2006 Honda Civic Coupe First Drive

Honda offers three different versions of the 2006 Civic Coupe, each equipped with the same 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine teamed with either a manual or an automatic transmission. The base model is called DX, the popular mid-grade version is the LX, and the most upscale Civic is named EX.

Standard equipment on the DX includes seat-mounted side-impact airbags, front and rear side-curtain airbags, and antilock brakes. A tilt and telescopic steering column, power windows, a driver’s seat height adjuster, and a rear window defroster with a timer are also a part of the entry-level price. The 2006 Honda Civic DX Coupe rides on 15-inch steel wheels with wheelcovers, has a small lip spoiler on the decklid, and features black door handles and black manually adjustable side mirrors. The rear seat folds down to expand cargo capacity, but is not split.

If you want a stereo, air conditioning, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power mirrors, cruise control, and other niceties, we’d suggest giving the 2006 Honda Civic LX a look. It also comes with floor mats, 16-inch wheels wearing wider and lower profile tires, body-colored exterior trim, and a huge center console storage bin with a sliding armrest. The Civic LX also gets upgraded interior décor; map lights; a power driver’s window with one-touch up and down functions; and a 160-watt audio system with CD player, speed-sensitive volume control, tweeters, and an auxiliary input jack for your iPod.

Pop for the 2006 Honda Civic EX and you’ll bask in the sunshine thanks to a standard power moonroof with one-touch open and close. The premium for the Civic EX also includes spiffy five-spoke alloy wheels and rear disc brakes. EX trim is also your ticket to a remote power trunk release, variable wipers, a rear seat center armrest, a 12-volt power outlet in the center console, a split-folding rear seatback, and an outside temperature display. A navigation system is optional on the Civic EX, and it includes a digital audio card reader. The Civic EX is also wired for XM satellite radio, and comes with a kick-ass 350-watt audio system with six speakers and an eight-inch subwoofer. Ambient center console lighting bathes the middle of the Civic in a warm glow at night, and on the outside the EX gets a chrome exhaust finisher.

Despite an on-sale date of September 15, 2005, Honda hadn’t set final prices for the redesigned 2006 Honda Civic Coupe when we published this story. Estimates ranged from about $14,500 for the Civic DX to $18,500 for the Civic EX. Honda plans to sell about 85,000 Civic Coupes a year, roughly 25-percent of all planned Civic sales.