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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  A great used car or just a lot of problems? - 2006 Honda Civic
  By cowsgonemadd3@gmail.com - August 5 - 5:11 pm

  I normally would not post a car review. I think my experience with my Honda has made me change my mind. Most consider Honda to be reliable. Over 3 Hondas I have found almost the opposite. Lets start off with the great things about the car. I get 28 to 29mpg consistently. For the speed the car has, I consider this good. As of 2015, there are cars that get better and are a lot faster though. Reports from actual owners say the EPA is off though. I can only speak for my car and say the fuel mileage is good. The seats, they are great. Best seats I have sat in short of luxury cars. I prefer cloth seats over backside burning leather in the summer months. The car is almost 10 years old and they have held up great. The head room is great and so is the front leg room. I am 6 3" and I can even get in the back but its cramped. Its quite a peppy car, 0 to 60 time in like 6.7 seconds. Not too bad for a 4 cylinder made now, many years ago. The bad: Honda reliability is once again(as I said I have owned 3 Hondas) just not what its made out to be. Honda had an issue with 3rd gear not working right. They finally did a recall and my car went in for the recall. Years later, 3rd gear pops out at times and has to be put in with force. No, its not the syncors. It works most of the time but can still be a problem at times. Road noise is unreasonable in this car. Mine is worse than some because of the low profile tires but it is still not good. It rides very rough. Its one of the biggest reasons I plan to get rid of the car. While it hugs the road and you feel safe, you also feel every hole in the road and its like riding on a horse and buggy to work. The back tires get eaten away on the inside. Honda did a recall for this after a class action lawsuit was filed. I had mine fixed by Honda but to this day the inside of the tires still wear faster than the rest of the tire. It has helped but did not fully fix the problem. Alignments help but it does not seem to stay in alignment long. The timing chain failed at 145k miles. I had to pay 1500 bucks plus towing fees to get a "never maintenance" issue fixed. The rear view mirror is falling apart from the inside and has areas that no longer work. Now for the biggest problem, the paint. Honda did a TSB on paint for certain colors. My color was one of them they did not offer to fix but just the hood area. I now have almost no paint on my roof and the paint on the side pillars is starting to come off. I also see areas on the trunk that look like they are starting to fail. I called Honda of America only to be told my car was too old and too high mileage. I told them how it was failing in the same areas and way in which the recalled colors were and all I got was that it was not a recall but a TSB. They would not even offer to help pay for the over 1000 dollars in paint repairs this car now needs. They said over 800 for just the roof. Might be well over 1000 now that the paint is failing in other areas. Honda knows they had faulty paint. My car now unless fixed, will have very little of that wonderful Honda re-sell value. The paint is nothing new for Honda, my 2004 accord had paint falling off of it when I sold it. I like the car but not enough to recommend it to anyone unless you get it cheap.

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  You cant go wrong with Honda - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Anir Bhat - August 4 - 3:31 pm

  I drove several other brands in this category but kept coming back to Honda Civic. Mazda 3 was sporty and fun to drive but was noisy and had poor visibility due to small windows. Hyundai Elantra seemed unrefined but was cheaper. Honda Civic does a great job across the board. Acceleration is not bad. The car is smooth and quiet. Steering is soft and precise. Lots of features are standard. I love the two tier dash and Navi Assist. Interior is spacious and looks good. Excellent visibility all around. If you are looking for a work horse for long commute with smooth quiet and comfortable ride this is the car you want to consider. Yes excellent MPG that nobody else can beat.

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  No concerns whatsoever with this 15 Civic - 2015 Honda Civic
  By HondaDad - July 31 - 1:26 pm

  Im getting 34 mpg with a mixture of city and highway driving. Comfortable ride. Its pushing 100 degrees daily in Memphis right now, and the A/C is strong on this little car. I use it to commute about 50 miles per day. The tech is great. Great car for the money.

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  2012 Honda Civic - 2012 Honda Civic
  By JoJo91 - July 30 - 9:56 pm

  Great, solid vehicle. I had this car for closing in on two years and it never gave me an issue. I purchased it with 7700 miles and put nearly 33,000 miles on with not a single major problem. The biggest issue I had was having to change a fuse. Great car, took me and my sibling from New Mexico to Nevada with not a single hesitation. Drove it 70 MPH is pouring rain and there wasnt a single near accident scare. I loved the heck out of this car and I miss it every day. Never gave me a problem, gave me great gas mileage, and still got many compliments over our year and eight months together. This car was my baby and I think I will always miss it. He got totaled in an accident and I was (and still am) devastated. Airbags deployed perfectly- no question. Great car. I would highly recommend.

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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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  My first bad car. - 2007 Honda Civic
  By Robert - July 28 - 3:46 pm

  The car rides good but way to many features going bad early. Have replaced the visors 3 times now, replaced the starter at 70 miles and the cost was over $500, replaced both front speakers, the interior ceiling cloth has come lose and is hanging down completely now, very loud road noise when traveling. I wish I had purchased another car now. Im sorry to say but this will be my last Honda, their quality is no longer their..

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  Unbeatable Value - 2006 Honda Civic
  By C-bus Hayden - July 27 - 9:29 pm

  I live in South Central Indiana and I purchased my 2006 Civic Ex Coupe in the summer of 2013 from its original dealer in Richmond, KY. This Civic was 7 years old at that time and had just 49K miles on it (avg 7k miles a year). The car was serviced at that dealer and well maintained. I have been extremely pleased with how this vehicle has held up the past 53K miles. The past 2 years my round trip to work has averaged 60 miles a day. Those 2 years include driving through Indianas worst winter in over 40 years and this car was able to make it each day with no trouble on regular tires. This trim level of the Coupe EX has appealing styling and a sporty look. The coupe comes with the premium sound system (over twice as many watts as the sedan sound system) and it is a great value for a car at this price point. The electronics have worked flawlessly and the interior has worn well. In the summer time I love this car because of the sunroof which works flawlessly after over 100K miles now. This car has required virtually no maintenance. Tires and brakes have worn just fine for the miles I put on this machine (over 25K a year since purchase). I would say I take above average care of my vehicles. I am diligent with keeping this vehicle clean, fluids changed, and routine maintenance is done on time. I love searching for cars and often consider upgrading to an Accord Coupe, TSX, or possibly a Tacoma but this Civic has been so strong and it is paid for. If I am smart I will keep it well beyond 200K miles. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  i love my car!!! - 2001 Honda Civic
  By gab - July 27 - 4:47 pm

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  Get another Hybrid, not a Civic - 2009 Honda Civic
  By JORGE GIMENEZ - July 27 - 1:32 pm

  I have owned or leased Honda vehicles for the past 13 years. They have all been wonderful as far as value, comfort and reliability. The Honda Civic Hybrid is the exception primarily due to the hybrid component. The speedometer, USB ports, steering wheel controls, and overall comfort inside make for a great ride, but taking a car to the dealer negates the advantages. I had never taken any of my Honda vehicles to the dealer for any sort of repairs, but the hybrid seems to break every 12 to 18 months. Since the beginning, the IMA light has been turning on like a Christmas tree. I would take it to the dealer, waste at least half a day in the process, and they would normally tell me that it was just an update that is needed. However, a few months later it would start over again. If you want a civic, get a regular one, not a hybrid. If you want a hybrid, get a different brand.

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  Honda Civic Coupe Lx - 2014 Honda Civic
  By Patrick Smith - July 22 - 9:06 am

  This is an awesome car! Very fuel efficient and I love the way it handles....it has a very soft ride and responsive steering, brakes, and gas. Overall great car and I dont have any complaints.