Honda April 2017 Sales Down 7.0% with 138,386 Vehicles sold + 17 Civic Hatch Review

Honda Canada Sales Up 2.2% With Sales of 18,299 Vehicles

Honda Canada’s April sales of 18,299 vehicles was up 2.2 percent over the 17,906 sold in April of 2016

YTD sales of 59,271 were up 10.0 percent over the 53,873 sold during the same period of 2016.

The Honda Automobile Division had its best April sales since 2008 with 16,608 vehicles sold. Acura on the other hand achieved April sales of 1,691 vehicles, down 23.3 percent comparted to April of 2016.

April 2017 Honda Canada Sales Highlights

Honda had its best April with 16,608 sales vs the previous best in 2008 with 16,412 sales.
Honda CR-V had its best April with 4,657 sales vs the previous best in 2016 with 4,101 sales.
Honda HR-V had its best April with 1,633 sales vs the previous best in 2016 with 1,135 sales
Honda Ridgeline had its best April ion history with 471 sales vs the previous best in 2008 of 467 sales.

Top 6 Canada September 2016 Auto Sales

• GM Canada April 2017 Sales Up 16.4% with 30,948 Vehicles Sold
• Ford Canada April 2017 Sales Up 0.2% with 30,401 Vehicles Sold
• FCA Canada April 2017 Sales Down 9.0% with 27,373 Vehicles Sold
• Toyota Canada April 2017 Sales Up 1.6% with 19,406 Vehicles Sold
• Honda Canada April 2017 Sales Up 2.2% with 18,299 Vehicles Sold
• Nissan Canada April 2017 Sales Down 6.5% with 11,355 Vehicles Sold

 

Hi All:

The 30/39 mpgUS city/highway rated 2017 Honda Civic Sport Hatch with the direct injected and turbo charged 1.5L I4 mated to the MT buried its EPA highway ratings just as the Sport Touring with the 1.5T and CVT did just over a week ago.

The steady state(s) were undertaken just after midnight this morning with temperatures ranging from 62 to 63 degrees F. Winds were calm during the northbound and southbound measured segments.

2017 Honda Civic Sport Hatch with the MT


Just minutes before embarking on data collection early this morning.​

The 39 mpg EPA highway crossover occurred at a calculated 73.04 mph. Considering the Sport MTs trace at 67.5 mph (see below), the 30/39 mpg city/highway Civic Sport Hatch should be rated at 44 mpg highway. 180 hp on tap and a 44 mpg highway rated Hot Hatch? Wow. I continued to use Carcus' three tank .9915* aFCD from his own Civic Sedan with the 1.5T for the calibration because of the capless refueling system in all the 10th gen Civics.

The indicated speeds of 50 through 70 mph were 1.0 mph over the actual speed at 50 and 55 mph and 1.5 mph over at 60, 65 and 70 mph per the Garmin.

RPM at 60 mph indicated 2,280 vs. the calculated 2,236.

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The competitive speed vs FE graph with the MT vs. CVT in the Sport and Sport Touring trim hatch is again telling. Both EPA crossovers were calculated at 73.04 for the MT and 73.55 for the CVT. While the 3 mpg EPA highway boost would be more along the lines of 2 mpg for the average consumer, it goes to show how efficient the 1.5-T really is. Remember both Sport Hatch’s are shod with fuel robbing P235/40R18 Conti Pro Contacts which by themselves probably pull the Civic Hatch down 2 mpg on the highway.

Wayne

 

Hi All:

And a few final points before the long drive back to LA and getting on a plane to Chicago to pick up an Ioniq Limited.

2017 Honda Civic Hatch - 1.5T Engine Bay

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Have I added enough superlatives regarding this powerful and efficient engine and drivetrain. The power output buries everything in the segment except for the performance sport cars and they can barely achieve 2/3 the efficiency that the Civic provides each and every day.

The exterior grabs attention. I have seen numerous double takes and especially from 10th gen Civic owners. While on the edge of modern acceptance and surely the design was steered more by marketing than the aero engineers, it looks hot. Hell, the sedan looks hot. Expect to see competitors add the edges in the near future.

2017 Honda Civic Hatch - Interior

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Considering last week's Sport Touring and this week's Sport, the interior still needs some work. The molded in stitching across the passenger side dash is on the cheap side, the faux carbon fiber inserts are a bit plasticy, the USB and 12V ports underneath the dash are a PIA to get to, and up front pricing is a bit aggressive. No Audio control knobs and minimal HVAC control knobs on the Sport Touring are a non-starter for that single missing feature imho. The Sport however has the knobs and controls necessary. It is just the 5" display audi looks outdated due to the small size vs. modern day 7 and 8" displays even in the low cost competitors offerings.

On the pricing front, the Sport Hatch w/ the 1.5T mated to the 6-speed MT at $22,135 incl. the $835 D&H charge is not bad. The Touring at close to $29k however... There are competitors that include even more in some aspects that can be picked up for about 1/2 that retail price.

Ride and Handling are again Sport Hatch great. Not to harsh but stiff enough to make a corner carver grin.

2017 Honda Civic Hatch F&R Seating

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Front seat comfort is ok. The entire Civic lineup needs a longer lower seat cushion up front and the hatch is no different. Getting into and out of the rear seat is a bit tough but there is ample headroom. Surprising actually given most competitors cut into rear seat headroom for aero reasons. Rear seat leg/knee room is very tight. My knees were into the front seat backs by almost 2" although there was give in that setback for this exact purpose.

The Sport Hatch with the MT would be a great addition to my drive if I were 20 years younger but the Civic Sedan with the 1.5T in EX trim would more than likely grab my $s.

Wayne

 

What tires does your sedan have? The tires that come on the Sport hatchback are relatively soft and sticky, pretty much the opposite of a low rolling resistance tire.

I am a sucker for a good engine and chassis. It doesn't need to be a sports car, but I need something that I enjoy driving. I think I will enjoy this car. Wayne's legroom photo illustrates something that I found when I tried the back seat, it was very low and had no leg support. Only my butt touches the seat. I noticed that in a few cars that I sat in, the swoopy rear roofline may be pushing the rear seats down closer to the floor to ensure adequate headroom.

 

In my current situation, rear seat passengers are more likely to complain about difficulty seeing out over the windowsill, than about head or leg room.

 

Hi All:

I am adding another odd data point I discovered on my last drive back to LA. Although temps were between 69 and 80 degrees F, I thought I would test the A/C for a few miles. It took quite a while to bring the cabin down to 70. Like 15+ minutes and there was only the heat load from the sun through the windows. I am not sure this has been disseminated or not but I thought it would be worth mentioning.

Wayne

 

Hi Dan:

Not all of the problems. The Civic Sport has the 5" screen with the audio and HVAC control knobs. But ... The 5" screen looks out of date compared to many OEMs 7" base touch screens.

The seats are only partially solved in the lower LX/EX trims and USB/Power ports under the central dash cannot be fixed.

On the pricing front, a bare LX trim with the 1.5T mated to the CVT comes in at $21,375 incl. the $875 D&H charge. With a $500 to $1k discount it is still a $20k car+ TTL. Competitors sedans with far more equipment and are even more efficient can be picked up for $5 to $6k less.

Wayne

 

I guess the value of the equipment depends on how the buyer would option out the car. The best value is probably an Elantra, but Elantra with a 7 inch screen and Android Auto is only $1k less than the Civic hatch here with the same size screen with Android Auto plus CarPlay. The Elantra has a heated steering wheel and height adjustable front passenger seat, the Civic does not. But the Elantra is a sedan and the 2.0 really can't compare to the Civic and its wonderful 1.5T. Hard to reach USB ports... I'll plug in my cable once, run it to where I can plug in my device, and leave the cable in the car. It's a 10 second inconvenience to deal with every two years when I change phones.

 

The angles maybe be "muscular", but the material and fasteners certainly aren't. Personally, I see "pointless and busy", with the integrity of a lego car in any degree of parking lot tap.

Guess I'm officially a luddite: would love to see a new car come along, with a zero inch screen, just a few well-placed, tactile knobs an' sliders, and a simple radio.

 

Hi Dan:

Hot Deals

Again, a very nice and efficient but also expensive hatch with some shortcomings vs a well equipped sedan with very few...

Wayne