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Lamley Daily (Preview Edition): 2018 Matchbox ’17 Honda Civic

By

jtl46

#lamleydaily – January 9, 2017

IMG_9541

Model: Matchbox ’17 Honda Civic

Line: 2018 Mainline

Where to get it: Coming this spring.

Why it’s (going into) the collection: Well, it’s a realistic Matchbox, so of course it is going into the collection.

I think the last Honda done by Matchbox was the Insight, and my guess it’s days are done.  The Ridgeline keeps on truckin’, but the old Type R hasn’t been seen for awhile.  So a new Honda is most welcome.  And a nice one at that.

First off, kudos to Matchbox for making the Civic somewhat small.  Hot Wheels and Matchbox can’t totally commit to scale, but both brands seem to be doing the best they can to separate the small cars from the big cars (notice I didn’t say vehicles, as a truck will never sit in the right scale compared to a car).  We have seen it with two Hondas especially.  Hot Wheels’ City Turbo and now this Civic.

Add to that a great color and nicely done details.  This is a no-brainer Matchbox.

Look for it in 2018 Mix C.

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jtl46

22 responses to “Lamley Daily (Preview Edition): 2018 Matchbox ’17 Honda Civic”

  1. andra Avatar
    andra

    i dont think the headlight looks like a real civic…
    love the taillights though…
    a definitely must have…

    Reply
  2. Yuneek Cypher Avatar
    Yuneek Cypher

    It’s no CTR, but I can see one following me home.

    Reply
  3. Ezra B Avatar
    Ezra B

    While I think the front end deco is a little funky, I am SO happy that this was done. I think we need more “regular” cars in the range. This is presisely what I was looking for. I cannot wait to add this to mu collection.

    Reply
  4. Connor McCollum Avatar
    Connor McCollum

    I love that they painted it in the best color you can get on the Civic, which in Honda terms is called “Sonic Grey.” I almost bought a real one of these a short while ago but instead opted for a pickup truck. I have to admit, even though most enthusiasts hate the looks of this car (especially from the rear), I personally love it. The Civic is no longer a boring, jello mold of a car it once was; it now stands out. I especially love it in the Touring package with the blacked body kit and wheels. And most importantly, I love how Matchbox recreated it! The headlights could use a little work however but overall it’s pretty good. Definitely gotta get me a couple of these!

    P.S., maybe in the future they’ll make the Type R version or better yet make another new Honda, like the new generation CR-V or Accord. That would be nice!

    Reply
    1. Speedeeone Avatar
      Speedeeone

      I’ve been considering purchasing a ’18 Civic hatchback as well and Sonic Gray is my absolute 1st choice of color. It looks rather sinister with the black wheel and window trim. I also much prefer the black “mask” on (I believe) all hatchbacks vs. the chrome mug on the non-Si sedans and coupes. I just can’t do the Sport Touring trim level with the CVT transmission as the only option. I would love to have the availability of some of the additional features that come with the Touring, but I have to have the 6-speed manual that’s only available with the lesser Sport (and LX). I am very disappointed that Honda is not making the hatchback body style available in the Si trim level. The Sport is a bit tame and the Type R is a bit over the top boy-racer for my taste. The Si plays perfectly in the middle ground.

      Anyway, back to Matchbox… unless there is a problem with Lamley’s camera or my monitor, I don’t think this car is gray. Looks more like baby blue to my eye. It looks OK, just not a factory color.

      Reply
  5. closedcl8 Avatar
    closedcl8

    Give it to me in Championship White with matching Championship White 5sp or 10sp. Please?

    Reply
  6. JBH6666 Avatar
    JBH6666

    I’m glad to see it won’t be a Type R Civic, as that has been done very well elsewhere. I always welcome “regular” cars when produced in small scale!

    Reply
  7. Allen cheezum Avatar
    Allen cheezum

    It is a cool car i don’t like the wheel choice but other than that im gonna probbly pick one or two up for my collection since i am a honda fan

    Reply
  8. BlackWind Avatar
    BlackWind

    I have two major complaints that I want to get out of the way before going ahead (yes you can curse me all you want for whining but I’m going to say it anyway) –

    First of all, thats the weakest tampo work I have seen in some time. The new Civic has one of the most unique and distinctive front ends of any family hatchback but looking at the massive gaps and incomplete tampo prints on this Matchbox, it doesn’t remind me of a Civic. I can only tell its a Civic because I know it is a Civic. A normal person probably wouldn’t be able to tell that.

    Secondly, the wheels. The Civic is considered a pretty sporty car to drive, but these wheels suggest otherwise. 5 spokes or 10 spokes would’ve looked much better, and suit this car more IMO.

    Alright, with that out of the way, let me say I still love this casting. They got the proportions just right, and even the colour (although I still think the first colour should’ve been white or red). Also in a sea of off-road/ rally cars, police cars and SUVs, this is such a welcome sight in the lineup! It really reminds me of the old days (golden age) when the Matchbox range was full of such city cars. I LOVE that!

    Reply
    1. Ben Avatar
      Ben

      If you think that’s sloppy tampo work, you clearly haven’t been looking too closely at the blue aisle the past couple of years…

      Reply
      1. BlackWind Avatar
        BlackWind

        I am only talking about Matchbox. I didn’t even mention any other brand.

      2. Ben Avatar
        Ben

        Well regardless, Matchbox is light years ahead of Hot Wheels, so I think we should be thankful for that. There’s always room for improvement, but I don’t think this looks bad at all.

    2. andra Avatar
      andra

      i do agree that the tampo work is disappointing….
      you cant tell it is a civic from the front….

      Reply
  9. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    This looks awesome. Like others have said, it’s nice when Matchbox does stock-looking releases of everyday cars you see around town. This Civic will go perfectly in a make-believe two-car garage with the Chrysler 300. And I still think license plates are the unsung heroes of the tampo world…they nudge any good casting just that bit closer to perfection.

    Reply
    1. Jdm Craze Avatar
      Jdm Craze

      Ewww Chrysler 300 in the same garage as a civic? I’ve always viewed the Chrysler 300 as a poor man’s wannabe Rolls Royce.

      Reply
  10. Glenn Avatar
    Glenn

    The ’17 Civic is one of the very few cars that look better as a 4 door sedan than a coupe. The ’67 (’68?) Thunderbird is another one.

    Reply
    1. Yuneek Cypher Avatar
      Yuneek Cypher

      I spend 8-9 hours staring at both the two door and four door models. Personally, 2 > 5 > 4. That said, even the bore-door looks pretty good.

      Reply
    2. Speedeeone Avatar
      Speedeeone

      I was happy to see Honda finally break from it’s slumber with this new Civic lineup. Although I commend them for going the “4-door coupe” route with the fast C-pillar on the sedan, I still don’t think they’re there just yet with the styling. To me the proportions still look a bit awkward. I can’t put my finger on it exactly. Perhaps the rear overhang is a tad too long and/or the tail lights are too large and overpowering the form. The coupe, for me, with it’s shorter rear deck, has much improved proportions over the sedan. Not to mention a tremendous improvement over the 2 previous generation coupes with their awkward cab-forward/long rear deck bodies. The hatchback, to my eye, is still the best looking body style.

      Reply
  11. ShutTheFoxUp Avatar
    ShutTheFoxUp

    Eugh. I don’t get it. HotWheels didn’t have issues making the front of their ’16 Type R look like the real deal, how come this ’17 Civic from Matchbox just has like, three lines across the front? That’s not what the car looks like, guys.

    Reply
  12. Texn Avatar
    Texn

    Re: front tampos…nothing a thin black sharpie can’t fix!

    This will fit nicely with a few other wagons and 4-door hatched from Matchbox. Just picked up a mint Sable wagon, car from my childhood. We’ve been looking at a Civic hatch for our second vehicle (and eventually for the kids). It would replace our old Escape and sit next to the boxy Pilot.

    Reply
  13. Speedeeone Avatar
    Speedeeone

    Dang! I was so excited to see this post, that Matchbox was doing the ’17 Honda Civic hatchback. And then I looked more closely. Though they seemed to have nailed the proportions and the general details, this model is greatly betrayed by sub-standard tampos. That nose is horrific! The tail lights as well only hint at the actual units on the real car. Maybe this issue is simply inherent in trying to apply tampos to such a complex form with sharp creases and the need to wrap around corners? Another problem I’m having is the lumpy D-pillar, likely made more prominent by the unpainted quarter window, not to mention unpainted B and C pillars. Also, as I’ve mentioned above, this is NOT Sonic Gray. MB should have used the same non-metallic gloss gray that they used on last year’s VW GTI. Finally, the wheels may not be the best for this application, but they’re not atrocious. I don’t know if MB has a good wheel for this type of car. Maybe the 5-spokes in a dark finish could have been nicer?

    I think once I have this model in hand it will require some immediate customizing to correct the missing details.

    Reply
    1. S N Avatar
      S N

      Hey I’d love to commission a more accurate version of my current hatch: a different color and wheels with the corrections of course. Do you do that as a service or know someone who does? thanks!

      Reply

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