His first were something to the extent of "This is just an awful car." Keep in mind this is only truly relevant to its at-the-limit handling. Our figure-eight guru and testing director Kim Reynolds is a man of few words, but he had several after testing the Dart. It rides well it tracks well it can even be called enjoyable. We feel those people still deserve handling and a well-developed chassis, so here goes. Not everyone can fork out the extra money for the sports models, so they buy less expensive versions. If people didn't want fun and performance in this segment, then cars with Si, GLI, and ST badges on them wouldn't exist. For those of you - like us - who think all cars should be enjoyable and capable, we test everything up to its limits.
#2013 HONDA CIVIC CITY CAR DRIVING 1.4.1 DRIVER#
If you are the type of driver who thinks extreme handling means trying to negotiate the tight turns in your local burger hut's drive through, go ahead and skip down a couple of paragraphs. Sometimes, cars above the 9-second range fall into that time category because they don't launch well, or won't even allow an aggressive launch. When we took the car above 5000 feet during testing, struggling turned to defeat. Even at sea level, where naturally aspirated engines do their best work, the entry-level Dart feels like it's struggling. On the road, the 2.0-liter certainly feels as slow as the numbers might suggest. It isn't breaking any records, but again, it's average for its class. The 1.4-turbo, on the other hand, ran 16.2 seconds at 84.8 mph. The 2.0-liter equipped Dart ran 17.3 seconds at 81.4 mph, and combined with its 0-60 mph time that would have earned it a spot in our list of slowest car tested during 2011. The run through the quarter-mile led to similar results. That is the same time we recorded for a 2011 Jetta and just 0.1 second longer than a 2012 Focus SFE. The 1.4 liter gets there in a more-class appropriate 8.2 seconds. The 2.0-liter takes 9.9 seconds to get to the benchmark speed. Harder acceleration typically gets the revs soaring, but it’s all toned down from the experience with the previous CVT ‘box and relatively smooth by comparison.How much difference does that extra 36 lb-ft make at the test track? A 1.7-second difference from 0-to-60 mph. Honda has also gifted the Jazz a new transmission - out goes the old, noisy CVT gearbox, and in comes the new e-CVT, with Honda claiming the system helps with creating an easier delivery of power and torque.ĭespite a little electric motor whine from time to time, overall refinement is good, and you won’t be troubled by any engine or electric motor noise. In Hybrid Drive, the petrol engine and electric motor work together to achieve optimum power and fuel economy, while the car will opt for Engine Drive mode at cruising speeds, relying exclusively on the petrol engine. To make the most of the complex hybrid set-up, the Jazz includes three driving modes: EV mode runs the car solely on electric power, and would normally be used when moving off from a standstill or when travelling at low speed.
Although, true to form, the manufacturer hasn’t opted for the most straightforward of powertrain set-ups.Ĭalled e:HEV, the system includes a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine and two electric motors producing a total output of 108bhp and 253Nm of torque. Honda has bypassed the recent trend for small capacity turbocharged engines and gone straight to hybrid power for the Jazz.