{"id":10692,"date":"2015-03-10T06:01:49","date_gmt":"2015-03-10T06:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wheelsforwomen.ie\/?p=10692"},"modified":"2015-03-18T22:50:22","modified_gmt":"2015-03-18T22:50:22","slug":"honda-civic-tourer-1-6-i-dtec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wheelsforwomen.ie\/index.php\/honda-civic-tourer-1-6-i-dtec\/","title":{"rendered":"Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Honda-Civic-Estate2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Space, style and reliability come with a price worth striving for writes Geraldine Herbert<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

What is it?<\/strong> \u00a0The Honda Civic Tourer is a \u00a0compact estate \u00a0version of the Civic Hatchback and as a result you get many of the benefits you’d expect from an MPV, like flexible seating and extra space.<\/p>\n

Who is it aimed at?\u00a0<\/strong>If you need a car that can accommodate a young and growing family, the occasional school friend and from time to time a grandparent or two, then you need a bigger car than a regular hatchback.<\/span><\/p>\n

Styling?<\/strong> The Honda Civic Tourer is 235mm longer than the five-door hatchback on which it is based. The wedge-shaped profile and sweeping roofline is certainly eye-catching and it is one of the most distinctive cars on the road. Inside is also is packed with clever ideas, including a centre fuel-tank layout which sees the tank located under the front seats.<\/p>\n

Under the Bonnet?<\/strong> There are only two choices when it comes to engine options, a 140bhp 1.8-litre i-VTEC petrol or as powering our test car a 118bhp 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel. The diesel offers a good combination of performance \u2013 with 300Nms of torque there is for plenty of low-down grunt – with a combined fuel consumption of 3.8 litres per 100km or 74.3 mpg and CO2 emissions of\u00a0 99g\/km when fitted. It’s pretty refined as well, thanks to the smooth and precise six-speed manual gearbox. There is an automatic option available with the petrol.<\/p>\n

What about inside?<\/strong> The interior is carried over from the hatchback and is radical and distinctive however it is a\u00a0 little on the cluttered side and some of the controls are very small. \u00a0Space and storage throughout is excellent and inside the boot there is a double floor in addition, the Tourer has the biggest boot in its class at 624 litres, to put this in perspective Volkswagen\u2019s Passat Estate has 650 litres.\u00a0 Drop the rear seats and this expands to 1,688. In the back there is more than enough space for three adults but Honda\u2019s trump card is their ingenious \u201cMagic Seats\u201d, which fold in a variety of ways and add an extra dimension and flexibility to the interior.<\/p>\n

On the Road?<\/strong> On the road the Tourer accelerates with ease and the steering is light, quick and responsive and the car feels agile and nimble.\u00a0 The handling is not the sharpest but in this market this aspect is far from a deal breaker.<\/p>\n

And Safety? \u00a0<\/strong>Safety is well catered in the Civic Tourer but for added peace of mind you can opt for the Dynamic Safety Pack, \u00a0a suite of advanced active safety features such as City-brake active system, Forward collision warning, Cross traffic monitor and Blind spot information. This extra level of protection comes at a price and it is an extra \u20ac1,200 for this pack.<\/p>\n

Options?<\/strong> There are three trims to choose from, Comfort, Sport and Executive. Standard equipment is good and includes Bluetooth, Climate control, 16\u201d Alloy wheels, Magic Seats, USB Connectivity and daytime running lights. Our test car came with the highest spec Executive that adds goodies such as Leather and heated seats, Sat Nav and a full colour touch screen display.<\/p>\n

Will it break the bank? \u00a0<\/strong>At \u20ac25,995 for the entry-level 1.6 diesel model however the Honda Civic Tourer is not cheap and our test car came in at \u20ac32,245. By comparison a 1.6 diesel Ford Focus Estate will cost you from \u20ac22,295 while the Volkswagen Golf Estate starts at \u20ac22,495.<\/p>\n

Verdict?<\/strong> The Honda Civic Tourer is pricey but it is also a really good estate. It is a spacious, economical and comes with a huge boot that will easily swallow three large suitcases. Inside there is plenty of room, lots of equipment and if you opt for the diesel it will prove cheap to run. Plus if you factor in Honda\u2019s excellent reputation for reliability that high price tag becomes a lot more competitive.<\/p>\n

Why you\u2019ll buy one? <\/strong>Great Diesel Engine; Reliable; <\/strong>Practical<\/p>\n

Why you won\u2019t? <\/strong>Pricey; Could be a little more refined<\/p>\n

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Rivals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ford Focus Estate \u2013 Priced From \u20ac23,445<\/p>\n

Volkswagen Golf Estate\u2013 Priced From \u20ac22,280<\/p>\n

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Watch our video review below<\/strong>\u00a0(Video Filming by Kyran O\u2019Brien<\/em>)<\/p>\n

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