Civic duty

Honda honors its commitment to society by casting the 2001 Civic in the image and likeness of its predecessor.

When the number one suggestion from an automaker's customer base is "a better radio," it's pretty much a given that the customers aren't looking for wholesale changes.

"It's such a pleasure selling a car like Civic," sighs Dan Bonawitz, vice president of corporate planning and logistics. "It's sold in 140 countries and the vast majority of customers don't even cross-shop this car. They know they want a Civic and that's what they buy."

Although most automakers would kill to have Honda's problem, it does present a challenge when it's time to do a major …