So, this is actually my second time driving the most recent generation Honda Civic. The first time I drove one, I was very impressed with how sharp and connected this car felt. However, since my first time driving the Civic, I’ve also driven a few other compact offerings like the Mazda 3, Chevy Cruze, and the Subaru Impreza. For my second time driving the Civic, I wanted to see if my initial impressions still carried over, and I wanted to make a more in-depth review on this car as well. Below are some of my driving impressions.
When you first get into the Civic, you notice that everything looks and feels put together nicely. All the buttons feel solid, the interior materials feel durable, the steering wheel combined with the gauge cluster looks sporty and classy, and overall, the design of the Civic’s interior looks timeless, modern, and elegant. You also get a good commanding view of the road, with a large windshield and a sloped front hood.
While I liked the overall design of the Civic’s interior, there were a few things I didn’t like. For one, I didn’t like how the power outlet and USB inputs were located in the cubby behind the center stack. I took me forever just to find where the power outlet was, and it was a bit of a challenge plugging my electronics in as I couldn’t see the outlet all that clearly. The space is very dark at night and it just seemed unusual to place the important outlets in a spot where you can’t see them clearly. I wasn’t a fan of the sliding cupholders in the center console, either. I would have preferred fixed cupholders and then a separate storage bin for improved space, as even when the cupholders are slid all the way forward, the bottom cupholder is still blocked off slightly by the console lid. Everything else in the interior is fine, but I thought those two aspects could have been more ergonomically sound.
One thing I really liked about the Civic when first setting off, is the fact that you can immediately tell that it feels zippy and sharp. When I drove the Mazda 3, nothing about that car stood out to me until I was already driving for a longer period of time. The Civic kind of lets you know right away that the driving dynamics are more focused and tuned-in. The steering is nice and chunky, the accelerator is quick to respond, the engine has good torque right off idle, and the agility of this car’s chassis becomes noticeable pretty much immediately after you shift into drive and leave your parking spot. Overall, the Civic is a car that makes a really positive first impression.
That said, the Civic still reminds you that you’re driving an economy car. The Honda Accord definitely feels a bit more expensive and “grown up” compared to the Civic, at the sacrifice of the rawness and agility that the Civic has. The Civic still feels very solid and well built for a compact car, but you do get some additional road noise, some interior squeaks and rattles here and there (which may be an isolated issue with the car that I drove), and the engine is a bit louder and raspier. I also think the Accord’s interior generally feels more upscale and isolated, whereas the Civic’s interior feels a bit cheaper and the design is more simplistic. The base sound system in the Civic isn’t the best either, as it generally sounds a bit tinny and compared to the Accord’s sound system. I still think the overall quality of the Civic is better compared to several other offerings in the class, but the interior of the Mazda 3 and the Subaru Impreza will feel a bit more luxurious.
As for the engine, the Civic that I drove had a 2.0 liter naturally aspirated 4 cylinder engine. Right away, I felt like this engine had pretty good performance, and it takes off with confidence. If you’re the first one stopped at one of those weird red lights on a 65 mph freeway, you won’t find yourself worried about accelerating too slow once the light turns green. The CVT puts the power down really well, and you can honestly leave other cars in the dust without having to mash the accelerator down. 158 horsepower and 138 lb. ft. of torque doesn’t sound like anything to write home about, but I had no issues accelerating or merging into busy traffic. The engine is quite peppy in its power delivery and it gets you moving much quicker than the numbers would suggest. People like to say that Honda engines are lacking in torque, but I thought that this engine had great off-the-line pickup. There are times when you have to step in it, which is typical for a compact sedan. For example, if you’re trying to accelerate from 40-70 mph, or if you’re trying to merge quickly while going uphill, you do have to put your foot into it a little and get the revs up. That isn’t really a problem though, because this engine still feels very natural, refined, and predictable, even in the upper half of the tachometer. When you’re just driving around town, you basically just tap the accelerator and the Civic hits normal road speeds at a decently quick and streamlined pace. This engine does get a bit louder and raspier than I was expecting, but the real takeaway here is that you can beat other cars stopped next to you at the red light fairly easily, even with a light foot.
As you would expect from a Honda product, the CVT in this car performs really well. The rubber band effect is kept to a minimum, and the transmission works through its ratios in a very smooth, efficient, and natural manner. The transmission plants the engine in its sweet spot, and it has no problem holding the revs between 3,000-4,000 RPM when you need some extra power. It’s not like a Nissan CVT where the power delivery halts between gear ratios or the revs go up screaming for no reason. The Civic’s CVT performs just how a CVT should perform, in that it holds the revs in the optimum range in order to both maximize fuel economy and deliver a smooth wave of torque and power from the engine. This CVT feels a little more sprightly compared to other Honda products I’ve driven, like the CR-V and the Accord. Those vehicles feel more focused on fuel economy, whereas the Civic’s CVT feels tuned for more sporty driving. This transmission is very easy to control and it adapts to your driving style quickly. If you’re someone who likes to accelerate a little quicker and zip around, the CVT has no problems holding the revs up higher for an extended period of time. If you’re someone who prefers to drive in a more relaxed fashion, the CVT still holds the revs in a good range and will get you up to speed smoothly and adequately. It’s the kind of CVT that feels linear and responsive no matter how you choose to accelerate, and you never really have to floor it to get some good use out of the engine. I will say that there is a slight delay when first starting off, but the power still comes on quicker than most CVTs out there. Overall, the engine power just feels very seamless, linear, and well matched to your throttle inputs.
When it comes to requesting some passing power, the Civic’s CVT does fine. It won’t blow you away with laser responsiveness and shockingly fast kick-downs, but the transmission responsiveness feels about normal for the segment. There were times when I thought the CVT could have gotten the revs up a little faster, but for the most part it was pretty easy to zip around and adjust your speed in this car. You never really have to plant your foot down very hard should you need to make a speed adjustment or a passing maneuver on the interstate.
As for the steering response, the Civic’s steering feels great. It feels hefty, and the front wheels start responding immediately as soon as you turn the wheel. The Mazda 3’s steering, while precise and direct, felt pretty light and somewhat isolated from the road. The Mazda 3 was kind of aiming to be a more mellow and playful “toy” car, but the Civic’s steering feels more athletic and substantial in my opinion. The smooth and linear response from the steering rack does give away its electrically assisted underpinnings to a certain extent, but the Civic’s steering still feels very natural and responsive. It’s easy to make minor corrections in the vehicle’s direction and basically just plant the car exactly where you want it to be on the road, as the steering gives you a clear image of where the front tires are. When a slight bend in the road appears, you just motion the steering wheel slightly towards that direction and the Civic rounds the bend with great firmness and stability. Very solid and easy to maneuver. The steering also maintains a nice pull towards center around harder corners, which gives you a good sense of what the chassis is doing and how the vehicle is performing. The steering remains planted and straight when driving over rough patches and undulating road surfaces, unlike some cars where the steering can start to shimmy or “tramline” over bumps and indents in the road. You can literally let go of the steering wheel well before slowing down at a red light, and the vehicle just points dead on straight all the way up to the stopping mark. The steering and suspension always seem to be poised and composed, allowing you to maintain good control over the vehicle in any driving situation. I did find myself correcting the steering wheel a bit more at freeway speeds, but for the most part the steering in this car feels sharp, buttoned down, and tuned in with your inputs.
Handling of the Civic is impressive for the compact class. There are entry level sport sedans that still don’t give you quite the same level of feedback and agility that the Civic has. You still feel like you’re driving something relatively inexpensive and mainstream, so you can’t really compare the feel of this car to something like a Kia Stinger or a BMW 3 Series. That said, it is truly amazing at just how well this car grips the road when you start to push it around. I was able to go around turns way faster than I would dream of going in a Focus or an Elantra, and the Civic just did its thing without breaking a sweat. The chassis remains flat and composed when rounding corners, and the Civic feels light and zippy. It’s very predictable and you can always tell exactly where the vehicle is going to end up. The Mazda 3 felt more focused on engine and transmission response, and while the 3 grips the road about as well as the Civic, there was still some body lean and the steering was a bit lighter and not as quick to respond. I think that the Civic feels more connected to the driver through the steering inputs and the chassis dynamics than the Mazda 3, but you’ll feel more of a delay and general mushiness from the drivetrain when trying to accelerate your way out of a corner. If you’re looking for a quicker and more playful response, I would go for the Mazda 3, but if you want something that feels a little more athletic and raw through the corners, I would go with the Civic. All that said, the Civic is a very pleasant car to zip around in. I imagine the SI and the Type R variants would be an absolute blast, because even the regular mainstream Civic seems to handle itself extremely well.
When you’re just driving the Civic normally, it makes for a really good daily cruiser. The vehicle maintains a constant speed really well, it rolls pretty quickly and coasts up to a red light smoothly, and the vehicle feels really easy to operate and manuever.
As for ride quality, the Civic has really good composure and shock absorption for the class. The vehicle takes bumps really well and you never really feel like the vehicle is “crashing” when driving over potholes or rough patches. I think everything feels well dampened, and the ride feels stiff yet composed and structured. Granted, it’s not the softest riding compact sedan, but I still think that the contrast between ride quality and handling is balanced perfectly in this car.
As for road noise, I wouldn’t say that the Civic is the quietest car in the class. You still feel fairly isolated from the outside, and you never really get excessive wind or road noise transmitting into the cabin, but there still is just slightly more road noise compared to something like a Focus, Cruze, or an Elantra. All that said, you don’t hear any types of noises associated with cost cutting, and the noise levels are competitive with mostly everything else in the class. I like the interior comfort of the Civic as well. The seats feel very supportive and kind of coddle you in place, which gives off a very safe, comfortable vibe.
As I mentioned above, the accelerator is pretty quick to respond. You do have to bury your foot into it a little if you want to exceed 3,000 RPM or so, but the general off the line response is quick and immediate. There aren’t any dead-zones in the accelerator, and the pedal resistance is pretty light. It will feel like most other modern Honda products. Braking response is very good, as the pedal is stiff and the bite kicks in nicely. The brakes are very easy to modulate and the stopping power feels smooth and linear. The brakes feel very typical of a Honda product.
As for outward visibility, the Civic does pretty good on that end as well. The back window is on the small side and the rear deck is a little bit high, so your direct rearward visibility can be somewhat limiting in certain situations. Overall, not bad though. Your side mirrors are massive and show you everything you need to see, the front hood slopes down nicely and the windshield is quite tall. You get a clear image of the road in front of you and it’s very easy to get a sense of the vehicle’s width and overall dimensions. I also appreciate that the rearview mirrors feel easily accessible in your peripheral vision. I never found myself having to tilt my head too far to check what was happening around me, as your mirrors feel very close and well matched to your eye level.
And that about covers it. The Honda Civic is a great compact car and makes for an amazing daily driver. It’s not necessarily perfect, as there are some ergonomic issues with the interior, and I think the interior of this car could stand to feel a little more classy and expensive compared to rivals. That said, the build quality is solid, the handling is great, steering is sharp, engine is peppy, and the CVT is nice and responsive. While I prefer the Mazda 3’s snappy transmission and throttle response, I think the Civic feels a little sharper and more connected in the handling department. I will have to drive a Mazda 3 again to give a more conclusive stance, but that is how my impressions stack up for right now on those two main competitors. Overall, you really can’t go wrong with a Civic. I think the Mazda has cleaner exterior styling and looks a bit more conventional, and the overall “feel” to the driver might be a little more unique. The Civic still feels somewhat mainstream despite the fact that it handles really well. That said, I think most people would really enjoy the Civic upon taking it out on a test drive. Honda really nailed it with this one, and even though the Civic is slightly older compared to other compact offerings, it still blows many newer compact cars out of the water. My recommendation would be to go for at least an EX-L or above just to get leather and the turbocharged engine at a relatively inexpensive price, but if you’re looking for a base LX, the naturally aspirated 2.0 engine has plenty of pep and good responsiveness.