The Civic Coupe missed its scheduled redesign a few years back thanks to a lackluster economy, so rather than a ninth-generation Civic for 2010, we see it in 2012. Unfortunately, despite a stiffer chassis, more room inside, better fuel economy and a more powerful engine for the Si, the Civic feels like a 2010 car. Even more unfortunate, its competitors don’t suffer the same shortcoming.

But before we talk about all the high points of the competition, the Civic would like to make its debut. For 2012, the Civic Coupe gets a wider body that provides 3 extra inches of shoulder room, so passengers don’t feel like they’re riding the subway. This doesn’t make things any more usable out back, as the rear seats are still best left to small children and luggage. The extra space is definitely welcome up front, however, helped by a windshield that shows up with a more rakish angle. Thinner A-pillars help visibility and also contribute to the feel of a more spacious interior, even if they don’t actually add any extra space. The same can be said about larger windows, which open up the cabin a bit. However, the windshield’s angle necessitates a large expanse of dash, frustratingly composed of great swaths of hard plastic. It does little to help perceived quality and negates much of the interior improvements the Civic has received.

Another of those improvements is a 5-inch display mounted in the center of the dashboard in all but the DX trim, hosting readouts for Honda’s Intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) and controlled by 14 buttons crammed onto the tilt and telescoping steering wheel. That’s right - 14. Add sat/nav and things get more confusing still, although the two-tier cluster does work well once you’ve adjusted.

While the interior improvements are welcome, they fall short of the strides competitors like the Focus and Elantra have made, neither of which feature the hard plastics the Civic still offers. Additionally, the lack of sound insulation the compact class is known for doesn’t seem to have been addressed in this latest-generation Civic, and the Coupe is even worse than the sedan in that regard.

However, the aerodynamic benefits the steeply raked windshield offers mean an increase in fuel economy even with no changes to the powertrain. Rolling resistance has been combated as well, and as a result the Civic line gets a claimed 3-mpg bump across the range. But you’ll still be dealing with the same 1.8-liter engine that’s powered the Civic since 2006, here with a 5-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission in DX, LX and EX trims, and solely with the automatic in the EX-L and EX trims equipped with navigation. Again, rivals offer newer, more efficient 6-speed transmissions.

The sport-inspired Si on the other hand gets a new 2.4-liter engine lifted from the Acura TSX sedan. It’s mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and offers a substantial power upgrade from 2011’s 2.0-liter lump. 4 extra horsepower are nice, but 31 extra lb-ft of torque make a huge difference in the daily drivability of the Si. Even with its stiffer suspension and louder engine and exhaust notes, it’s the best offering for daily use, as the extra torque means the engine doesn’t have to be wound up quite so high before getting the motivation to leave the line. The Si also gets larger, 11.8-inch front brakes as opposed to the 10.3-inch units on other models, good for 11 fewer feet in 60-0 stopping distance – a nice upgrade from the 131 feet it takes to stop non-Si models. In fact, DX and LX trims even drop the rear disc for a drum setup, exacerbating the situation further.

With this newest release, Honda has claimed it has “made the best even better,” but that’s difficult to back up. Competitors offer more power, more space, better fuel economy and better interiors and do it all for less money. Adding to the potential frustration, Honda America has announced a recall of 1156 Civics that could be fitted with a leaking fuel feed line. Honda says the majority of affected vehicles have yet to hit showrooms and will be fixed before that happens, but still urges owners to bring their vehicles in for a free check and potential fix.

Little things like this add up, and with the competition offering more in nearly every category, the little things can be enough to sink even something big as the Civic.