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Is it really worth it to step up to the Touring?

Michael90

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So I'm about two weeks away from getting an 11th gen and I'm still stuck on whether or not to go EX or Touring. I'm a man on a pretty serious budget, but I'm also a man who loves his cars. The only must have option for me is Smart entry, and if it weren't for the blacked out sport wheels (not a fan) I'd just jump into a Sport trim. But instead I have to jump up to the EX. I suppose heated seats and a moonroof (which you get with EX), though both are things I don't care much about, are a nice touch anyway.

On the other hand I absolutely LOVE the Touring's wheels more than the EX's, and leather seats are pretty damn sweet. I don't care about blinkers on the side mirrors, my ears are sensitive as it is so lord knows I don't need Bose, and I don't even have an iphone 12 for wireless charging. It just seems like the Touring is the most popular trim around here. Can anyone explain why? And for someone like myself, do you really think its worth the extra $3500 for what you get?
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TypeSiR

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If you’re eyeing a $29k (Civic Touring) mini-Accord, spend $25k on a real 2018 Accord 2.0T Touring instead. It’s a vastly better and nicer car at a bargain. Check AutoTrader.
 
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Michael90

Michael90

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Yeah I forget which year/trims those wheels appeared on but I'm 99% sure they have been on a Honda before.

When you say "change out" though, don't you basically mean pay up for the new wheels? Something tells me 4 18" touring alloys would cost a fortune. At that point may as well just spend the 28k and get all the other features with it.

To your other point, while the LX is cheapest of course, it doesn't come with Smart Key. Not sure how desired that feature is for Americans but for me and many I know, we can't live without it anymore. I feel it should be standard by now. On one review someone said how apparently Honda forecasted that a whopping 40% of their 2022 Civic sales would be Sport models. Really don't see how that % happening with that blacked out/very sporty look.
 

CeeBee

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If you’re eyeing a $29k (Civic Touring) mini-Accord, spend $25k on a real 2018 Accord 2.0T Touring instead. It’s a vastly better and nicer car at a bargain. Check AutoTrader.
I'm probably going to ditch my Accord because it's just too big for what I need. I leased it because I wasn't sure on the size because I was coming from a 2002 RSX. Love the power, love the interior - car is just too damn big. I'm eying a Sport Touring 6MT as an upgrade for the reduction in size and the nice interior.
 

luigi2120

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You did mention that you liked the Sport trim except the wheels. I would go for that and swap out the rims. Yes you'll have to take the foot of the bill for the rims at first but if you sell the Sport wheels you'll probably end up only paying like 200 bux + installation.

Another big decision is going from a naturally aspirated Sport (2.0L) or the turbo charged EX (1.5T)
 


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Michael90

Michael90

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You did mention that you liked the Sport trim except the wheels. I would go for that and swap out the rims. Yes you'll have to take the foot of the bill for the rims at first but if you sell the Sport wheels you'll probably end up only paying like 200 bux + installation.

Another big decision is going from a naturally aspirated Sport (2.0L) or the turbo charged EX (1.5T)
Thanks for the reply. What exactly are you trying to say with regards to the engine types though?
 

ebhaynz

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It just seems like the Touring is the most popular trim around here. Can anyone explain why? And for someone like myself, do you really think its worth the extra $3500 for what you get?
You're going to get A LOT more car if you buy the touring. Not only the wheels you like but the bigger infotainment screen(9 inch vs. 7 inch), the bigger LCD instrument dashboard(10 inch vs. 7 inch), leather seats, and the much stronger, faster turbo engine. You may not care about the blind spot monitoring or the much better stereo but the touring has these features. In my opinion it's worth it because Honda at least gives you a lot more car for the money. Other car companies may try to do similar things to get your money but it's never worth it compared to what Honda does imo.
 
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Michael90

Michael90

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While I do like the EX wheels, am I the only one who also feels they may look SLIGHTLY dated at this point? I just feel like high gloss chrome is going out...
 

luigi2120

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Thanks for the reply. What exactly are you trying to say with regards to the engine types though?
By your profile information you're currently driving a 2017 Civic EX that has the 2.0L engine. For the 11th Gen, EX model now come with the 1.5L turbocharged engine. So jumping from the 10th gen EX to an 11th gen EX will give you a different engine. If you want to keep 2.0L engine you have now, then you want to get a Sport trim instead
 
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Michael90

Michael90

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@luigi2120 Gotcha. At least if I go EX it won't be a step down in engines. I hear nothing but great things about the turbocharged.
 


jpmccormac

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The biggest complaint I heard - even from Consumer Reports' "Talking Cars" YouTube video cast - is that the 18" wheels on the Touring model transmit unacceptable road noise. Other reviews echo (pun intended) this. YMMV.
 
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Michael90

Michael90

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The biggest complaint I heard - even from Consumer Reports' "Talking Cars" YouTube video cast - is that the 18" wheels on the Touring model transmit unacceptable road noise. Other reviews echo (pun intended) this. YMMV.
Funny I was just talking about this with a friend. The 18" wheels appear to be very thin and sports looking as opposed to the 17's on the EX. I'm assuming that aside from general road noise you'd also feel bumps/potholes a tad more with the thinner 18's?
 

Nessism

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Geeze, is this thread about cars or wheels?

If you don't care about high end features just get the cheapest model with smart entry. The Touring model is for people what want all the bells and whistles. Personally, I'd gladly pay extra for leather and a better audio system; those are two features that I think are lacking on my '17 ET-T. To each their own though.
 

xaviersayys

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I've always wanted parking sensors as I live in a city with lots of tight traffic and parking, so to me, upgrading to the Touring just for those would be enough. But from what it sounds like you want, I think you'll be fine with the EX. The EX is most likely going to be the volume seller.
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