disappoint. A trio of 1.6-liter, 16-valve, 4-cyl. engines provides power for all the

Civics. The base 106-hp version is the first production gasoline engine to meet

California standards for a low-emission vehicle (LEV).

Knowing this, we had low expectations when we got behind the wheel. These were quickly

blown out the window. The high-revving little engine was zippy and quick. Paired with

a 5-speed manual transmission, it was responsive and provided plenty of power. If this

is the future, we can live with it.

For the most performance, you can opt for the 127-hp top-of-the-line engine, which

incorporates Honda's famed VTEC technology, electronically managed variable valve

timing that boosts power while improving fuel economy. Peak power comes at 6600 rpm,

which can be noisy. It's gratifying, however, to enjoy this level of performance while

getting 30 miles to the gallon around town and 36 on the highway.

Real environmentalists should try the 115-hp lean-burn VTEC-E engine, which is

available only in the HX Coupe. Half the valves remain closed below 2500 rpm to

improve fuel economy. With a manual transmission, this results in 39 mpg city/45 mpg

highway, although there's 25% more horsepower than last year.

The second piece of earth-friendly technology available on the HX Coupe is CVT, which

combines the convenience of an automatic transmission with the fuel economy of a

manual. The CVT-equipped coupe gets 35 mpg city/41 mpg highway. Compare those figures

to the automatic-equipped DX Coupe's 29 mpg city/36 mpg highway.

A CVT consists of a metal drivebelt and two pulleys. With an infinite range of shift

points, the system can keep the engine at peak efficiency, improving fuel economy and

reducing emissions.

For such a different technology, it's surprising how normal a CVT seems in operation.

The most noticeable difference is a soft whine instead of the usual series of thunks

of a gear-driven transmission. Some people may find the sound odd, but we thought its

smoothness was well-suited to the Honda's refined personality. Our only concern would

be the fact that the innovative CVT technology means you will need to go to a Honda

dealership for service instead of having a choice of repair facilities.

The base transmission for all models is a 5-speed manual. The shifter has a short,

light throw requiring only fingertip operation. The gates are more precise, making for

fast, clean shifts.

The optional 4-speed automatic transmissions now feature Honda's Grade Logic Control,

for smoother shifting when climbing or descending hills. Overall, though, the

transmission has rather noticeable shift points. And weak detents in the gear selector

make it easy for the shifter to slip past the gear you intended to choose.

One area that has benefited greatly from the redesign is ride quality. The Civic's

double-wishbone suspension is essentially unchanged, but more sophisticated shock

absorber damping has transformed the ride quality.

The crisp, light handling of past Civics came at the price of a somewhat harsh ride.

The newly retuned suspension delivers the same bright handling, but absorbs far more

road impact, an impressive accomplishment in a car this light. The Civic now has the

best ride in its class.

Note that base models in each class have skinny, 13-in. tires. We recommend stepping

up to the 14-in. tires.

One of the challenges to Honda in this redesign was to improve the car while

keeping the price low, despite the strong yen. To cut costs, Honda went from 4-wheel disc brakes to discs in the front and drum brakes in the rear. Such an arrangement is more typical in this class of small, front-wheel-drive cars, and to be honest, we didn't notice a difference. Braking is still short and grippy. ABS is standard on the top-of-the-line EX Sedan, a $600 option on the LX Sedan and EX Coupe, and unavailable on the Hatchbacks or HX coupe.