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2010 Honda Civic EX-L (photos)

Honda gives its popular and perfectly average car, the Civic EX-L, a few minor tech updates; however, it really needs a complete overhaul. Its next model update is scheduled for 2011. In the meantime, the competition is upping its game.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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1 of 17 James Martin/CNET
Honda's bread-and-butter car, the Civic, has served the company well, lasting almost 40 years in production. The latest generation launched in 2006, making this 2010 model a little dated, especially when it comes to cabin tech.
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2 of 17 James Martin/CNET
The Civic incorporates smooth styling, with few creases, and overhanging sheet metal. Honda's design language remains subtle, making the car unassuming on the road.
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3 of 17 James Martin/CNET
Powering the Civic is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 140 horsepower. The Civic's fuel economy averages about 30 mpg.
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4 of 17 James Martin/CNET
Bigger than its predecessors, the Civic can carry four people comfortably or five people with a squeeze in the back seat.
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The Civic's suspension is firm, but it is more of economy car feel than sport feel.
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The Civic has a reasonable amount of trunk space, in keeping with the car's practical nature.
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7 of 17 James Martin/CNET
Using many hard plastic surfaces, the Civic's cabin doesn't feel particularly well-appointed. With its competitors focusing on cabin comfort, Honda will need to step up its game for the next iteration of the Civic.
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8 of 17 James Martin/CNET
Honda places buttons on the steering wheel's spokes and wraps leather around the rim on the EX-L trim level.
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9 of 17 James Martin/CNET
This bilevel instrument cluster is practical, putting the analog tachometer in front of the steering wheel and the digital speedometer right of it, below the windshield.
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10 of 17 James Martin/CNET
The Civic's five-speed-automatic transmission has three low range, but no manual mode. A five-speed-manual transmission is available.
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11 of 17 James Martin/CNET
The navigation system in the EX-L is DVD-based and uses low-resolution maps. Also, we found Civic's route guidance to be frustrating in an urban landscape.
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12 of 17 James Martin/CNET
The Civic's touch-screen keyboard is very ugly, and its response times are slow.
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13 of 17 James Martin/CNET
You can access the stereo's CD and PC Card slots with the press of a button, a powered hinge flips the LCD down.
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14 of 17 James Martin/CNET
Honda includes an XM satellite radio with its cabin tech suite in the EX-L.
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15 of 17 James Martin/CNET
The Civic gets iPod integration in a midcycle update. We appreciate the feature, but Honda's implementation is ugly, and its response times are slow.
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The Civic EX-L gets a six-speaker audio system with a 160-watt amp that has acceptable sound quality.
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A Bluetooth hands-free phone system came in as a midcycle update for the Civic, but it is very basic. For example, the only onscreen feedback it gives is this informational graphic.

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