Hi All!

After many years with several Mazdas. I have finally made a deal with getting into the Honda brand.

Got a new 2023 Honda Civic Sport. Will be waiting for it as it's in transit. I'm so excited.

Anyone purchase a new Honda recently?

 

Have a CTR on order, should be here...end of 2024 or beginning of 2025! Long wait...

 

Dang. What did you think of the test drive? Looks like a cool car.

 

Couldn't test drive the car. They don't have any, anywhere. My dealer will get only 2 during the 3 year production. Couldn't choose the color...

They don't even have a regular Civic to test drive, no SI either.

But could test drive the Integra A-Spec manual. Was really cool, but lacks some power as I'm used to a V6 manual Accord. So the CTR should have enough power!

 

Congratulations!

 

Last December we replaced our '09 Fit (purchased in October '08) with a '19 Fit EX that I happened to see in the dealer's lot right after driving both a new Civic Sport hatchback with a CVT to see what it (the CVT) was like, and also a new Civic R. Both were very nice but I like the smaller size of the Fit that I preferred it to either one of the other cars. Also, we want a "real" hatchback with the height going all the way to the rear for room to haul things (like, antique furniture, for one). The Civic Sport hatchback does not offer that desired roominess we need.

The CTR was a great driver, though, although having a small trunk lid was not going to work, either.

 

This is a timely post, cause i'm considering getting a Sport Hatch before used car (tradein) prices tank completely.

I was at the dealer today. No Civics. They say they are getting mostly CRVs, which I assume compete for space on the line and make Honda more margin. What was your buying experience - did you have to order for production? Were you able to test drive any Civic before order?

I want the non-turbo Sport. Why on earth would I want that, with the turbo mpg nearly same and the extra power? Simple: In 8 years my 8 year old is gonna be driving this car. I'd like it to be slow! It'll still be faster than a Fit! hehehe.

Will go for the Boost Blue. I know this is an immature and possibly un-resalable color, but it looks like an old Saab 9-3 and I love it.

 

I still have an 06 Accord 6/6 sedan. That thing really is a wolf in sheep's clothing. I debated a 16-21 Civic Sport 1.5 6 speed hatch, but the electronic parking brakes are a deal breaker for me. A shame since I do like how they drive, and you get the turbo feel (I used to have a 2009 Mazdaspeed 3) without having to pay extra for 91 or 93 octane. I used 93 in the Speed3 since 91 is kinda rare in Central Maryland where I live.

They have good service access, good MPG, lots of cargo space, plus I prefer 5 door hatchbacks to all other body styles. Only other thing I don't like is how diluted the oil in L15B7s get, but I change my oil early and often. I'm just very picky about certain things.

 

That is one of the reasons I did not buy a new Honda recently (I did find, and bought, a '19 Fit EX, though). Not sure what will be with future cars when it is time for a new car after this. Perhaps, a horse and buggy!

 

What is the problem with an electronic parking brake? I'm not familiar with them.

 

Call me old-fashioned or a luddite, that's okay with me, but I feel the world is working on replacing perfectly functional mechanical devices with electronic ones just because they can and people perceive them as cool/high-tech/whatever. Electric devices require electricity to make them function. A parking brake is a very simple mechanical device that has always worked just fine for me in 50 years of driving, why change it? Is it no longer cool to pull up on a mechanical lever? Is pushing an electric switch a better way to do the job, or is it the "cooler and high-tech" way to do thing in today's world? I'm an old man, relatively speaking, so what do I know.

I have not investigated too much, so I can't discuss the intricacies of how they operate, but I imagine, right or wrong, that electronic parking brakes suck power all the time when activated, adding to the drain on the battery along with all the other electronics in the car.

 

The electronic parking brake is the solution to a problem - the mechanical parking brake - which isn't a problem. The mechanical brake is in fact very simple and reliable unlike the electronic version. Civics have the electronic version and here's some of the problems owners run in to:

Civic electronic parking brake

 

I'm not sure if the civic has this function or not, but I know other manufactures have done away with PARK in automatic transmissions, and relied on the parking brake to hold the car in place when in "PARK". I'm not too familiar with how they work, but "assume" that when the car is turned off there is a function to leave the wheel cylinder closed w/o needing power. It was at least 10 years ago that I learned about this function, and it was on basic commuter cars.

 

Exactly my stance. I'm waiting on a lady to come in and have the switch for her HR-V replaced. Failed randomly.

I also have the same attitude towards electronic trunk/hatch/door releases. If it were up to me, it would legally be required that all doors have a primary mechanical release in the cab, including the trunk on sedans. You can have a secondary electronic release for key fobs, but the primary should be opened by a linkage.

This is another reason my GK5 is an LX. That and I hate push button start.

 

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying, here. What do you mean by wheel cylinder?

I don't mind the power button, but I still, after over a month of ownership, reach for the keys that aren't on the steering wheel column!

 

Similar to a brake caliper for disk brakes. A wheel cylinder is used for drum brakes, and sometimes the parking brake function on disc brakes is a drum/shoe style setup on the inside portion of the brake rotor. So the same way a mechanical brake moves actuates a lever to push the pistons out. And in the rust belt, brake cables aren't always considered reliable.

 

Similar to a brake caliper for disk brakes. A wheel cylinder is used for drum brakes, and sometimes the parking brake function on disc brakes is a drum/shoe style setup on the inside portion of the brake rotor. So the same way a mechanical brake moves actuates a lever to push the pistons out. And in the rust belt, brake cables aren't always considered reliable.

 

The electronic parking brakes aren't considered reliable in or out of the rust belt. So definitely not an upgrade. Plus parking brake cables are easy enough to replace.

 

That was my thought as well.

 

Ah, got it. So far, I only seen EPBs on cars with disc brakes all around, so I didn't consider drum brakes as something they would be used on.