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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  great little car - 1998 Honda Civic
  By andy birmingham - January 22 - 5:51 pm

  my son and i purchased this car in 09. he was a junior in high school, now he is a senior at unniversity of ar, started out at 28,000 miles now has 112,000 miles. we have replaced radiator, 2 water pumps , 2 timing belts , head gasket job, thermo stat , brake pads, right front door window regulator , new, interior, new hubcaps and $200,00 econo paint.................. the honda is just like new and we sure enjoy it........................ my son charlie likes it and loves the 35 mpg .............. he stated that he would drive it another 7 years and then apply for antique plates................. one of the best vehicles ever built . sincerely, andy birmingham

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  Alternator Issue - 2012 Honda Civic
  By Kiran Mehta - January 18 - 11:16 am

  I had to replace the battery because it went dead. When I got replaced the battery at battery + I was told that I need to get Alternator checked out because it not charging the battery the way it should. So I called dealer they wanted $80 to run diagnostic on vehicle instead of spending $80 I went to my mechanic who is working on foreign cars for a while. He checked to see if battery is being charge while car is running and it wasnt, it was showing battery was holding at 12.4 V and it should have been 14 V. He tried various method to see if it charges the battery and finally when he turn the head lights on while car is running battery started charging and showing 14 v. He told me that it is weird and never saw anything like this. He thought probably the alternator was made that way. So I called to confirm with Honda company to see if they have any thing on this issue I was told they dont have information or recall on it. Rep at Honda company was pushing me to take it to dealer and pay $80 for diagnostic.

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  Eh - Couldve done more with my money - 2010 Honda Civic
  By Urme - January 13 - 9:02 am

  I bought the 2010 Civic LX - 4 door sedan new off the lot in July 2010. It was my first car purchase and, to be honest, Im regretting purchasing this (or any) car brand new. I paid $16,500 for it. Over five years later its valued around $7500-$9000, which is not bad. I was attracted to this car because its sleek body style. It looks just great in Taffeta White! As a 59" woman, the interior is a tad cramped. Its not the easiest to get in and out of and the drivers side door does not stay open/in place. When youre toting belongings, its quite annoying. The car handles well in the city, though Im not thrilled about the gas tank capacity (13.5) - I feel like Im constantly fueling up! The interior dash is as sleek looking as the body, which was a major bonus for me. The only real issue Ive had is that I had replace the brake pads (~$400) about 2.5-3 years into purchase. About a year later I was notified of a recall, but for some reason my vehicle did not qualify. Another annoying, but not insignificant issue I had immediately was the quality of the factory windshield wipers. Useless, actually dangerous, in any sort of precipitation. Even after having Honda give me new ones immediately after my purchase, I had to fork over $50 at AutoTire to get some decent ones. Highway driving is atrocious in this car. Acceleration is not great and you can feel too much of the highway. Also, the seats just arent comfortable enough for long trips. This is a good starter car, no doubt, but I would not recommend it for much else. After 5 years with this car, I cant wait to upgrade.

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  Love this car! - 2009 Honda Civic
  By Eliana - January 3 - 2:49 am

  I am really not sure what there is to complain on this car. I owned it for more than 1 year and had 0 problems! Well.. I forgot the light on one night, but the battery held it for about 15 hours! Strong battery and good performance. My car gives me 44.0 mpg in summer and around 40 mpg in winter due to idling longer in cold weather. The seats seem to toughen up after 1+ hours of sitting and it is painful, but overall, I would give it an A+ so far. I would definitely recommend! And hoping to keep the car for 10 years or at lease until I finish my degree.

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  Superb gas mileage champ - 2012 Honda Civic
  By Wcjeep - January 3 - 12:36 am

  Initially bought the Civic for my long commutes. Stop and go on the freeway I averaged 35mpg. Now the wifes lead foot averages 25mpg city only driving. The front seats are not designed for long road trips. Any trip under two hours is fine. Did not purchase navigation. We have smartphones. My one tech gripe is the 1-2 second audio delay while streaming Bluetooth. The factory tires were not designed for use in the rain. Probably should have bought leather interior. My work clothes get dirty. I did buy airbag compatible washable seat covers. Factory sound system makes noise. Its not Bose or Mark Levinson. This is reliable transportation that requires little effort to drive and starts every time.

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  Awesome - 2012 Honda Civic
  By Anthony - January 1 - 10:11 pm

  I have a 2012 Honda Civic EX sedan all black. And to be honest its the greatest car I have owned yet. Comfort is amazing, sport look to it, and I get great gas mililage to. Since I bought I had to put in a battery only because the owner before me had a smaller one in it. Im planning on the staying with the civic. Plus it lowered my car insurance to. I like the whole set up of the car and technology of it.

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  Floridian Cajun Si-er - 2012 Honda Civic
  By Dave - December 30 - 1:28 am

  Great car for the money!! Lots of power from the K24 engine, even though a turbo would be really sweet. A bit too much cost cutting for 2012 interior plastics cheap, but better than a 80-90s Big 3 car sway bars thinner than previous generation and the 2013-2015. A "sport minded" car should have full instrumentation, not idiot lights!! And the tach doesnt need to be so big. Radio is great, iMid is great, big speedometer at eye level great. Needs a rear window wiper. Economy great! One trip from TN to FL at 80 mph got 36mpg! Not as good as a an EX or LX, but way better than my old Camaro. Would definitely buy another, cant wait to try out the 2017 Si.

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  Honda scores again with civic - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Jfv - December 29 - 10:36 am

  Very comfortable, quiet, great features, excellent gas mileage. Nice materials used. Go with tan interior.

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  I hope new Civic goes 10 years and over 240k miles - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Buddy - December 24 - 11:53 am

  Front seat head rests arre awkward in that it pushes your head forward bu realigning the seat can reduce that issue, this is common in all new Hondas and I am told is a safety feature to avoid wipe lash. I at first did not like the little extra windows in front of each side mirror but they do let in more light and make it less cramped feeling.

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  Careful! - 1996 Honda Civic
  By Juliet - December 23 - 5:57 pm

  Ok so i was here looking at reviews to purchase my 1996 honda civic and was amazed by all the good reviews. Anyways i bought my honda and turns out to be a total nightmare. First problem door locks broke then the driver door lock broke not opening from the inside or outside. Second i started having inflated water hoses. I changed the radiator and the hoses and the thermostat and water pump. I still continue with pressure in the hoses i have combustion gas going into my coolant system. I took to a mechanic turns out that apparently the timing belt broke and since these cars have an interference engine it caused the piston to bent the exhaust valves. Dont buy a car with interference engine buy with none interference engine this repair cost more then $1000.00 dollars beware there is no oil mixing with coolant nor engine noise or any white smoke and it runs like has no problems when u go buy this car take a combustion tester because i bought this car with bent valves and it seemed perfect also young kids burn out these cars beware. Test hoses for pressure and make sure they are not inflated also open radiator coolant for combustion gas make sure to do this with engine COLD. Check for bubbles in water or if u see weird glitter on radiator Stay away thats a Stop leak head cover or blue could be bluedevil STAY AWAY.