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:

• 

  Best Car Ive Ever Owned! - 2003 Honda Civic
  By energist - July 8 - 8:01 am

  I bought the car new in 2003 and its been great. I see many complaints about gas mileage, but mine averages 49 MPG with snow tires on. This has been the most trouble free and economical car Ive ever owned, and its fun to drive.

• 

  Love this car X2 - 1994 Honda Civic
  By dakkri - July 8 - 3:02 am

  I have just purchased my second VX, a 1994. My first was a 1992 and I drove it until I needed a truck and traded it in at 168,000 miles. Bought this 94 after a long search for a later year model with the 2 airbags. My 92 got a consistent 47 per gallon highway with the A/C on, 50 with A/C off. The 94s mileage is about the same. No hybrid BS, no batteries to replace. This car is a great commuter car and still fun to drive. Cheap to own, cheap to repair, cheap to insure. I wish Honda would build a new version of this no hybrid, no weird looking, 50 mpg car.

• 

  Lesser of the evils - 2012 Honda Civic
  By dannerd - July 7 - 8:07 am

  I based my car buying decision on my experience with owning an assortment of different beaters, and that this time I was going to buy something new. Out of all the beaters Ive owned, Hondas always got the best gas mileage, were the cheapest to fix, were easy to sell. If you read the bashing reviews for the 2012 civic, youll notice the gripes are mostly about the cheap interior plastic and road noise. If you compare the reviews to other competitors like the 2012 focus or elantra, they are having serious issues involving the transmission, and check engine lights coming on recent to the purchase of the vehicle. That should tell you something. No car is perfect, but Honda seems to get close.

• 

  Best in Class! - 2012 Honda Civic
  By kaneohe00 - July 4 - 8:06 pm

  I test drove a hyundai elantra, a corolla and corolla S before I drove the Honda. Didnt bother with Ford, Nissan or Kia because I wanted a car that would last for a long time without a doubt. The Hyundai drove well and had a lot of extras but based of past performance and current reviews I felt like they were trying to sell you with extras versus a solid performer. So it came down to the corolla and civic. The civic drove better, had a more attractive and functional interior and I felt Honda put a lot of effort into the design of the civic while it seemed Toyota hasnt done anything to improve the Corolla since 1985. It reminded me of the Tercel my mom had when I was 10 years old.

• 

  An ok car - 1991 Honda Civic
  By kenny117 - June 22 - 6:15 pm

  I Have had a 91 civic dx (with a d16z6 engine) and It drove well. They are nice little eco cars but they get stolen alot because of it. mine was a canadian model and stolen twice before 2000 when it came to the US and then it was stolen another three times. But I also have had a 91 CRX hf and they both ran well and lasted 300k+ miles. The worst part about this car this whole car is... No cup holders, but other than that and being stolen alot it was a great cheap car that got 30-40 mpg (hb) and 40-50 mpg (CRX)

• 

  Terrible Car - Never again - 2009 Honda Civic
  By primetime8032 - June 22 - 7:22 am

  Bought this car about 4 months ago, ready to trade it in again. This car is absolutely terrible. The AC BARELY works, I went back into the dealership and they "recharged" it, still doesnt work. The sound system, lol what sound system, you can put the volume all the way on 40 (as high as it goes) and its still quiet (and sounds like [non-permissible content removed]). The car lags a lot when you hit the gas, very slow car, cant even keep up with traffic when merging onto the highway. Probably would be better in manual. The interior design is OK, only good thing this car has going for itself. The brakes are terrible, I bought the car as a Honda Certified car, I had to return it TWICE for the brakes and still squeaks.

• 

  226K, super reliable, cheap to own and sporty around corners! - 1999 Honda Civic
  By danwat1234 - June 22 - 12:26 am

  The 6th gen Honda Civics have supreme reliability, and good gas mileage (http://www.fuelly.com/driver/danwat1234/civic). It does as well or better than my mothers 2012 Elantra! I am the 3rd owner and has 226,000 miles on it, mostly highway. Automatic 4-speed transmission, d16y7 engine. The coolant system has a very very slow leak it in it somewhere but everything else is absolutely perfect with this car. Supreme reliability, great suspension, handles really good after installing a rear sway bar and 205/50/R16 tires. I love that this car is so versatile. I plan on installing a trailer hitch so I can tow small trailers with this car too! This car has supreme usefulness.

• 

  Overheating problems - 2005 Honda Civic
  By engs - June 21 - 11:22 pm

  I use to love driving my civic. It handled well and is suppose to be a safe car. The first four years I had the car I was very happy with it. Just over 100k miles while driving my daughter and my two young grandchildren from Fl to Pa it overheated on Interstate 95 at night. that was three years ago. Since, I havent been able to travel farther than 50 miles from home. We have had the car to many shops and they cant find the problem. You name it we replaced it. Still overheating! If you go to hondatech.com you will find this is a common problem with Honda. So next we will have the head gasket repair which may run as high as $1,500. Im not happy with Honda and would never buy another.

• 

  Good Car With Some Notable Exceptions - 2012 Honda Civic
  By terrainorg - June 14 - 12:35 am

  Ive driven Hondas for a long time now, so had high expectations with my Civic EX sedan. Unfortunately, I find the new Civic pretty underwhelming, based primarily on two factors: 1) Road noise, caused by a cardboard-thin floorboard. Its not wind noise but rather noise coming up from underneath loudest sedan Ive ever driven in that respect. 2) Im 65", and had no problem with comfort on the test drive. But after several weeks I still cannot find a comfort zone with the seat (headroom is fine). That could easily be solved by an electronic seat, which the Civic EX (like the Accord) should offer. There are lots of things I really like, but if I had to do it all over, Id get another car.

• 

  Great purchase - 2012 Honda Civic
  By soleil575 - June 12 - 10:56 am

  I am very happy that I purchased this EXL Civic. Im enjoying the leather seats, moon roof, navigation, etc. The car is delightful to drive in the city and on the highway and it has more than enough pep for my needs (particularly when econ mode is off, but I usually keep it on to enhance fuel economy). I love the i-mid screen - its convenient to glance at the upper-level screen while driving. The tech is user-friendly and the voice commands are effective and quite intuitive.