[robertbobdvd]

I got a chance to test drive the 11th Gen Sedan (2.0L) against the 10th Gen sedan (also 2.0L.)

Both cars were rented via ZipCar.

I have to say: the 11th Gen. is a step backwards when it comes to fun, handling, and power.. but it definitely looks better than the somewhat ugly 10th Gen.

The 10th gen was really agile, great handling, and great steering.. one can legitimately have fun with this car once you get going from a standstill. Going from 0 to 10 felt heavy and ponderous though (due to CVT)

The 11th gen just felt... less agile, softer, seems to wallow more... the wheel and tire size are identical..

Has this been your impression as well?

To my astonishment, I enjoy the visibility in the 10th a little better too.. even though it looks like there should be more "window" in the 11th. It has to do with angles, and layout. The 10th is better.

I was really excited for the 11th gen too because the Sedan looks reallllly good!

This is a bummer....

I was really looking forward to finally replacing my 9th Gen Corolla with this 11th Civic... but it won't be the Civic anymore..

 

[jroark7603]

I have owned a 2017 hatch ex a 2020 hatch sport and now have a 2023 si. I have enjoyed them all the 2020 sprt was way more fun to drive less turbo lag being it was a 6 speed and the 2017 ex a cvt seemed to lag bad leaving a stop especially when turning. The 6 speed you can throttle and at 4000 rpm and up was just ....well you can control any turbo lag easily. I know the 2023 is an si so yes it should be sportier and it is. Turbo response is better in my oppinion. No lag thats really noticable even at low rpm. Less over the top body style but almost too plain as far as the exterior. I wish they would have met the body styling more in the middle. I think the 2023 has a much nicer clean and just plain better interior minus the display jutting up like a tombstone. I would like the display more integrated into the dash but also love the honecolm vent area and with the display up it alows that seamles line . Over all i prefer the 11th gen but i did enjoy the over the top so ugly it looks good 10th gen hatch too

 

[robertbobdvd]

Thanks for chiming in, regarding your 2017 EX, is that a 2.0L (NA) ?
Would the same car with a 1.5T be better off the line? I haven't driven a 1.5T yet....... this does intrigue me.

 

[jroark7603]

I would def go with a manual. I do not have to deal wth stop and go traffic anymore. I did get a tired left leg when i had to travel the columbus highways to and from work but still i think a manual trans is way more fun to drive

 

[dxdxto]

I have both in the same trim. They are about the same to me.

 

[robardin]

I can't speak to comparing the 10th and 11th Gen Civic 2.0 NA engine trims, but I can compare my wife's 2016 Civic EX-T (coupe) to the 2023 Civic EX-L (hatchback) I just got my kid, both with a CVT.

I would agree - and so would Car and Driver or Road and Track instrumented tests - that the 2016 Civic is slightly faster and sportier than the 2023, both with the 1.5T engine. And I would say the 2016 Civic's steering and suspension feels sportiner, too: heavier, more responsive steering.

NOTE: this is after I put new/better tires on the 2016 Civic from stock: I replaced the OEM ones with General G-Max AS-05 tires, 215/50ZR17 about three years ago, which I remember making a nice difference, and don't really remember the stock feeling.

However, I firmly consider the 2023 EX-L a much better daily driver, because it more than makes up for the slightly more sluggish feeling vs. the 2016 (while not actually being sluggish, mind you) with a lot of the things that actually improve driving on a daily basis, and ignoring things like the leather/power seats in the EX-L trim as an unfair comparison:

- Appearance/styling. Obviously a matter of taste, but I prefer the less "funky" look of the 11th Gen by a country mile.

- Sound. It's a much, much quieter car than the 2016 Civic, and the CVT drone is much less... Droning.

- Infotainment / HVAC controls. The 2016 has no volume knob. I cannot tell you how annoying this is. Well, I guess I just did. It's not just the lack of a knob, but that what you do instead (a touch-sensitive slide control on the side of the infotainment screen, or on the left thumb of the steering wheel) is unnatural and wonky in its sensitivity. Sometimes a light touch doesn't do anything, sometimes it sends the volume up/down by 5.

They added a knob to the 10th gen later, like in 2019?, but even so, the 2023 Civic EX-L's radio is just much nicer (even as the 7" one, and not the Bose one in my 2022 ST).

In addition, the new clicky HVAC knobs in the 11th gen are ridiculously pleasing. And the honeycomb grille and the little joystick thingies to direct cabin airflow, mwah. (That's the sound effect of a chef doing the kissing-fingertips thing.)

- Honda Sensing / safety tech thingamabobs. The 10th gen already had some of the stuff like LKAS and auto-braking with ACC and whatnot, but I find it to be kind of "blunt" and jerky and oversensitive compared to the 11th gen, which has a much smoother implementation.

But the #1 daily annoyance for me with the 2016 Civic - like, even before the 11th gen came out, I was like "this is something Honda HAS TO FIX/GET RID OF in the next generation", even more so than the volume knob thing - is its useless, yet infuriating, Lanewatch system (instead of the 11th Gen's Blind Spot Monitoring).

The 11th gen Civic has a real, and excellent, Blind Spot Monitoring system that is camera-based and on both sides of the car, that will alert you when a car is within 10 feet behind and to the side with a flashing yellow car-crash logo on the mirror, plus a beeping sound if you use a lane-change signal on that side or start steering in that direction.

The 10th Gen does not have this. What it has, instead, is if you turn your right blinker on - and only the right one - IT REPLACES YOUR ENTIRE INFOTAINMENT SCREEN WITH A VIEW FROM A PINHOLE CAMERA SET IN THE PASSENGER DOOR MIRROR FRAME.

The idea is that the camera is aimed at the blind spot, and now you can see if there's a car that you didn't notice originally with your normal side-view or head-turn look.

But in practice, (a) this doesn't help at all with your driver's side blind spot, so it's half-assed, and (b) EVERY TIME YOU SIGNAL ANY RIGHT TURN OR LANE CHANGE, YOU LOSE EVERYTHING ELSE ON YOUR SCREEN. Which is just... Ass.

If you're following turn-by-turn directions on Google Maps? Sorry, can't confirm which lane you should be in splitting from the off-ramp you just got on, gotta show you your right side blind spot even though it's a one-lane exit ramp!

Waiting 60 seconds for the traffic lights and making a right turn? Sorry, you can't see what song is playing, or the GPS map, or anything else. But hey, here's the right side of your car!

It also interrupts any CarPlay interaction you may have been in the middle of doing. Like, it stops giving audio driving directions from Google Maps, and if you were in the middle of playing back a text message (having it read to you) or dictating a voice-to-text message in reply, and turn on your right turn signal... It cuts out.

G.T.F.O.H. with that bullshit.

I finally figured out that it's something you can disable in the car's settings (it is ON by default), but it's my wife's car so I leave it alone.

 

[oppolock]

I put about 40,000 miles on a CPO '17 2.0L EX sedan (FC2) and now have 10,000 miles on my '23 Si (FE1). I'll basically skim over the engines since the 2.0L and 1.5T are clearly not fair comparisons in this case.

Considering their similarities in terms of platforms, features, branding and nameplate, plus their overall dimensions, I really enjoyed both for completely different reasons and they feel like totally different cars, and not just because of the engine and trans differences.

In terms of driving, my EX was excellent when it came down to inner-city driving. You can tell that the steering ratio is slightly quicker and the turning circle is slightly smaller. It's a U-turn and parking garage scalpel. The suspension was perfectly suited to low speeds and legal highway cruises, but that suspension compliancy and edgy steering led to busy steering at 75+ mph and you could never push the car past 6/10ths without wanting more confidence.

The Si is on the other side of the same spectrum. Dimensionally, it's basically identical, and the steering and turning circle are still excellent, just mentally 10% less-so, but it's definitely noticeable. And while it is kind of compliant, it's better at soaking up highway expansion joints and dampening irregular surface elevations than it is at dealing with low speed jolts, where speed bumps go straight up your ass cheeks. Its steering wheel is WAY nicer to interact with in terms of buttons, material, and aesthetics, but there was something to be said about the molding around the grip areas on my EX's that made it feel sportier to hold.

Seating position feels better in the FE1, like it feels lower, and seeing the hood in your peripheral feels more upscale-RWD than it does FWD. For some reason, I notice the lack of telescoping in my FE1 more than I did in the FC2. Wish the wheel would come out literally just one more inch and I'd say it's close to flawless.

In terms of interiors, there's zero discussion. The FE1's interior is night and day better in every aspect: quality, ergonomics, aesthetics, and storage... maybe storage. I did love my FC2's adjustable armrest.

And regarding the exterior, I never cared about my FC2. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't feel proud of how it looked either. It looked FWD-ey, the body paneling looked thin, it had a bunch of fluff design elements, and nothing stood out as upscale. I didn't care about the FE1 until I saw it in person, but I absolutely love it now. Like an A3 and an Accord had a baby. It just feels like a way more grown up vehicle without being boring, and that's kind of how I'd describe the driving difference between the two. It's more refined and dampened without feeling heavier.

Also, about the engines and transmissions... if you have a choice, the 1.5T and manual are a no brainer.

 

[oppolock]

I can't speak to comparing the 10th and 11th Gen Civic 2.0 NA engine trims, but I can compare my wife's 2016 Civic EX-T (coupe) to the 2023 Civic EX-L (hatchback) I just got my kid, both with a CVT.

I would agree - and so would Car and Driver or Road and Track instrumented tests - that the 2016 Civic is slightly faster and sportier than the 2023, both with the 1.5T engine. And I would say the 2016 Civic's steering and suspension feels sportiner, too: heavier, more responsive steering.

NOTE: this is after I put new/better tires on the 2016 Civic from stock: I replaced the OEM ones with General G-Max AS-05 tires, 215/50ZR17 about three years ago, which I remember making a nice difference, and don't really remember the stock feeling.

However, I firmly consider the 2023 EX-L a much better daily driver, because it more than makes up for the slightly more sluggish feeling vs. the 2016 (while not actually being sluggish, mind you) with a lot of the things that actually improve driving on a daily basis, and ignoring things like the leather/power seats in the EX-L trim as an unfair comparison:

- Appearance/styling. Obviously a matter of taste, but I prefer the less "funky" look of the 11th Gen by a country mile.

- Sound. It's a much, much quieter car than the 2016 Civic, and the CVT drone is much less... Droning.

- Infotainment / HVAC controls. The 2016 has no volume knob. I cannot tell you how annoying this is. Well, I guess I just did. It's not just the lack of a knob, but that what you do instead (a touch-sensitive slide control on the side of the infotainment screen, or on the left thumb of the steering wheel) is unnatural and wonky in its sensitivity. Sometimes a light touch doesn't do anything, sometimes it sends the volume up/down by 5.

They added a knob to the 10th gen later, like in 2019?, but even so, the 2023 Civic EX-L's radio is just much nicer (even as the 7" one, and not the Bose one in my 2022 ST).

In addition, the new clicky HVAC knobs in the 11th gen are ridiculously pleasing. And the honeycomb grille and the little joystick thingies to direct cabin airflow, mwah. (That's the sound effect of a chef doing the kissing-fingertips thing.)

- Honda Sensing / safety tech thingamabobs. The 10th gen already had some of the stuff like LKAS and auto-braking with ACC and whatnot, but I find it to be kind of "blunt" and jerky and oversensitive compared to the 11th gen, which has a much smoother implementation.

But the #1 daily annoyance for me with the 2016 Civic - like, even before the 11th gen came out, I was like "this is something Honda HAS TO FIX/GET RID OF in the next generation", even more so than the volume knob thing - is its useless, yet infuriating, Lanewatch system (instead of the 11th Gen's Blind Spot Monitoring).

The 11th gen Civic has a real, and excellent, Blind Spot Monitoring system that is camera-based and on both sides of the car, that will alert you when a car is within 10 feet behind and to the side with a flashing yellow car-crash logo on the mirror, plus a beeping sound if you use a lane-change signal on that side or start steering in that direction.

The 10th Gen does not have this. What it has, instead, is if you turn your right blinker on - and only the right one - IT REPLACES YOUR ENTIRE INFOTAINMENT SCREEN WITH A VIEW FROM A PINHOLE CAMERA SET IN THE PASSENGER DOOR MIRROR FRAME.

The idea is that the camera is aimed at the blind spot, and now you can see if there's a car that you didn't notice originally with your normal side-view or head-turn look.

But in practice, (a) this doesn't help at all with your driver's side blind spot, so it's half-assed, and (b) EVERY TIME YOU SIGNAL ANY RIGHT TURN OR LANE CHANGE, YOU LOSE EVERYTHING ELSE ON YOUR SCREEN. Which is just... Ass.

If you're following turn-by-turn directions on Google Maps? Sorry, can't confirm which lane you should be in splitting from the off-ramp you just got on, gotta show you your right side blind spot even though it's a one-lane exit ramp!

Waiting 60 seconds for the traffic lights and making a right turn? Sorry, you can't see what song is playing, or the GPS map, or anything else. But hey, here's the right side of your car!

It also interrupts any CarPlay interaction you may have been in the middle of doing. Like, it stops giving audio driving directions from Google Maps, and if you were in the middle of playing back a text message (having it read to you) or dictating a voice-to-text message in reply, and turn on your right turn signal... It cuts out.

G.T.F.O.H. with that bullshit.

I finally figured out that it's something you can disable in the car's settings (it is ON by default), but it's my wife's car so I leave it alone.

I turned that shitty feature off in like the first week of owning it when dealing with this same issue. Figured out you could just tap on the end of the turn stalk to turn it on and off at a whim but never found a single scenario where it made sense because the camera sucked.

 

[guitrich]

In our household, we have a '19 EX Hatch, and '20 Si, and a '23 Si.

I agree with all that has been said and I grow to like my '23 Si more and more. What does irritate me is that they took away heated seats, fog lights, and adjustable dampers from the '23 Si. In Canada the 11th gen Si has heated seats and fog lights...grrrr!!

Since my son is learning to drive in my '20 Si, I'm bouncing between both Si's quite a bit. There is a certain level of fun in the feel and styling that '20 Si has that is lacking in the '23 Si. The interior, dashboard design, and sound system in the '23 are hands down far superior. The '23 Si engine has a bit of a growl which is nice compared to the '20 that sounds a bit like a sewing machine.

The '19 hatch feels like driving a marshmallow in comparison in how smooth it is over bumps, but even with its CVT, it's got some get up and go! Still a fun car to drive in a different way.

 

[Joden Thorne]

I own a 2022 civic sport sedan and my fiance owns a 2016 civic LX.

Both have a 2.0 engine and CVT.
The tenth gen certainly feels pirkier to pick up speeds, but the 11th gen feels a bit more solid and confident.

Interior:
The eleventh gen stylization is far more functional with its layout, climate control, and screen posture. (Less glare, more accessible for hands and eyes). The eleventh gen also has a much better-looking interior as well. The only downside is the lack of cupholders and storage, although the shift knob being to the left of the cupholders is a massive functional plus. The 11th gen interior materials also feel a lot more premium. I realize they're all just plastics, but the eleventh gen presents them in a much neater way. The honeycomb dash is my favorite feature! The patterned center consol to hide dirt and fingerprints is far superior to the gloss black of the tenth gen.

But tenth gen cupholders and storage is unmatched. Shame the 11th gen lacks this. The sport doesn't even have rear cupholders or an armrest, or a rear seat pocket.

Features:
Between these two trims, I love the lane keep assist of the Sport and the paddle shifters. (Naturally, these can be had in a different tenth gen trim though).

Driving:
The eleventh gen feels far more planted due to its wider wheelbase and 235 tires rather than 215 tires. The tenth gen is far more nimble and the 11th feels more like a boat. Overall it comes down to preference, but I think the 11th is what I am more familiar with, and it feels a bit safer.

Both are fun to drive. If the 10th had paddles it would likely be more fun than the 11th in terms of 0-60, but I enjoy thoroughly the driving experience of the 11th gen with the paddle shifters. Despite being only 158hp, it is responsive and really enjoyable on backroads and twisties. The CVT feels polished and smooth, and the paddles increase the enjoyment in sport mode.

Styling:
Hands down, 11th generation is my preferred taste, inside and out. I love the sedans more than the hatchback designs in both generations, but the 11th gen feels very mature and complete from the factory. Oftentimes the aftermarket ruins the look of the 11th gen by cheapening it. The tenth gen however, seems much more open for modification and personalization in a way the 11th gen isn't. The tenth gen SI looks amazing still with its subtle wing, especially the coupe. It can be turned into something super clean, or aggressive. Whereas the 11th gen made too aggressive looks out of place IMO. Keeping it clean and close to factory is the best way to make the 11th gen look good.

Overall, I prefer the eleventh gen due to its styling, wider wheelbase, and handling. It feels much more mature and complete. I do still love the tenth gen for its storage, pirkier acceleration, and nimbleness. I forsee me and my fiance keeping both cars for a long time

 

[wilbur_the_goose]

I had a '16 coupe (touring) thru late '21 when I purchased a '22 Sport Touring.

I much prefer the 11th gen. Drives better, better steering, better road noise, better sound system. better safety features.