Slippery When Wet: Honda Civic (2003)

Okay, I change my mind. I’ve always said that there would be nothing more memorable than driving the Porsche 911 993 Cabriolet or lapping the BMW Z4 3.0i. I am so wrong. With just an asking price of 780,000 pesos, the refreshed Honda Civic VTi with a five-speed manual transmission can offer a much more exciting experience than any German car could ever offer.

Joining Nissan Motor Philippines in the morning for the X-Trail Media Drive, which is an event all to itself, I had to rush back to finish taping the last part of The Rev Challenge and pick-up a couple of motoring journalist buddies. Of course, I was blessed to drive the X-Trail 200X with cooperative weather. It wasn’t meant to last. By the time the director wrapped up the shooting, it was already drizzling. When we headed back to Caylabne to join the group from NMPI, it was raining cats and dogs. Despite the weather, I obliged Vernon and Lester to have a go in the X-Trail. In exchange, I drove the Honda Civic VTi that Lester brought.

It takes a careful eye to notice the differences with the 2003 Honda Civic. The changes are limited to lower front bumper, which features a rather ubiquitous smiling mouth cut-out; a new grille that’s been chromed up, new circular clustered rear lamps and sportier split-spoke alloys. Like before, the VTi’s interior is underwhelming—the gray and black trim still abound. Minor changes include the champagne silver trimming that now extends to the cup holders and the area between the front passengers, a rather misplaced wooden manual shift knob, and a harder to operate CD player system. It’s not all negative in here however. Honda has added LED gauges that great improve the readability of the Civic’s dials.

Mechanically, nothing’s been changed with the mid-level VTi. It’s still powered by the same 1.6-liter VTEC-3 engine mated to the same five-speed manual. Underneath, the Civic is still supported by the same Independent MacPherson Struts upfront and Double Wishbones at the back. Like before, the lack of safety equipment is disconcerting, more so as the car is 100,000 pesos more expensive than the safety-conscious City. As we were to find out, this is where the fun really lies. The Nissan X-Trail loaded with all-wheel drive and complete safety equipment led the way for me and the Honda Civic VTi as we made our way to a resort in Caylabne.

Snailing our way through stop-and-go traffic, I found the Civic to have some unconquerable plus points. Its manual shifter and clutch to still be the best in its class. Even if I was wearing rubber shoes that weighed a ton, there was no feeling of discomfort. Like any other Honda, all of the major controls were within easy reach. The pedal positions, the steering wheel and even the ventilation and controls can all be easily managed with just touch-feel operation.

However, the downsides are still left unattended. The Civic’s seats still offer way too little support for comfortable driving. The material felt cheap and hard that an hour into our journey, I was already beginning to fidget about. The reconfigured stereo controls required a tutorial to operate. Ditched are the large rotary knobs of the Clarion in exchange for incomprehensible little push buttons. This can seriously cause an accident just because you had to switch stations to avoid Carlos Agassi’s latest single.

When we reached open road, Lester and Vernon dwindled to a dot in the distant horizon, no doubt the X-Trail being squeezed of every last ounce of power. Sure it had a slush box, but because of the bigger displacement it can accelerate pretty well. Of course, for my part, I used all three VTEC stages to catch up. Downshifting from fifth to third, the VTi surged forward, the great aural fest making sure that all 130 horses were accounted for. The Civic can reach speeds up to 140 km/h—maybe even more, if not for the severe rain and slippery road conditions. Every now and then, the Civic was able to catch up—especially in twisty bends, where the relatively balanced handling and low center of gravity can easily equalize the horsepower and drive train handicap.

Using the X-Trail as a guide for upcoming traffic, I knew where I could push the Civic to its limits and where I had to back off. I can liken pushing the VTi beyond the legal limits as fun and exhilarating as having a harem—it’s certainly mischievous. It can make you laugh out devilishly.

However, my life suddenly flashed before my eyes as, in a minor driving error, I mistook a small intersection for a straight two-lane highway. As a small tricycle with its headlight out blitzed across my nose, I had to press the Civic’s brakes—hard. Since the VTi didn’t have anti-lock brakes, the sedan skidded, all four Michelins aquaplaning. I simply straightened the wheel and muttered a short prayer. I let out a sigh of relief as I narrowly—and I mean hairs-breadth, missed the tricycle.

Pushing on, I eventually caught up with the X-Trail at the entrance to the Caylabne resort. The private road here is one fun experience: it is 15 kilometers of mountainous, sweeping one-lane bends capped off by the infamous Magnetic Hill, where an optical illusion can make anything seem to defy gravity.

Because of the Nissan’s advanced all-wheel drive system, it found no problem negotiating the bends at relatively high speeds. On the other hand, the front-wheel drive Civic offered some degree of security, but when taking bends at 90 km/h, that feeling of security just disappears. The Honda remained stable, neutral and nicely balanced all the way. However, because of the lack of traction from the rear tires, it wanted to snap off, like a rear-wheel drive sports car. This is probably the first and only time I’d like to feel the sensation of absolutely on-the-limit handling on a twisty, wet road with ravines greeting you on either side.

Since I was able to write this piece, I made it to the resort—alive. I was smiling so sheepishly, enthusiastically sharing my unique experience. I managed to call close friends and family just to tell them of my narrow escapes and death defying acts. Jason asked how the Nissan X-Trail drove. My response: what X-Trail? You should try using the Civic VTi to catch up with an X-Trail, that’s more fun.

By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang