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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  New Civic - 2016 Honda Civic
  By Lou Tatulli - April 15 - 2:40 pm

  Great re-design of the Civic, especially the tail lights and overall body. Good value from one of the most reliable and almost maintenance free cars on the market. Air conditioner is loud when on full tilt so fan adjustment needed to hear music.

• 

  Honda 95 - 1995 Honda Civic
  By Eric - April 15 - 8:50 am

  This car is dependable with working air zone heat, defrost . Standard, electric windows.

• 

  Excellent Mileage..! - 2005 Honda Civic
  By md - April 15 - 4:15 am

  I just returned from vacation. I drove by myself, and Im an older woman. I felt comfortable and safe... And I drove over 2300 miles and got over 36 mpg...! How can you not love that... Shes a fun little car... Id buy another one... md

• 

  A good decision - 2008 Honda Civic
  By chasda - April 13 - 3:10 am

  I recently traded in my 2005 Acura TL for a 2008 Honda Civic EX-L. I know, why would you do that? Well, I drive about 30K a year,my TL had 60K miles and it was time to either keep it till death or trade. I could have got another TL or similar car, but the premium gas and the mileage were starting to hurt. So I went hunting for something simpler and more economical. I considered a hybrid, but the numbers just dont work. The Civic is a good choice. It is peppy and fun to drive, it has everything you need. Its comfortable and very economical. Im averaging 31+ mpg, Ive had it 3 weeks and have over 1700 miles already. I added the leather, I think it brings the car to the next level.

• 

  Not bad, not great spend some time in the seat - 2017 Honda Civic
  By M. Smith - April 12 - 8:42 am

  We got our civic hatchback on a lease due to some aggressive pricing at the time. We picked it over the new Subaru Impreza hatchback, Focus and Mazda 3. I am coming into this car from a 2012 skyactiv Mazda 3 touring sedan. We were looking for a hatchback that could hold an infant seat. The civic has plenty of room for our seat without adjusting the front seat which is great. We liked the interior space of the car and of course the hatchback is a huge plus. The seats almost fold flat and ease of loading junk in and out is good. Acceleration and fuel economy are both great. Ride quality is better than I thought but not as good as the Impreza. Wind and road noise is pretty good, maybe slightly above average but not class leading. Now on to the not so good. Things you may not notice on a test drive. The lack of a volume knob bothers me way more than I thought. This thing is also super hard to clean on the outside leaves and little bits get down in all the cracks and creases on the rear end. When I wash my car I have to get that junk out or it would bother me to no end. The interior is not much better the material of the seat and armrest gets dirty fast and all the spots in the overly busy dash hold dirt that can be a pain to get out. The seats are not comfortable for tall people on long drives. I am 6 tall 190lbs with a big build(broad shoulders/chest) the bolstering on the upper part of the seat puts pressure on my shoulders and the lumbar support is just a bit off. After about 30 minutes I am ready to get out and stretch. I can do hours at a time in our Outback or my work truck no problem. Its somehow manages to be quick without being fun. The mazda 3 seems to be the bench mark for fun to drive in this class and to me the civic is just lacking something in the feel even compared to now ancient Ford Focus. Yes its fast, yes it stays planted, yes it can make some fun noises but the cvt while quite good and effective at day to day driving saps all fun out of it. I cant help but feel with a manual this car would be a blast. It also lacks the feed back and just that explainable fun factor the mazda has. Overall its not a bad car perhaps its a little overly complex on the design side but if you are on the smaller side and just need something to get you to and from work this may be your car. For me I am dumping it when the lease is up and looking for something more my size.

• 

  Not bad, not great spend some time in the seat - 2017 Honda Civic
  By M. Smith - April 12 - 8:42 am

  We got our civic hatchback on a lease due to some aggressive pricing at the time. We picked it over the new Subaru Impreza hatchback, Focus and Mazda 3. I am coming into this car from a 2012 skyactiv Mazda 3 touring sedan. We were looking for a hatchback that could hold an infant seat. The civic has plenty of room for our seat without adjusting the front seat which is great. We liked the interior space of the car and of course the hatchback is a huge plus. The seats almost fold flat and ease of loading junk in and out is good. Acceleration and fuel economy are both great. Ride quality is better than I thought but not as good as the Impreza. Wind and road noise is pretty good, maybe slightly above average but not class leading. Now on to the not so good. Things you may not notice on a test drive. The lack of a volume knob bothers me way more than I thought. This thing is also super hard to clean on the outside leaves and little bits get down in all the cracks and creases on the rear end. When I wash my car I have to get that junk out or it would bother me to no end. The interior is not much better the material of the seat and armrest gets dirty fast and all the spots in the overly busy dash hold dirt that can be a pain to get out. The seats are not comfortable for tall people on long drives. I am 6 tall 190lbs with a big build(broad shoulders/chest) the bolstering on the upper part of the seat puts pressure on my shoulders and the lumbar support is just a bit off. After about 30 minutes I am ready to get out and stretch. I can do hours at a time in our Outback or my work truck no problem. Its somehow manages to be quick without being fun. The mazda 3 seems to be the bench mark for fun to drive in this class and to me the civic is just lacking something in the feel even compared to now ancient Ford Focus. Yes its fast, yes it stays planted, yes it can make some fun noises but the cvt while quite good and effective at day to day driving saps all fun out of it. I cant help but feel with a manual this car would be a blast. It also lacks the feed back and just that explainable fun factor the mazda has. Overall its not a bad car perhaps its a little overly complex on the design side but if you are on the smaller side and just need something to get you to and from work this may be your car. For me I am dumping it when the lease is up and looking for something more my size.

• 

  Not bad, not great spend some time in the seat - 2017 Honda Civic
  By M. Smith - April 12 - 8:42 am

  We got our civic hatchback on a lease due to some aggressive pricing at the time. We picked it over the new Subaru Impreza hatchback, Focus and Mazda 3. I am coming into this car from a 2012 skyactiv Mazda 3 touring sedan. We were looking for a hatchback that could hold an infant seat. The civic has plenty of room for our seat without adjusting the front seat which is great. We liked the interior space of the car and of course the hatchback is a huge plus. The seats almost fold flat and ease of loading junk in and out is good. Acceleration and fuel economy are both great. Ride quality is better than I thought but not as good as the Impreza. Wind and road noise is pretty good, maybe slightly above average but not class leading. Now on to the not so good. Things you may not notice on a test drive. The lack of a volume knob bothers me way more than I thought. This thing is also super hard to clean on the outside leaves and little bits get down in all the cracks and creases on the rear end. When I wash my car I have to get that junk out or it would bother me to no end. The interior is not much better the material of the seat and armrest gets dirty fast and all the spots in the overly busy dash hold dirt that can be a pain to get out. The seats are not comfortable for tall people on long drives. I am 6 tall 190lbs with a big build(broad shoulders/chest) the bolstering on the upper part of the seat puts pressure on my shoulders and the lumbar support is just a bit off. After about 30 minutes I am ready to get out and stretch. I can do hours at a time in our Outback or my work truck no problem. Its somehow manages to be quick without being fun. The mazda 3 seems to be the bench mark for fun to drive in this class and to me the civic is just lacking something in the feel even compared to now ancient Ford Focus. Yes its fast, yes it stays planted, yes it can make some fun noises but the cvt while quite good and effective at day to day driving saps all fun out of it. I cant help but feel with a manual this car would be a blast. It also lacks the feed back and just that explainable fun factor the mazda has. Overall its not a bad car perhaps its a little overly complex on the design side but if you are on the smaller side and just need something to get you to and from work this may be your car. For me I am dumping it when the lease is up and looking for something more my size.

• 

  Served me well for 15 years! - 2001 Honda Civic
  By Honda Owner - April 12 - 8:32 am

  2016: Time for a new car, but the 2001 Honda Civic LX was great for me. It had very little problems during the time that I owned it, except for the "check engine" light, which seemed to go on and off like a bad light bulb. Having driven it for so long, I knew exactly what conditions would cause the light to go on (it had nothing to do with a "tight" gas cap). Driving the car for a couple of days would always cause the light to go back off. Other than that, I gave it regular oil changes, tire rotations, scheduled maintenance, etc. I never had any serious issues. I ran it for 145,000, but a trusted mechanic said it could easily pass 200K.

• 

  Served me well for 15 years! - 2001 Honda Civic
  By Honda Owner - April 12 - 8:32 am

  2016: Time for a new car, but the 2001 Honda Civic LX was great for me. It had very little problems during the time that I owned it, except for the "check engine" light, which seemed to go on and off like a bad light bulb. Having driven it for so long, I knew exactly what conditions would cause the light to go on (it had nothing to do with a "tight" gas cap). Driving the car for a couple of days would always cause the light to go back off. Other than that, I gave it regular oil changes, tire rotations, scheduled maintenance, etc. I never had any serious issues. I ran it for 145,000, but a trusted mechanic said it could easily pass 200K.

• 

  i love it - 2003 Honda Civic
  By malek - April 11 - 10:00 am

  its enough to know that it holds the value