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Learning to drive is a significant milestone.
It’s a complicated task that should not be underestimated, but also an exciting step towards independence.
And success starts with a great education, which in the case of driver training – considering most states in Australia now require more than 100 hours of practical experience on a learner’s permit – often falls on the shoulders of parents.
Now, teaching your kids to drive can be a daunting process, but it should also be considered an investment in their – and your – safety.
That makes choosing the right car just as critical as any other decision you make on the road.
Here’s why the Honda Civic is the smart choice for teaching young drivers.
Safety
Safety should be the top priority when choosing a car to teach your kids to drive in.
And the Honda Civic is among the best in the small-car class, with a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating and a comprehensive suite of advanced driver aids and collision-avoidance systems.
Under the banner of Honda Sensing technology, all Civic variants come equipped with autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keeping assistance, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, and more.
Importantly, when learning to park in tight spaces, they are also fitted with front and rear parking sensors and have a multi-angle parking display with dynamic guidelines on the centre touchscreen.
The cabin is fitted with 11 airbags, including dual front, side, curtain, rear and knee airbags, as well as centre airbag between the front seat occupants.
Now, while it is critical to cast a wide safety net – and other models tick similar boxes – the most important consideration is how effective the systems are in the real world, without distracting or surprising young and inexperienced drivers behind the wheel.
And this is where the Civic truly excels. The calibration of its safety systems is right up there with the best in the business, ensuring they intervene effectively when necessary while remaining invisible in the background when the driver remains in control.
On top of all that, the Honda Civic is fitted with dusk-sensing LED headlights that automatically turn on in low-light conditions, plus rain-sensing wipers – both of which reduce stress for inexperienced drivers.
The right size
The Honda Civic is also the smart choice when it comes to its physical footprint; it’s not so small that it makes young drivers feel vulnerable in traffic, and nor is it big enough to feel intimidating.
As a compact five-door hatchback, it also has an extensive glasshouse with great outward vision all-round, and easy access to the cabin.
The front seats are comfortable and supportive and, along with tilt and telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, come with a wide range of adjustability to suit drivers of all sizes. Plus they’re heated, providing a little more comfort in the colder months.
Easy to drive
Most importantly, the Honda Civic is a simple car to operate and a great car to drive with a sure-footed dynamic character.
Both model variants – the e:HEV L that costs $49,900 drive-away and the flagship e:HEV LX that commands a $6000 price premium for its extra luxury features, such as full leather-appointed seats, a panoramic sunroof, power-adjustable front seats and more – are powered by the same advanced hybrid powertrain with a CVT automatic transmission driving the front wheels.
The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine is paired with two electric motors in the gearbox to produce total outputs of 135kW of power and 315Nm of torque, while consuming a claimed average of just 4.2L/100km.
While its efficiency makes it affordable to run when chalking-up 100-plus hours of driving lessons, the real benefit is how smooth the system works. There’s effortless low-speed acceleration from the e-motors and seamless integration of the petrol engine.
There are no tricks to learn how to drive it properly: just select D for drive, R for reverse or P for park from the push-button panel on the centre console and you’re off and running.
The Civic does have three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – as well as an individual setting where you can tailor specific elements like the power steering assistance, throttle response and stability control intervention.
On the road, the Civic sets a dynamic benchmark in the small-car class with positive steering, a natural brake feel, and excellent suspension settings that balance sublime comfort with confident handling.
Added security
This is more relevant once your kids have earned a provisional licence and are borrowing your car on their own, as Honda Connect can keep you in the passenger seat virtually.
Honda’s connected-car service is free for the first three years when you purchase a new Civic, and uses a smartphone app to link up with the car.
You can use the app as a digital key, and to remotely monitor the location of the vehicle, or set geofence and speed limit restrictions. It will send an automatic notification to you if they have been breached.
More importantly, it will automatically detect if the vehicle has been involved in an incident and then contact the Honda Care hotline, a representative of which can assist emergency services to a precise location if required.
Honda Connect is part of the Google built-in suite of digital services that also includes embedded Google Maps, voice-activated Google Assistant, and the Google Play Store, where you can purchase third-party apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, and more.
It’s housed within the 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen that features hands-free Bluetooth connectivity, wireless smartphone mirroring, and a 12-speaker premium Bose audio system, alongside a crystal-clear 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster.
Affordable to maintain
Beyond how efficient the Honda Civic is to run with its fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain, it is also among the most affordable cars to maintain, which can be an important consideration when clocking up kays while teaching your kids to drive, or if you intend to share the car after they earn a provisional licence.
All Honda models are covered by a standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty with free roadside assistance that can be extended to up to eight years if the vehicle is maintained on schedule within the Honda dealer network.
Honda recommends the vehicle is serviced every 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first) with the first five visits capped at just $199 each.
So if you’re about to start teaching your kids to drive and you’re looking for a suitable new car, there are plenty of reasons why the Honda Civic is the smart option.