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 - 2008 Honda Civic
  By Pete - July 2 - 5:40 am

  I came to the Civic from a 99 Caddy STS. While it isnt as comfortable as the Caddy and lacks the 300hp engine, It still boasts some very impressive features. For instance, I typically get about 30-35 mpg city and about 40-45 mpg highway. The car is very fun to drive (I love the manual transmission). The ride is pretty smooth. Im a pretty big guy (61, 280 lbs) and I fit just fine. Theres plenty of legroom (I dont even put the seat all the way back!). However, I wouldnt recommend the coupe to anyone planning to move 4 adults. The back seat is way to small for most adults. My 17 lb dog seems pretty comfortable back there, but I cant imagine any more substantial creature would be.

• 

  Car of the times! - 1997 Honda Civic
  By markerickson - July 2 - 2:00 am

  Better real world gas mileage than the the other four seat hybrid competitors: 37 in the city and 44 on the Highway. I get closer to 40/45 because I overinflate the tires slightly and Im easy on the throttle. With Hondas reliability, its like driving for free! Great car in these $2-3 per gallon times.

• 

  Dealers are dealing on these. - 2002 Honda Civic
  By Stoner - July 1 - 10:00 am

  Had mine a couple of weeks now, very nice car. Got it for 15,885, no one is buying these cars, have not seen any on the road. Very happy so far, car is a blast to drive, very fast. Love the shifter. Gas mileage in not as good as I expected, but I cant keep my foot out of it either.

• 

  Best used car ever - 2008 Honda Civic
  By Rich Anderson - June 30 - 6:55 pm

  I bought this car when it was 6 years old with 74K miles on it for $8500. It looked new inside and out, and 2 years later it still seems like a new car. Is an EX trim, but has leather interior - just a very, very nice daily driver. The biggest dilemma I have with this car is that I think I deserve something nicer (I make good money), but it is just too nice to pass down to my 16 year old (who would trash it), and it really is so nice. Drives smooth, no mechanical problems, looks good in and out. I drove from LA to OKC and got 40Mpg (above spec). Gets 25 on all city driving. This is the 3rd Honda I have owned and all have been very good cars. I get the feeling this car will still be on the road 20 years from now! It is on its second set of tires at 96000 so they wear well. I love the way the instrumentation is laid out - with the big, digital odometer placed high on the dash so the steering wheel doesnt get in the way of seeing it. Minor faults are as follows: Its not a sports car - acceleration is so-so. The position of the front-left windshield down-tube seems to get in the line of sight when making left turns, it doesnt have built-in bluetooth (but most 2008s dont). Overall I give it 5 stars and you just cant go wrong buying a well-cared-for, used Honda Civic.

• 

  Best used car ever - 2008 Honda Civic
  By Rich Anderson - June 30 - 6:55 pm

  I bought this car when it was 6 years old with 74K miles on it for $8500. It looked new inside and out, and 2 years later it still seems like a new car. Is an EX trim, but has leather interior - just a very, very nice daily driver. The biggest dilemma I have with this car is that I think I deserve something nicer (I make good money), but it is just too nice to pass down to my 16 year old (who would trash it), and it really is so nice. Drives smooth, no mechanical problems, looks good in and out. I drove from LA to OKC and got 40Mpg (above spec). Gets 25 on all city driving. This is the 3rd Honda I have owned and all have been very good cars. I get the feeling this car will still be on the road 20 years from now! It is on its second set of tires at 96000 so they wear well. I love the way the instrumentation is laid out - with the big, digital odometer placed high on the dash so the steering wheel doesnt get in the way of seeing it. Minor faults are as follows: Its not a sports car - acceleration is so-so. The position of the front-left windshield down-tube seems to get in the line of sight when making left turns, it doesnt have built-in bluetooth (but most 2008s dont). Overall I give it 5 stars and you just cant go wrong buying a well-cared-for, used Honda Civic.

• 

  Best bang for the buck, period - 2016 Honda Civic
  By Coinneach Fitzpatrick - June 28 - 8:44 pm

  Ive put 1400 miles on my EX-T in 2.5 weeks of ownership and have pretty thoroughly shaken it down. This is my first CVT car; I was expecting a slightly more refined version of the terrible Altima transmission, but instead, Im very impressed. Its unobtrusive, responsive and smooth. The 1.5L turbo isnt nearly as laggy as everyone claims, and considering its Hondas first attempt at a turbo, it does a fantastic job. My first tank scored a 50/50 (45 mph average speed) combined economy of 37 mpg while still being a blast to drive. The steering is slightly heavy (its a Honda, this is how they roll) but precise; it does seem to fall toward the down slope of the road crown a little more than it should, which I believe is caused by the frankly low-end Firestones. The brakes are solid and ABS works perfectly. The seats are very firm and supportive, but the extremely tight weave of the fabric means they tend to heat up quickly; the automagic AC takes care of that problem. Ive had back-seat passengers bonk their heads on the very low, sloping entrance, which is just a limitation of the fastback design. The Display Audio system is buggy, probably because its simply a tablet based on Android KitKat; however, the GM MyLink in my previous two cars was just as bad. The controls and instrumentation are very clear and logical; the windows and moonroof seal impeccably; the build quality is phenomenal (more than once Ive heard "This is a *Civic?!*") and it just flat looks badass. tl;dr: Honda knocked it out of the park with the 10th Gen Civic.

• 

  Great first car! - 2004 Honda Civic
  By The civic club - June 27 - 10:00 am

  What other car out there today can give you a lot for not a lot of money....? Oh, and will last 200,000 miles.... :)

• 

  Good - 2004 Honda Civic
  By lownfst - June 27 - 10:00 am

  The Honda Civic is a great vehicle to own. It has great handling, performance and comfort. Although, it could use a little more horsepower.

• 

  Honda Civic EX-L Auto w/ Navi - 2008 Honda Civic
  By Adam - June 27 - 7:23 am

  This is a great car. I am 17 and bought my first car. The two tier dashboard is convenient and the navigation is relatively good. The trunk size is generous given its coupe body structure. Of course the main point is the mpg rating. Even before having broken it in I get a combined 41 mpg (with A/C on the entire time), even though I do a little more highway than city. In addition the seats are comfortable in the back and in the front, even for me (Im 511"). I love the styling, and the air conditioning is good. I even got cold in like 91 degree weather. I shall also admit the windshield wipers to be cool. I havent found anything bad about this car yet so if anyone does I would like to know.

• 

  Fun in a package that looks more expensive - 2016 Honda Civic
  By MOnte Morast - June 25 - 5:05 am