Racy coupe bodies are about as hot as it gets up and down the automotive spectrum. A two-door tells the world you are unattached – and unburdened by kids or carpools. You are single and ready to mingle!

The Honda Civic Coupe is one of the most adored nameplates in the youth car culture scene. Last year’s 2013 Civic Coupe has lost is austere nose from 2013 and come back stronger, better, faster and cooler for 2014.

This brings an all-new nose design with some aggressive profiling and chrome-accented foglamps, a dark grille slash in semi-gloss black widening the nose layout, and a cooler body kit all around.

The EX-L tested here is the luxury-level trim between the base LX Civic Coupe and the sporty and super-quick Civic Si Coupe.

With features like navigation, automatic transmission with paddle shifters, leather and moonroof – the EX-L Navi is a loaded car that is posher than its city-friendly dimensions (and easy price) would suggest.

Let’s break out this review into the usual sections: Exterior, Interior, Driving Experience and Summary.

On Location: Atlanta Motorsports Park

2014 Honda Civic EX-L Coupe – EXTERIOR

The design of the 2014 Civic Coupe emphasizes how low, lean and aggressive the glasshouse is. The ultra-fast windshield and rear glass angles are some of the most futuristic in the car world – and they are the cornerstone of the Civic Coupe’s design appeal. While the Civic Sedan might share the sporty windshield, no other Civic is as care-free around back.

The aerodynamic rear profile helps pull out the fenders and make the trunk shape pop. In a world of Hatchbacks and frumpy hatchback–>sedan conversion like the Sonic and Fiesta — the Civic Coupe is proud of its sexy two-door nature.

The racy glass also continues in the side windows, with a lean wide glass in the rear and slightly longer front doors than the sedan.

Sporty angles all around do not hamper visibility: the Civic Coupe brings front quarter-windows and very narrow pillars to ensure easy urban visibility. No more leaning forward to check for pedestrians when turning – something that is required with many sports cars these days.

The EX-L is only slightly less cool than the Si outside: the EX-L rides a smidge higher, wears 17-inch alloys versus the Si’s 18-inchers, and has a very subtle trunk-lid spoiler versus the big wing on the Si.

There is merit to both, however, and the EX-L does bump those wheels up one size versus the 16-inch standard rubber on the LX and EX.

The wheels are a highlight in themselves: machined-surface elements form the outer spokes, while a gloss black in the inner finish. This helps them glimmer in sunlight, but become darker and more trendy on the move as the black areas shade the whole wheel into a dark blur at speed.

Overall, the Civic is slightly let down by its halogen lighting all around — but this is easily upgraded via the aftermarket.

On Location: The Sanctuary Spa and Resort on Kiawah Island, South Carolina

2014 Honda Civic EX-L Coupe – INTERIOR

The interior is another place where the premium EX-L trim starts paying off. The equipment is second to none and is very, very impressive for the compact segment. Navigation and HondaLink future-proof the media setup so it will be easy to Bluetooth-stream music from the 2019 iPhone9 as easy as it is on today’s iPhone 4 and 5.

In photos and when still, the Civic’s two-layer dash design seems busy and unnecessary versus a standard set of gauges.

But on the move, it is actually really handy. The top-mounted digital speedometer is extremely simple, while the lower tachometer counts revs in a standard analog layout. It keeps your eye-level closer to the road and allows one-glance info about speeds.

After a week in the Civic Coupe, we started to take the digital layout for granted. Other cars and standard needles just are not as quick at telling your exact speed.

The Civic Coupe also brings steering-wheel controls for infotainment options in the top gauge screens, plus cruise and phone and audio settings right on the wheel.

These controls on the wheel for audio source, volume and presets are extra handy when you start using the Civic’s HondaLink for audio. While really very responsive and easy to use, the Civic’s touchscreen lacks a volume knob and the main toggle control from the latest Accord Coupe and a few others.

This means the volume must be clicked down one tap at a time when you want to adjust it. It is clunky and awkward and slow — not great when trying to answer your phone at the same time, for example.

But the touchscreen’s lack of audio knobs teaches you to use the wheel toggles for volume, etc, very quickly. Once you get the hang of using the wheel-mounted controls for simple changes, the whole setup is very intuitive.

 

SEATS AND DRIVING POSITION

The layout is pretty easy to love. The seats are comfortable, supporting, firm and very adjustable. The wheel also has a huge range of tilt/telescope depth available.

The one gripe about the cabin’s plentiful roominess is that there is some pronounced road and tire coming from the back axle. You get used to it after a few hours – but the car might still benefit from a sound-dampening rubber mat in the trunk once you own it.

On Location: Beach lofts of Kiawah Island, South Carolina

2014 Honda Civic EX-L Coupe – DRIVING EXPERIENCE

The EX-L Coupe with the optional CVT automatic is a hard-working powertrain when you really hammer the throttle. For fast drivers, there is the usual CVT trait of zooming up to the engine revline, and then peeling off actual MPH while holding the revs very, very high.

It does make respectable pace this way, but actually has the most urgent and torque-y feel on its simulated upshifts, which launch the car forward somehow.

A relaxed sprint performance is the trade-off for a 143-horsepower engine that also delivers an honest 30+ MPG in the city and 38-MPG on the highway.

But timed acceleration is only part of the fun-to-drive equation. The Civic Coupe has extremely speedy shift paddles to snick off up or downshifts very quickly and with good feel, and great steering feel overall.

Holding gears to be ready for quick passing is also available with the “S” mode of the transmission lever. This keeps the engine on-boil and ready for much more speed at the drop of a foot. In the regular Drive setting, the CVT is less eager to kick down and power the car forward.

The “S” transmission setting also completely transforms the Civic Coupe’s dynamics in the mountains or on curvy roads. With the shifter in Sport mode, the Civic Coupe has much firmer steering feel and a more involving feel from the drivers seat. It just feels less like it is coasting around corners, and more like it is actively engaged in hitting the apex.

The trade-off for S mode is that it can be odd in the city when you are expecting an upshift, and the car sticks to revs around 3500 even when just tootling around. A quick flip back intro Drive brings the Civic Coupe into its normal relaxed cruise.

Handling overall is very good, with the car eager and playful.

SUMMARY

Okay, before you dive into the 150+ photos below oft he Civic Coupe’s adventures during its stay with Car-Revs-Daily.com for the road test, a quick summary point or two.

• Stylish and very affordable

• Practical and easy-to-use – despite being a sporty coupe

• CVT is effortless at delivering great MPG…

• But automatic needs to be paddle shifted or in “S” mode to make swift progress

The biggest question to ponder for shoppers with $24,000 to invest in a new Civic Coupe is:

— 60 more horsepower in the Civic Si

— or leather cabin / nav /moonroof in the EX-L?

There are no wrong answers — but we would definitely vote for the Si’s extra power if it were our monthly payment!

 

Explore colors and build your own Civic Coupe now!

http://automobiles.honda.com

 

2014 Honda CIVIC COUPE – PRICING

 

• LX

  $18,190

• EX

  $20,290

• EX-L

  $22,540

• EX-Lwith Honda Satellite-Linked Navi…

  $24,040

 

2014 Honda Civic EX-L Coupe STANDARD FEATURES

• 143-hp (SAE Net), 1.8-Liter, 16-Valve, SOHC i-VTEC^® 4-Cylinder Engine

• Drive-by-Wire Throttle System

• Eco Assist™ System

• ULEV-2/PZEV CARB Emissions Rating¹

• Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with Paddle Shifters

• MacPherson Strut Front Suspension

• Multi-Link Rear Suspension

• Motion-Adaptive Electric Power-Assisted Rack-and-Pinion Steering (EPS)

• Power-Assisted Ventilated Front Disc/Solid Rear Disc Brakes

• 17-Inch Alloy Wheels

Safety Features

• Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA^®) with Traction Control²

• Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)

• Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)

• Brake Assist

• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)³

• Daytime Running Lights (DRL)

• Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) II Body Structure

• Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags (SRS)

• SmartVent^® Front Side Airbags

• Side Curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensor

• Front 3-Point Seat Belts with Automatic Tensioning System

• Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH): Lower Anchors (2nd-Row Outboard), Tether Anchors (2nd-Row All)

• Automatic Climate Control
• i-MID with 5-Inch LCD Screen and Customizable Feature Settings
• Honda LaneWatch™²
• Bluetooth^® HandsFreeLink^®4
• SMS Text Message Function⁵
• Push Button Start
• Power Windows with Auto-Up/Down Driver’s Window
• Power Door Locks
• Cruise Control
• Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
• Illuminated Steering Wheel-Mounted Cruise, Audio, Phone, i-MID and Navigation Controls
• Tilt and Telescopic Steering Column
• Center Console with Sliding Armrest and Storage Compartment
• Map Lights
• Floor Mats
• 12-Volt Power Outlet
• Leather-Trimmed Seats
• Heated Front Seats
• 60/40 Split Fold-Down Rear Seatback
• 360-Watt AM/FM/CD Premium Audio System with 7 Speakers, Including Subwoofer
• 7-inch Display Audio with Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ and Voice Recognition, Honda HD Digital Traffic, High-Resolution WVGA (800×480) Electrostatic Touch-Screen, Multi-Angle Rearview Camera with Dynamic Guidelines and Customizable Feature Settings⁶
• HondaLink™ Next Generation⁷
• HD Radio™⁸
• XM^® Radio⁹
• Pandora^® Compatibility¹⁰
• Bluetooth^® Streaming Audio⁴
• Display Audio Interface¹¹
• USB Audio Interface (front and center console)¹²
• MP3/Windows Media^® Audio (WMA) Playback Capability¹³
• Radio Data System (RDS)
• Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC)
• Exterior Temperature Indicator

• One-Touch Power Moonroof with Tilt Feature
• Security System with Remote Entry and Trunk Release
• Smart Entry System
• Fog Lights
• Multi-Reflector Halogen Headlights with Auto-On/Off
• Body-Colored, Heated, Power Side Mirrors, including Expanded View Driver’s Mirror

2014 Civic Coupe – Technical Specifications

ENGINEERING	LX	EX	EX-L
Engine Type	In-Line 4-Cylinder	In-Line 4-Cylinder	In-Line 4-Cylinder
Engine Block/Cylinder Head	Aluminum-Alloy	Aluminum-Alloy	Aluminum-Alloy
Displacement (cc)	1798	1798	1798
Horsepower @ rpm (SAE net)	143 @ 6500	143 @ 6500	143 @ 6500
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net)	129 @ 4300	129 @ 4300	129 @ 4300
Redline (rpm)	6700	6700	6700
Bore and Stroke (mm)	81 x 87.3	81 x 87.3	81 x 87.3
Compression Ratio	10.6 : 1	10.6 : 1	10.6 : 1
Valve Train	16-Valve SOHC i-VTEC®	16-Valve SOHC i-VTEC®	16-Valve SOHC i-VTEC®
Multi-Point Fuel Injection	•	•	•
Drive-by-Wire Throttle System	•	•	•
Eco Assist™ System	•	•	•
CARB Emissions Rating1	ULEV-2/PZEV	ULEV-2/PZEV	ULEV-2/PZEV
Direct Ignition System with Immobilizer	•	•	•
100K +/- Miles No Scheduled Tune-Ups2	•	•	•

 

TRANSMISSIONS	LX	EX	EX-L
5-Speed Manual Transmission	•	•
Gear Ratios: 1st: 3.143, 2nd: 1.870, 3rd: 1.235, 4th: 0.949, 5th: 0.727, Reverse: 3.308, Final Drive: 4.29
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)	Available	with Dual-Mode Paddle Shifters (Available)	with Dual-Mode Paddle Shifters
Gear Ratios: Forward: 3.200～0.517, Reverse: 3.428～0.554, Final Drive: 3.94

 

BODY/SUSPENSION/CHASSIS	LX	EX	EX-L
Unit-Body Construction	•	•	•
MacPherson Strut Front Suspension	•	•	•
Multi-Link Rear Suspension	•	•	•
Stabilizer Bar (mm, front/rear)	19.0 / 17.0	19.0 / 17.0	19.0 / 17.0
Motion-Adaptive Electric Power-Assisted Rack-and-Pinion Steering (EPS)	•	•	•
Steering Wheel Turns, Lock-to-Lock	2.87	2.87	2.87
Steering Ratio	14.89	14.89	14.89
Turning Diameter, Curb-to-Curb  (ft)	35.5	35.5	35.5
Power-Assisted Ventilated Front Disc/Rear Drum Brakes (in, front/rear)	10.3 / 7.9 (5MT) / 11.1 / 7.9 (5AT)
Power-Assisted Ventilated Front Disc/Solid Rear Disc Brakes (in, front/rear)		11.1 / 10.2	11.1 / 10.2
Wheels	16″ with Full Covers	16″ Alloys	17″ Alloys
All-Season Tires	P205 / 55 R16 89H	P205 / 55 R16 89H	P215 / 45 R17 87V
Compact Spare Tire	T135 / 80 D15 99M	T135 / 80 D15 99M	T135 / 80 D15 99M

 

EXTERIOR MEASUREMENTS	LX	EX	EX-L
Wheelbase (in)	103.2	103.2	103.2
Length (in)	177.9	177.9	177.9
Height (in)	55.0	55.0	55.0
Width (in)	69.0	69.0	69.0
Track (in, front/rear)	59.0 / 59.9	59.0 / 59.9	59.0 / 59.9

 

INTERIOR MEASUREMENTS	LX	EX	EX-L
Headroom (in, front/rear)	38.1 / 34.3	37.7 / 34.3	37.7 / 34.3
Legroom (in, front/rear)	42.2 / 30.8	42.2 / 30.8	42.2 / 30.8
Shoulder Room (in, front/rear)	55.1 / 52.2	55.1 / 52.2	55.1 / 52.2
Hiproom (in, front/rear)	53.2 / 49.0	53.2 / 49.0	53.2 / 49.0
Cargo Volume (cu ft)	11.7	11.7	11.7
Passenger Volume (cu ft)	83.2	82.6	82.6
Seating Capacity	5	5	5

 

EPA MILEAGE RATINGS3/FUEL	LX	EX	EX-L
5-Speed Manual (City/Highway/Combined)	28/36/31	28/36/31
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) (City/Highway/Combined)	30/39/33	29/38/33	29/38/33
Fuel (gal)	13.2	13.2	13.2
Required Fuel	Regular Unleaded	Regular Unleaded	Regular Unleaded

 

ACTIVE SAFETY	LX	EX	EX-L
Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control4	•	•	•
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)	•	•	•
Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)	•	•	•
Brake Assist	•	•	•
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)5	•	•	•
Daytime Running Lights (DRL)	•	•	•

 

PASSIVE SAFETY	LX	EX	EX-L
Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) II Body Structure	•	•	•
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags (SRS)	•	•	•
SmartVent™ Front Side Airbags	•	•	•
Side Curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensor	•	•	•
3-Point Seat Belts at all Seating Positions	•	•	•
Front 3-Point Seat Belts with Automatic Tensioning System	•	•	•
Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH): Lower Anchors (2nd-Row Outboard), Tether Anchors (2nd-Row All)	•	•	•
Driver’s and Front Passenger’s Seat-Belt Reminder	•	•	•

 

EXTERIOR FEATURES	LX	EX	EX-L
One-Touch Power Moonroof with Tilt Feature		•	•
Integrated Rear-Window Antenna	•	•	•
Security System with Remote Entry and Trunk Release	•	•	•
Smart Entry System		•	•
Fog Lights			•
Body-Colored Power Side Mirrors including Expanded View Driver’s Mirror	•	•	Heated
2-Speed/Intermittent Windshield Wipers	•
Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers		•	•
Impact-Absorbing Body-Colored Bumpers	•	•	•
Multi-Reflector Halogen Headlights with Auto-Off	•	with Auto-On/Off	with Auto-On/Off
Body-Colored Door Handles	•	•	•

 

COMFORT & CONVENIENCE	LX	EX	EX-L
Air Conditioning with Air-Filtration System	•
Automatic Climate Control		•	•
i-MID with 5-Inch LCD Screen and Customizable Feature Settings	•	•	•
Rearview Camera with Guidelines	•
Honda LaneWatch™6		•	•
Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®7	•	•	•
SMS Text Message Function8	•	•	•
Push Button Start		•	•
Power Windows with Auto-Up/Down Driver’s Window	•	•	•
Power Door Locks with Auto-Lock Feature	•	•	•
Illuminated Driver’s Window and Door Lock Controls	•	•	•
Cruise Control	•	•	•
Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel			•
Illuminated Steering Wheel-Mounted Controls	Cruise / Audio / Phone / i-MID	Cruise / Audio / Phone / i-MID	Cruise / Audio / Phone / i-MID / Navi (available)
Tilt and Telescopic Steering Column	•	•	•
Beverage Holders	Front	Front	Front
Center Console with Sliding Armrest and Storage Compartment	•	•	•
Door-Pocket Storage Bins (front)	•	•	•
Passenger-Side Seatback Pocket		•	•
Coin Tray	•	•	•
Remote Fuel Filler Door Release	•	•	•
Remote Trunk Release with Lock	•	•	•
Headlights-On Reminder	•	•	•
Driver’s and Front Passenger’s Vanity Mirrors	•	•	•
Map Lights	•	•	•
Floor Mats	•	•	•
Driver’s Footrest	•	•	•
12-Volt Power Outlet (front)	•	•	•
Rear Window Defroster with Timer	•	•	•
Cargo Area Light	•	•	•

 

SEATING	LX	EX	EX-L
Leather-Trimmed Interior			•
Heated Front Seats			•
Driver’s Seat with Manual Height Adjustment	•	•	•
Adjustable Head Restraints	•	•	•
Fold-Down Rear Seatback	•	60/40 Split	60/40 Split
Passenger-Side Walk-In Feature		•	•

 

AUDIO SYSTEMS	LX	EX	EX-L
160-Watt AM/FM/CD Audio System with 6 Speakers	•
360-Watt AM/FM/CD Premium Audio System with 7 Speakers, including Subwoofer		•	•
7″ Display Audio with High-Resolution WVGA (800×480) Electrostatic Touch-Screen, Rearview Camera with Dynamic Guidelines and Customizable Feature Settings		•	•
7″ Display Audio with Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ and Voice Recognition9, HD Traffic, High-Resolution WVGA (800×480) Electrostatic Touch-Screen, Multi-Angle Rearview Camera with Dynamic Guidelines and Customizable Feature Settings			Available
HD Radio™10			with Navigation
HondaLink™		•	•
XM® Radio11			with Navigation
Pandora®12 Compatibility	•	•	•
Bluetooth® Streaming Audio	•	•	•
Display Audio Interface		•	•
USB Audio Interface13	Center Console	Front and Center Console	Front and Center Console
MP3/Auxiliary Input Jack	•
MP3/Windows Media®14 Audio (WMA) Playback Capability	•	•	•
Radio Data System (RDS)	•	•	•
Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC)	•	•	•

 

INTELLIGENT MULTI – INFORMATION DISPLAY	LX	EX	EX-L
Average Fuel Economy Indicators	•	•	•
Average Speed Indicator	•	•	•
Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®	•	•	•
Clock	•	•	•
Customizable Feature Settings	•	•	•
Digital Fuel-Mileage Indicators	•	•	•
Digital Odometer and Digital Trip Meters (2)	•	•	•
Elapsed Time Indicator	•	•	•
Exterior Temperature Indicator	•	•	•
Maintenance Minder™ System	•	•	•
Miles-to-Empty Indicator	•	•	•
Rearview Camera with Guidelines	•
Pandora® Compatibility	•	•	•
Turn-By-Turn Directions			with Navigation
Welcome Screen	•	•	•

 

INSTRUMENTATION	LX	EX	EX-L
12-Volt Battery Charging System Indicator	•	•	•
ABS Indicator	•	•	•
Airbag System Indicator	•	•	•
Blue Backlit Gauges	•	•	•
Brake System Indicator	•	•	•
Coolant Temperature Indicators	•	•	•
Cruise Control Indicators	•	•	•
Digital Speedometer	•	•	•
Door and Trunk-Open Indicators	•	•	•
ECON Button	•	•	•
ECON Mode Indicator	•	•	•
Electric Power Steering (EPS) Indicator	•	•	•
Fog Lights Indicator			•
Fuel Level Indicator	•	•	•
Headlights-On Indicator	•	•	•
High-Beam Indicator	•	•	•
Immobilizer System Indicator	•	•	•
Instant Fuel Economy Indicator	•	•	•
Low Tire-Pressure Indicator	•	•	•
Low-Fuel Indicator	•	•	•
Low-Oil Pressure Indicator	•	•	•
Malfunction Indicator	•	•	•
Seat Belt Reminder Indicator	•	•	•
Shift Lever Position Indicator	CVT	CVT	CVT
System Message Indicator	•	•	•
Tachometer	•	•	•
Turn Signal/Hazard Indicators	•	•	•
Two-Tier Instrument Panel	•	•	•
VSA System and VSA-Off Indicators	•	•	•

 

 

Explore colors and build your own Civic Coupe now!

http://automobiles.honda.com