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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  Paid $4800 5 years ago - 2002 Honda Civic
  By bstern92 - September 11 - 1:58 pm

  I bought this car with 130k on it and it now has 144k(second car). Now that I gave my sister my car, this will be driven a lot more. I really like the exterior and interior design of the coupe. Its sleek and has a crazy amount of room for a coupe. The only complaint is that it doesnt have an armrest, with the storage compartment. I have replaced the A/C compressor, oxygen sensor, front rotors and brakes, ball joints, control arms, swaybar links, and battery. All parts were cheap because its a Honda. I dont hold the repairs against the car because these are all parts expected to go after 11 years. It drives very nice and is comfortable. My cousin has the same one, with over 230k.

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  Its all about the VTEC - 2009 Honda Civic
  By engineaddict - August 31 - 10:51 am

  The Civic Si is a fun car to drive. Every time I get in the drivers seat, I smile to myself, even though Im aware that fun doesnt mean winning over all of the other sporty cars on the road to the next signal light (cause it is probably not going to happen). For those of you considering the Si, this is my recommendation: test drive at least 4 Civic Sis (so you know when one of these is dead). And, conduct your test drive in two phases: 1) gentle, "everyday" driving - this also allows the engine to warm up, too. 2) then, rev it out! The red line is 8000. Make it go there. If possible, turn off A/C & roll the windows down for this phase.

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  Honda Reliability? Dont think so. - 2005 Honda Civic
  By jebedmund - August 30 - 6:19 pm

  After recently dealing with the dreaded "blown head gasket" @ 105k miles, Im stopping by Edmunds to read others experiences. I cant believe how many people have had a blown head gasket on low mileage Civics. This is my second major complaint with the car ... the first being the air fuel sensor giving out a couple of years ago and the $400+ dealer quote on the repair. Honda should have covered both of these problems with recalls. Note to Honda marketing: *We WONT be buying another Honda*.

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  Civic si sedan - 2009 Honda Civic
  By mdschuet - August 29 - 1:16 pm

  I considered gti and civic si. Picked si thinking it would be more reliable. I was wrong. Many things have gone wrong and Honda will not fix unless you have deep pockets. Door handles stop working, trunk will stop working, and now 2nd gear is making noises and Honda wants 700 dollars just to open it up and diagnose. I bought this car to avoid this problem and here I am with the warrantee over, and transmission issues with 2.5 years left of payments. Im stuck with it now, bought it for performance and excitement but now its a point a to b car that I have to skip 2nd gear. It was fun and good until this. Get a warrantee or buy another car, I have 95,000 miles on it, and I drive good.

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  Amazingly thrifty on gas - 2013 Honda Civic
  By stringed - August 28 - 8:21 am

  Just bought a 2013 Civic coupe with automatic transmission for my wife last week. On a lark, I wanted to see how much mileage I could squeeze out of this car using the lightest foot possible. I needed to drive to the airport - a nearly 50 mile round trip. On the trip there, I drove with no AC at speeds between 60 and 70. The on board mileage computer registered 53 mpg! There is a minor downhill bias since I live a few hundred feet above sea level and the airport is near sea level. On the trip back, I decided to use the AC. When I arrived home, the MPG computer for the total trip read 43 MPG. Thats close to a hybrids MPG! I am delighted with this car!

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  Cant go wrong - 1994 Honda Civic
  By frankjfavela - August 20 - 12:52 pm

  I bought my younger brothers 94 Honda Civic Lx after he could no longer afford it and I my 2003 Ford Expedition XLT, the MPG was killing me I was spending about $100 a week just on gas and I was only able to use it for work. The Civic was a blessing the car even though its underpowered gets amazing MPG plus filling up with only $40 a every 1 1/2 for me makes it worth every penny, the car has cosmetic issues the paint was all burned and the paint scratched but she runs like if she was new and with 138K on her already I expect another 200K easy. I would sell my Civic for anything.

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  Not again not very reliable. - 2006 Honda Civic
  By chris_m387 - August 2 - 12:34 am

  I used to own an 06 Civic it was fun to drive very responsive. But had too many problems. At 32,000miles the speakers went out warranty didnt cover it paid out of pocket, then the control arms, struts and wheel bearing were very bad had to pay out of pockets, at 45,800 replaced front brake pads. Tires worn unevenly went thru 4 sets of tire and had the same problem, I took a family road trip and out of nowhere the car lost traction and ended up spinning off road in Iowa. Had problems with the airbag sensor. At 60,000miles had to replace both ball joints. And was very bad in snow even with the best winter tires. ABS didnt work good. So I had enough and got an 07 Hyundai Sonata V6 SE.

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  Great! ,,but.... - 2002 Honda Civic
  By ethelip - July 27 - 1:55 am

  Had this car for 2 years now - I drive it tough, on tough roads (NYC, dirt roads..) I can accelarate as fast as I need - even though I must use low gears & push it, she goes! Now 86K and still sounds great.

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  Great on gas and reliable - 1993 Honda Civic
  By honda637 - July 11 - 8:50 pm

  I bought it when it had 97K miles original miles on it and at 130K miles I pulled out old weak motor and transmission aka d15z1 vtec-e out and put in a stronger sohc d16y8 and never looked back. I remember back then this car couldnt climb up a hill or beat my moms Geo Prizm, lmao! This car pays for it self within one year on gas saving powers! A die hard Honda fan! If you want a gas saver, this car is the way to go. If you want a monster horse power machine, this car is the way to go after a motor swap. What can i say this car is easy to fix/maintain and is awesome on gas. Plus mechanically, it will out last any other 1993 car, I swear! This car will probably be passed on to my kids.

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  Problems - 2012 Honda Civic
  By gwconklin - July 10 - 4:00 pm

  I like my car, but its broke down 3 times in the first 3,600 miles. The rocker arm bent the first, and the next time another rocker arm broke in two. This should not happen with a that only has 3,600 mile on it. Has anyone else had this issue?