling + Smooth V6/6-speed auto + Hugely flexible + It's different

THE BAD – It's pricey – Little fuel econ. advantage – Ineffective infotainment – Small rear door opening – Looks soft

Yet for some reason, there's an expectation that pickup trucks need to fit inside a very specific mold. Take the stencil off the shelf. Adhere to the rules and regulations set forth in Houghton's Book Of Pickup Politeness, circa 1883. Do not deviate from the preordained path.

As a result, there are essentially three pickup truck size classes north of the Rio Grande: midsize, full-size, and the slightly larger heavy duty. Competitors are directly comparable in size and largely the same in terms of horsepower and capability. Thinking outside the box involves – wait for this novel concept – the addition of a diesel engine. 

A diesel? In a pickup truck? Gasp. Palm over mouth. 

That's not to say pickup trucks haven't rapidly advanced. In fact, pickup trucks are arguably improving at a faster rate than the traditional car sector, making great leaps forward in terms of power, efficiency, and refinement.

But the pickups trucks of today are still, to state the obvious, pickup trucks. 

Except for this one. The 2017 Honda Ridgeline can tow (somewhat) and haul (quite a bit) and ferry five individuals (quite comfortably) and bound through the mud (there's even a mud mode). There's a cabin with four doors and a sufficiently lengthy bed. So it's a pickup truck. 

But the new, second-generation Honda Ridgeline is entirely unlike the ten other pickup truck nameplates on the market.

WHAT IS IT?
Unlike every other pickup truck on the market in Canada and the United States in 2005, the first Honda Ridgeline did not arrive with a body placed on a separate frame – known as body-on-frame construction – but rather as a unibody; essentially a rugged, pickup version of the Honda Pilot and Odyssey. 

The first Ridgeline wasn't a sales flop, at least not at first. Both in Canada and the U.S., Ridgeline sales peaked during the truck's first year on the market and then began to plunge. North of the border, sales plunged by two-thirds between 2006 and 2011. After selling more than 50,000 Ridgelines in the U.S. in 2006, Honda sold only 45,000 during a three-year span between 2012 and 2014. 

Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

2017 HONDA RIDGELINE SPORT Base Price: $38,415 * As-Tested Price: $41,415 * Colour: White Diamond Assembly:Lincoln, Alabama Drive Type: all-wheel drive Transmission: 6-speed automatic Engine: 3.5L SOHC 24-valve V6 Horsepower: 280 @ 6000 rpm Torque: 262 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm Curb Weight: 4484 pounds Length: 210.0 inches Width: 78.6 inches Height: 70.8 inches Wheelbase: 125.2 inches Tires: Michelin Latitude X-Ice Tire Size: 245/60R18 Passenger Volume: 3084 litres Bed Volume: 960 litres Bed Trunk Volume: 207 litres EPA City: 18 mpg EPA Hwy: 25 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 12.8 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 9.5 L/100km Observed: 19.8 mpg Observed: 11.9L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1825 in fees.

Fast forward to the launch of the 2017 Honda Ridgeline and all other pickups on the market are still body-on-frame trucks. The all-new second-generation Honda Ridgeline? Once again, it's a unibody pickup, limiting its towing capacity and payload – to a degree – but completely benefiting its packaging as well as its ride and handling characteristics.

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline is available in Canada in five trim levels, all with the same 3.5L V6, six-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive. The basic $38,415 Ridgeline LX comes standard with heated front seats and remote start, proximity access, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto plus Honda's suite of extra safety gear: collision mitigation braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, and lane keeping assist.

More costly Ridgelines are mechanically identical. The Sport, tested here, adds tri-zone auto climate control, a power driver's seat, darker 18-inch alloys, body-coloured mirrors, a sunroof, fog lights, and a power sliding rear window. Key to the $44,415 EX-L's upgrades are front and rear parking sensors, heated rear seats, leather seating, a power passenger seat. The $48,915 Ridgeline Touring has truck bed audio, navigation, cooled front seats, upgraded audio, and memory for the driver's seat as well as auto high beams, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic monitoring.  The $50,415 Ridgeline Black Edition is essentially a blacked-out Touring.

HOW BIG IS IT?
Compared with the full-size truck you likely know best, the Ford F-150 SuperCrew 4x4 with the shorter of two available bed lengths, the Honda Ridgeline is 22 inches shorter from bumper to bumper, slightly more than an inch narrower, and roughly five inches lower at the roof. The F-150 Supercrew offers 20% more passenger volume (including an available three-person bench across the front) and a bed that's two inches longer, half an inch wider, and a bed that's nearly five inches deeper.

More comparable in size is the Toyota Tacoma DoubleCab. With the shorter of two available beds, the Tacoma is two inches longer but four inches narrower and equally tall. That bed is nearly four inches shorter and a difference-making 8.5 inches narrower. 

Closely related to the Ridgeline is the Honda Pilot: 15.5 inches shorter than the Ridgeline, an inch lower, and identically wide. 

DOES IT WORK?
In the ways in which the 2017 Ridgeline works, it works very well, indeed.

But it's not perfect.

On the positive side of the ledger, the new Ridgeline rides, handles, steers, accelerates, and brakes exceptionally well. Free from the constraints placed on a vehicle that requires extreme pickup truck capabilities – the Ridgeline is lower and has worse approach, departure, and breakover angles than a Toyota Tacoma, for instance, and can tow only 5000 pounds – Honda's truck is free to inherit the benefits of car-like construction and a road-centric suspension setup. Not only does the Ridgeline tackle rough roads better than any other pickup, it rides better than most vehicles, full stop. Thank the long wheelbase. 

Steering is quick, without the large dead spot at the straightahead owned by most trucks. Tossed into corners on our favourite twisty roads, the Ridgeline feels far more like a compact, 3500-pound crossover than a 4500-pound pickup. 

The 280-horsepower V6 is eager to rev and turns the Ridgeline into a quicker truck than its midsize rivals. We also saw decent fuel economy of 11.9 L/100km. That's not enough to save you much money compared with an F-150 2.7L EcoBoost, but given the winter tires, four occupants, city driving, and sub-zero temperatures in which our test was conducted, the results were impressive. 

The Ridgeline Sport's roomy rear seat, vast in-bed trunk, broad bed, and slate of standard safety gear certainly alter the value equation. This unique blend of flexibility makes comparisons with conventional trucks difficult. Other midsize trucks don't offer such a wide bed. No other truck offers a trunk. Other midsize trucks don't offer such rear seat comfort; the full-size trucks that do so are far more challenging to park downtown.

Some of the Ridgeline's perks nevertheless come at a cost.

---

---

That large rear seat is awkward to access through a slim rear door aperture, for instance, and it becomes downright annoying when loading an infant seat or unloading a lanky toddler. 

Installing their seats won't be easy, either, since Honda requires you to loop the tether around a thick bar at the top of the seat and then slide the tether back down beside and underneath the outboard seats (or between the anchors in the middle row.) The anchors aren't easy to access, either.

In the front row, drivers conduct operations through an infotainment unit that Honda's already rejected. The new CR-V uses a proper volume knob; the new Odyssey's touchscreen system is entirely different. The Ridgeline's system, on the other hand, is one smooth, slow, sad surface. 

Out back, the Ridgeline's in-bed trunk is brilliant, deep, and drainable. But beware, smaller adults won't be able to reach what's inside unless the dual-action tailgate (which isn't damped) opens to the side. You can't do that just anywhere. 

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Yes, and no. 

Compared to other pickup trucks, the Honda Ridgeline is decidedly uncommon. December was the best month yet for the second-generation Ridgeline in the United States. Yet at 4085 sales, only 10% of midsize pickup buyers and 1.5% of all pickup buyers opted for a Honda. 

Back in Canada, Ridgeline sales reached a six-year high despite only being available since mid-summer. But August, the new truck's first full month of availability, was its best yet, and Q4 monthly volume was down 29% from that summer peak. Ridgeline capacity is constrained somewhat, so Honda is moving all Acura MDX production from the Alabama plant it shares with the Ridgeline, Pilot, and Odyssey to Ohio. This is likely to provoke greater Pilot sales, however, rather than a huge Ridgeline uptick.

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
If you really, truly, deeply want to buy a Honda Ridgeline for everything the Honda Ridgeline stands for, it's possible that nothing else will fit the bill.

But there's no shortage of exceptional, desirable machinery in the modern pickup truck world. We feel strongly about the Ford F-150 SuperCrew and its affable 2.7L EcoBoost V6. The Toyota Tacoma holds its value like nothing else and remains true to truckiness. There are also diesel-powered versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon available for the fuel-conscious midsize truck buyer.

---

Monthly & Yearly Honda Ridgeline Sales Figures
2016 Ford F-150 2.7L EcoBoost Driven Review
2016 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Driven Review
2017 Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve Driven Review
2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Driven Review

---

Keep in mind, there are reasons beyond size and capability and capacity that cause many thousands of Canadians to purchase or lease a full-size truck each month. Even with limited advertised January discounts, the 2017 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4 is currently discounted to $42,299, a very Ridgelineesque price. And it's often much less costly.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
The $41,415 Honda Ridgeline Sport is a very handsomely equipped vehicle. 

If you want leather, or even a leather-wrapped steering wheel, you'll need to step up to the $44,415 Ridgeline EX-L. 

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
The Mazda MX-5 Miata is singularly focused on delivering driving fun in the sun. A garbage truck is singularly focused on collecting garbage. 

Besides providing its driver endless joy on a twisty road in July, a Mazda MX-5 can't really do much else. Sure, you can take a small load of groceries, and if your passenger is small enough, he or she can squeeze in, too. 

A garbage truck, meanwhile, is not suited to providing any fun in the sun, particularly on a twisty road in July. Sure, you could load items other than garbage, but you best be careful not to squeeze such items with the compactor. 

You see where we're going with this. The second-generation Honda Ridgeline is one 17.5-foot-long compromise. It's not designed to be enormously useful in any one specific area. 

The bed is shallow; the bed's trunk is small. But there is a bed, and there is a bed trunk.

Towing capacity is limited compared with other trucks. But the Ridgeline can tow 5000 pounds, which is more than most crossovers.

The rear doors don't open nearly wide enough for this to be a true family car. But the cabin is expansive and comfortable.

There's no available V8 engine; no turbocharged V6, either. But the 280-horsepower Ridgeline shuffles power through the six-speed automatic swiftly, so the Ridgeline is nevertheless quick regardless of rpm and returns tolerable fuel consumption.

The Ridgeline doesn't offer an optional extra-long bed – 64 inches is the max. But the Ridgeline is only 210 inches long, overall, and can be parked much more easily than an F-150 with a similarly sized bed. 

The Ridgeline is never going to be all that capable off-road, but the benefit of its trucky limitations are obvious on a twisty road, where the Ridgeline is the best-handling and best-riding pickup truck available.

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline is far from singularly focused. In fact, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline is one gigantic compromise. And compromise doesn't have to be a dirty word.

For the truck buyer who absolutely requires truck-like capability, for the family car buyer who needs the ingress of a minivan, for the RV tower or the backwoods lumberjack or the trailrunner, the Ridgeline was not specifically designed for your needs. 

But for everybody else?

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Ridgeline was supplied by Honda Canada's press office.

Read More

2017 Honda Civic Hatchback LX Review - Nice Personality And A Good Heart

For the first time in nearly four decades, Honda Canada is selling a five-door Honda Civic hatchback. Not since the last millennium has Honda Canada offered a Civic with a tailgate. That car, often seen lowered, with a coffee can exhaust pipe, and Mugen stickers, is not this car.

THE GOOD + Huge cargo area + Powerful 1.5T + CVT is mostly inoffensive + Decent value quotient + Substantial structure

THE BAD – Ghastly exterior – Odd interior controls – Rather firm ride on 16s – Poor visibility – Noisy Hankooks

For the 2017 model year, Honda has added a third bodystyle to the tenth-generation Civic lineup. After the sedan and coupe, both Canadian-built, this hatchback makes its way over from Honda's Swindon, England, assembly plant with the 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder upgrade as standard equipment and more backside birthmarks than a mother could tolerate. 

Forget the sedan. That's the Civic everyone else buys. In Canada, with the Civic lineup accounting for 10% of all passenger car sales, do you really need to drive the Civic that everyone else already drives?

The Civic coupe, meanwhile, is undeniably the most stylish member of the trio. But while the rear seat is decent, it's not sufficiently practical for your lifestyle.

You want that turbocharged powerplant. You don't mind driving the antithesis of vehicular beauty. You need flexibility. Finally, the most popular car in Canada is available in the bodystyle you require. 

This is the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback, with 75% more cargo capacity than the 2017 Honda Civic sedan. 

WHAT IS IT?
Canadian pricing for the new Civic Hatchback starts at $23,085. That's $5000 beyond the base price of the Civic sedan, but don't be fooled. Those two price points aren't comparable. There's no DX trim in the hatch, for one thing, and the hatch comes standard with the 1.5L turbocharged engine that's not even available on the sedan until you reach the EX-T at $26,885. Plus, Honda Canada has not yet made the sedan available with the 1.5T and a manual shifter. Like for like, a Civic LX sedan with the continuously variable automatic transmission is $22,285, making the turbo hatchback a $2100 proposition. 

2017 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK LX Base Price: $23,085 * As-Tested Price: $24,385 * Colour: White Orchid Assembly: Swindon, England Drive Type: front-wheel drive Transmission: continuously variable automatic Engine: 1.5L DOHC 16-valve I-4 turbo Horsepower: 174@ 5500 rpm Torque: 162 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm Curb Weight: 2906 pounds Length: 177.9 inches Width: 70.8 inches Height: 56.5 inches Wheelbase: 106.3 inches Tires: Hankook Kinergy GT Tire Size: 215/55R16 Passenger Volume: 2752 litres Cargo Volume: 728 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 1308 litres EPA City: 31 mpg EPA Hwy: 40 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 7.7 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 6.0 L/100km Observed: 35.6 mpg Observed: 6.6 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1695 in fees.

The CVT is a $1300 option you don't need to avoid – it's fine – but might as well. The suite of safety gear known as Honda Sensing adds $1000 to the price of a CVT-equipped LX. The Civic Hatchback Sport, with six additional horsepower and centre-mounted exhaust and plenty of blacked out trim starts at $26,885 with the manual shifter and rises to $29,185 with a CVT and Honda Sensing. 

The Civic Hatchback range currently tops out with the Sport Touring: $31,085 with the 6-speed manual; $32,385 with the CVT. Expect a hi-po Civic Type R to be made available exclusively in the hatchback bodystyle later next year.

Our tester, supplied by Honda Canada, is the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback LX with the continuously variable transmission in White Orchid.

HOW BIG IS IT?
You know how big the Civic sedan is. You can't pull out of your driveway without seeing six of them (or driving one of them). Riding on an identical wheelbase, the hatchback loses 4.4 inches of overall length, stands nearly an inch taller, and is identically wide. The shape change, however, results in 728 litres of cargo capacity, 75% more than the sedan's 416-litre trunk. And it's useable space, despite the ridiculous angle of the rear windscreen indicating otherwise. 

Seats folded, the Civic Hatchback's cargo area expands to 1308 litres.

Curious about what an SUV could do for you? With similar exterior length, the outgoing 2016 Honda CR-V offers 45% more cargo capacity than the Civic Hatchback with the seats up; 53% more with the seats folded. Downsizing to a Honda Fit, a subcompact that's 17 inches shorter, bumper to bumper, than the Civic Hatchback, would result in the loss of 258 litres of cargo capacity, although official specs say the minivan-shaped Fit has more space with the seats folded.

DOES IT WORK?
Relative to other compact cars, the Honda Civic – as a hatchback or not – has three main traits that work well, three that don't. 

Given its tiny size, the 1.5T is a beastly powerplant. The official specs don't adequately convey the degree to which all of the four-cylinder's torque is almost always available. Linked here to a CVT that reduces fun but doesn't go out of its way to annoy you, it's certain that this would be a ball of fun with the optional, cheaper, manual transmission. Remember that this is the basic Civic Hatchback. The last Civic SiR that came over from Britain more than a decade ago produced 14 fewer horses.

Though the Civic lacks the tactile feedback of the Mazda 3 we reviewed a week ago, this proves to be a thoroughly competent car when called upon to overperform. Brake performance is impressive, turn-in is surprisingly immediate, cornering is flat, and the Civic always feels like it's ready to give a little more, to go a little quicker. In our example, a base LX with 16-inch wheels, the Civic Hatchback is hardly a hot hatch. But the foundation is obvious.

---

---

The Civic's responsiveness stems from the car's impressive structural rigidity. Absent is the sensation you receive from nearly all of the Honda's competitors that the doors are too light and tinny. The Civic is not a heavy car, but it feels weighty and significant, not like an $18,000 compact car. It's easier to make a stiff car handle well. It's also easier to make a stiff car sell for a higher price four years down the road. 

Unfortunately, apart from space and comfort, the Civic is something of a mess inside. Visibility is poor in the hatch, but visibility sucks in most cars these days. No, the bigger problem isn't behind you – it's right in front. The touchscreen includes audio controls and offers no haptic feedback. Even the audio controller on the steering wheel is a nonsensical slider that could just as easily have you blasting SiriusXM's Kids Place Live as turning down the volume to a hush. It's an all-around ineffective system, not just from an audio perspective.

Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

Speaking of volume, the Civic has not yet completely joined the ranks of the quiet small cars. Wind noise is kept to a minimum, but the Hankook tires hum too loudly and the engine certainly wants to make its presence known. 

Those Hankooks are, as already mentioned, only 16-inchers on this LX car. Yet the Civic rides quite firmly, unnecessarily so. If the intention is to convey a sense of sportiness, Honda ought to reserve that sense for the Sport model. The wheelbase of the Mazda 3 is an identical 106.3 inches, yet the Mazda rides better and handles more adroitly, as well. 

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Most definitely. The Civic Hatchback hasn't been available for long and availability remains somewhat limited, but Automotive News reports that imported-from-Britain Civics made up 610 of the 4605 Civics sold in Canada in November, for example. (Civic sedan/coupe sales fell 21 percent, year-over-year.) 

610 sales in November would make the Civic Hatchback more popular than the Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, Audi A4, Mini Cooper, and Honda's own Ridgeline pickup truck.

American Honda and Honda Canada don't offer a complete breakdown of Civic sales by bodystyle. The entire Civic lineup is Canada's best-selling car in 2016, which will be its 19th consecutive year at the top of the leaderboard. The Civic is currently America's third-best-selling car.

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
We've suddenly arrived at a point in the industry where compact hatchbacks are the norm. The scion iM has become the Toyota Corolla iM, a hatchback Corolla. There's a new hatchback version of the second-generation Chevrolet Cruze. The Ford Focus, Kia Forte, Mitsubishi Lancer, Mazda 3, and Subaru Impreza continue to be available as sedans and hatchbacks. The Volkswagen Golf is a preeminent example of the breed. Hyundai will bring another hatchback into the new Elantra's fold. With the Civic adding a hatch, the Nissan Sentra stands out from the pack.

Keen drivers should pay particular attention to the Golf, Mazda 3, and Focus. The Subaru Impreza's standard all-wheel drive is a big selling point for many buyers. The Forte's value quotient is high. Questionable styling aside, the Civic does an impressive job of standing in the midst as an affordable, spacious, fun to drive compact hatchback, but with the kind of name recognition that garners Honda a fair number of automatic sales.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
With a car this unnaturally unattractive, the Sport model does a great job of covering up some of the Civic Hatchback's faults. With a dose of extra power and a manual transmission, it'd be a blast to drive, as well. 

At $26,885 and advertised five-year rates at 2.99%, expect a monthly payment of around $555, depending on your tax jurisdiction.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
I can't hide the fact that I believe the Civic Hatchback would be a better package, and a better-looking package, if Honda elongated the roof just as Volkswagen always has with the Golf. 

I also can't deny that there are a bunch of reasons that explain why the Honda Civic is still Canada's best-selling car. The structure is stiff, creating the atmosphere of premium solidity missing in many competitors. Pricing is sane; equipment levels are acceptable. Even with a continuously variable automatic, the transmission is inoffensive. While the Civic lacks the Mazda 3's level of engagement and too many of the Civic's controls are awkward to operate, the overall sense is of a car that ought to cost a bit more than its MSRP.

In five-door form, all of the qualities that make the regular Civic sedan an obvious purchase for 5,600 Canadians every month are present. But there's a level of functionality in the hatch that's not available in other Civics.

As a result, the Honda Civic Hatchback is the best version of Canada's best-selling car. 

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Civic was supplied by Honda Canada's press office.

Read More