Honda Civic review
The Honda Civic is a practical, reliable, and well-equipped family hatchback that’s also surprisingly good fun to drive.
Author: Charlie Harvey
31st Dec 2025 – 9 mins read
The Honda Civic has a reputation for being one of the most reliable and practical family cars you can buy, and this latest version continues that tradition while adding sharp styling and a great driving experience. Available as a five-door hatchback, it’s a brilliant all-rounder that’s packed with standard equipment and advanced safety technology. The latest model, sold new since 2017, introduced a range of excellent turbocharged petrol engines that offer a great mix of performance and fuel economy. With a high-quality interior and one of the biggest boots in its class, the Civic is a compelling choice that stands out from the crowd. For those seeking serious thrills, there’s also the legendary Type R hot hatch version.
Pros
- Huge boot and practical interior
- Generous amount of standard equipment
- Excellent reputation for reliability
Cons
- Some interior plastics feel a bit cheap
- Infotainment system isn't the most user-friendly
- Saloon-like styling isn't for everyone
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The inside of the Honda Civic feels modern and well-built. The driving position is comfortable, and the dashboard is clearly laid out. Higher-spec models feature a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which includes DAB radio, a rear-view camera, and smartphone connectivity through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
While the system has all the features you need, it can be a bit slow to respond and the menus aren't as simple to navigate as those in some rivals. The material quality is generally good, but you will find some harder, scratchier plastics lower down in the cabin, which lets the premium feel down a little.
Comfort
The Civic is a comfortable car for both short trips and long journeys. The suspension does a good job of smoothing out bumps in the road, making for a relaxed drive. Top-spec models come with adaptive dampers, which allow you to change the ride from comfortable to sporty at the touch of a button.
The seats are supportive, and there’s plenty of adjustment to help you find the right driving position. It’s a quiet and refined car on the motorway, making it a great long-distance companion.
Quality
Honda has a fantastic reputation for building solid, dependable cars, and the Civic feels like it’s made to last. The main touchpoints, like the steering wheel and gear lever, feel high-quality, and all the switches operate with a reassuring click.
While it might not have the plush, premium feel of a Volkswagen Golf, the Civic's cabin is robust and well-assembled. It’s a car that feels like it will stand up to the rigours of family life without any trouble.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
The Civic is a very spacious car for its class. There’s lots of room up front for the driver and passenger, and those in the back are well catered for too, with plenty of leg and headroom for adults to get comfortable.
Its generous interior space makes it a great choice for families. You’ll find two sets of Isofix points in the back for securely fitting child seats, and the wide-opening rear doors make access easy. There are also plenty of useful storage cubbies dotted around the cabin for your phone, keys, and drinks.
Boot space
This is where the Honda Civic really shines. The boot is enormous for a family hatchback, offering a massive 478 litres of space. That’s significantly larger than what you’ll find in rivals like the Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf and is big enough for a family’s holiday luggage or a large buggy.
The boot opening is low and wide, which makes it easy to load heavy items. It’s worth noting that on Sport models, the centrally mounted twin exhaust pipes slightly reduce the overall capacity, but it’s still a very large and practical boot.
Versatility
The previous generation of the Civic was famous for its 'Magic Seats', which allowed you to flip up the rear seat bases to carry tall items. Unfortunately, this clever feature was dropped for the latest model. However, the rear seats still fold down flat to open up a huge load area for those occasional trips to the DIY store or tip, so it remains a very versatile car.
Driving
Driving experience
The Civic is surprisingly fun and engaging to drive. The steering is quick and precise, and the car feels agile and composed on a twisty road. It offers a great balance between a comfortable ride and sharp handling, making it a satisfying car to drive in all conditions.
The latest model’s all-new suspension setup makes a big difference, giving the car a much more sophisticated and grown-up feel on the road compared to its predecessors. It’s a car that can be both relaxing on the commute and enjoyable on a weekend drive.
Performance
The latest Civic was launched with a choice of two excellent turbocharged petrol engines. There’s a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that produces 127bhp. It might sound small for a car of this size, but it’s a lively and willing engine that provides plenty of punch for everyday driving.
For more power, there’s a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 180bhp, which gives the Civic genuinely warm-hatch performance. A super-efficient 1.6-litre diesel engine was added to the range later. Most models come with a slick six-speed manual gearbox, but a CVT automatic is also available.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
The Civic is a very economical car to run. The 1.0-litre petrol engine is particularly impressive, capable of returning up to 58.9mpg in official tests. The 1.6-litre diesel is even more frugal, making it a great choice for high-mileage drivers.
Thanks to their efficiency, CO2 emissions are low across the range, which means your annual car tax bill will be affordable. Honda's excellent reliability record also means you shouldn't have to worry about unexpected repair bills.
Value for money
The Civic offers excellent value for money. Even the entry-level SE models come with a generous amount of standard equipment, including climate control, Bluetooth, and front and rear parking sensors. When you consider its practicality and reliability, it makes a very sensible used purchase.
Hondas also tend to hold their value well, which is a testament to their popularity and dependability. This is great news when it comes to selling the car on, as you’ll likely get more of your money back than you would with some rivals.
Reliability & Warranty
Honda is famous for its outstanding reliability, consistently topping owner satisfaction and dependability surveys. The Civic is no exception and has a rock-solid reputation for being a car you can count on.
When new, the Civic came with a three-year, 90,000-mile warranty, which is more generous than the 60,000-mile limit offered by many manufacturers.
Safety
Safety features
The Civic is a very safe car, packed with advanced driver assistance technology. It received a full five-star rating when tested by the experts at Euro NCAP.
Every model comes with Honda’s ‘Sensing’ suite of safety features as standard. This includes autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition. This is a huge amount of safety kit for a car in this class and provides real peace of mind.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
The Civic comes in a range of well-equipped trim levels. The entry point is SE, which comes with climate control, parking sensors, and the full suite of Honda Sensing safety tech. SR adds the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a rear-view camera, and 17-inch alloy wheels.
EX trim adds even more luxuries, including heated leather seats, an opening glass roof, and an upgraded 11-speaker sound system. The Sport and Sport Plus trims are available with the larger 1.5-litre engine and add a sporty body kit with a central twin exhaust. Prestige is the top-of-the-range model, featuring full leather upholstery and extra chrome exterior details.
Engines
From its launch in 2017, the Civic was available with two petrol engines. The first is a 1.0-litre VTEC Turbo three-cylinder with 127bhp, which offers a great blend of performance and economy. The second is a more powerful 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo four-cylinder with 180bhp.
A very efficient 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine was introduced in 2018. For ultimate performance, the thrilling Type R model uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing over 300bhp. Most engines are available with either a manual or CVT automatic gearbox.