Thom Blackett’s Opinion of the 2006 Honda Civic’s Quality:
It’s Honda’s own fault. For years, the company has successfully shared the quality crown with Toyota, much to the chagrin of executives at GM, Ford, and countless others. It’s under the shadow of that vaulted bar that the 2006 Honda Civic looks a little rough around the edges. Yes, this is a well-built car, but what’s with the loose A-pillar covers, the inconsistent grains and textures on the dash, the wavy door panels, the misaligned trunk lid, and a front fascia that feels ready to pop off? Factor in the flimsy emergency brake handle, kick panels and rocker panels of differing shades of gray, and the upscale mesh headliner does little to offset the negatives. In any other car, these might be minor if not unexpected issues, but when you’re charged with setting the benchmark, less than 100 percent just doesn’t fly.

Brian Chee’s Opinion of the 2006 Honda Civic’s Quality:
No other automaker does small car quality like Honda. Practice makes perfect, to be sure, and Honda has sold a ton of Civics to Americans.

No surprise there.
We Americans who live on a budget like seeing how far George W. will stretch, and the Civic is one great way to make the most of our earnings. The 2006 model takes the concept of quality for less than $20,000 to a higher level, starting with strong basics like fit and finish and capping it off with a nicely appointed interior that features a mesh headliner, superb cloth seats and plastics that look good, fit together nicely, and – most importantly – feel good on the fingertips. When you combine that with Honda’s reliability record and powertrain track record, the quality of the 2006 Civic should remain high for years. After all, it’s not what a car looks like on the showroom floor, but what it drives like 50,000 miles later.

Ron Perry’s Opinion of the 2006 Honda Civic’s Quality:
This is where Honda shines. After all, it is a Honda. Even the lower level cars in the Honda lineup have a quality feel. The Civic makes good use of cloth and plastic, and even the plastic pieces that are intended to look like metal feel good. I saw no fit and finish flaws, nor did I hear squeaks and rattles. The climate and radio control knobs are done in a faux metal finish as well and their design makes adjusting easy without much visual assistance. Outside it is the same. Good panel fit, smooth paint and no loose trim pieces. Quality is why the Civic has the reputation it has.

Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion of the 2006 Honda Civic’s Quality:
As soon as you settle in behind the futuristic dashboard, twist the key in the ignition, choose a gear, and set off down the road, the 2006 Honda Civic EX Sedan strikes you as a car you could buy, happily drive for ten years with little out-of-pocket expense, and then sell while the styling is still contemporary.

The Civic oozes quality like a teenager does hormones. Inside, the plastics, the fabrics, and the assembly quality are first-rate. Outside, the parts and panels fit together seamlessly. Use the buttons and knobs on the dashboard, and you’d guess the car cost triple what the sticker price says. The Civic is rock solid in all respects, imparting the quality and attention to detail normally bestowed upon luxury automobiles. And check out that luminescent blue tachometer at night, which looks like it came straight out of an Acura. If not for the odd rumbling that came from the rear of our test sample – we suspect a flat-spotted tire – nothing about the 2006 Honda Civic would cause pause before setting off on a cross-country cruise.