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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  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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  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.

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  Must be used to Driving an Accord - 2015 Honda Civic
  By S T - September 7 - 12:14 am

  Im very surprised at the consistently high reviews of this car, to be honest. Perhaps Im just used to the ride of an Accord, after owning three consecutive Accords (1993, 2001, 2010), but I cant seem to get over the fact that I feel every bump in the road in this car (2015 EX-L w/navigation). Perhaps theres a suspension or tire inflation issue with mine, but I didnt imagine buying a new car and feeling bumps driving over even painted crosswalks. Radio and heat controls are not intuitive (again, possibly just based on experience with Accords). Nice enough looking car, especially for a Civic, but will definitely be unloading this car once it is paid off in a few months, after owning Accords for an average of close to 15 years each.

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  Very Reliable. Cant get rid of it! - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Eli - September 5 - 10:31 pm

  After breaking 140,000 plus miles, I had to replace the alternator, ball joints, oil pressure switch and camshaft sensor. Besides these minor repairs, I change the motor oil every 3,000 miles, transmission oil every 20,000 miles, and the drive belts every 60,000 miles. I had to change the breaks about three times since the life of this vehicle, purchased back in 2005 with 4,000 miles on it. Overall, excellent reliable car. I still drive it every day to work, 60 miles round trip. I will only get rid of it once the new 2016 Civic Coup becomes available.

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  It pays for itself in time and money saved! - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Ray - August 21 - 11:16 pm

  I bought this car in November 2014 from a dealer for a slightly high price of $10,000. The reason being the condition and mileage of the car, it was like buying a 2 year old car even though it was almost 10 tears old! The car was immaculate, owned by UCLA University in Los Angeles, California, and had been fleet maintained since new. I was already familiar with NGV vehicles, having driven one in my job, so I had no qualms about buying it. The car had only 30,800 miles and I have now driven it 15,000 trouble-free miles in 9 months! The Pros I average 35 mpgs in traffic and I pay $1.85 a ggl for natural gas at the local city yard, $1.46 a ggl at the neighboring city yard and...the price is stable, doesnt fluctuate like gasoline prices. Also, in California, I get to use the HOV lanes without a passenger AND, some toll roads are free to use for us "greenies". Now the Cons The fuel tanks are huge and take up a large amount of the trunks but, this a commuter car, not a travel car although some people have used it for that purpose. Although the tanks appear huge, they only hold the equivalent of 6.5 gallons of gasoline and so your mileage between fill ups is reduced to between 150 miles and maximum 200 miles, depending on your driving habits. The car interiors for this model year GX is pretty Spartan at best. Although it does have A/C, am/fm/cd, power windows, steering, and brakes, thats pretty much it! No navi, no leather, no tinted windows, no sunroof, no nothing else unlike the newer GX models. In all, I have to say that it is a great commuter car that gets you from point A to point B quickly and cheaply.

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  Grandama demanded the Civic VIP - 2004 Honda Civic
  By Davie Boy - July 30 - 8:03 am

  This model is a good used choice car for those looking for basic transportation. Replacement parts availability is excellent. Heads-up - this car has a timing belt which requires replacement at 105,000 miles (not a chain). I would only buy a used civic that has less then 55,000 miles. Back in 2004 my 80 year old mother needed a new car and demanded the CIVIC with manual windows so I got her a brand new 2004 VIP. The car cost $15,000 OTD with no trade-in. It is a very basic car but thats what she wanted. Since then she has put only 12,000 miles on it and the only time it was in the shop was for the airbag recall. It runs and drives like new after 11 years. This car feels quite "tinny" although its fit and finish are flawless. The designers clearly focused on interior room, fuel efficiency, reliability and the drivers outward visibility. The designers sacrificed suspension, breaking, acceleration, cornering/steering, cabin soundproofing and the overall fun driving experience. The rear suspension, in particular, has been crammed into a small space to make the trunk bigger, yielding an oddly bouncy ride. The rear brakes are drum which make for very poor stopping capability and the single overhead cam engine is quite pathetic. That said, its amazingly reliable, economical, well assembled, easy to drive with excellent outward visibility and boring - which is, apparently, what must drivers demand judging from this cars popularity.

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  Somethings you wont know until you own one. - 2012 Honda Civic
  By genegenre - July 6 - 1:29 pm

  I am writing a review here because I have a 2012 and, aside from a few tech mods and bits of shiny trim, they havent changed much since 12. I use my Civic NG for auto parts delivery. It has 190,000+ miles on it. So far the only two things to go wrong are the wheel bearings beginning at 60k. I had kept my tire psi at 44! Since having them changed at 103k, I havent begun to feel any wear as I have deflated the tires back to about 34psi. I tried to change the front fuel filter and damaged the housing. Cost was around $600. The + side is that you really only need to change the filters about every 50k miles. Dealer charges $80 for labor for the front (I do rear). My mechanic charges $15 labor.

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  I couldnt do it - 2006 Honda Civic
  By caine2375 - June 3 - 6:03 pm

  I live in Minnesota. I live at the bottom of a hill that turns into an ice rink during the winter. Last winter that got my civic stuck at least twice on days I dared to challenge mother nature. I was prepared today to trade in my civic for a 4wd vehicle, a hyundai touson. I couldnt do it. The honda has been an awesome vehicle. I bought it used and other than routine maintenance I havent had a problem with it. The MPG estimates are crap, though I still net 37.8mpg over the last 9kmiles. The car runs fine, it takes a little getting used to it shutting off at the light. It takes a bit to get going but hums along at 75 errr 65 just fine. I keeping it for my non winter driving thankU

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  Overall, a great daily driver - 2015 Honda Civic
  By civicpilot1 - April 30 - 10:48 pm

  Recently bought a 2015 Civic LX sedan with the 5 speed manual transmission, which I think is the best combination for a daily commuter car. To date, my gas mileage has averaged 37mpg doing about a 40 / 60 mix of city and highway driving. The manual transmission also makes the best of the 1.8R engines meager power band. When searching for a new car, I also looked at the Mazda3, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, and the Kia Forte. I felt the Civic had the best balance of features of all of them, the dealer giving me a competitive price of $16,250 cinched the deal. I did like the Mazda and the Fords more fun to drive characteristics, but the Honda felt like a better built car.