(August 1, 2011) TORRANCE, Calif — In a statement issued this afternoon from the company's U.S. headquarters Honda replied to the Consumer Reports story that gave the 2012 Civic a score too low to be "Recommended."

"In a broad sense, we disagree with Consumer Reports’ findings. Without question, the small sedan segment is more competitive than ever. In virtually every way, the completely redesigned 2012 Civic is a step forward. The new Civic excels in areas that matter to small-car customers, including fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability. "Among the Civic’s greatest competitive strengths, is a smooth and efficient powertrain that, in Consumer Reports testing returned, '... an impressive 30 mpg overall on regular fuel and 47 mpg on the highway.' ”

"Also noted in Consumer Reports findings, the Civic excels in the area of safety, with a long list of important features standard on all trim levels, and a class-leading ‘Top Safety Pick’ rating from IIHS. Lastly, the Civic has a stellar reliability history with Consumer Reports, and we are confident that the new Civic will be a reliability leader as well."

See "Redesigned Honda Civic scores too low to be recommended" on MotorwayAmerica.