When it comes to family hatchbacks, I have made no secrets that I am a Focus man through and through. Having driven all the different variants over the last 15 years or so, I can safely say that it’s a brilliant car. The rival manufacturers’ offerings just don’t stand up to it, which is why it is so popular and has won bucket-loads of awards. Ford has got it down to a tee: simple design, lots of space, good specification, superb handling and excellent value for money.

Obviously the big boys in this market are Ford, Vauxhall and probably the higher priced VW’s, but could Honda throw a spanner in the works with their new Civic?

The guys and girls from Honda have given me a Civic 1.8 i-VTEC ES 5dr to try for the week which strangely coincides with my trip to the Scottish Highlands. (Funny how things like that happen!) Perhaps the highly acclaimed 1.6 i-DTEC diesel version would have been better, but as I’m more of a petrol head than derv I’m quite happy with their choice for me.

According to Google maps the trip is approximately 350 miles each way: the perfect road test trip.

The road test starts at the filling station: strangely the pump clicked off at £56 which was a nice surprise when the trip computer read 420 miles to empty. The first half of the journey was on the motorway so a good chance to prod and poke everything inside the cabin of this Japanese Focus. The ES spec is quite proficient in its offerings, like dual zone climate control, cruise control, steering wheel controls for the ICE, 6-speed manual gearbox, brilliant magic folding rear seats, Bluetooth, start/stop technology, a rear-view reversing camera (I will get to this in more details later,) and aggressive day-time running lights. This is on top of all the impressive list of standard equipment like all round electric windows, electric heated wing mirrors, remote central locking, auto lights and trip computer. Being a press car this obviously had several options fitted as well, such as a DAB CD Radio (with Aux, USB and Bluetooth Input) Aero Body Kit and two-tone Argon 17” alloy wheels. Although the dashboard is a sea of plastic, I have to ask myself these days ‘which car isn’t?’ I have to report that I cannot find anything in the car I don’t like. Everything is where you would expect it and to hand, all have a good feel to them and most of all after a long drive it still feels comfortable. The big green ECON button tightens the car up to be more fuel efficient and gives you driving lights next to the digital speedo that gauges how economically you are driving, which actually makes you lift off slightly or change gear just to get the lights to go green. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be buying a Toyota Prius next to save the world, but if you are in traffic on the daily commute why not save fuel?

Getting towards the end of the drive, turned off the main road and followed the tourist route signs that lead to a 35 mile blast down the Scottish back roads. After thinking ‘shit, why didn’t I bring my Type R?’ I quickly turned off the ECON button, dropped the box into 3^rd and got past the dawdler in front, heading along the twisties at a rapid rate of speed using the whole road where possible and not even lifting off when the snow was intruding into the road edges. The handling of the new Civic is excellent, lots of feel and very directional, giving lots of confidence when trapping on. The 1.8 engine is revvy, but you really have to work the gearbox to get the car to entertain. Let’s be fair to it though, a 1.8 isn’t exactly built for hurling down curly wurly roads; that’s the job for the Type R that will be launched in 2015. (Can’t wait!) After an end to the journey like this I had a big smile on my face and obviously a little bit of brake fade!

If you speak to anyone who has driven the last few Civics, they all moan about the view from the rear window. There is a small spoiler that cuts the rear window in two and yes I agree that this does limit the view slightly, but I feel I need to explain this, as Honda doesn’t seem to want to in any of its brochures or literature. The latest model has an integrated brake light which is the perfect eye level height for the Audi driver glued to your rear bumper. Traveling at night the headlights from the same Audi driver are dulled so doesn’t give as much dazzle. And as I found on this trip the dirty spray up the back of the car gets stopped by the spoiler leaving your rear screen really clear. In their wisdom, Honda has tried to combat this visibility issue with technology: a rear parking camera. Every time you select reverse the display on the dash changes to the view from the boot lid. Brilliant idea but does have just one flaw. It’s a flaw that can’t really be helped, but on a 350 mile trip on the wet muddy Highland roads in December, the result is this view from the camera: 🙂

A quick wipe over the lens with my finger sorts the issue.

The only complaint I have, and I am being picky, is that the glare from the dashboard lights at night does reflect in the windscreen slightly and blurs your vision, but a quick twist of the dash light dimmer switch and all is well again.

So the big question is has Honda thrown off its OAP image with the latest Civic and is it good enough to take on the might of Ford? In my opinion, no and yes! The looks of the car, quality and specification make it a great car and a worthy winner of your hard-earned cash and I wouldn’t be thinking ‘I should have bought a Focus’ if I owned one. However couple all of these with the reliability of Honda and its loyal following, means that your Granddad will still visit the local Honda dealer for a new Civic to replace his old Civic without even thinking of any other marque. With this in mind, WELL DONE HONDA, but come on, let’s have the Type R now please.