2009 Honda Civic Research & Reviews

Overview & Reviews

Average Score

4.40/5 Average
282 Total Reviews
This Year's Model Updates:

Marking the changes for the 2009 Honda Civic are a slight nose and tail job, new wheel designs, a pair of new trim levels (LX-S and DX Value Package) and a number of high-tech enhancements (including Bluetooth availability and a USB audio input).

Pros:
  • Wide-ranging engine lineup offers both fuel efficiency and performance, roomy and refined interior, strong crash test scores, available as a sedan or coupe.
Cons:
  • Controversial gauge cluster design, Bluetooth and stability control only available on upper trims, slow acceleration times of Hybrid and GX models.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 282.00
  • Love this car! - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    I am really not sure what there is to complain on this car. I owned it for more than 1 year and had 0 problems! Well.. I forgot the light on one night, but the battery held it for about 15 hours! Strong battery and good performance. My car gives me 44.0 mpg in summer and around 40 mpg in winter due to idling longer in cold weather. The seats seem to toughen up after 1+ hours of sitting and it is painful, but overall, I would give it an A+ so far. I would definitely recommend! And hoping to keep the car for 10 years or at lease until I finish my degree.

  • Bought a car to flip. Learned to Love it! - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    I bought this car and owned it for a year only because I needed a truck. What a blast! The car came with two problems, which allowed for me to afford it at a discounted price. 1. Radio was crazy. changed stations by itself occasionally. Cost: $40 2. Clear coat was fading and flaking off of black paint. Cost: $0 because Honda extended their paint warranty to 7 years Unlimited miles for all affected models with this defect. WOW! I was so impressed with Honda, they repainted almost my entire car with almost no questions asked. It was so easy, and once I found the right dealer they put me in touch with customer service which went flawlessly. I cant stress enough how easy and streamlined their warranty process was. Not only is Honda great, the car was great. This was my first economy car and once gas was no object I piled the miles on, without care for my mpgs. Every drive I made exciting, because I could rely on my Honda even under hard use, and it was fun to use hard. While its not overly powerful, the motor loves to rev. The Transmission shifts well. The car is surprisingly easy to drift. E brake used on a regular basis! Steering was instant and crisp and there was 0 body roll, unless you loaded it to the brim. I definitely felt a connection to this car. Steering feel was excellent, even over 100 mph. I cant explain how much the engine just likes to go. Its not powerful, not fast, but its so reactive and fun to drive in the curves, and can cruise happily at 90 mph all day. My only gripe was the transmission. Dont get me wrong, it was a fine unit. If you ever wanted to drive and have fun you needed to manually shift it though. It was not so much a performance thing as some economy setting. I had to practically floor it to get a responsive down shift. Once the Honda decides its time, its lightning quick. But until then, your stuck out of the power band. Other then all that, the only creature comforts my car had was a base model radio (acceptable), AC (worked great), and the heater. The little aluminum block doesnt warm up unless you drive and work it in the winter, but once its up to temp....That heater is a FURNACE. I swear, it could burn you if you hold your hands too close for too long. Awesome heater. Car holds a surprising amount of cargo too. I filled so full it was practically a truck one time. Fold down seats. In summary, I really expected to hate this car, but after owning it for one year I would never have sold it had I not needed offroad capability and towing. (trust me I tried) I truly enjoyed driving it, which is really saying something for a boring economizer like a Honda Civic. I can see now why ricers like to ruin them. I brought the maintenance up to date, and the car was better off when I sold it after over 20k miles. Extremely low cost of ownership. I tried to drive the beans out of it but it just asked for more. Surprisingly tough for its size. Id also like to add that I have drove later model Hondas that were not as peppy as my 2009 1.8.

  • Love my Fa5 - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    I love this car!!!! Everything about it is truly amazing! The k20z3 engine is a true gem. The car feels pedestrian below 5,800 RPM however, rev it past 5,800 all the way to its 8,000 RPM redline and and you will be treated to aural ecstasy courtesy of Hondas infamous vtec technology. When i-vtec engages the car sounds like a high revving v8, pulling hard all the way to the redline. The i-vtec helps deliver top notch performance (for an N/A four cylinder) while maintaining great gas mileage and drive ability. The high revving k20 engine is pared with an unbelievably smooth short throw six speed manual gearbox. The combination of the engine and perfect shifter make this car a pleasure to drive. However, the cars practicality set it apart from other sporty car options. The seats are comfortable and will hold you snug, the air conditioner is ice cold, and the additional two doors really make life easier. Interior materials are of excellent quality and the faux suede seats with red Si stitching look great. The red gauge lighting and aluminum pedals are superb touches. Other great features include an auxillary and usb port. The car is also well equipped in the storage department. Now, the car does have its issues and those issues are why I didnt give it a perfect rating. For one, the tranny is complete garbage, which is a shame considering how smooth it shifts. My second and third gears grind on a weekly basis. They are fine under normal driving conditions however, under spirited driving they tend to grind. My second gear loves to grind when I accelerate to the redline in first gear. This has caused me to bang off of the rev-limiter on multiple occasions in an attempt to shift into second. My second gripe with this car is the paint. Like wtf Honda? My car is a 2009! There is absolutely no excuse for fading paint on a six year old car! What makes it worse is that this problem isnt unique to the Si either. My brothers red 2009 Honda Fit is starting to turn pink :(. My last issue with this car is a performance issue. I used to own a 2000 Honda Prelude prior to buying my Si. The Prelude was miles ahead of the Si in terms of handling. The Prelude was more well balanced and neutral when attacking corners. The Si? Well, the Si feels like a wet sponge in the corners. The cars body roll and understeering tenancies are pretty noticeable and are downright scary at times.

  • buy this car - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    I have a 2009 civic sedan lx 5spd manual I purchased new ...336,005 miles later it has never had a single thing break (minus the a.c. somewhat recently). Mileage was always a calculated 40mpg up until it for real old and now I get 36mpg. I just had all major suspension components replaced because I hadnt ever replaced a single thing. Didnt need to...mechanic said all were in acceptable condition. I dont know what would possess ANYBODY to buy a GM, Chrysler or Ford when you can have Honda and Toyota quality. I will buy this exact same car again. Detroit cars are fine as long as you unload them before 80k and 4 years. Absolute junk beyond that. Honda is the way to go. Period.

  • Get another Hybrid, not a Civic - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    I have owned or leased Honda vehicles for the past 13 years. They have all been wonderful as far as value, comfort and reliability. The Honda Civic Hybrid is the exception primarily due to the hybrid component. The speedometer, USB ports, steering wheel controls, and overall comfort inside make for a great ride, but taking a car to the dealer negates the advantages. I had never taken any of my Honda vehicles to the dealer for any sort of repairs, but the hybrid seems to break every 12 to 18 months. Since the beginning, the IMA light has been turning on like a Christmas tree. I would take it to the dealer, waste at least half a day in the process, and they would normally tell me that it was just an update that is needed. However, a few months later it would start over again. If you want a civic, get a regular one, not a hybrid. If you want a hybrid, get a different brand.

  • good ride - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    I have owned a 2009 Honda from repokar auto auction. Overall, good ride. Great for a larger family or for when the grandparents want to take all the kids to the zoo! Comfortable ride and roomy. I like it))

  • Nice but with problems - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    I have had my Civic for 5 years. It has not given me any mechanical issues so far. The A/C is terrible, especially in the summer time. It takes the A/C about 5-10 minutes to cool down during hot days. I literally have to drive my car non-stop without hitting traffic signals in order to get the A/C to start cooling down. I will sit in my car a sweat and usually by the time I am getting to my destination the A/C will get cold. The Navigation is terrible. It is constantly giving me longer routes than Google maps. If i try to look something up, say Walmart, it will give me a Walmart in Alaska and nowhere near me. The bluetooth is also terrible. I never use it because no one can hear me.

  • Reliable, Fun, Fuel Efficient, Cheap, VTEC yo - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    I own a 2009 Honda Civic EX Sedan (automatic transmission). The 1.8 Liter VTEC engine is the centerpiece of this car. The VTEC allows this engine to have two "personalities". While cruising on the highway, the engine is composed and fuel efficient. If you step on the gas pedal a little more aggressively, the VTEC solenoid kicks in and uses a second set of cam lobes that makes the engine more powerful. So, it is literally a two-faced engine that can be both fun or economical. The transmission will stay smooth as long as you change the fluid on schedule (every 30k miles). The rest of the car is also well designed, but you need to remember that the Civic is still an economy car.

  • 09 Honda Civic Hybrid - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    I bought my HCH with 72,000 miles certified from a Honda dealer. The car looked and felt great! I lived in Ohio and all roads where I lived were flat and continuously got 45-60mpg on flat roads going 57-59mph. I bought the car to drive like crazy 28,000 miles a year. The IMA battery went out at 95,000 miles. (Luckily I bought the extended warranty when I purchased it). I now have had it for 3 years and have 150,000 miles. I have never had any issues at all besides the IMA battery.

  • 1st and Last Honda - 2009 Honda Civic
    By -

    This was my first new car purchase. I was proud to purchase a new 2009 Honda Civic EX while in college and working full-time. The car was great when I first bought it. However, currently, I have 66,000 miles on it and it is literally falling apart in multiple aspects. I have the paint peeling on the drive side of the car. My muffler just rusted up completely and fell off. The "top of the line" alloy rims are a complete joke and all four have of them have started corroding and leak air. All sorts of interior paneling and weather stripping is literally just falling off of my car. COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTED in this Honda. We have had other Hondas and none have been this bad. DO NOT BUY ONE!

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