Honda Civic Review & Prices

If you’re in the market for a mid-size hatchback, the Honda Civic is well worth considering. Your shopping list probably consists of cars like the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla.

Going for the Civic is a bit like ordering a chicken katsu curry from Wagamama - you won’t impress onlookers as much as if you’d made a more adventurous choice, but you’ll enjoy it because it’s really tasty.

The Honda Civic won’t set the world on fire on the design front, but that said it’s not an ugly car by any means. It’s more traditionally handsome than the rather wild previous Civic, if not quite as interesting, and the 18-inch alloy wheels you get on higher-spec models sharpen things up nicely.

It’s a similar story when you step inside. The interior is very nicely made - everything feels plush and solid, and the switchgear all feels nicely damped. It just doesn’t have quite the same design flair as the Peugeot 308’s cabin.

The slightly vanilla design is about the only criticism you can level at the cabin though. The driving position is spot on, the seats are comfortable and you get physical climate controls which are really easy to use on the move.

Video group test: Honda Civic vs Vauxhall Astra vs Ford Focus vs Volkswagen Golf

All versions of the Civic come with a 9.0-inch touchscreen as standard, which is quite a bit smaller than the 12.3-inch system you get as standard in a Volkswagen Golf. Size isn’t everything though, and this screen is bright, clear and easy to use. All models also get wireless Apple CarPlay, but you’ll have to plug your phone in to use Android Auto.

Going for the range-topping model gets you a fully digital driver’s display with configurable gauges, however all other cars get a half digital, half analogue setup which looks a bit awkward.

Rear seat occupants won’t have any complaints about space, because there’s plenty of legroom. Headroom is okay, however it is a tad compromised by the sloping roofline. You also get a couple of USB charging points so the kids can keep their phones charged up.

You get 410 litres of boot space to play with, 30 litres more than a Volkswagen Golf, 25 litres more than a Ford Focus and it trumps the Toyota Corolla by a whopping 50 litres.

The most impressive part of the Civic is experienced behind the wheel, because it’s one of the best-driving family hatchbacks you can buy. It glides over bumps in the road, you get great visibility and it’s easy to manoeuvre.

It’s quiet and refined on the motorway, and you get adaptive cruise control as standard across the range to take the stress out of longer trips. Get out on a twisty road and you can have some fun as well, because the Civic’s steering is well-weighted and responsive, and there’s minimal body roll.

There’s only one engine on offer in the Civic, but it’s a great all-rounder. It’s a rather complicated 2.0-litre petrol hybrid system. You have a 2.0-litre petrol engine and two electric motors, one that drives the front wheels and one in the gearbox to improve efficiency. Combined you get 184hp, which is plenty to make the car feel nippy when you put your foot down.

Official tests say the Civic will return 60mpg. A few hours spent driving the car on mixed driving routes saw an impressive 58mpg.

The Honda Civic does exactly what it says in the tin. It’s comfortable, fun to drive, practical and cheap to run, making it one of the best mid-sized hatchbacks you can buy. You’ll just have to live with the slightly dour styling.

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With the Honda Civic having a limited selection of trims, each with a lot of equipment, its starting price is higher than key rivals like the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf. However, once you compare like-for-like specs, the Civic is competitively priced.

The Honda Civic is comfortable around town, great on a twisty road and comfy on a motorway, with occasionally groaning brakes the only real downside

In town

In town, the Honda Civic is effortless to use. Visibility is fantastic thanks to a low-set dashboard and a big windscreen, making it easy to see out of junctions and park too.

Light steering helps with that too, and it rides nicely over lumps and bumps in the road. You’ll find the Civic’s hybrid powertrain spends a good amount of time in electric-only mode which keeps it pretty quiet. In fact, the only real noise that might bother you is an occasional groaning sound when you’re crawling along - though by no means a dealbreaker.

As standard, every Honda Civic is equipped with a reversing camera, along with front and rear parking sensors.

On the motorway

At a cruise, the Honda Civic remains quiet and composed. There’s little in the way of bumps coming into the interior and, despite running in EV mode a lot of the time, you don’t get much in the way of road noise coming in. You’ll get a little bit of noise coming from the engine under heavier loads, but nothing unbearable.

Adaptive cruise control comes as standard across the range as well. This allows you to set a speed, which the car will maintain while also managing a safe distance from the car ahead. It’s a really handy system for longer, more tiring journeys.

On a twisty road

You might think the town and motorway capabilities would hamper the Civic on a back road, right? Well, no. It’s absolutely fantastic when taking on the twisty stuff too.

The steering feels near-pinpoint, and the engine does a fantastic job of simulating a real automatic gearbox despite having none at all.

There’s real composure in the chassis, too. There’s very little lean through the bends and the suspension doesn’t send any jolts through to your hands.

Despite being a hybrid with a focus on fuel economy, the Honda Civic’s engine performs remarkably well when you’re giving it the beans, too. There’s no real delay to speak of in the throttle input, power delivery is really smooth and consistent - and there’s plenty of poke to it too.

The Honda Civic offers a big boot and a decent amount of space for your passengers, though taller occupants may desire more headroom

Space in the back seats

Thanks to the Civic’s growth in size, it’s now even more spacious in the back. Kneeroom is very good, and there’s lots of space to stretch out - though if you’ve got three passengers in the back, shoulder space against the doors can get pretty tight.

That sloping roofline does have an effect on headroom, though. Passengers over six feet won’t want to spend much time in there, but if you’re just ferrying the kids, there’s loads of space.

There are a couple of USB-A charging points of the rear (no USB-Cs, sadly) as well as some decent-sized door bins. You’ll also have a central armrest with two cupholders integrated, along with ISOFIX mounting points for the rear seats.

Boot space

You’ve got 410 litres of boot space to work with. That puts the Honda Civic well ahead of the Toyota Corolla’s 313 litres, the Ford Focus’ 375 litres, the Volkswagen Golf’s 381 litres… you get the picture. It’s massive, and up there at the top of the class. The exception being the Skoda Octavia, which has a giant 600-litre load space with the rear seats in place.

It’s worth noting range-topping models with the upgraded Bose sound system do have the total space knocked down to 404 litres. This hit is taken in a small space on the right-hand side of the boot, where the subwoofer resides.

You do have to contend with a slight load lip, but it’s nothing ruinous. Just something to keep in mind if you’re regularly loading big items.

There’s a little bit of storage under the floor, although it’s recessed for a spare wheel — something you can’t get for the Civic in the UK.

You’ll also find a few tie-down points scattered around, along with a 12v socket to allow you to charge smaller electrical devices.

There’s no separate latch to fold the rear seats, but you can reach them easily from the boot to drop them down so it’s not a huge issue. However, they don’t fold completely flat - making it a little bit of a pain to pack in larger items.

The interior of the Honda Civic feels great and is packed with features, but there’s an argument that it looks a bit too dull

The interior of the Honda Civic isn’t much to get excited about visually, but the design is very neat and tidy.

There’s a strong use of high-quality, soft-touch materials throughout which give it a premium edge. It’s also worth noting that the Civic has separate, physical buttons for the climate control system — much appreciated in a world of manufacturers moving these into the infotainment system.

Top-spec Advance versions get a fully-digital driver’s display with configurable displays, but lower-spec models need to make do with a clunky half-analogue solution.

All versions of the Honda Civic are equipped with a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The base software is easy to use and comes with satellite navigation, though you’d be better off connecting your phone to take advantage of the standard-fit Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

There’s only one engine choice for the Honda Civic. It’s a hybrid setup, combining a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. Together, they produce 184hp, which is plenty for the car. Official tests have the Civic as returning 60mpg, with a few hours of mixed driving routes for this test returning an impressive 58mpg.

For comparison, official tests of an equivalent engine Toyota Corolla hatch have it returning up to 57.7mpg.

Emissions figures weigh in at 108g/km. According to 2022 vehicle tax rates, this means a £160 first tax payment when the car is first registered. Each year following will be a £155 annual payment.

When Euro NCAP tested the Honda Civic in 2022, it awarded the hatchback a maximum five-star rating. It excelled in adult occupant protection, and scored highly across the board for child and pedestrian protection, along with its high level of standard-fit safety equipment.

With the Honda Civic fresh on the market, it’s hard to say if reliability will be a concern in future. However, Honda typically has an impressive track record with reliability.

Each Honda Civic is covered by a three-year/36,000-mile warranty from the manufacturer, which is the basic level offered by mainstream manufacturers in the UK. Some, including Kia and Hyundai, offer as much as seven and five years respectively.