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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  Reliable, fast, great handling - 2008 Honda Civic
  By smoothcivic - August 10 - 3:25 pm

  Purchased used in 2010 with 8,000km. Now has 43,000km. Feels like it hasnt aged a single bit. No problems, extremely fast on highways and local roads, easy to zip between cars and get thru traffic easily. Independent suspension makes cornering easy. Ride is slightly bumpy, compared to full size sedans. Drove 10 hours straight from Toronto to Queens, averaging 90mph all the way, and the car gave no problems. Was a very fun drive winding along the mountains at high speed. Fuel efficiency decreases substantially at higher speeds. Sad to see others writing poor comments, they must have received the bad apples, because otherwise the car follows the tradition for exceptional quality for me.

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  Exactly what I expected - 2010 Honda Civic
  By broncosftw - August 5 - 7:13 pm

  I have racked up 20k miles in my 2010 Honda Civic in about one year. Still have plenty of tread on the stock tires and brakes. So far, no issues. I average 32mpg mixed driving (50/50) during the summer, and 29mpg in the winter. There are some squeaks while driving over rough roads, but nothing that the 360 watt stereo cant drown out. I am very happy with this purchase, and would purchase this car if given a 2nd run. My previous car was a 2002 Audi A6 2.7T. Traded the A6 in at only 70k miles. Though the Civic cant compete with the Audi in performance or luxuries, it wins with reliability. My last Civic cranked out 180k miles, with $0 coming out of my pocket for non-accident repairs

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  The BEST Car EVER MADE!!!! - 1992 Honda Civic
  By yummy_honie - August 3 - 8:21 am

  I bought my car back in January 2009 and it has been almost 3 years. Its a 1992 Honda Civic Hatchback and it has been my life saver. I named her Lil Magic because she never lets me down. Its so funny because for it to be such a old car, almost 20 yrs old, she still keeps up with the best of them effortlessly. We are often doing 90 on the highway and joke around with my bf and I tell him that the car actually prefers to go fast. Im not kidding she is FAST!!. I dd not do any modifications yet but I plan to in the future. I sometimes wish I had power lock doors and windows but the cars loyalty to me means much more. Ppl see me on the street and always wanna buy here. I love my car.

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  Disappointed - 2008 Honda Civic
  By wvm1 - August 2 - 3:28 pm

  Bought a new Civic LX in 2008. Owned 2.5 years and put 28,000 miles on it. Found the position of the headrests too far forward, not allowing me to put my head in a comfortable driving position. The rear suspension chewed up the rear tires by 18,000 miles. At 20,000 miles the air intake meter abruptly died leaving my family and I stranded.The auto transmission from day one shifted roughly from 1st to 2nd gear. And the final straw was discovering 2006 through 2008 Civic engines have been cracking and losing cooling fluid, as early as 40,000 miles. Loved driving this sporty four door, but was unhappy with its unreliability.

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  its okay, not my other hondas - 2001 Honda Civic
  By josentoski82 - August 2 - 8:35 am

  I have had my 01 for two years now, i bought it from a friend who was the original owner. It gets great gas mileage and i have put 50k on it in 2 years. seats are comfy, had the same air damn issues. and the struts are horrible. original owner had the tranny rebuilt at 130k to the tune of 2000 bucks. so you would think good to go. nope just turned 201k and the tranny is out AGAIN. Not on par with my 98 accord that had 235k original engine and transmission or my beloved crx. It has never left us stranded but i can tell that there is alot of common issues people are having. i was going to buy another civic but i am now thinking twice. spending $2100 in 2 years on issues not a great deal to me!

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  Irritating car - 2011 Honda Civic
  By ronn2 - July 17 - 5:40 am

  Just yesterday I finally got rid of my 2011 Civic Hybrid. I had it for 6 months and hated every minute of it. Some people are going to think Im nuts trading a Hybrid in with gas prices the way they are. But I just couldnt take that car anymore. I didnt want it in the first place but when I was at the dealership, and the salesman talking me into it, with the good deal I got, I decided to go for it. Well it made me nuts.

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  Great car for the money - 2003 Honda Civic
  By mattshu - July 16 - 8:38 pm

  Ive owned my 2003 Civic Hybrid for 2 years now and so far its been a great car with only a few minor problems. The Good: Handles great Luxurious interior (compared to other non-luxury cars) Extremely quiet 45mpg The bad: Transmission fluid needs changing every 2 years IMA battery will start to degrade after 7 years Seats are very stiff, its like sitting on a bench Overall the car performs well as a daily driver, and if you arent looking to set Nurburgring lap records youll be satisfied with its performance. Even though it is less reliable than a standard civic the blue book value is lower, making it a better value when you factor in the better gas mileage.

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  No complaints after 2 years - 2009 Honda Civic
  By bassmstr9 - July 8 - 7:32 am

  I leased this car 2 years ago because it was cheap, good on gas, has good safety ratings, and Honda is the leader in reliability. I traded in a BMW 3 series because the repairs on the BMW were AWFUL - frequent and expensive. Except for the BMW acceleration and handling, I like the Honda better in every way. It has no rattles, no check engine lights, and no problems of any sort in 2 years. On long trips I get over 40mpg (non-hybrid) on regular gas at 75mph with the air conditioning blasting. Its comfortable as long as youre not 65" tall. Im actually buying it before the lease is up and just keeping the car.

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  Honda civc LX sedan auto wasnt a mistake - 1999 Honda Civic
  By omar_eita - July 6 - 12:33 am

  keep in mind the car is cheap its not a bmw or Mercedes I was a senior in high-school when i got this car I really needed a car for my work rides and college. NC doesnt have public transportation. I bought this car 2008 it had 110k on it now it has 140k on it and i absolutely dont regret buying it i only spent money on normal maintenance. it drives really nice and the interior compared to similar cars in it is class is far better i dont think there is a car that can beat that civic 1999-2000 too bad though they had it for 2 years. Im giving this one to my younger brother since he will need it soon too.

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  The interior - lack comfort - 2010 Honda Civic
  By allahakbar - July 4 - 5:53 pm

  From interior it doesnt look like a 2010 car!! We regret to have chosen this car over Toyota! It lacks interior comfort when 1. you dont see a cofee cup holder for any passenger sitting at back. What you expect to do with a water bottle or a coffe mug?? hold in your hand all the time? Just ridiculous. 2. Selling car in Saskatoon where cold temp falls to -40 you dont see a 2010 car (Honda) a temperature gauge! How cheap!! Even a Toyota Corola 1998 has a digital temperature guage!! I say it is unbelievalbly cheap not to have temp guage in Honda (2010) selling in Canada!! 3. There are two cup holder in but you cant use cup holders if you slide the tray out!! Bad design.