Test drive: 2006 Honda Civic LX Coupe

I've mentioned in the past that we try to test the lower and mid-level versions of cars whenever possible. This isn't always easy -- the automakers supply the cars, and they like to give us testers with all the bells and whistles -- but more and more we're getting the chance to drive the volume sellers, such as the LX version of the new Honda Civic coupe. Despite his penchant for Porsches, Colin Hefferon is a back-to-basics kind of guy and really enjoyed his week with the unadorned Civic LX.

That said, if you're the soup-to-nuts type, we've also got a test drive of the top-of-the-line Civic EX NAVI sedan, and I'm scheduled to drive a similarly-equipped Coupe before too long. We've also tested the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, though Colin reckons that if your driving is mostly local, your best bet for fuel economy may still be the LX coupe.

Quick shift of gears: Once this post is live, Robin and I are hopping in this week's test car (the Volvo V50 T5 AWD -- what a ride!) and heading up to Santa Barbara, where I will get a chance to drive the all-new 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. I was impressed with the old model when it first came out (2001, wasn't it?), and Hyundai's come a long, long way since then. Can't wait to try the new one out. -- Aaron Gold