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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  BonSi Beast - 2006 Honda Civic
  By SiAnora - March 2 - 12:53 pm

  This is my fourth Honda. Two Accords and two Civics. The last two being Civics since I cant afford the Accord anymore! I owned a 2003 Civic EX sedan which was an awesome car. But this new Si is by far the best car Ive ever owned. Straight out this car is a blast, wish I had it when I was much younger. I am Honda loyal now. My father bought a 06 Honda Accord EX V6 the same day. I hope to inherit it some day.

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  Lease turn in - 2003 Honda Civic
  By Gregg - March 1 - 3:04 pm

  Almost immediately upon delivery, I noticed I would get shocked when I would put the key in the door or touch the car. It was serviced under warranty twice the shocks continued for the duration of my four year lease. I experienced no mechanical problems. But I did have to replace the original tires at 17,200 miles for wear. This was unexpected and costly! I drive less than 10,000 miles annually. My Civic was a comfortable drive even on long trips. It was roomy and had plenty of cargo space. It could have done better on gas in city driving. My only criticism, other than the tires, was that body was easily dented by shopping carts and I cracked the rear bumper on an snow bank.

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  I love my Hybrid - 2005 Honda Civic
  By poppyjim - March 1 - 5:46 am

  I drive my Honda Civic Hybrid like any standard vehicle. It performs very well, more than I expected. It has very good pickup from a standing start. My gas mileage averages out at 46 mpg by the way that I drive it. I find that the best mileage occurs when I keep it at or below 60 mph. My highest fuel mileage that I have gotten with it was 59.2 mpg. When I want to get a true gas mileage reading I always fill it the same way each time til the gas can be seen at the top of the filler tube. This vehicle is comfortable and handles very nice and I really appreciate it for the peace of mind I have when I pull into the pumps. I love my Hybrid.

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  Former Acura TSX Owner - 2017 Honda Civic
  By Dan S - February 28 - 11:43 pm

  My beloved 6-speed manual transmission TSX was over nine years old and enough little things were going wrong with it that it was time for a new car. With a house to remodel and kids in extracurricular activities I couldnt afford a luxury (or even sorta-luxury) performance sedan. So I was looking for a practical, reliable commuter car with an automatic transmission I could hand off to my daughter in 5 years when its paid off and shes 16. Being a Honda/Toyota guy this made me think about a Civic. I got the EX-L since I could at least get a nicer Civic in my price range. I was expecting a major step down from my TSX, but this Civic (which I viewed as a necessity/compromise and wasnt really excited to purchase) has slowly been impressing me. In Eco mode its the gutless wonder you expect a Civic to be but if you really stomp on the gas or take it out of Eco mode or even put it in sport mode that combination of 1.5L turbo and CVT transmission make it go right now. The 6-speed stick shift was one of my favorite things about my TSX but this Civic always seems to be in the right gear and I dont notice any clunky downshifting or lag when I press the gas. Handling is good (Honda always does that better than Toyota IMO) but then of course that makes for a rougher ride. I drove on an old patch of the 57 and got shaken and stirred. Thats when you know youre in a Civic the most. The interior is pretty nice. Im 62" and I fit OK but to get the most out of the legroom I have to crank the back of the seat all the way down because it goes down and back at the same time. So I pretty much have to fall down into the seat. In the end I think Ill miss my TSXs drivers seat the most, especially its lumbar support. Sitting so low is made up for by the excellent rear-view camera and right-mirror camera. Im using Android Auto with the Civic and the Navi is GREAT, so dont shell out extra for Hondas navi. Google Play Music found my music and playlists on my phone with no work from me but it doesnt play my podcasts. It seems like its possible, but I havent figured it out yet (I used Rocket Player and Doggcatcher before but Android Auto wont "channel" them through the car). Speaking of music, Im iffy on the stereo system. The Civic has lots of speakers and very clear sound but not much oomph on the low end. Ive turned down the treble, turned up the bass and shifted the balance rearward but its still not as good as default settings were on my TSX. Interior storage cubbies are weird but plentiful. Theres room for your cups, phone, sunglasses, gum, etc. but it may be down a cave and around a corner and a little dangerous to try to get at while you are driving. Overall I like this car. It doesnt come with a lot of bragging rights (Im a 42-year old family man, though... In my twenties I probably would have been a LOT more proud of it) but my wife really likes having a fun-to-drive car back in the family for her (she doesnt drive stick and our other car is a minivan) and the best compliment I can give this Civic is that given its relative comfort (as long as my youngest can still fit behind me) and WAY better gas mileage than the minivan, it has become the weekend family commuter car, so long as were not going to Costco or Home Depot. I wasnt expecting that to happen. I thought the Civic would be too small and too dull to want to drive any more than necessary but it has turned out to be a great not-so-little family car and its getting lots of use. Two end notes: 1. Sorry this review has no paragraph breaks, the online form is not allowing me to hit enter. 2. Gas mileage includes driving over hills to work every day.

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  Feel like a kid again - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Ed.Chicago - February 28 - 7:23 pm

  Love this car, would cry if something happened to it. Feel like Im in high school again with my first car. Great acceleration, huge cargo space when rear seats are folded down, rally shifter works wonderfully, good stock radio and lots of aftermarket parts if you ever want to go faster. Feels a lot faster than 160 Hp, think they under- rated the engine.

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  Rocks and Shakes - 2003 Honda Civic
  By saint louis - February 25 - 2:00 am

  This is my fourth Honda and was expecting another gem. The drivers manual seat adjustment has an annoying amount of "play". Also steering vibration at 70 Mph. Dealer had no offer for correcting either problem. Honda national customer service had the same resspone - no help. My last Honda.

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  Not what I expect from a Honda - 2001 Honda Civic
  By fehansen - February 25 - 2:00 am

  I owned a 1992 Accord EX sedan and loved it so when I was looking for a new car, I figured I couldnt go wrong with another one. This civic has been horrible. There is a real problem with the front end. Almost every 6 months, I need new struts oup front, Ive had the control arm replaced and the control arm bushings replaced. Honda has upped the warranty on the struts to 200,000km. I guess they recognize there is a front end problem with the 2001s but instead of fixing it, they are prepared to throw free parts at it for the time being. Free parts are nice but its a real headache to take a new car in for surgery every 6 months.

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  Not just future styling - 2006 Honda Civic
  By Andrew Lyon - February 24 - 2:53 pm

  It was about three months ago when i had decided to go and buy the Mazda 3. I had heard about the new civic so i decided to wait, and boy am i glad that i did. I orderd (my local dealership was sold out) a honda civic 4 door 5spd with the nav system. I have never been more happy with a car! Great handling, performance and talk about tech features. ipod, mp3, wma files, 6 disk cd, pc card, xm ready! Yeah!

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  2001 civic ex coupe - 2001 Honda Civic
  By blackthree4me - February 24 - 10:00 am

  good car a litle pricy but fun to drive and keeps up good in trafic

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  Civic HX Review - 1997 Honda Civic
  By myst - February 24 - 10:00 am

  I have been a honda buyer and driver for years. I am really impressed with the 1997 civic and how well it has held up. I still get compliments on it today for such a nice vehicle! A well designed, built and executed car in all areas. The complaints I have about the car are so minor, that they are not even worth mentioning.