Honda introduced the Civic in 1972, and it was an immediate hit. Over eleven generations and counting, the Honda Civic has been offering drivers an excellent combination of factors that make it one of the most popular models in history. Today, the Civic is the second best selling compact sedan in America, with over 94,000 cars sold in the United States so far in 2023. The 2022 Civic introduced the eleventh generation of this vehicle, which gives drivers the option of a sedan, hatchback, sports sedan, or sports hatchback.
The Honda Civic is one of the most popular compact models in America because it is economical, versatile, safe, affordable, and fun to drive. Each of these criteria applies regardless of whether you are buying a Civic sedan, hatchback, or one of its two performance models. This is because Honda has used over 50 years of developing the Civic to provide drivers with an experience that just can’t be found in any other subcompact model. This is why looking for a Honda Civic for sale is a great way to find an ideal vehicle to drive around town.
Economical
Let’s face it, gasoline prices are not going down anytime soon. The cost for most Americans to fill up their car’s gas tank is quite high, representing one of the biggest expenses for most people. This is why it is crucial to find a car that can stretch a tank of gas over as long a distance as possible. The Civic, with its choice of two different four-cylinder gas engines, allows you to get the most out of each tank of gasoline.
The 2023 Civic gives drivers a choice of a 2.0L I-4 gas engine and a 1.5L Turbo I-4. The 2.0L I-4 is the base engine, and it will give you up to 35 miles per gallon in combined fuel economy in the Civic Sedan, and 33 miles per gallon combined with the Civic Hatchback model and a manual transmission (a rare find in any car these days). If you want both better acceleration and fuel economy, you can opt for the 1.5L Turbo I-4. This gives you an exceptional 36 miles per gallon combined in the Civic Sedan, and an equally impressive 35 miles per gallon in combined fuel economy with the Civic Hatchback. Even the sporty Civic Si performance sedan gets an amazing 31 miles per gallon combined. This is the kind of fuel economy numbers you need if you plan to use your Civic for your daily commute.
Versatility
The Honda Civic is one of the most versatile compact cars you are ever going to drive. This is because the designers at Honda have taken the time to maximize the space inside the Civic. For example, the Civic Sedan provides a spacious 37.4 inches of legroom in its rear row of seats. This is because the designers at Honda have learned over the years how to do the most with the 99 cubic feet of space inside of the Civic’s passenger compartment.
This versatility is also shown by the amount of trunk space you will get inside of a Civic. The Civic Sedan’s trunk can hold up to 14.8 cubic feet of your belongings. The Civic Hatchback gives you even more space, an astounding 25.4 cubic feet of room for cargo, without even folding the rear seat down. Choosing the sports performance Civic Si and Civic Type R will also give you plenty of room as well.
The other great thing about the Civic is that it comes in four different models. Folks who want a roomy compact car can choose the Civic Sedan, while those who want a little more room for cargo can opt for the Civic Hatchback. If you have a need for speed, then you can decide between the Civic Si performance sedan and the Civic Type R performance hatchback. Each has the same attention to detail and quality control that are the trademarks of Honda’s vehicle lineup.
Safety
Honda has always been at the forefront of passenger safety. The engineers at Honda have designed the Civic to be one of the safest compact cars on the road today. This is why the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named the 2023 Honda Civic a Top Safety Pick. Each year, the IIHS puts most passenger vehicles through a rigorous set of safety and crash tests. The top models are named Top Safety Picks by the IIHS. Since the IIHS has been performing these tests, the Civic has been at or near the top among its compact car vehicle class.
One way that Honda has shown its commitment to passenger safety is with the Honda Sensing Suite of driver assistance features. This is one of the most comprehensive groups of standard active safety features offered on compact cars. For example, the Collision Mitigation Braking System will let you know if there is an imminent frontend crash with Forward Collision Warning, and then automatically apply the brakes to either stop the Civic before an accident or reduce the damage caused by one that is unavoidable. Lane Departure Warning will alert you if your Civic is drifting out of your lane, and use Lane Keeping Assist System to get you safely back in your lane with slight steering adjustments. The Civic also has adaptive cruise control, which will adjust your speed to match slower traffic ahead of you. It will then return you to your preset speed when traffic clears. These and other active driver assistance features come standard on the Civic, making driving the Civic safer than ever.
Affordability
Honda has always been on the cutting edge of automotive technology. For example, the brand helped pioneer the concept of variable valve timing with its VTEC engine, and also came out with one of the first hybrid vehicles. Nevertheless, the company has developed a reputation for keeping costs down so that it can pass along the savings to its customers. This is clearly the case with the Honda Civic. Since it was first introduced in 1972, the Civic has remained one of the most affordable cars. This continues through the eleventh generation of the Civic 50 years later.
If you are interested in buying a Civic Sedan, the base MSRP is only $23,750 for the 2023 LX model. The Civic Hatchback is priced slightly higher with a base MSRP of $24,950. Even the 2023 Honda Civic Si performance sedan has a very affordable base MSRP of $29,100. This makes the Civic one of the few models with a performance version that is well within the range for most budgets.
Fun!
One thing that you are sure to have no matter which Civic model you have is a great deal of fun. These compact models have a tight turning radius that makes cornering easy. The Civic features front independent struts and a multilink rear suspension. This gives the car a smooth ride and responsive handling, even the non-sport models. If you choose the Civic Si or Civic Type R, you will get a sports tuned suspension developed for handling top speeds.
They also are built with small but powerful engines. This is the result of Honda’s legacy as a motorcycle company. As you may know, the key to motorcycle engine performance is to build engines that are compact, but produce a great deal of horsepower and torque for their size. This is especially the case with the Honda Civic’s turbocharged engines. The 1.5L Turbo I-4 available in the Civic Sedan and Hatchback makes a generous 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque, beating the standard 2.0L engine’s 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque by a wide margin despite its smaller size. Stepping up to the Civic Si tunes up the 1.5L Turbo I-4 even more, generating 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque, along with suspension and brake upgrades to handle the extra speed. The top-of-the-line Civic Type R beats them all, with a 2.0L Turbo I-4 making an impressive 315 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque.
Honda’s commitment to making the Civic fun is also shown in many of the color choices for its models. For example, the Civic Sedan is available in such colors as Rallye Red and Aegean Blue Metallic, while the Civic Hatchback can be found with Boost Blue Pearl and Lunar Silver Metallic. There are other options as well on the four different Civic models, allowing you to choose one that fits your personality perfectly.
The Honda Civic Is the Popular Compact With a Difference
There is a reason why the Honda Civic has been one of the most popular cars for the 50 years of its existence. No other compact car offers the same combination of fuel economy, versatility, safety, affordability, and driving fun as the Civic. In addition, the Civic has won its fair share of accolades over the years. For example, US News & World Report named the Civic the 2022 Best Compact Car for the Money, while it won Kelley Blue Book’s Best Buy Award for 2022 and is Edmunds’ Top Rated Car for 2023. When you buy a Civic, you are getting a piece of Honda’s legacy for building small vehicles with high value. This is why the Civic remains so popular today.
