HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK REVIEW

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

The 1.8-litre petrol engine is responsive and eager to rev, providing strong performance and plentiful pulling power. The 2.2-litre diesel has lots of grunt, too, but its power arrives in a rather sudden mid-range surge. Even the entry-level 82bhp 1.4-litre petrol offers decent performance, as long as you're prepared to work it hard.
Ride & Handling

3 out of 5 stars

The Civic handles well enough, but it's not as composed or grippy as the best cars in this class. The steering responds quickly and is usefully light around town, but it's frustratingly short on feel at higher speed. The suspension thuds rather noisily over patchy urban roads, but it's settled at motorway speed.
Refinement

3 out of 5 stars

The Civic isn't as quiet as the most refined cars, but it's a decent cruiser, with little wind noise intruding at speed. There is some road noise over poor surfaces, however, and the suspension clunks over bumps around town. The petrol engines are smooth and quiet; the diesel wheezes and whistles when worked, but it's easier on the ear than many rivals.

Buying & Owning

3 out of 5 stars

The Civic is competitively priced and, although discounts are small, it holds on to its value well. Fuel economy is another strength, whichever engine you choose, but insurance groups are comparatively high. Company car drivers with an eye on their tax bill benefit from impressively low emissions.
Quality & Reliability

3 out of 5 stars

There's a wide range of plastics in the Civic's cabin; many are hard to the touch, but it all feels built to last. The mechanicals should prove equally durable, because Honda has a superb record in reliability and customer satisfaction surveys.
Safety & Security

5 out of 5 stars

Every Civic is equipped with twin front, side and curtain airbags, as well as a stability control system to prevent skids. SE models and above have active head restraints that move to minimise whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end shunt. An engine immobiliser, deadlocks and an alarm are standard across the range to prevent theft.

Behind The Wheel

2 out of 5 stars

As with the exterior, you'll either love or loathe the Civic's cabin. Its three-dimensional instruments look futuristic, but they reflect onto the windows at night. Smaller drivers have to lower the steering wheel as low as it'll go to see the speedo, while the switchgear is funky, but overly complicated. Rear vision is appalling because a spoiler slices across the screen and there's no rear wiper.
Space & Practicality

4 out of 5 stars

The Civic provides vast legroom for those in the front or rear seats, but headroom is rather tight - especially in the back. At 485 litres the boot is massive and a split-level floor boosts versatility. The rear seats fold to leave a long, flat load area and they can also be flipped up like cinema seats to create a second load area in the rear footwell.
Equipment

4 out of 5 stars

Entry-level five-door cars (SE) have climate and stability controls, electric windows, six airbags and alloy wheels. To this, Si adds sporty styling and 17-inch alloys, while ES has dual-zone climate control and automatic lights and wipers. You can also buy T versions of these three trims, adding Bluetooth and sat-nav. EX GT models get all that plus upgraded headlights. Three-door models come in Type S or Type S GT trim, which add sporty suspension and styling tweaks.