WHEN I sat in the new Honda Civic 1.6 Sport the first thing I noticed was how low I felt in the car. Initially I thought it would take getting used to but the more I drove the car the more it grew on me, writes Andrew Daniels.

The brochure told me the most important element of the Civic is "you" and as I set off across Lambrigg Fell the more slanted windscreen than I'm used to gave me great visibility around the numerous bends in the road and the rally-style dash-mounted gearstick surprised me. I easily adapted to using it on the long ascents, so I could understand what they meant. The engine was pleasantly quiet too. There were times I was waiting at a junction and thought that I'd stalled because it was almost silent. As you accelerate the gentle roar of the engine is quite deceptive as the car speeds up on the flat although it was tested by some of the steeper hills.

The sporty car was most at home cruising at speed along the M6 and, as I took time to relax and sample the Honda experience, I was impressed with what I felt. At times I had to slow down because the car made it feel like you were going slower than you actually were. Away from the motorway the handling with electronic power-steering was tight and I felt safe taking corners at speed.

Inside, the seats were firm and supportive and for a three-door car of its size there was a decent amount of leg room. A noticeable feature was the plentiful pockets of storage which are very useful. After studying the interior I even found one of many drinks holders hiding away to the right of the steering wheel. The dials and controls were easy to grasp and the car comes with mirror de-misters that could prove very handy on a frosty morning in the Lakes.

In the age of traffic calming the low body work and bumpers may not be suited to jolting over speed bumps or tackling country lanes littered with potholes but I never came across any problems.

I felt some of the dash could have been arranged slightly better the gearstick obstructed the rear window de-mister button at times and I found reaching for the radio/CD player controls a bit distracting - but they're just minor points.

To sum up the Civic Sport I would say smooth and responsive.

l The Honda 1.6 Civic Sport was supplied by John Wilding Honda on Queen Katherine's Avenue, Kendal and costs £13,600 on the road. This model has group six insurance and, if bought on the Honda Aspiration package, 21-24 year-olds can get subsidised insurance and for over 25s you can take advantage of one year's free insurance. For more information, contact John Wilding Ltd on 01539-741001.