Power Pages: 2001 Honda Civic EX

Every automaker has a signature vehicle that has brought its parent company prestige and worldwide recognition. Porsche has the 911, Chevy has the Corvette, Ford has the Mustang, and Honda has its Civic. No other sub-compact car on the planet has made more of an impact in the automotive arena than the Honda Civic. Since its introduction in the 1970s, the Civic nameplate has stood for safe, reliable, economical transportation. In its three decades of existence, many have tried to copy the Civic's appeal, but most have fallen short. Consider today's soaring gas prices and the 2001 Civic EX's capability of squeezing 32 miles-per-gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway (in the 5-speed model), combine that with an economical price tag of roughly $16,000, and it's hard to pass up such a great value.

With that kind of value, it is easy to see why the Civic is on its 7th generation. Compared to the previous model, the 2001 Civic is a completely reengineered vehicle from the ground up. It boasts more interior room for even more comfort. Also, the Civic sports a new 1.7-liter engine that produces more power, yet is more fuel-efficient than previous generations. From the outside, the overall dimensions are virtually the same, but the 2001 Civic appears a lot taller in height than older counterparts.

The Engine
As stated earlier, the 2001 Civic boasts a new 1.7-liter engine pumping 127 horses and 114 lbs-ft of torque to the flywheel from the factory. The cylinder bore remains the same as previous generation Civics (75mm) but the stroke has been increased to 94.4mm, increasing the displacement to 1668cc. The compression ratio has also been increased to 9.9:1 (9.4:1 for D16Y) for better overall power delivery throughout the rev range. Other added features are the direct-fire coil packs in place of the distributor. Since the engine does not share any characteristics with the previous generation powerplants, finding high-performance upgrades might be somewhat difficult.

Performance Components
Fortunately for us, there are manufacturers already busy hard at work developing products for the current generation Civic. Two such companies are DC Sports and SPW. We called upon DC Sports for the company's new Twin Core System (TCS) exhaust. The unique TCS system passes exhaust gases through two 4.5-inch race-style muffler canisters, giving the exhaust system a very distinctive look and sound. Since exhaust gases pass through two N1-style canisters, the exhaust produces a very quite rumble without compromising flow characteristics. The TCS system utilizes all CNC-cut flanges and mandrel-bent stainless steel piping for unsurpassed reliability and durability.

Second of the products to be installed was the SPW Hayame intake system. By using a low-restriction filter and mandrel-bent aluminum piping, the SPW system improves airflow to the throttle body, increasing overall performance. The intake comes with all the necessary hardware for a complete installation.

Dyno Testing
Now for the real test. Dyno testing has become a vital part of Power Pages testing. Without a dyno it is impossible to determine whether a product is working up to its potential or not. Our dyno session was performed at XS Engineering on their Dynojet. With the Civic all wired up it pounded 110.4 hp and 103.5 lb-ft of torque to the wheels in stock trim. First on the stage was the SPW Hayame intake system. Of the two components, it was the easiest to install. The intake system upgrade bumped peak power levels to 114.6 hp and 106.4 lb-ft of torque. Up on deck next was the TCS exhaust. Installation was a breeze, with everything fitting in place precisely. New gaskets were also supplied with the exhaust system, preventing any possible exhaust leaks. The exhaust made an improvement of 1.8 hp and 0.9 lb-ft of torque, moving peak power figures to 116.4 hp and 107.2 lb-ft of torque. With the two components installed, we were able to improve power levels by 6.0 hp and 3.7 lb-ft of torque.

Conclusion
Considering the fact that only two power products were installed onto the Civic, we noticed a great improvement in mid- to top-end performance on the highway and on the dyno. Stay tuned as we plan to find more power enhancement products for the 2001 Civic and test them out.