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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  Lots of bang for your buck - 2014 Honda Civic
  By dpollaro - September 24 - 9:46 pm

  14 Honda Civic Si Sedan. I needed the practicality that the sedan offered, & to be honest I like the way it looks better than the coupe. So far Ive put about 1K miles on the car. Hondas manual gearbox is amazingly smooth and easy to drive. Engaging without being a pain. The car is quick for what it is: a four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine. The exhaust note puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel, & acceleration on the Si allows for overtaking slower drivers with ease. The build quality of the car is fantastic both inside & outside. The ride quality is pretty good, bumps can be a little jarring but its not built for touring. Overall I am quite pleased with the car!

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  Not perfect, but hoping for reliability - 2013 Honda Civic
  By phillyted - August 19 - 3:56 pm

  I bought this Honda for one reason and one reason only: reliability. So In one year I have manged to clock 28,000 miles and have done nothing to the car outside of normal maintenance, which is great. I have been able to achieve 50 mpg with careful, skilled driving on a one off, fluke of a drive. I can routinely obtain 42 mpg with respectable driving and 33-35 mpg with a heavy foot. The brakes are not the best as I have locked them up a few times without noticing the ABS pulse from the pedal. Also, there is a blind spot from the roof pillar between the windshield and left door that is very annoying on mountain roads. Altogether, a good car and Im happy I bought it.

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  Poor mans hybrid - 2005 Honda Civic
  By profwho - July 28 - 4:59 pm

  Bought mine in 2009 for $7500 and 140,000 miles on the odometer. Now it has almost 200,000 miles and not a sneeze! The 1.3L engine is a little slow even with electric assist, but not as bad as most people think. I have no trouble merging on highway. Going up a long stretch of highway need to move to the slow lane, esp. after all the battery capacity is drained. Without A/C, the average gas mileage is pretty good, hovering between 44 to 50 MPG. In the summer, however, when it is hot outside, A/C can sap gas mileage, esp. on short local trips. On longer trips, the A/C does not drain as much energy because once the interior cools down, the A/C is not engaged as frequently.

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  Was misinformed concerning gas mileage - 2014 Honda Civic
  By garten1 - July 27 - 1:14 pm

  April, I bought a 2014 EXL honda civic. I had a list what the car must have. Gas mileage was top on the list. I live 30 miles from town, all 75 miles hi-way. I use cruse, Econ button, and and stay in the green dash light. I have yet to see 40 mpg or even close to that mileage. The car has 3000+ miles and the Dealer said the car would get better mileage with the summer gas and once the car passed 1500 miles The car is averaging 27/33.

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  SIfy Fun - 2014 Honda Civic
  By 370zsifi - July 4 - 8:58 am

  The lines on the car, to my eye, are well thought out and handsome. Although I have not put allot of miles on it yet, it is immediately apparent it is screwed together well. Just feels like a solid car. In the end if you are looking for a daily driver that is economical to purchase and own, one that is safe, that has got enough, "sport" to put a smile on your face, So far, for me, the SI nails it."

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  Gets better... - 2013 Honda Civic
  By rick4924 - June 27 - 7:22 am

  I have had my 2013 Civic EX Sedan now for over 6 months. I initially had trouble getting comfortable in the seat but now that I have adjusted the horribly forward-tilted headrest and found a seat height and steering wheel adjustment that works for me, I find the car comfortable for my daily commute. Other than that, the car is flawless so far and has that "Honda Feel" behind the wheel that only a Honda can provide in my experience - like its connected to you in someway and always seems to know what you want to do!

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  Rattle rattle rattle - 2014 Honda Civic
  By music4life85 - June 24 - 1:32 pm

  Maybe its because They just redesigned the coupe for 2014, Im not sure, but before hitting 1k miles I have two incredibly annoying rattles - one coming from the steering column and one coming from the back shelf above the rear seat. Took to dealership and of course they cant find it (doesnt help that all the roads in the area are freshly paved). Gas mileage is....okay. Where I live in N Florida its incredibly hot and very hilly so not surprising that with the ECO Im still only getting 25mpg city. Otherwise the car is great. Honda really revamped the Civic to compete well with other small cars.

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  Not bad, not great. - 2013 Honda Civic
  By jackshelby - June 18 - 4:12 am

  Overall the car has performed its purpose and I am satisfied. There are a few things I am disappointed with, first being the paint. The car is black on black, and have had it almost 10 months and put on over 20,000 miles. The car looks like it has been through a sandblaster. My old car, a 1998 Honda civic, is in about the same condition but it took 14yrs of wear to get in that condition. Its pretty disappointing to have a car less than a year old look this bad. Second, the mileage is mediocre. Average 31 mpg highway, although I dont ever drive city so I dont know if it would stay the same or get worse. In Hondas defense, the highway speed is usually 75-80mph so that doesnt help.

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  2012 Civic Sedan EX-L Still running great. - 2012 Honda Civic
  By martin13 - June 10 - 5:57 pm

  Bought my Civic with 9k mile on it. Was concerned because I had no idea what may have happened with the original owner. Did he unload the car because of problems (I dont trust Carfax)? So now the car has 30k and has been very reliable, fun to drive, and very economical. Just came back from road trip to North Carolina - cruise control most of the way at 50-65 mph (I know, very slow, I wasnt in a hurry to get anywhere) gave me 44 mpg. Usually I get 37+ while driving at speeds 70+ mph and no cruise control use. Car had a little rattle coming from the rear that was eliminated under warranty (seat belt mechanism was the source). Otherwise, not a problem whatsoever (knock on wood).

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  When Honda Made Good Cars - 2004 Honda Civic
  By ravfjr - June 6 - 3:24 pm

  I really liked this car... It was a good value for the money. The gas mileage was reasonable at 34 MPG highway. It felt solid to drive, but a bit underpowered. The interior was nice and quiet, and didnt rattle like my now 2012 Civic Coupe. Im sorry I traded this car in...