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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  2015 Honda Civic - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Brittany Allers - September 25 - 5:59 pm

  I am currently leasing a 2015 Honda Civic from a local dealership. The main reason I decided on the Honda Civic was for the price. As a full-time college student, the low payments fit my budget. I had been driving my parents’ Honda Accord and wasn’t expecting the Civic to be that great. However, I’ve grown to love it. The responsiveness of the car is great. The steering is spot-on. It doesn’t overshoot or cut a corner close when steering unless you drive that way. The accelerating and braking are also amazing and has kept me from an accident or two. In less than 5 seconds, it can go from 60 down to 15 without loss of vehicle control. Overall, the driving is smooth and easy to handle. The interior is comfortable in the front seat. Don’t think about passengers as they don’t have much room for legs in the back. Another great feature is the fuel economy button which increases the MPG.

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  My second Civic one year later - 2014 Honda Civic
  By Honda Girl - September 24 - 6:51 pm

  Excellent value for the money, Honda reliability and resale. CVT takes some getting used to, very good MPG with or without the Econ feature activated, awesome highway car! This is my second Honda Civic. I replaced my 1994, also purchased new, one year ago. I love this car, especially the back up camera and handling. The ride over some city streets is a bit choppy but the OEM tires probably contribute to that. I find it a joy to drive on the highway without the road noise or driving fatigue that I experienced with my smaller old Civic. The CVT shifts smoothly and is different than a conventional automatic transmission, but I have not had any of the problems that some people mention. I like the sound system and being able to interface my IPad with the audio display. The build quality is solid without any squeaks or rattles. I would recommend Honda to anyone thinking about purchasing a new car.

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  Want my 2013 back - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Steve - September 21 - 7:12 pm

  I traded in a 2013 EX Coupe for a 2015 because i liked the looks of the refresh. However after having the 15 for 5 months i kinda wish i had kept the 13. The 2015 has more horse power, and yet i have to smash the accelerator to the floor to get it to take off from a stop light at an acceptable speed. When i apply the breaks they pop loudly. Have no idea what thats all about. My drivers side power window makes all sorts of noise when rolling down. These are probably small issues, but i didnt have them with the 13. Plus side is it is a beautiful car, glossy black with much nicer looking wheels than the 13. Very sporty looking. It was worth the money . If you dont mind some of the little quirks it has.

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  uncomfortable seats - 2013 Honda Civic
  By jackie adams - September 20 - 7:11 pm

  The gas mileage is great but taking a trip this is not the car to drive. My back and hips hurt so bad I can hardly stand. After my trip it has been hard going back to work I wish I can find a replace seat.

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  My brand new 2014 Honda Civic EX keeps leaking! - 2014 Honda Civic
  By Jorge Molina - September 20 - 10:19 am

  I bought this car in Nov of 2014 to replace my old 1989 BMW because this last one had some terrible leaks. I was tired of dealing with this so I decide to finally purchase a brand new vehicle and say "good bye" to problems. Well, in August of 2015 (not even a whole year after the purchase) I took my new civic to get its first oil change after about 8000 miles. When I was picking up my car, the service guys at Honda recommended me to take care of an "important" leak (leak!) that the car has, What??? yes, my brand new Honda civic, which I bought to get rid of the leaks and issues that I was having with my old BMW, was leaking transmission fluid. At this point I have taken the car to repair the same issue two times. The people at Honda told me that the issue has to do with the o-ring and the rear main seal. They even applied a dye and kept the car overnight to "make sure" that the problem was fixed. At this exact moment (when I wrote this review) I had the suspicious that the car is still leaking. I am very frustrated with this car. At this point I feel like Honda sold me a brand new lemon car and that really irritates me. My only hope is that if I confirmed that the car is a lemon car, Honda refund me or replace my car for another one. Otherwise, I would never buy or recommend Honda again in my life. By the way, and just to be fair, despite of the very annoying leak that the car has, the car works great.

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  Great Little Car! - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Kimyung - September 19 - 7:14 am

  I had this car from 82K to 135K miles. I had the stick shift model. I would have kept it too, but I got rear ended and they totaled the car out. I didnt do anything to the car besides a tune up and basic maintenance. Im really happy with my experience with this car. The AC compressor started to go towards the end. Ive only driven Hondas my whole life and I have had it happen a couple of times. I wish I didnt get hit, Id still be driving this little car.

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  Great car - 2011 Honda Civic
  By jay clark - September 17 - 3:53 pm

  bought it new, so far 85,000 miles not one major problem, it is a little noisy on the highway, tire noise, great in town, one of the best cars I ever owned. Dealership is OK I guess have never been there again, except to look for a new car last week In town it is the best, for traveling it is a bit small, next car will be accord or like, more trunk room for traveling but we love the civic. I average 30 mpg in town and around 40 on the highway, only problem is the trunk lock (inside the car no longer works, can release it and open it from outside but Honda had a lock so you could not release the trunk from inside and it does not work, stuck otherwise no problems in 85,000 miles, pretty good now days! would recommend it to anyone needs reliable transportation, not luxury for sure but very dependable and inexpensive

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  The Last of the Simple Hondas.... - 2000 Honda Civic
  By Kris - September 16 - 6:45 pm

  Absolutely love this car! Purchased a respectable example with low-mileage five years ago. Gave it a very comprehensive service and full detail and she has been running like a clock ever since then. Almost 130k and it consistently nets me 38-45mpg with a mix of 80% highway and 20% city driving. Although highway merging requires planning with only about 105hp, the 5sp manual helps control the power band better than the automatic. Winter conditions in an FWD are no problem with good tires and a manual. Interior has worn very well for its age. Although not modern, it is simplistic, which is a major antithesis to the gadget-laden stuff on sale today. Hatchback is cavernous for its size with folding seats. Exterior has held up mostly well, although there are initial signs of a few rust bubbles around the rear wheels. Washed monthly and hand-waxed every couple of months has kept the paint mostly bright. Lives up to the "bulletproof Honda" mantra. High-quality synthetic and filter every 7500mi. Issues I have had are very minor (cracked distributor cap, frozen crank window regulators, lower ball joints, wonky A/C clutch) and have been low-cost to fix with good parts. Normal schedule for filters/fluids and preventative replacement of major wear components in the last 40k miles (clutch, brakes, full exhaust, shocks/struts, ball joints, etc.) should see this car get to 200k no problem. Id most certainly buy one again!

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  Great reliable car with puny engine - 1999 Honda Civic
  By Dylan - September 14 - 11:08 pm

  This car was a great first car for me. I drove the thing like heck and it stayed strong under me. I put about 50,000 miles on it and it only broke down once. That was for the fuel pump going out which was an easy quick fix. It always got me where i needed to be, even if it wasnt very quickly. Its 1.6L 4 cylinder engine isnt that impressive. Its fuel economy was alright but it was not very responsive in the pedal at all. The transmission as well was not that great at shifting. the whole time i had it the shifting was a bit rough and i assume it is just the technology and quality of the transmission. Despite those two things it still ran great and i enjoyed it. very reliable and comfortable.

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  Love my Fa5 - 2009 Honda Civic
  By Bryguybruins13 - September 11 - 4:41 pm

  I love this car!!!! Everything about it is truly amazing! The k20z3 engine is a true gem. The car feels pedestrian below 5,800 RPM however, rev it past 5,800 all the way to its 8,000 RPM redline and and you will be treated to aural ecstasy courtesy of Hondas infamous vtec technology. When i-vtec engages the car sounds like a high revving v8, pulling hard all the way to the redline. The i-vtec helps deliver top notch performance (for an N/A four cylinder) while maintaining great gas mileage and drive ability. The high revving k20 engine is pared with an unbelievably smooth short throw six speed manual gearbox. The combination of the engine and perfect shifter make this car a pleasure to drive. However, the cars practicality set it apart from other sporty car options. The seats are comfortable and will hold you snug, the air conditioner is ice cold, and the additional two doors really make life easier. Interior materials are of excellent quality and the faux suede seats with red Si stitching look great. The red gauge lighting and aluminum pedals are superb touches. Other great features include an auxillary and usb port. The car is also well equipped in the storage department. Now, the car does have its issues and those issues are why I didnt give it a perfect rating. For one, the tranny is complete garbage, which is a shame considering how smooth it shifts. My second and third gears grind on a weekly basis. They are fine under normal driving conditions however, under spirited driving they tend to grind. My second gear loves to grind when I accelerate to the redline in first gear. This has caused me to bang off of the rev-limiter on multiple occasions in an attempt to shift into second. My second gripe with this car is the paint. Like wtf Honda? My car is a 2009! There is absolutely no excuse for fading paint on a six year old car! What makes it worse is that this problem isnt unique to the Si either. My brothers red 2009 Honda Fit is starting to turn pink :(. My last issue with this car is a performance issue. I used to own a 2000 Honda Prelude prior to buying my Si. The Prelude was miles ahead of the Si in terms of handling. The Prelude was more well balanced and neutral when attacking corners. The Si? Well, the Si feels like a wet sponge in the corners. The cars body roll and understeering tenancies are pretty noticeable and are downright scary at times.