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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  Perfect 2nd vehicle/Commuter Car - 2005 Honda Civic
  By 20034runner - April 1 - 9:00 am

  My primary vehicle is a 4 door 4x4 pickup and my 5 day/week commute is a 57 mile round trip. I needed a commuter car. I bought my 05 Si (EP3) in March of 2010 w/ a documented 70k miles of near-perfect maintenance 3 years later and 40k more miles, I have no complaints. Happily uses 87 octane and and with my VERY heavy foot, it still gets no less than 27 mpg of mixed driving (30-31 on a highway trip.) Ive found it likes Pennzoil Synthetic blend oil the best for both performance and MPGs. Completed the 100k service, new iridium plugs, coolant flush and serpentine belt (no timing belt to replace in these) and I easily expect another 100k on this car. Love the cargo room too!

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  2013 Civic Si DELIVERS! - 2013 Honda Civic
  By ischneggs - March 30 - 6:44 am

  After driving a 2002 WRX, 2009 Forester XT (turbo), a tuned 1990s Altima (w/ slip diff), Im happy to say the new Si is the best of them all! Road & wind noise are minimized, hearing only the rough & grumble growl of the engine. A buttery smooth clutch with short throws is easy & fun. Front slip diff performs remarkably, & even makes driving on all season 17" / 45s in snow & slush tolerable (I normally have snow tires). Ergos are nice, especially the back split fold down seats, center arm rest, matched int colors, & standard back-up camera. Of course there could be more space & luxury, like an Acura TSX or Audi A4. But then again, you wont pay $30k++ for the Si! Grade: A+

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  97 Honda Civic - 1997 Honda Civic
  By aeriellele - March 19 - 10:02 pm

  I bought this car as my first car from a private seller for $1400 with 146K on it only 3 months ago. When I first bought it, it needed a new oil distributor and radiator. I replaced them both thinking I had gotten away with an awesome deal. Then one of my tires went flat, spent a pretty penny on that too. Shortly after, on a long trip to my favorite state park, the transmission gives out in the middle of the road when I was almost at my destination. I had invested too much money on repairing this car for it not to last and I would never buy it used again. For the short while it lasted though, gas mileage was AMAZING.

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  Economic and reliable, but terribly built - 2009 Honda Civic
  By connorhol - March 17 - 9:51 pm

  The car handles well enough and has decent power. A 6th gear would have been welcome, but there 5spd auto is sufficient. Its a good looking car with good featured and it gets good gas mileage. The area where the civic FAILS is Im build quality. My rear LED brake light had to be replaced due to a bad solder point - a known defect. The interior rattles more than it should. The clearcoat on the hood was cracking and failing, but thankfully was fixed when I got a new hood due to hail damage. The driver seat has started squeaking loudly when I go over a bump, sometimes while entering and exiting the vehicle as well. This is a known issue with seat frame and Im working with the dealer.

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  Happy with my 13 HCH!!!!!! - 2013 Honda Civic
  By coppercuckoo - March 15 - 12:43 pm

  I got the Green Opal one 2 weeks ago. I now have about 500 miles on the car, and it came with 106. It was the only one available in the Tri-state area that was equipped as I wanted! It drives so nice and smoothly and I enjoy the great technology upgrade from the 2005 I sold in order to get this car. The Winter mpg change from the 2005 HCH to the new one, is pretty significant. I was told to keep the Econ button on all of the time to get the best mileage. If you are expecting a Green car, you will be surprised by the color changes the metallic paint makes. There are times the car looks light blue, blue/green. and an almost sea foam green. This is all dependent on the lighting!

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  Greatest Dissappointment Since 1992 Civic - 2010 Honda Civic
  By 3waystoplay - March 13 - 5:03 pm

  Nothing like older Civics in terms of its soul or lovability. Ride is moderately rough but still wallows over undulations on the highway. The increased power is at a severe cost to fuel economy (as low as 24 mpg without much sporting) and the automatic transmission does a poor job of utilizing the power vs fuel economy curve. Its like they took the shifting map of a V8 and copied it exactly. It is obsessed with micromanaging. Moreover, it doesnt even get it right. It will skip 2nd up a hill when it should have just left the power on tap, then doesnt have the power to make it in 3rd and shifts back to second. My passengers often think Im moving the throttle. My malaise grows.

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  Noteworthy improvements and a great daily driver - 2013 Honda Civic
  By eldaino12 - March 12 - 12:32 pm

  The compact market doesnt have 2 or 3 clear cut winners anymore. Honda underestimated this when they designed the 2012 civic (which my wife owns). For someone like her, who just wants something that is painless to own and operate, and gets good mpg, its a great car. But for me, the improvements on the 2013 are a little more than subtle. the biggest and most obvious ones are with the new standard features and the interior quality. I never had a quiet honda until now. Its quieter than my buddies 2012 focus, which is something id never thought id be able to say. gotten nothing but compliments and it feels very germanic..more like my old golf than my previous civics

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  2009 Civic Hybrid Gas Mileage Hoax - 2009 Honda Civic
  By steve476 - March 7 - 6:16 pm

  The only reason i purchased the car was for the MPG. Advertised at 40-45 by Honda Not true! I have had the car for 3 months now and the best i can avg is 33-34 MPG. I drove the car on a 800 mile round trip and avg 32.9 MPG This is nothing less than robbery of the consumer. I Hope a class action lawsuit follows as did with hyundai and Kia.

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  200,000+ and still going - 2005 Honda Civic
  By nelsonoah - March 5 - 11:30 am

  Update to my 11/19/09 review. Im still driving it and have done nothing but regular stuff (oil/filter, brakes, tires). I now have roughly 205k miles on it. The IMA warning light came on about 1.5 years ago (around 190k miles). Honda said the hybrid battery was testing weak and needed replaced ($2,500 and 3-year/30k warranty). I decided not to replace it and to just see what itd do. Battery doesnt keep charged up as well as it used to, but Im still getting over 40mpg driving in town. I found a place that will put in a used battery with a 1-year guarantee for $1,275. Besides the battery, everything else seems to be in great shape.

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  Replaced hybrid battery twice over 162,000 miles - 2007 Honda Civic
  By jlrob - March 1 - 6:48 pm

  I bought this car used with only 25,000 miles on it. It now has over 162,000. First battery went out just under warranty of 100,000 so fixed by dealer at no cost to me. Second battery did not even last 60,000 miles, warranty apparently expired as Honda refused to fix so I paid $2700 for the part plus labor, etc. Whatever $$$ I saved with hybrid technology clearly down the drain. Would never buy this car again.