Overview & Reviews

Since its launch in 1973, the Honda Civic has been one of the most popular compact cars sold in America. Its success can be attributed in large part to its consistently high level of quality inside and out and its long-standing reputation for reliability and low running costs. Impressive fuel economy and engaging performance have also played a role in making the Civic a top choice for many Americans.

The competition has largely caught up with Honda, though, and there are now many excellent small cars vying for your attention. Still, we continue to recommend the Civic due to its ergonomic interior layout, wide range of models and high resale value. For small-car shoppers in search of a solid used vehicle, the Honda Civic is certainly a smart choice, as its long production run and many variants make it easy to find what you want.

User Reviews:

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  Major regrets - 2001 Honda Civic
  By who knew? - December 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car hoping for good gas mileage and reliability and have been disappointed on both counts. The front struts have been replaced once already and probably need to be replaced again, given that it sounds like a gunshot has been fired everytime I go over the smallest bump in the road. Interior is very cheap - the cover for the door handle falls off about every week and has no screw to keep it in place. It is basically an embarrassment to let anyone ride in this car. Gas mileage is average (25-30mpg), at best.

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  Reliable and Fun to Drive - 1999 Honda Civic
  By mad_tea_party - December 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car after test driving it. It was the fastest, best performing car I could afford at the time. Apart from a CD player that was repaired under warranty, NOTHING has broken on this car. I am still driving on the original brake pads. I also changed the timing belt at about 90,000 miles. At 108,000 miles I am still enjoying this car and plan to buy a Honda in the future.

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  2001 Civic EX - 2001 Honda Civic
  By 30 something - December 8 - 10:00 am

  Excellent reliability so far. Nothing unexpected.

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  Mikey 00 civic vp - 2000 Honda Civic
  By Michael iraci - December 8 - 10:00 am

  I love my 2000 civic vp. Gives me everything i want. i just put gas in it and change the oil and go. never had a problem with it. honda are really good cars.

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  HX is great and its not a hybrid - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Artycat - December 7 - 2:00 pm

  This is a great little car so far. I just bought new for the first time in 15 years. I had been driving a 96 Olds Ciera with the V-6. The HX has more power and is heck of lot more fun than the Olds. I got it for fuel economy. I cant stand what gas is costing but I didnt want to spend what a hybrid costs. (Were cheap in my family.) Anyway, love the little thing; I wish I couldve gotten green but white will do. Its the 5 speed manual which is fun after the "old lady" Olds. Its also a heck of lot easier to drive than my last new vehicle which was a 90 Toyota Pickup with 4 speed and 4 cylinders. Love this car so far. I highly recommend it.

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  Own a Honda Civic - 1999 Honda Civic
  By LS - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I own a 5 speed, DX Model, with AC installed by Dealer. I have not had one issue/complaint in my 3 years of ownership. The only maintenance costs have been oil changes & brake pads (Boston Driving). Tires are Bridgestone and have worn pretty well. They are due for a change in the next 3- 5K miles, giving them a life of 50K. The car has made numerous trips between MA, NY, & OH and is very comfortable to drive. It reminds me of my old 85 Toyota Camry 5 spd. Performance and reliability have so far been equivalent. Cost of ownership vs value is great, especially if you capitalize on Hondas periodic reduced financing incentives for Civics.

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  Great Basic Car - 1995 Honda Civic
  By Jehova Smith - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I have just rolled 180,000 miles (290k) on my baby and it keeps chugging along. Ive vowed to buy a new car when this one died...Im still waiting. The performance hasnt suffered with age. This car costs less than 25 cents a km. My advice, if you find one with 100,000 miles on it, its just a baby with more life to live. This car has outlasted two of my friends cars... a neon and a sunfire.

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  ryans review - 2002 Honda Civic
  By Ryan Woods - December 7 - 2:00 am

  rattles

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  Love my Civic! - 2005 Honda Civic
  By barb - December 6 - 9:41 am

  We bought our car new almost 4 years ago and we love the vehicle. Good gas mileage, very reliable (such a pleasure after the horror we previously drove), good looks, no rust, interior is larger than it appears from the outside. My only gripe is that the top of the foot space for the front passenger is very low and this can be uncomfortable, especially if youre a woman wearing higher heels. Apart from that, nothing but praise for the Civic.

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  What Happened To Honda? - 2003 Honda Civic
  By gliattitd - December 5 - 8:11 pm

  I bought this car in 2002 and it has been very reliable until it hit 100,000 miles. The transmission slips terribly, I took it to a service station and had it flushed thinking that would help but no such luck. The service manager said hes seen several Hondas with bad transmissions lately. My first Honda was good for 180,000 miles, died when I wrapped it around a pole.Thats why I bought another one. But this ones transmission started acting up as soon as it hit 100,000 miles. What happened to you, Honda?