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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  Nice change - 2008 Honda Civic
  By Wayne - March 12 - 8:00 pm

  Purchased first Honda car after years of owning Corollas. Was looking for a four door with more power, and great gas mileage. Purchased the car due to its many performance, safety features and its low price. I am satisfied with the vehicles performance, and have been getting 30 mpg. I could use more room in the front seat, but I am 63 250 lbs. Car has many blind spots. Overall, it seems to be a solid car, nice combination of ride/ handling. Easily accelerates to highway speeds. Peace of mind with the standard side curtain air bags. The interior dash is different but a nice change.

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  Touring with Honda Civic 2016 - 2016 Honda Civic
  By Andre Furtado - March 12 - 6:44 pm

  The rear view camera is not as good for backing as I thought. It does not guide you well based on the camera despite the extra features and three views permitted. Perhaps I have not yet got the knack for using it. (The kia forte 2013 with a single view (which I also use) is much much better and less confusing to make steering adjustments). The bottom rear camera view just behind the car is useful for parking as is the passenger side view camera. A little longer than I wanted in a compact sedan and therefore harder to park in tight spaces. However no other compact sedan I looked at has nearly as much trunk space. The look of the car is striking in its class and the metallic blue color I have it in is also striking. Horn volume is puny. The car drives beautifully and steers beautifully with little or no noise. Very quiet drive and once I was at 90 mph and had no idea I was moving that fast. Better than anything else I have ever driven yet! Turning radius is great also for size.The rolling resistance is very low and the car goes a long distance before stopping with the foot off the pedal. I mean it can coast! Continuously variable transmission did not seem to affect the driving negatively. It picks up acceleration very quickly and is not an issue entering a highway ramp. Handles small bumps fine, but hit a big bump and you know it from the tires. Good fuel efficiency especially in eco mode which I use for city driving. Brakes are great. Even has a brake hold if you are stuck in traffic for a while. Would have liked a volume button for navigation. It is buried deep in the screen and cant be changed easily on the run. Price a bit on the high side but it does have a lot of technology in this price range. Love the lane guidance system ( slight steering wheel judder warning) and the brake warning system which can be adjusted to distance from the car in front. Not always optimal but useful if one is sleepy or tired. Phone pairs easily and automatically using bluetooth. Has Airplay. Remote start is great for both hot and cold days. A/C and heater comes on as appropriate to settings left in the car from previous trip with remote start. Side view camera on the right is great. Now why not a side view camera on the left? Audio was OK. There was no volume button on the panel , but there was one on the steering wheel. AC works just fine and adjustments are easily done on the run. Front seats are low compared to the back seat and my right knee always hits the steering column when getting in the car. I am 5 11". The drivers seats do not slide back far enough to get really comfortable and there is little lumbar support. A clear design flaw. The back seats on the other hand are spacious and much more comfortable. Not enough emphasis on comfort wrt the drivers seat. The back windshield slopes such as to give a limited field of view in the rear view mirror. I saw this as a glaring safety shortfall that could have been easily fixed by design adjustments but this seems to be a common problem in newer cars as they emphasize form over safety function. However I do love all the warnings you get in the speedometer screen if you have left a door open, etc. Not sure I would trade it for any other car though. It was between the Elantra Ultimate package which has similar technology features and the Honda Civic and the Honda won but not by much though. The Mazda 3 was a great driving experience , did not have the same level of technology in its touring version as did the other two cars mentioned above, but the stand alone navigation screen on top of the dash would be tempting to thieves as it can easily be ripped out and that is why that was out too. Preferred the navigation style in the Mazda and the Elantra to that in the Honda. Would have liked automatic folding in of side-view mirrors to make it easier to get it into my garage. Did not look at American brand cars due to reliability issues. The Elantra has the best warranty. The Honda warranty is confusing. They indicate they will support repair for 36,000 miles bumper to bumper but my dealer told me it would only be 12,000 miles at no cost. It is not clear what changes in service cost between 12,000 and 36000 miles. Check with your dealer. I am still looking into this apparent discrepancy so buyer beware. Any of these three cars in their loaded versions are all high quality and will not disappoint. These are all good cars for senior citizens in their seventies, such as myself, who prefer a lot of safety and technology in the car as aids to increasingly slowing reflexes, and vision impairment with age. If they had the Honda Fit (smaller car) with the same technology in the loaded version, I would have bought it in a heartbeat! Younger drivers may save some money with the EX version which has some of the technology features available in the touring version. Get the 1.5 L turbo engine though.

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  Mileage not as advertised - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Jason - March 11 - 5:00 am

  Traded in my Jetta 1.8T for a better mileage/newer car. Noticeable step down in interior quality compared to VW but delivers a good ride. I can *not* get the advertised 47/48mpg. My average is 37/37. I have seen 39 city and 45 highway, and that was with a 15 knot tailwind at 60mph. Told it will improve over time (?) If you drive faster than 70mph, you will lose mileage fast. I set the cruise at 80mph for a while and averaged about 28mpg. Consider carefully the kind of driving you do. If you drone in the 70- 80mph realm like I do, look at a TDI Golf (like I should have). If you live in the 50-60mph realm, this is the car for you. Not suited for droning in the the windy OK/KS plains.

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  Great Car! - 1994 Honda Civic
  By pdog - March 10 - 2:00 am

  This car gets the best gas mileage - still up to 40 on the freeway. Front and back seats are very comfortable (unless you are >250lbs) and people cant believe how much I can fit in the trunk. The car handles ok, not great, and has a decent ride(only 13" rims), but car is quick if you are willing to push it, since it is so light. Faster than my friends Mini.

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  Great Little Car! - 2000 Honda Civic
  By weav727 - March 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought my EX coupe brand new in June 2000, and it has been pretty much perfect. The paint remains glossy, and it drives like it did with 20 miles on it- I now have 76500 miles. I have replaced only brakes and tires. Once I started it and turned it off right away and the engine flooded. Apparently that is a Honda problem, they run rich right when they start up, so dont turn it on cold and then turn it off right away!

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  great car/poor mileage - 2003 Honda Civic
  By fueler - March 8 - 2:00 am

  This a great car! Very comfortable, very responsive. My only complaint is the mileage. 36MPG with CVT with 4,500 miles on the odometer.Dealer says it will improve after 5,000miles. I could have bought a Civic LX for $5,000 less and got the same mileage!

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  I cant believe it still works !!! - 1991 Honda Civic
  By zeus~go-cart - March 7 - 2:00 am

  WOW, this car is amazing me everday. I have a 91 SE (DX model US) and its has 392,000 km, NOW THATS AMAZING, me and my mechanics plan to bring is over the 1/2 million mark in a couple of years. All i can say is give it regular oil changes and change the shocks and it will never die on you. I owned a 2002 civic si (till i totaled it) and this car (forced to buy cuz of insurance) drives funner and is a kick everyday when i turn on the ignition and it actually works. Best car ever !!!

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  Love my Honda! You will too! - 1999 Honda Civic
  By poda - March 7 - 2:00 am

  Since I have purchased this vehicle, I have stopped worrying about reliability of the car I drive. My Honda (as is every Honda!) is very dependable and has great gas milage. I could not ask for more at such a reasonable price! I plan on making my entire family, a Honda family! Thank you Honda!

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  Great - 1997 Honda Civic
  By allison007 - March 6 - 2:00 am

  I loved this car and really only want to get rid of it for the pure fact that I want to try a newer Honda!!

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  o yea - 1995 Honda Civic
  By my name is scott - March 5 - 2:00 am

  awesome car runs runs runs... no problems thats why i sold it... decided that i need a 6 speed and more hp. but was great and will be dearly missed!