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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  Hondas are the best - 2004 Honda Civic
  By SCF - May 4 - 10:16 pm

  Purchased in fall of 2003 and now have only 26,000 miles on the car. Super reliable, great gas mileage, supportive and comfortable seats. Whats not to love about this car? We took the car on a trip in southern Colorado on mostly secondary roads with speed limits of 55 to 65 mph and got 43 mpg! Have only had to do oil changes and had one small rattle near the dash that the dealership fixed. No other problems. This car is not a hotrod but set the cruise control at 78 on the interstate and thats where is stays. If you want a car with bank vault solid reliability, great resale value and excellent gas mileage you wont go wrong with a Civic.

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  Ritzs Review - 2002 Honda Civic
  By Jritz - May 3 - 10:00 am

  The 2001 Civic Ex is a great car if you are looking for a car that is dependable and gets great gas mileage. I keep track of my gas mileage and the worst i have ever done was 30mpg and the best was 41mpg. If you want a car that goes fast DONT BUY A CIVIC! I have not had any problems with it. So far SO good!

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  Im convinced - 2002 Honda Civic
  By booradley - May 2 - 8:30 am

  I love this car. Dependable, comfortable, and super fun to drive. I had only driven cars with a V6 engine before this, so I was somewhat skeptical, but have been pleasantly surprised at the power and peppiness of this engine.

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  love my honda - 2002 Honda Civic
  By grj - May 1 - 10:37 pm

  I love this car. I didnt even do maintenance for 2 years because I didnt know what to do! Now I get regular filter changes/tires/oil/and it needed some transmission fluid when I noticed it made a weird squeaking noise. Read the user manual would be my advice, to avoid costly mechanical charges. DO change air filters a lot (every 3 oil changes), it improves the fuel economy. I only had to change the battery one time, and Ive had to jump start it many (when it was the old battery) because I kept leaving the lights on. The factory battery lasted 5 years which is really quite something!.

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  "awesome SI" - 1993 Honda Civic
  By POK - May 1 - 1:57 pm

  I bought this car 12/92 and Im still driving it today. Still getting 34 miles to a gallon of gas. Its hard to let go --- got an offer 4 yrs ago for $10G and a yr ago for $8G --- still have it. Shes worth every ride and $.

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  Much better looking than the 2001 Civic - 2008 Honda Civic
  By Douglas Clark - April 30 - 11:56 pm

  This is my 2nd Civic. I had sold a 2003 Accord sedan with 26K miles and traded in a 01 Civic with only 47K miles. This is my first stick shift since 1995. The higher windows and hood are a feature I will have to get used to. I make deliveries a several days a week and many stops a day. I will hope it continues to perform as well as it has so far.

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  Beware CVT Transmission - 2003 Honda Civic
  By hybrider - April 30 - 2:10 pm

  This car gets good gas mileage (43-45 mpg actual) but suffers from several flaws I see as related to being the first model year of a unique (hybrid) car. Recalls on the exhaust system software (that led to me having 2 catalytic converters replaced before corrected) and the transmission (CVT failed at 102k before Honda extended the warranty to 100k - gee, thanks for the $3800 bill-NOT) have shaken my confidence in Honda quality. My hybrid now has 130k miles and runs well with its new transmission, but I would by the Prius if I had it to do all over again. Acceleration is lacking, to the point of dangerous with 4 riders at highway speed, and overall rattles etc. are disappointing.

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  Back to Honda - 1992 Honda Civic
  By Jerry - April 29 - 10:15 am

  We had Hondas before, and glad to be owners and drivers of one again. This Honda had 150,000 miles (now about 155,1115 miles) when we bought it. It had been well-maintained, and runs great. After about six months, still no problems (other than a cracked windshield and headlight bezel). Just a few weeks after buying the car, we drove it 490 miles in one day when we relocated from Scranton, PA to Norfolk, VA. Im now commuting 16 miles to work round trip daily, five days per week, in addition to a lot of running around when not working. We had Hondas in the past (1990 Civic DX, 1984 Civic), and very happy to be back into Hondas, where we will stay. Have several kids who also drive Hondas

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  I Like My Hybrid - 2004 Honda Civic
  By dlbuck - April 29 - 8:07 am

  I have the manual trans. If Honda offered the man trans in new hybrid, Id buy one. When I drive at speed limit (55 mph), I ave 55-60 mpg. New hybrid cant approach this. Freeway traveling (60-65 mph) ave is 50 mpg. Headwind kills mpg. Snow tires kills mpg. To me, mpg is more important than getting there early. Two recalls for engine computer stuff. Never any problems. Havent replaced brakes yet. I have them checked at every oil change (3k miles) & so far not worn out. Im getting nervous. Compared to previous vehicle(Jeep Gr Cher, 20mpg) I paid for hybrid August 2003. Honda should offer man trans for Civic hybrid, same as regular Civic.

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  arjmds Honda - 2006 Honda Civic
  By arjmd - April 29 - 1:43 am

  Good looking, handles well. The stereo would be hard to beat. Easy to park. Easy to insure