Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Civic is that despite shunning all of the fuel-saving advancements employed by its competition, the vehicle still manages to come out as a solid player on this field. While we'd all love to see Honda knock out some truly incredibly fuel economy figures with its vehicles, the truth is that the company hasn't seen the need to add either cost or complexity to its systems given the results the vehicle is delivering right now.

Honda is well aware of the rising tide of capable compacts, and while strong entries like the Elantra, Cruze and Focus may take a bite out of Civic sales in the long run, brand loyalists will still beat down dealer doors to get their hands on this newest piece of hardware. Besides, if you were hoping for a full-on Civic revolution, history would point to you not having to wait too long. We give it another three to five years before a completely-new generation surfaces.

In the meantime, the 2012 Civic offers plenty of space, competitive fuel economy and a drive that's entertaining enough to keep you from going flat-line on your way to the office. It's a recipe that's kept Honda on the right side of history for years and it doesn't look to be failing any time soon.

So the new Si appears to be strategically positioned against the top dogs in this class. The quality of the interior materials has improved, the front buckets provide a little more lateral support—with no sacrifice in comfort—and the red accents and stitchery provide a sporty note without looking juvenile. Based on our very limited exposure, the new Si looks like it should at least be satisfying to just about anyone. On the other hand, if you—like us—had hoped for the sort of mojo that distinguished the last generation, you may be just a bit underwhelmed.

In 2010, Honda sold 260,218 eighth-generation Civics, or more units than BMW sold, well, all told (220,113). In fact, Civic sales were nearly as much as that of the complete BMW group (266,069), which includes Mini and Rolls-Royce. Suffice it to say, many an automaker would love to enjoy entire portfolio sales comparable to that of Honda's Civic.

2012 Honda Civic EX L Sedan Front Three Quarters
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So you can imagine the challenges Honda faced when it came time to replace the extraordinarily successful Gen 8, which just happed to win Motor Trend's 2006 Car of the Year award. The ninth generation would have to take the nameplate to the next level, offering improvements in dynamic performance, fuel economy, interior volume, design, and safety. You name it -- it had to be better. Yet, if Gen 9 were too much of a radical design departure, it risked turning off the quarter-million-plus prospective annual buyers, sending them packing to one of many hot, new compacts from Ford, Chevy, Hyundai, et al.

It doesn’t wow you with a bold new design, or with best-in-class mpg claims. And that’s disappointing at first. But the new 2012 Honda Civic is, in every way, an improvement over its predecessor – arguably the best buy in the compact car segment for several decades running.

Leftlane’s bottom line
With its 2012 lineup, Honda has carefully and conservatively reinvented its Civic offerings. Certainly class competitive, each model offers enough compelling reasons to merit recommendation.

But class competitive won’t cut it much longer. Rivals from Ford, Chevrolet, Mazda and Hyundai offer more personality, more value, more sport and more refinement, all virtues that once set the Civic apart. We hope that Honda views the 2012 Civic as a stepping stone to something a little more different and a little more bold in the near future.

As always, the Civic's strength is its handling. It's still probably the most enjoyable of all compact entries to drive, though other entries are starting to catch up.

As with the rest of the new Civics, the Si's two-tiered dash now sports 5-inch LCD screen that offers several displays, from album art for the song playing on the iPod to a Power Meter, which ticks off just how much of the engine's power is at hand. But for those who don't want such details, there's also now a VTEC meter: 6 lights that act as a mini-tachometer, and another to show when the engine's higher-rev timing has engaged. Yes, Honda saw the faux-Successories posters of "VTEC just kicked in, yo!" and built an Internet meme into its dashboard.

The Civic's electric power steering and a 16.1:1 ratio feel right, while its composure through corners is confidently flat. A 1.1-inch shorter wheelbase and 18-pound lighter frame make the chassis eager to rotate, while the drivetrain's helical limited-slip helps keep the Z-rated Michelin summer rubber stuck to the pavement (all-season tires are standard).

Purists lamented Honda's switch from front wishbones to MacPherson struts in the 2002 Civic Si, and fretted again when they carried over to the next generation in 2006. Struts return for 2012, but are now so dialed in as to be indistinguishable from the beloved wishbones to all but the most sensitive autocrosser or track-day regular.

While I am guessing the Civic Hybrid averages somewhere closer to 44 miles per gallon, during a “hypermiling” contest at the press launch one journalist averaged a healthy 59 miles per gallon. I, however, was too busy being distracted by driving the Si around the autocross to remember to participate in the driving slow challenge. I would actually prefer to drive the Hybrid in real world conditions where the fuel efficiency is more representative of what average folks will see.

Honda made efforts to counter noise and vibrations in the new Civic as well as in the Si. My telling you that the Si is now a smoother operator overall seems wrong, but this was Honda's goal and they've reached it. This will undoubtedly make the Si more attractive to an older crowd, looking for a high visual impact Civic with more oomph without the previously associated NVH.

And that pretty much sums up the new Civic Si. It has retained its highly entertaining driveability, but has done away with parts of the Si's real character. Yes, the new Si is posher. It now comes with standard navigation, XM satellite radio and auto on/off headlights.

If what other manufacturers have done to their cars (I'm thinking WRX amongst others) is any indication of what is to come, the new Si's share of Civic sales will most likely increase. My only wish, should this be the case and with the extra money, is that Honda bring us a hardcore SiR or Si Type R by the 2014 MY.

The Good: Better fuel economy and handling, nice interior, top safety rating

The Bad: Pricier than rivals; supplies may be crimped by Japan earthquake

The Bottom Line: No longer stands out as the class of the economy compacts

The Civic compact is so important to Honda that it’s peculiar the car didn’t get some expected features and functions in its redesign for the 2012 model year.

Examples: No backup camera. No 6-speed automatic transmission or manual-shift mode. No heated rear seats. All are available on the recently redesigned Hyundai Elantra, a standard-setter among mainstream compacts.

Even though Civic’s probably better, more satisfying overall than Elantra, Civic will look inferior on paper or in pixels to people who comparison-shop using brochures and online sites.

Multiple benefits exist to using natural gas as a vehicle fuel. From a value standpoint, natural gas has historically cost about 30-percent less per gasoline-gallon-equivalent compared to gasoline when purchased at public fueling stations. As an alternative fuel vehicle with extremely low smog-forming emissions, the Civic Natural Gas currently qualifies for a state-issued decal allowing single-occupant access to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) “carpool” lanes in California and several other states.

The new ninth-generation 2012 Honda Civic has come out swinging in defence of its title as the best-selling car in Canada. The wily 13-year (consecutive) compact car champ has adjusted its marketing style to land some unexpected body blows that its new challengers may not have expected.

A price of just $14,990 for the new base Civic DX is $2,000 below the list price of the same 2010 edition, and it comes with $600 worth of additional equipment. The great value story continues throughout the entire 2012 Civic lineup with savings as high as $3,590 on the new Si Sedan.

The Civic-value story has always gone beyond its initial purchase, as buyers also get a vehicle with a stellar reliability record and excellent resale price retention. A key factor has been Honda Canada’s focus on retail sales, at the expense of high-volume discounted fleet sales.

The redesigned 2012 Honda Civic Coupe delivers a raft of evolutionary updates and upgrades that help keep it at the head of an ever more competitive compact-car segment. The Si offers sporty-car fun while giving up little in daily-driver comfort and practicality; its larger new engine provides more-accessible power that should delight enthusiast drivers. Civic's 2-door coupe body style stands out in the compact-car class, since most competitors offer only 4-door sedan and hatchback body styles. Though the Civic lineup is now up against a much tougher group of rival cars--some of which might best it from a "features per dollar" standpoint--it's still a compact-car must-see.

The redesigned 2012 Honda Civic delivers a raft of evolutionary updates and upgrades that help keep it at the head of an ever more competitive compact-car segment. Chief among the 2012 improvements is an enhanced selection of "something for everyone" model variants. The new HF promises fuel economy near the top of the class among non-hybrid gasoline-engine compacts. On the other end of the spectrum, the Si offers sporty-car fun while giving up little in daily-driver comfort and practicality; its larger new engine provides more-accessible power that should delight enthusiast drivers. Though Civic is now up against a much tougher group of rival cars--some of which might best it from a "features per dollar" standpoint--it's still a compact-car must-see.

What's lost in the new Civic -- the old car's charming, quick turn-in and descriptive ride -- is made up for with refined road manners, more composure at the limit, improved fuel economy, and added interior room and conveniences. Yet, after spending extended time with the 2012 EX, as clearly competent as it is, it's hard not to reminisce about the previous Civic, a car that was an instant standout. That vehicle shook up the small-car segment, leaving the competition dazed and confused. Gen 9 is a superior, albeit less visually striking, effort, but in light of its predecessor, it stands out considerably less. Which is why we cannot give it a standing ovation.