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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  Hard to Beat - 2009 Honda Civic
  By NCMtnBoy - August 1 - 2:10 am

  I have over 4K miles on my LX and am averaging 35.4 mpg after running 10 tanks of gas through it. Ran it through its first snow the other day and it handled remarkably well. My only regret is not having opted for the LX-S version, cause Id like to have the alloy wheels.

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  the highest R.O.I. - 1999 Honda Civic
  By crack - July 28 - 9:37 pm

  Cars are money pits. There is no way to "win". This is BY FAR the closest I have come to beating the system. 163,750 miles with NO major repairs. Distributor (O2 sensor) is only repair. Replaced trunk shocks but I put a lot of wear on them. I have been using the car for the last 18 months to do landscaping! My friends laughed at me at first but at 35-40 MPG I am laughing all the way PAST the gas station! Will need clutch work soon and I will not hesitate to invest in this car. I am confident I will put 300,000 miles on this car before I am done with it.

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  Not all that - 2008 Honda Civic
  By Deb - July 28 - 2:40 am

  I bought this car because of the Civic reliability and mostly because of resale value. I put a lot of miles on my cars and I need a good resale when I go to trade or sell them. I had 2 Hyundai Elantras prior to this car and my Elantra was a lot better car if you ask me. It was much quieter and felt more luxurious, even though it was still sporty and the gas mileage I got was the same. I also had an Accord at one time and it seems Honda cars have a "harder" ride, lots of bumps, lots of noise. Am looking to see what else I can get in 2010 since Im not too impressed with this car. As someone else said, the struts are noisy, lots of creaks, cabin/wind noise, crappy stereo, etc.

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  THIS Si is so POWERFUL!!! - 2004 Honda Civic
  By josh_ph2003 - July 28 - 2:00 am

  I tried the Focus ZX3 at 2.3L and is powerful but lots of gas consumed. This Si is 2.0L but the power is superb!! Unbelievable!! and the gas consumption, they are telling the truth when they say 26/30 .Dont mind the price, its worth it!!!

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  love it - 2004 Honda Civic
  By woohoo - July 28 - 2:00 am

  Great car that balances everything you want in a car at this price perfectly.

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  my honda - 2004 Honda Civic
  By cathryn - July 28 - 2:00 am

  my car did die in a snow storm about s month ago and it had to be jumped. i dont know why it died but conditions on the road were not good so this could have been the reason. also since 10/03 my car has also been in a bad accident on the front end, the damage was about $3000 because of some damage on the hood and a bent grill but nobody was hurt and the car didnt get smashed up, good bumpers!!

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  Happy EX Owner - 2004 Honda Civic
  By Buckeye - July 28 - 12:08 am

  This is a very reliable car that gets very good gas mileage. I am getting 41 mpg on the highway and 34-36 mpg city. I have the 4 door sedan that has plenty of room for 4 people. Trunk capacity is very good. Bought the vehicle brand new and now I have 45,000 miles on it. I have never had to take it in for service for anything more than the normal oil change and the regular maint. Resale value is great! I am a very happy Honda owner.

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  Switch from a Chrysler to a Honda - 2007 Honda Civic
  By scott - July 27 - 7:43 pm

  With gas prices going up I saw the need to change vehicles. The old FWD Chrysler concord was a good vehicle, but avg 20 mpg. The Honda is stable to drive and better in snow that I expected. The fuel economy has offset much of the extra payment, and the resale $$ is much better. Call it Honda+ The brakes are solid and the engine is the smoothest 4 cyl I have ever felt. Good A/C, and sun roof. Bad item was the rear control arms that went bad or were poor design. They ruined the rear tires by 19,000 mi. They were replaced, but watch for this potential failing. All other aspects are excellent with enough room for me, @ 65".

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  2003 Civic Hybrid Many Problems - 2003 Honda Civic
  By Scott - July 27 - 12:48 pm

  I have 180000 miles. Changed all fluids religiously. Had to replace clutch, transmission in Feb 08 and now IMA battery dying. $7000 worth of repairs. Very bad engineering solution for folks who care about the environment. Stay away from this vehicle...

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  Honda failure - 2001 Honda Civic
  By Ken G - July 27 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned 4 hondas prior to this vehicle, so when I was in the market for an inexpensive reliable commuter car, I was confident with buying the Civic. WHAT A MISTAKE! Here is a list of my cars problems: Gas gauge not close to being correct, transmission never seems to know what gear to be in especially after taking a turn. Huge hesitation when reapplying the gas pedal after making a turn. AC system struggles to get the car cool. AC vents extremely loose. I now have folds of paper jammed in the side of each vent to keep it from pointing straight up. I could go on but Im running out of space. Stick with an older model.