THE latest pedestrian traffic lights are dangerous.

Our roadside signals used to dim at night so they didn't dazzle but these new ones are so bright that drivers can't see people approaching on the pavement.

I noticed this when I was driving Honda's latest 1.8 petrol Civic Tourer - a gem of a family estate that would keep most enthusiasts happy.

The brilliant, smooth engine pulls reasonably well in the low range but gives of its best when the revs are pushed higher.

Here it excels in a way that feels better than most turbocharged cars and sounds superb. Yet it will trickle along in sixth gear at low speed and still pull away gently.

The ride is quite firm, making it unsettled in town, but everything smoothes out at speed.

And that firmness produces astonishing roadholding and marvellous grip, making it as quick as hot hatches through the corners.

The six-speed gearbox means there's a gear for all occasions and an economy button turns on lights that change colour to show when you're making the most of the juice.

There's good space for four and a huge boot plus very versatile folding rear seats.

There's good seat and column adjustment but you have to get it just right, or the digital speedometer can be hidden.

Equipment includes climate, parking sensors and good start stop, but there's a lot of tyre noise on some surfaces.