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:

• 

  Fantastic Car at a Great Price - 2013 Honda Civic
  By junoghonk - May 18 - 4:36 am

  I love this car. I never thought Id be driving a civic, but the 2013 model is such an unbelievable value that I couldnt pass it up. Im 46 and was looking for something safe and fuel efficient to get be to/from work. After test driving several other cars, I took the civic for a spin and was blown away by all the standard features on the base model LX, as well as the comfort, style, and price. Once I saw Hondas zero down, $230 per month for 35 months lease, it was a no brainer. I actually negotiated a better deal since my credit is very good and I was a returning customer, but I would have gone with the zero down/$230 month every day of the week. Get this car!

• 

  2010 civic - it us up to Honda now - 2010 Honda Civic
  By btbarryt - May 15 - 8:38 pm

  I bought my daughter a new 2010 civic to start college. Everything has been good up until now. Coming out of winter, we discovered her air conditioner is not working. The local Honda dealership in Gadsden says the compressor is out. The car has 40,000 miles, which is just past warranty. The local service manager says he is going to bat for me with the District manager to honor fix this for us. He committed to calling me yesterday with an answer. Still waiting - what do you think will happen? I own 6 cars, but this is my first Honda. It is up to Honda if this is my last purchase of a Honda product. Hopefully they will do the right thing and fix it. I will update as this unfolds.

• 

  Overall, a happy owner...minus a few complaints. - 2012 Honda Civic
  By kruizer - May 14 - 8:57 am

  We purchased our 2012 Civic LX Sedan in Dec. 2011 as a commuter car and have put about 17K miles on it. Like most have mentioned, the road noise is present and the sound system is not up to par. My biggest complaint is the shifter/transmission (auto) tends to vibrate while accelerating quickly. Pulling out in traffic can be a bit dangerous too, if you forget the ECON button is on. That being said, overall, my wife and I are very satisfied with our Civic. The legroom is plentiful for this size car. The fuel economy is great (~32 in City). And the displays are very easily read.

• 

  Poorly Built, Unreliable Honda - 2006 Honda Civic
  By drgoodson - May 14 - 12:45 am

  I bought this car new and I am very unhappy with it. I first had the problem with the struts/supports in the rear end. One place thought it was bad shocks, but a former Honda certified mechanic figured it out and replaced them after I had worn out 2 sets of tires. Now Ive just had the problem with the belt tensioner bolt, although my car was not recalled, and that cost me another chunk of change. I previously owned 3 used Hondas and they were all very good and reliable cars. Not so with this one, so I would advise everyone not to buy one of these as a used car. No more Hondas for me based upon my very poor experience with this car! Whatever happened to Honda reliability?

• 

  1,500 miles so far - 2013 Honda Civic
  By 858smith - May 12 - 10:49 pm

  Ive had this car for 12 days, & Ive got 1,500 miles on it. I love it so much so far, but I cant really speak truthfully about its reliability b/c I havent had any problems w/ it since I havent had it for very long at all. I drive about 75% highway & 25% city, & I have an average of 36.75 MPG.

• 

  Amazing car - 2013 Honda Civic
  By bjjj - May 12 - 9:19 am

  I recently bought my wife a 2013 civic hybrid for Mothers Day and we are really happy with this car. Weve had several hondas so we new what to expect. This car is super quiet and the engine has more power than my previous civic hybrid. (I had a 08 civic hybrid ). I traded in my honda Insight wich I did like it ainsight lot too but the new civic has more features.

• 

  Poor Reliability - 2006 Honda Civic
  By jessecornel - May 10 - 4:15 pm

  From the time that we bought this vehicle new from a dealer, we have been disapointed. Within a few weeks the battery failed, and was replaced. Within a year the condensor of the airconditer failed and was replaced. Due a manufacturers defect the exhause bubbled the rear plastic bumper, and Honda denied responsibility. At 35000 miles the struts wore out and honda denied responsibility. At 60000 miles the air conditioning compressor failed. At 75000 miles both the front struts and rear shocks failed causing a $900 repair and then a new set of tires. So the struts failed twice in 75000 miles. There is no warranty, and Honda denies culpability.

• 

  best car ive ever owned, BY FAR - 2003 Honda Civic
  By thwipp89 - May 8 - 1:06 am

  bought my EX automatic new in 03 and have 125k miles after 10 yrs. after having a few american cars that were unreliable money pits, this car has been spectacular for me. wish i wouldve bought a honda sooner than i did. over 10 yrs, ive spent about $1k in non-maintenance repairs- mostly emissions/exhaust related, most of which has been at the 10 yr mark. i did need to replace the alternator after about 9 yrs. i average 30 MPG combined (about 65% city) but i have a very heavy foot.

• 

  Canadian SE Special Edition model - 2003 Honda Civic
  By duke_wa - May 2 - 10:06 pm

  Just bought this Civic 5-speed manual transmission SE model. It seems very practical and comfortable. Everything works and the car is 10 years old. Seating is comfortable, driving view is excellent, power is adequate with the manual transmission. This one was in excellent condition and I hope to keep it for the next 5 years. I really like the biege and brown interior. The dash is a nice quality, it doesnt look cheap. Also easy to park and the rear seats fold flat. The clutch is very intuitive as well.

• 

  Good Value - 2013 Honda Civic
  By agedsage - April 30 - 3:45 pm

  This sedan has enough hi-tech features to wow. Interior is comfortable but feels confined (I replaced a 2008 Camry hybrid) but reasonably comfortable for medium distance trips. I only have the car for two weeks and filled the tanks twice. In town I was averaging 23-24 mpg. I took a 10-hour round trip mostly at 55-60 mph I was getting close to 39-40 mpg. On acceleration the car has a tendency to be jerky if the gas pedal is released. After driving the round trip for close to 9 hrs my back started to get stiff. A lower back support may be the next item I should try. The trunk is small but acceptable it could accommodate 2 sets of golf clubs with room for overnight luggage.