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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  Good Little Car and Fuel Efficient - 2000 Honda Civic
  By BV - June 1 - 12:58 pm

  I bought my Civic in 2000 brand new and it lasted me for 9 years until I got in an accident and totaled it. The battery went out within 3-4 years with about 35K miles, the tires had to be replaced twice (could be because I drove to school through a lot of construction), and the air conditioning went out at about 80K miles (Purchased everything new because it went totally out and I live in Texas so I cannot drive without air). Was a very reliable, dependable and stylish at the time type of car but can be very easily broken into by bad people. They break in through the windows easily and they dont roll down again until you get them fixed. Always do the maintenance on this car and get an alarm

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  Excellent Reliability, Excellent Mileage - 2004 Honda Civic
  By oldmandasilva - May 30 - 11:17 pm

  I purchase this car new based on the reliability and gas mileage reports and have not been disappointed in the least. In the 6+ years that I have owned it I have put on 144,000 miles, mostly commuting (86 miles round trip) to and from work. I regularly get 43-45 mpg. Granted, I am gas mileage conscious and try not to drive over 60 mph, avoid "jack rabbit" starts and constant braking and maintain the tires a little over-inflated. All I have spent on this car in the 6+ years I have owned it, besides gas and regular oil changes, has been to replace the front brakes and, at 125,000 miles, replacing the original Bridgestone tires (which provided good gas mileage but were mediocre in the snow).

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  You get what you pay for - 2010 Honda Civic
  By JK - May 29 - 11:23 am

  Drove this car for about a hundred miles and I hate it. The seats are uncomfortable, when I get out of this car after a short ride I feel like Ive been through a war.

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  Tire Wear, Water Pump Bolts 2X, Brakes - 2006 Honda Civic
  By Cathy - May 28 - 1:20 pm

  Have enjoyed driving car. Work done on car includes: towed twice to dealership for defective water pump bolt working into belts. Excessive tire wear. Replaced rear brakes. Droopy sun visors-what a pain-even though replaced once. Other than that regular oil change and tire rotation is all had to do. Get approximately 38 mpg in winter, 30 in summertime in Texas.

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  Emergency Brake - 2010 Honda Civic
  By Dan - May 28 - 12:56 pm

  This is a wonderful car with one major exception. The Emergency brake placement and design in this car runs into my leg. The brake hurts my leg so badly that I am doing everything I can to get into another car in year or less. Please make sure the brake does not bother you before buying this car.

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  A lot of car for the price. - 2010 Honda Civic
  By Hondriver - May 25 - 11:13 pm

  I bought a 2010 Honda Civic Sedan Auto LX-S in Atomic Blue on 4/24/10. It is a great car for the money. It is no race car, but has decent acceleration. Honda mainly had fuel economy in mind when designing this car. First tank averaged 32 MPG with combined city/highway driving. Handling is good even at higher speeds. Not much road noise noticed as mentioned in other reviews. The only thing I added after purchase was custom tint and front/rear splash guards. You can remedy all the suggested improvements listed below by going up to an EX, but I thought the rims were ugly and buying the LX-S saved me a few bucks. Incentives are good for Hondas right now as it is more of a buyers market.

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  The little engine that could - 1998 Honda Civic
  By Michael - May 25 - 2:47 am

  Got it brand new at 12 miles, around the 7th yr / 70,000 parts start to break down, 2 oxygen sensors (1st around 73k, 2nd around 110k), 2 drive shafts (around 80k), 1 radiator (110k), 1 broken alternator (95k), 1 cracked manifold catalytic housing (around 60k, except for the sound, it drives great). I make many long trip per year now so I decided to get another car and retired the Civic ~125k. Someday Ill fix it up properly which would cost around 1k to 2k. The Civic is really fun to drive, the interior is so simple which I really like. The engine can high rev and goes no where fast which is fun and funny to me. This car was very reliable and have never left me stranded.

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  1999 Honda civic ex couple in silver - 1999 Honda Civic
  By David - May 22 - 11:12 pm

  I have been driving this car for 6 months now, and I love it. I bought it with 81,000 miles on it and have not had a single problem with it. If you take care of it and do all the regular maintenance this car will run like a top. In cold weather the gas mileage will be in the mid to high 20s in the city and low 30s highway. Summertime the gas mileage has been better Im in low 30s all the time and almost got to 36 on the last tank which was mostly city driving, I throw it in neutral and coast down hills when I can that makes the mpg go up. This car has power if you want to use it you have to shift over 5500 rpm for the V-TEC to kick in and then its fast.

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  Great but could be better - 2009 Honda Civic
  By automax - May 22 - 10:34 pm

  I drive about 33,000 miles per year, mostly highway. This is one of a very few cars that can do commuting and playing at the same time and do them well. For commuting, its comfortable, reliable and economical(I average 31 MPG, 2 MPG better then EPA estimates). When you want to play, just rev the crap out of it and it rewards you, handling is solid, power is great (above 6000 RPM), and engine notes are extraordinary. All it needs is more torque, if Honda put in the Japan only "R" engine, this thing would be nirvana on wheels. If you do a lot of commuting, yet enjoy a spirited drive, this is one of the best buys out there.

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  Stop Complaining - 2007 Honda Civic
  By DL - May 22 - 9:39 am

  I have put 76,000 miles on this car since it has been new. At first the road noise is bad, the stock tires stink, I replaced with General Altimax HP tires. These reduced road noise considerably. As for the several recalls on this car, I give Honda credit for issuing recalls on items that could easily be passed on to the consumer after the warranty period. Simply put this is a great car with a few flaws, but you get what you pay for. I wanted a very reliable car that was affordable and that is what I got. Plus its design allows me to preform most routine maintenance myself.