2013 Honda Civic refresh seems to appease Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports and the Honda Civic appear to have kissed and made up. Following the compact's substantial "emergency refresh" after just one year on the market, CR got its hands on the vehicle for a quick drive. While the evaluation was far from the standard CR test, the organization found the 2013 Civic to offer a better tuned suspension and less vague steering at first blush. While the split-tier dash still hangs around for another few years, the cabin has ditched much of its oddly textured plastic bits in favor of soft touch materials with nicer detailing. That fact also won the new model points over its predecessor.

As you may recall, the 2012 Civic scored too low in Consumer Report evaluations to earn a "Recommended" rating. That fall from grace marked the first time the Honda model failed to make the cut, though that news didn't stop buyers from flocking to the vehicle. Consumer Reports will buy its own Civic and evaluate it once again soon.

In the interim, you can click here to watch the organization's initial impressions below, as well as read our recent Quick Spin writeup and photo gallery on the revised 2013 Honda Civic.