The Collegian

Issue date: 2/25/05 Section: No Limits

The 2005 Honda Civic EX Special Edition.

For 2005, Honda has come out with a new toy that is surprisingly within a college student's budget. I got the opportunity to take that new toy out for a spin late last week. Honda has chosen to call it the 2005 Civic EX Special Edition.

In the words of the brochure, "Somebody once said it's more important to look good than to feel good. Unfortunately some cars in this class take that literally." Well I can certainly tell you that the Civic EX SE is not one of those.

For the purpose of looking good, it has aluminum-alloy wheels and a rear spoiler. For feeling good while you're driving, it's equipped with leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an upscale audio system.

To provide pleasure to your ears, and allow you to blast that feel-good music, the SE comes equipped with an MP3-compatible 6-disc in-dash CD changer, connected to six speakers positioned around the cabin.

I took the liberty of testing out just what this sound system could do, and though it's not an aftermarket set of amped 10-inch woofers, it does surprisingly well for a stock system.

That's not all the goodies this car contains, either. It's a Honda, so along with all of those sweet features, you get the durability of the Honda engine, four-wheel independent suspension with front toe-control arm, a low roll center for better handling, double wishbone suspension, and a high steering ratio for quick response.

Safety-wise, the Civic comes standard with progressive crush zones to help absorb impact energy and dissipate it before it reaches the passenger cabin, child seat anchors for those of you who decide to start a family after college, a rigid cell cabin designed to resist deformation and impact forces from a frontal or side collision, dual-stage front air bags, anti-lock brakes, and three-point front seatbelts.

When you open the driver side door, a cabin greets you with room for five adults, which features ergonomic design, wide, supportive seats, and plenty of storage for your cell phone, and collection of knick-knacks.

With the cruise control on the wheel, the tilt and slide moon roof, and the ample room for three or four of your friends, the Civic EX SE is an all around awesome ride. The best part of the entire car though, is the price tag. At just $17,960 nicely equipped, the Special Edition fits into the budget of those college students who want to spend very little extra money to stand out in the crowded parking lot.

"Where can I get my hands on one of these sweet rides?" you ask? The coupe and the sedan are both available for test drive at Stockton Honda on Hammer Lane. When I visited, Jared Hernandez assisted me, but any member of the sales staff will be happy to answer any questions you might have about the cars, or supply you with a brochure.

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