2007 Honda Civic EX Review

This is a review of the 2007 Honda Civic EX Coupe Automatic (Eighth Generation - same as the 2008 Civic). I bought this car two months ago and I still have mixed feelings about it. I have put just over 2000 miles on it to date. For comparison purposes: I am 6'1" and about 200 lbs. My previous car was a 1997 Nissan Sentra.

In the two months I've had the car, I've filled up 9 times, averaging 26 MPG as my actual MPG, with about 75% highway driving. I use 87 octane regular unleaded from Sunoco and Exxon. (For comparison, the average MPG of my old Sentra for the previous 9 fill-ups was 27.6). My lowest MPG has been 25 and my highest 27, giving me a consistent, if somewhat disappointing, MPG. This is definitely not the 30/40 MPG advertised - I understand that no car gets its advertised mileage, but my commute consists 75% of a straight road without traffic, traveling at a constant 60 MPH, and the best MPG I've had so far is 27.



Everyone I drive by stops and gawks, so there is no denying that this coupe is a real winner in the looks department - but you don't need me to tell you - this thing is sexy! I definitely prefer the look of the coupe to the sedan, but that's up to you. The extras that the EX provide are nice, especially the moonroof. It has about a 50% tint, and lets you either tilt the back open about 10 degrees up for ventilation, or slides back to open fully. It is "one touch" which lets it slide all the way open with one click.

I feel confident passing cars at highway speeds, and the 4-cylinder engine is more than enough for everyday driving. Normal highway cruising speeds keep the engine at about 2500 RPMS. There is a split-second hesitation before the engine kicks in if I accelerate too fast from a stop sign or red light.



The coupe is hard to see around, however. I cannot see down the hood of my car, nor can I see my trunk. The deck lid spoiler doesn’t help that much in locating it. Seeing around the sides of the car is also a challenge, since the curtain airbags take up a lot of space along the sides, reducing the rear side windows to tiny triangles – just barely of any use.

If you are a tall person, the 2007 Honda Civic Coupe may not be right for you. During my 10 minute test drive, I felt fine, but as the first week went on, I felt less and less "at home" in the car. The legroom for me is just alright, but my concern is the headroom - I am 6'1", and I cannot sit fully upright in the car, nor can I find a seating arrangement that works very well for me. I think this has to do with the moonroof - it does take up about 1" of the ceiling. So having the moonroof is a mixed bag – perhaps the model without it would have suited me better. The seats are quite uncomfortable because they are stiff and do not have effective lumbar support. After more than just a short trip, my lower back is in pain. I wish they had put in lumbar adjustments into this car, but a small pillow does help a little. I seriously considered returning this otherwise great car because of how uncomfortable I was in it. A triangle wedge seat pillow with a hole for the coccyx relieved a great deal of the pain, so I kept the car. The downside is that sitting on the pillow makes me sit even closer to the roof, so it’s a stopgap solution at best.

I’ve not tried the rear seats for any real amount of time, but when I’ve tried to, I’ve had quite a hard time squeezing in. The roof seems a lot lower, too, and the legroom is very minimal. I’d suggest only children and/or shorter people should sit back there for any trip over a few minutes. The plus side is that the floor is flat all the way across.

Overall, I'd say if you are less than 5'11", there is no major reason you should not get this car. It's sexy, performs great, and is a pretty good value. My mileage isn’t that great, but I'm hoping it goes up – maybe 26 MPG is pretty good for some people, I don’t know. But if you are taller than 6', I'd strongly suggest you look at a bigger car, or spend more time test driving it to see if it really fits you. Or get the DX/LX model without the cool moonroof.

Pros: Beautiful, beautiful car; EX comes with fun extras; peppy acceleration
Cons: Car roof is too low for taller people; somewhat uncomfortable seats; blindspots; rather low mileage
The Bottom Line: Good performance, sexy styling, cool extras. Some visibility, headroom, and seating issues - test it for a while before you buy.

My review posted at epinions: http://www.epinions.com/content_332733386372

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UPDATE 24 May 2008/ I ended up selling the Civic in the summer of 2007 (on Craigslist! it worked out pretty well, too). The decision was based mainly on the fact that I was moving up to New York City and decided that I didn't need a car. However, if the car had been more comfortable, I just might have taken it.

I've since purchased a 2008 Honda Accord Coupe (my review can be found here) that is significantly more comfortable and roomy than the Civic. Both the 2007 Civic and 2008 Accord coupes are excellent cars, but definitely make sure you feel at home in the car before signing any papers!

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse: The $159 Mistake

A reivew of the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Fairfax, Virginia.

My friend Stevie came to stay a few days this past weekend. We went to see the Smithsonian, Charles Town Races, Leesburg, Tysons, and the movies Zodiac and 300. On the last night, yesterday, I had a $100 gift card so I took him to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. I had been so excited about going.

The reviews on epinions.com were almost uniformly excellent (the location on the site says Chicago, but that's just incidental), so I was looking forward to (fine?) dining.


ohmagaw. instant coronary!

I thought that we'd have to dress up nicely, so I was worried that jeans and a shirt (sweater for me) might be a little too casual. But my worries turned out to be foolish because there were several groups in the restaurant dressed equally, if not less, formally than we were.

It was a Monday night at 7:15 pm, so the restaurant was only moderately busy.

I was impressed by the dark wood decor and the muted lighting. The staff were appropriately dressed; the host was brooding or snobby, I couldn't tell. Actually, I recognized him as someone I went to high school with.

The Service

After we were seated, the waiter came up and asked us if we would care for wine, spring water or mineral water. He did not offer plain water and I got the distinct impression that, while affable, our waiter would look down on us if I requested plain water. So I accepted the first choice of "still" water he offered - I figured that since I so seldom eat out at such an upscale restaurant that I should soak it all in.

The busgirl with him showed us the bottle, popped the lid, and poured the water for us. After that, Steve tried to order, but the waiter stopped him, and said that he would be back to tell us the specials in a moment. So we waited.

After a few minutes, our waiter came back and did his spiel about the specials. None of it appealed to me since it was all seafood. We both ordered the caesar salad, the T-Bone done medium well, au Gratin potatoes, and the bread pudding with whiskey sauce (the waiter, with a raised eyebrow, asked us if it was to share). The waiter said that he'd hold off on the bread pudding and confirm with us after we had eaten our meal.

At this point, the busgirl came by to refill our glassed of water. But she filled it from the pitcher of ice water instead of from our bottle of "Acqua Panna" from Tuscany.

True, I was unable to tell the difference between the two, but it was the principle of the thing. If If I am coerced into buying a $9 bottle of water, I want to at least know that I am getting my money's worth.

She apologized and ran to the kitchen with our bottle and came back with a new bottle.

Only it wasn't.

We were both sure it was the same bottle, and she had just filled it under the tap, especially since she didn't pop the top in front of us. The best part was when the bill came, the waiter assured me the second bottle was "on the house" because of the mistake. Yeah, thanks for the free tap water! Or as we called it: "Acqua Municipal del Fairfax County."

I guess I should not complain. That was the only time beside the initial pouring that we had our water served to us. The rest of the time, we poured our own water. Not that I would normally mind, but again, it was a $9 bottle of water, and I think it should have come with at least some service.

The Food

Caesar Salad:
$6.75 each

The leaves of lettuce were whole, and each were slightly coated with dressing. Presented on a square plate with three cherry tomato halves along the bottom. It was a novel experience having to cut the lettuce as I ate. Overall, it looked and tasted quite nice. Recommended.

T-Bone Steak, Medium Well:
$44.95 each

Both our steaks came out sizzling on the 500 degree plate, and remained hot and juicy to the end of the meal. These were massive portions of meat and smelled great with the butter on it. Steve's steak was perfectly prepared - pink all the way to the bone. Mine was slightly off: the thinner, outer parts were pink, but halfway to the bone, the meat was dark pink, and finally the meat around the bone was red. The parts that I did eat were quite good, however. Mixed bag.

Au Gratin Potato
$8.25

Diced, not sliced. And covered with a molten mess of cheese instead of a cheese sauce. I thought it was trashy and tacky but Steve liked it. Mixed bag.

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce:
$9.45

Ah, the highlight of the meal. While the waiter had originally told us he'd confirm this order with us after we ate our meat, he finally just assumed we wanted it and informed us it was on our way. We had actually decided after our meal to forgo dessert, but since it was already prepared, we decided to try it. And I'm glad I did! The pudding was moist and soft, and the sweet whiskey sauce was divine! Highly recommended.

The Bill

After we finished the bread pudding, there was a long wait of about 10 minutes before the waiter brought us our bill. These long periods of waiting were common throughout the meal; Stevie suggested that it was intentional, to allow people to conduct business or enjoy conversation without constant interruption. I can see that point, but then again, lots of restaurants have staff who are able to check up on diners without interrupting them too much.

The meal for two came out to $135.50 for a bottle of water, two caesar salads, two T-Bone steaks, potatoes au gratin, and the whiskey bread pudding. I paid with my $100 gift card and put the balance on my credit card. Steve said that the waiter eyed the cards as he left, but to my relief, gave me no snide look. When he came back, he thanked us and walked away slowly.

The bill on my credit card came out to $35.50, but I tipped for the entire balance of course. I usually tip 15-18%, and last night was no exception, even though Steve thought 18% was entirely too much for the non-service we received. But whatever. After we left, Steve saw the waiter gallop for our check; I was moderately insulted - I felt like the waiter assumed that I only tipped on the $35.50 charged to me, and wanted to find out right away. Steve told me also that when I was back at the table calculating the tip, the waiter was staring quite intently at me, "like a pedophile at an elementary school playground."

So I went into Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with high expectations of fine dining, excellent service, and in general, a taste of the good life. It was exciting going in and just being in the ambiance of a fine restaurant. But the food and service left something to be desired. Much to be desired.

Oh well, Morton's next time, I think.

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Kiva: Loans that Change Lives

My neighbors are really nice people and they do a lot of charity work - something that is absolutely commendable. When they've sent out their letters requesting donations to the various causes they support, I usually haven't had a problem forking over a Jackson or so. I don't know if it's just because they feel that I'm a reliable donor or if they hit everyone with the same frequency, but it feels like every other week I receive a letter from them asking for more money. That is just too often, especially for a soon-to-be-jobless college student like me!

I'm not saying I'm hard up on cash, but, maybe it's...donor fatigue?

However, that said, I still "donate" monthly to Kiva, a microcredit lender. Microcredit was big news last year because Muhammad Yunus, the founder of a major microcredit institution in Bangladesh, won the Nobel Prize for his efforts. The idea is that you provide a small sum of cash (interest-free) to entrepreneurs in third-world countries. While the sum of cash is rather insignificant to us, when pooled with other small sums from other people, it can really help people in poorer countries get up on their own feet. For Kiva, the time horizon of these loans are usually about 1 to 1.5 years, at which time, you can withdraw you money or, as most people do, re-loan the funds to another entrepreneur. Again, these loans do not pay interest, and do carry a significant threat of default. But the amount, starting from $25, is so insignificant, you can basically write it off as charity.

That, however, is not to say you should expect default; Kiva loans have had a historically high rate of repayment. This is so much different than charity (which does have it's place, too) because it helps people in poorer countries break their dependence on the largess of developed countries. These loans allow people to start their own businesses or expand existing ones, giving them a sense of accomplishment and responsibility. This in turn creates long-term benefits for both the loan recipients and their local economies.

Here is my lender page at Kiva: https://www.kiva.org/lender/bobby2759

Here is a stock letter from Kiva for you to peruse, if you are still interested:

I wanted to let you know about Kiva (http://www.kiva.org/), a non-profit that allows you to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur in the developing world. You choose who to lend to - whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq - and as they repay their loan, you get your money back. It’s a powerful and sustainable way to empower someone right now to lift themselves out of poverty.

If you need more "reputable" validation than my recommendation, know that they have received great press in publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to NPR to BusinessWeek. Thanks for reading!