I recently went out to lunch with some coworkers at a restaurant I've never

It isn't flashy, but the Civic Coupe is a staple that just can't be ignored.

been to. As I checked out the menu, a lot of choices looked good, but my palette wasn't feeling all that adventurous. In addition, I've started a new healthy eating regime so the fish and chips were definitely not an option (although something deep fried would have been fabulous!). I decided on a field green salad, dressing on the side with some shrimp on top. How boring. After everyone got their food, I heard multiple quibbles about the pasta sauce being too creamy, too oily, or their grilled sandwiches being cold and so on. When asked how my food was, I responded, “It's hard to go wrong with a salad, so it's fantastic!”

I liken my dining experience to driving the new Honda Civic LX Coupe. While I haven't driven this particular model since its facelift last year, I still knew what I was getting into, in the same way you know what you're going to get when you order a salad. It may not be the most exciting choice of car on the menu, but there is little to criticize. It's healthy for the wallet and the environment, it can be customized to fit your appetite, and no matter how you order it, it's fantastic.

When I talk about the Civic Coupe being fantastic, it's not the kind of

Sure there are lots of coupes about, but only one has a profile like this. And that's the Civic.

fantastic that makes me bounce off the walls, or get on the phone and ask my friends, “Guess what kind of car I'm driving?”, or for that matter smile from ear-to-ear. It's more like a feeling that comes from knowing I'm driving an excellent product. The Civic feels well put together; the interior is finished extremely well and the exterior's lines are clean and nicely designed. The DX-G's upholstered seats are cushy on the tushy and the digital readout with blue backlighting fits in well with the cars sci-fi ambiance.

Another Civic Coupe strong point is the standard 5-speed manual transmission. Having driven the Civic EX-L sedan with the optional 5-speed automatic, the manual-shifted coupe definitely feels as though it has more pep. While they both share the 1.8-liter, 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine, with 140 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque, the manual gearbox makes much better use of the power. I suppose the same could be said with a Civic Sedan with its standard 5-speed manual transmission, or contrarily a Coupe with the automatic. Either way, the DIY gearbox certainly isn't as convenient as the auto tranny in stop-and-go traffic, but luckily the manual's clutch is lightweight so that it's not too much of a chore.

That interior may take time to get used to, but it puts everything you need right at your fingertips.

Visibility in the Civic Coupe is surprisingly good, which can't be said for a lot of compact two-door cars. The windshield is quite large and the A-pillars are relatively thin, which enabled me to see comfortably out the front. The C-pillars are not as small, but then again they didn't get in the way too much when checking my blind spots. The downfall of the coupes visibility came when backing up or parallel parking. Maybe it's because I'm not very tall, but then again I'm not the shortest woman around either. Just the same I had a hard time seeing out the rear, having had to perch myself up to find out what was going on behind me. It wasn't too much a nuisance, just an observation for height challenged folks who might be considering this car, or any coupe.

My wheel time mainly consisted of city driving, with a little highway driving thrown in. Unfortunately, no whirlwind adventures to report with the Coupe. Whether I was driving at city or highway speeds, the front control-link MacPherson strut and double-wishbone rear suspension made the ride feel calm and collected, even on bumpy surfaces. Interesting, out of the entire

Those wheels may be aerodynamic, but they aren't pretty.

Civic Coupe lineup, only the LX with manual transmission and the Civic Si make use of electric power steering. And the P195/65 R15 all-season tires with 15-inch lightweight aluminum alloy wheels aided in the car's smoothness. I do have to say that the 15-inch rims aren't all that attractive, and would be my last choice of those offered. They're the same set of rims found on Civic Hybrids, designed to be flush to the tires' edges and therefore cut back on wind resistance, but in the process they're not hot at all.

So the rims may not be the greatest, but the fact that you get a lot of standard equipment on the LX makes it cool. Air conditioning, for one, along with ABS brakes, remote keyless entry, a pretty decent 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with MP3 compatibility and an auxiliary jack (which I'm discovering to be the greatest addition to most new cars) are part of the package, plus a rear decklid spoiler gets thrown into the mix too. While I may not like the wheels, I must admit that they are aluminum rather than steel with wheel covers, so in a way it's a bit of a bonus.

The real bonus is at the pumps, where the Civic Coupe's estimated fuel economy rates at 26 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, making it easy on the pocketbook. It also has a Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions rating, making this low emissions vehicle friendly for the environment. That's a pretty darn good combo for something that looks this sporty and is so much fun to drive.

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So, after a thorough test drive, the new Honda Civic Coupe left my senses and wallet satisfied. It's hard to go wrong when choosing a Civic. It's a sporty little two-door that drives well and feels good for just under $17,000, which is pretty coupe-tastic.