For The Honda Civic has a huge boot and clever rear seats, and the diesel- and 1.8-litre petrol engines provide strong performance.
Against The steering and ride are disappointing, while the refinement, headroom and visibility are downright poor.
The Honda Civic has some good points, but it disappoints in too many key areas to challenge the class leaders.
The 1.8-litre petrol Honda Civic is a better buy than the 2.2 diesel, because it’s cheaper, more refined and better to drive (Honda is planning to revise the 2.2’s suspension in an effort to improve ride comfort).
Alternatively, you may want to wait for the 1.6-litre diesel, which arrives in late 2012; this will undercut the 2.2 on price and emit less than 100g/km of CO2, making it exempt from road tax and the London Congestion Charge.
Four trims are available, but we don’t see any point in going beyond the second rung on the ladder – EX – because this gives you climate control, a USB socket, cruise control, Bluetooth and a reversing camera.
All Civics come with a three-year / 90,000-mile warranty, while a six-year unlimited mileage warranty is available as a cost option.