So, after six months and many, many miles the time has finally come to kiss goodbye to our Honda Civic Tourer long termer.
Back when the car was first delivered, we marvelled at the fact Honda claimed it could offer the handy size of a hatchback with the practicality of a much larger car, while also returning remarkably low running costs.
If we’re being completely honest, we were also a little bit sceptical. Can you really have your cake and eat it too?
Before we hand the keys back, we asked our staff to each give their opinion on what it was like to live with the Civic Tourer. You can read our summaries below, and don’t forget to check out the rest of our long-term updates at the bottom of the page.
Daniel Daley, head of video
I literally didn’t know any hatchbacks-turned-estates could have this much space. The underfloor storage alone was almost enough to fit in all the video equipment itself without the need for actual boot space.
Quickly getting any equipment in through the side doors was easy too with its wide opening rear doors, especially when you have the trademark magic seats up. With all seats folded flat you would literally expect to see Mary Poppins at the boot opening given the amount of space that was on offer.
My most impressive achievement in terms of practicality was fitting a 22-inch frame bike in along with all our equipment and enough space for a passenger up front. I couldn’t believe it. The cruising ability of the Honda also impressed me immensely.
The car handled it effortlessly, with not too much power to the point that you find yourself speeding but just enough to handle the long journey with laughable ease. I did find getting the perfect seating position something of a chore each time I sat in it, however the seats themselves were uber comfortable.
That was my only problem with Civic. Little extra things I did like were the keyless entry, traffic updating sat-nav, the front and rear parking sensors with a reversing camera, bright LED headlights and its unique design compared to other estates.
Stephen Goldasz, staff writer
Because its distinctly-styled hatchback counterpart gets a lot more coverage, the Honda Civic Tourer feels largely overlooked. Does it deserve such a fate? I’d say definitely not, because if you want a car that offers a lot in terms of both practicality and efficiency then this Honda does great in both regards.
The cabin feels smart, spacious and versatile, and the engine can deliver some excellent fuel economy figures. The Honda Connect System has all the main features you’d want from such a device and the layout can even be customised to suit different people. What’s not to like?
Okay, so the drive is nothing spectacular, but it feels solid and well suited for lengthy journeys and that’s what’s likely to matter most to estate buyers.
Ryan McElroy, senior staff writer
It’s fair to say that we probably went a bit out of our way to test the Civic Tourer in the past six months that we’ve had it, subjecting it to all sorts of extensive distances, fuel efficiency tests and cramming it to the eyeballs with oddly-shaped camera kit to try and torture out its limits.
The fact that it’s never once faltered and has taken everything we’ve thrown at it with no problems in the slightest says it all. If the Civic could stand up to a throng of motoring hacks and videographers taking pains to give it a hard time, then it’ll easily stand up to the everyday rigours of family life.
No, it’s not the best car to drive in its segment and it’s no longer the one with the biggest boot space either, but the sheer versatility of the car and the fact you can transform its loading space into all sorts of clever configurations means it’s probably the most useful.
Coupled with the fact that the plucky diesel engine is remarkably fuel efficient, the Honda Civic Tourer is a jack of all trades that by far excels the vast majority of its rivals in terms of all-round capability.
Richard Bush, senior staff writer
Whacking a bigger rear-end on a hatchback to make it more practical doesn’t always work. Sometimes the main essence and character of a car can be diminished, but not with the Civic Tourer.
I’m not usually a fan of extended hatchbacks, but the Civic Tourer just works. It offers the same appeal as the standard Civic, but with more space, simple as.
I particularly like the cavernous underfloor storage in the boot which can accommodate a fold away table - stood up. It’s economical too, which is great if you want it to function as a low running cost family vehicle.
If you are in the market for a hatchback and practicality is paramount, then you should definitely give the Civic Tourer a look.
