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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  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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  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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  Yes yes yes - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Oreo - December 21 - 12:12 am

  I went into purchasing this car and was hesitant at first. I started looking for cats with Hyundai and such before, and did not like them one bit. I started researching other cars such as Chevrolet Cruze and just Honda in general. Less than 5 minutes at the dealer and I was offered a test drive. The car is fantastic, have had it for 2 months and still love it. Great first new car. (Got rid of my 2004 Ford Taurus - wanted an upgrade)

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  Shifts great, seat is more ergonomic that 2010 - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Marian Schwenk - December 19 - 5:40 pm

  Great little car. Instruments and controls are just where you expect them to be. Love the bluetooth. The car shifts great, and the seat is more ergonomic and comfortable than the 2010 Honda Civic. It also allows short to see over the steering wheel (this is a big deal). Theres also a neat little display showing your mpg at all times. Very peppy and hugs the road.

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  Bought a car to flip. Learned to Love it! - 2009 Honda Civic
  By Ryan - December 17 - 10:28 pm

  I bought this car and owned it for a year only because I needed a truck. What a blast! The car came with two problems, which allowed for me to afford it at a discounted price. 1. Radio was crazy. changed stations by itself occasionally. Cost: $40 2. Clear coat was fading and flaking off of black paint. Cost: $0 because Honda extended their paint warranty to 7 years Unlimited miles for all affected models with this defect. WOW! I was so impressed with Honda, they repainted almost my entire car with almost no questions asked. It was so easy, and once I found the right dealer they put me in touch with customer service which went flawlessly. I cant stress enough how easy and streamlined their warranty process was. Not only is Honda great, the car was great. This was my first economy car and once gas was no object I piled the miles on, without care for my mpgs. Every drive I made exciting, because I could rely on my Honda even under hard use, and it was fun to use hard. While its not overly powerful, the motor loves to rev. The Transmission shifts well. The car is surprisingly easy to drift. E brake used on a regular basis! Steering was instant and crisp and there was 0 body roll, unless you loaded it to the brim. I definitely felt a connection to this car. Steering feel was excellent, even over 100 mph. I cant explain how much the engine just likes to go. Its not powerful, not fast, but its so reactive and fun to drive in the curves, and can cruise happily at 90 mph all day. My only gripe was the transmission. Dont get me wrong, it was a fine unit. If you ever wanted to drive and have fun you needed to manually shift it though. It was not so much a performance thing as some economy setting. I had to practically floor it to get a responsive down shift. Once the Honda decides its time, its lightning quick. But until then, your stuck out of the power band. Other then all that, the only creature comforts my car had was a base model radio (acceptable), AC (worked great), and the heater. The little aluminum block doesnt warm up unless you drive and work it in the winter, but once its up to temp....That heater is a FURNACE. I swear, it could burn you if you hold your hands too close for too long. Awesome heater. Car holds a surprising amount of cargo too. I filled so full it was practically a truck one time. Fold down seats. In summary, I really expected to hate this car, but after owning it for one year I would never have sold it had I not needed offroad capability and towing. (trust me I tried) I truly enjoyed driving it, which is really saying something for a boring economizer like a Honda Civic. I can see now why ricers like to ruin them. I brought the maintenance up to date, and the car was better off when I sold it after over 20k miles. Extremely low cost of ownership. I tried to drive the beans out of it but it just asked for more. Surprisingly tough for its size. Id also like to add that I have drove later model Hondas that were not as peppy as my 2009 1.8.

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  1990 honda civic - 1990 Honda Civic
  By Ken Winkler - December 6 - 4:38 pm

  Small car, great gas mileage, dependable