My wife and I were given a call from the dealer just a few days ago and told us they (Norm Reeves Honda - Temecula,CA) had a few of the newest Civic's in stock. We got there the following day to find our next vehicle - a 4 Door LX with the grey interior/Galaxy Grey Exterior.

Upon test driving the vehicle, it was apparent that Honda had done some serious listening to it's customer's with regard to styling, "standard" options, and performance.

Having owned and maintained several Honda civics over the years (still having my 86' CRX Si with 218K), I've always been attuned to the different options and styling cues from generation to generation. The 2006 model year (8th Gen) is a beautiful blend of the 2001-2005 Civic Si, 2001-2005 Acura RSX, and the 2001-2005 Acura TL. The interior is very reminiscent of 3rd & 4th generation (CRX, Prelude era) seating (firm, yet comfortable) but with a totally different take on the dash layout - which quite honestly is logical for where most driver's eyes are when driving.

The options on our LX model are more than sufficient for our little family of 4 and are quite comparable to those found on our previous 99' Civic Si. The only difference between our previous 99' Si and the 06' is the addition of 2 extra doors, a factory MP3/WMA player. The lack between was the sunroof and factory deck spoiler.

The performance of this 4 door LX would defintely give the 99' Civic Si a run for it's money with it's 140HP, 1.8L SOHC iVTEC engine. My wife and I were astonished with the rail-like handling of the car (and are still getting used to it) and very quick acceleration using the short shifting 5 speed manual. A quick run down the road and back proved to be effortless. The clutch action is light as a feather, but as grippy as the older 99' Civic Si.

The only whine is the MSRP pricing of 17k which will probably hold for at least a year due to the availability of the car, the newest body styling, and great mileage (30/38 for 5 speed).