Today’s classic cars seem so far out of reach in terms of price and availability. What makes a car a classic and is there any way of being able to pick a future classic today?

The classic cars of today all have something in common – great style. The Ferrari, the Rolls Royce, the MG and the VW camper van are all beautiful cars in their own way. Obviously, different classics appeal to different kinds of people, but you can appreciate why some people love the VW split-screen camper even if it’s not your personal favourite.

It’s hard to see which of today’s new cars will be tomorrow’s classics. Part of it is to do with the materials used – a lot of today’s cars seem to look like they’re made of moulded plastic and not as if they will stand the test of time.

It may be that the classics of the future will be more about technological shifts than looks. It’s probable that all the new eco cars on our roads will soon be overtaken by further technological advances – today’s cutting edge hybrids and electric vehicles will take on the mantle of having antiquated technology when compared with the next big thing.

However, that’s not to say that the car manufacturers have given up on beautiful design. Honda’s latest concept offering at the Tokyo Motor show late last year showed us that design is still high on the agenda, when the company showcased the Honda EV-ster – an electric two-seater sports car that can reach 99 mph and has a range of 99 miles on a single charge. But although it looks futuristic now, will it stand the test of time – if it ever gets produced that is? And will that look appeal to classic car enthusiasts of the future – who knows?

If you think you’ve spotted a classic car of the future, and you can afford it, the best thing you can do is buy it, drive it, and love it. You may have a classic there, but if not, at least you’ve enjoyed owning and driving it.

Since it was first introduced to the UK 30 years ago, the Honda Civic has sold over 650,000 models in the country in an evolution that has seen eight generations of this most iconic of Honda vehicles come and go

This year sees the car’s ninth incarnation and it looks to be the best yet. Perhaps what makes it better still for UK motorists is that the Honda civic 2012 version is built right here at Honda’s Swindon plant.

Whether or not it will enable the most famous of all Honda’s car marques to break through the one million barrier in the UK remains to be seen, but if the performance, styling and sleek looks are anything to go by – perhaps it will.

The new Civic 2012 strikes the perfect balance between practicality, speed, performance and economy – and this is reflected in the cars new look which has been a little toned down from its predecessor following extensive customer consultation by the car company.

But the new car certainly takes heavily from its predecessor’s styling which worked so well – particularly with UK motorists.

It’s a little wider, lower and longer than the eight generation Civic, and has significant changes to its suspension, the engine range, the rear visibility (which was identified as a problem on the predecessor model and has been a little improved) and the introduction of new eco tech. This enables drivers to select an eased throttle response and gives more torque lower down; the Eco Assist, notifies drivers if they’re driving efficiently or not, and Honda’s stop-start system helps top up the mpg figures; as high as 67.3 mpg for the 2.2 diesel model – which also packs quite a punch.

The Civic is not a sports car, but it looks like one – and the bigger engined diesel version really behaves like one. Overall, the diesel looks to be the best choice as it’s very cheap to run with very low emissions.

A smaller diesel version will be introduced next year – maybe it will help push the Civic over the “one million sold” in the UK before long?

If you’re travelling somewhere on holiday or on business in the near future and you’ll need to hire a car – then why not make that hire car a Hybrid car – or maybe even an all-electric vehicle if you don’t need to travel too far?

Most of the world’s major hire car companies now hire out eco cars as a mater of course – and hiring one can be a really great way to try one out if you remain a little nervous about green car technology.

It’s particularly useful if you’re travelling on business. This is because you aren’t paying for the car yourself (!) but also because companies aren’t just making efforts to go green these days; more than that, they’re making every effort they possibly can to be seen to be moving in a carbon neural, environmentally friendly way.

So the hiring of eco cars by execs will very probably be warmly welcomed by most large corporations.

This is also an ideal way of doing an extended test drive on the electric or hybrid car you may be thinking of buying. Hiring a car for a few days is an entirely different matter to taking one a couple of times around the block from a new car showroom; so the hire is tantamount to a very long test drive. This is ideal because it has to be said that hybrids do drive slightly differently.

When the car is climbing a hill, for example, and you may be used to the feel of a car “digging in” to get there – well the feel in a hybrid is entirely different. The petrol or diesel engine just doesn’t feel half as strained thanks to the battery’s contribution. And in engine braking, when easing off the pedal going down hill, you can feel the difference again.

You may love it, you may not but either way, at least if you hire, it’s only a partial commitment.

A few years ago, although miles per gallon were important to people looking to buy a new car, those looking for a family wagon were equally concerned about the interior space and the room in the boot for luggage.  Of course, the car’s performance was also important. Today however, fuel economy has become the most important factor for many people because of the sharp increases in fuel prices.  It’s no good having a really fast car that you can’t afford to fill with fuel. And something that’s becoming increasingly important for many drivers is the impact that their choice of car has on the environment.

Of course, the better the fuel economy then the less impact there is on the environment, as using less fuel means that your car will produce fewer carbon dioxide emissions.  The two things go hand in hand to some extent.

However, although pretty much any new car offers better fuel economy than previous models, some cars can be even better for the environment. Choosing to drive cars that use alternative fuels can reduce the negative impact on the environment. Natural gas, for example, not only costs about a third less than petrol, it is also cleaner to drive.

Hybrids offer a good option eco-friendly driving option. Their fuel economy is good as the car is powered by two fuel sources – a small internal combustion engine that is assisted by an electric motor.  The electric motor is powered by a battery that is recharged continually while the car is in motion through a process called regenerative braking. Hybrid technology has been around in production cars since the late 1990s, when Honda and Toyota released the first hybrid cars.  Since then, the technology has got better and better, with the introduction of plug-in hybrids that can be charged at home and the use of stop-start technology which further increases fuel economy.

Although hybrids still have a premium attached to the sale tag compared to conventional models of the same cars, drivers can expect to make up the difference through savings in fuel costs and road tax costs.

Honda’s latest generation of one of its most popular cars goes on sale soon – the civic 2012 is the ninth generation and its chief difference from previous verions is the improvement in fuel efficiency.

Like all the other car manufacturers, the cabin is getting more high-tech with every generation. The new Civic interior has a bigger feel to it, with technology features like USB Audio Interface, Bluetooth handsfree, Bluetooth streaming audio and a colour LCD intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID). The Honda Sat Nav has voice recognition and FM Traffic.

For safety, the Civic has anti-lock braking and Vehicle Stability Assist™.  It has standard side curtain and driver and front seat passenger airbags. The body structure is designed to absorb front collision energy with its Advanced Compatibility Engineering ™.

Like its predecessor, the new Honda Civic’s dashboard is split into two levels, and while this may take a little time to get used to, it doesn’t hamper the functioning of the car at all. The main functions are clearly separated on the Civic’s dashboard and the top layer has a digital display which updates what else is happening on the dashboard – with information on audio and navigation, too.

Less pleasing for taller drivers is that the seat doesn’t really adjust downwards, so you can feel you’re sitting a little too high above the wheel, and the curve on the lower dash may feel a little close to your left knee. The bar brake light on the back window may affect visibility for some drivers looking in their rear view mirror.

On the plus side, there are Honda’s magic seats which fold completely flat in the back, or flip up vertically to fit in awkward loads, demonstrating Honda’s desire to produce a car that is stylish yet remains practical.