The Honda Civic was the small favorite of compact cars in the 70’s and 80’s until the competition started to increase in the form of Toyota, Mazda and a plethora of Hyundai and Ford! The Civic first appeared on the scene in 1973. It was affordable, had a high safety rating, and appealed to many frugal consumers. Competition is not always bad; kept Honda refining and remodeling the Civic for all these years.

Today, it comes in a coupe or sedan. You can buy four different engine sizes: the 1.5L 4-cyl hybrid, the 110-hp 1.8L 4-cyl engine, the 143-hp 1.8L 4-cyl engine, or the 205-hp 2.4L 4-cyl engine.

There are also four different types of transmission packages: CVT, 6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic, or 5-speed manual. The 1.5L 4-cylinder hybrid gets a combined 45 mpg, while its exclusive natural gas engine gets a combined 31 mpg. The biggest benefits to the natural gas engine is that its fuel is much cheaper and crash tests done on natural gas vehicles show that they are much more resistant to crashes: explosions/fires.

The Civic’s trim levels are pretty comprehensive, but there are some honorable mentions on the hybrid and natural gas models mentioned above. Both models feature a 7″ touchscreen command console and Honda Link sync program. Both feature wide-view driver’s mirrors and Lane Watch display to enhance driving safety. Both also have unique offerings. Hybrid it has smart entry with push button start and a CVT transmission.The natural gas model comes in a leather trimmed model that has heated seats, heated side mirrors and quite a few interior upgrades with a 5 speed automatic transmission.
Most Civic models are priced from $18 to $30,000.

What sets the Civic apart is its fuel economy: All models have combined miles per gallon between 29 and 45 mpg, scored high on all government crash tests, and were built with very spacious interiors for such small cars.

For the person more interested in sports cars, the speedy SI trim level has a 6-speed manual transmission with an excitable engine that still gets 29 mpg.

Civics have some catches. While the interior is roomy, the fitted front seats are a bit cramped for larger customers. The command console is quite cluttered and complicated to use. The steering is known to be a bit stiff and the cabin also has a lot of road noise.

Despite all those complaints, the sleek styling and great economy maintain a loyal following of repeat customers.

Edmunds reviewers give the Civic an A-rating, decide for yourself: is the Honda Civic still a Compact Darling?