Honda Civic review

Category: Family car

Section: Introduction

Honda Civic front cornering with Car of the Year logo
  • Honda Civic front cornering with Car of the Year logo
  • Honda Civic rear cornering
  • Honda Civic interior dashboard
  • Honda Civic interior back seats
  • Honda Civic interior infotainment
  • Honda Civic right tracking
  • Honda Civic rear right tracking
  • Honda Civic left static boot open
  • Honda Civic alloy wheel detail
  • Honda Civic interior front seats
  • Honda Civic interior steering wheel
  • Honda Civic interior detail
  • Honda Civic interior detail
  • Honda Civic interior detail
  • Honda Civic boot detail
  • Honda Civic boot open
  • Honda Civic front cornering with Car of the Year logo
  • Honda Civic rear cornering
  • Honda Civic interior dashboard
  • Honda Civic interior back seats
  • Honda Civic interior infotainment
  • Honda Civic right tracking
  • Honda Civic rear right tracking
  • Honda Civic left static boot open
  • Honda Civic alloy wheel detail
  • Honda Civic interior front seats
  • Honda Civic interior steering wheel
  • Honda Civic interior detail
  • Honda Civic interior detail
  • Honda Civic interior detail
  • Honda Civic boot detail
  • Honda Civic boot open
What Car?’s Civic deals
New car deals
Target Price from £49,090
or from £641pm
Swipe to see used and leasing deals
Nearly new deals
From £33,950

Introduction

What Car? says...

Sometimes when you’re caught up in the whirlwind of family life, it pays to keep things simple – and that's something the Honda Civic does very well indeed.

This latest Civic – the 11th-generation model – has just one engine option (unless you go for the Civic Type R hot hatch), one bodystyle (a five-door hatchback) and two trim levels to choose from. That might sound rather restrictive, but what you do get covers all the family car bases very well.

It’s a similar principle to the hybrid set-up used in the Toyota Corolla – a close rival of the Civic. If you want another family car that can travel on electricity alone, you’ll need to look at more expensive PHEV rivals, including versions of the Audi A3, the Skoda Octavia and the VW Golf.

So, should you buy a Honda Civic? Well, that's what we'll help you decide in this review. We'll cover all the important areas, from performance and handling to boot size and running costs, and tell you how it compares with rivals. We'll also tell you which trim level we think makes most sense.

Once you've decided which model is best for you, we can also help you find the lowest price if you search our free What Car? New Car Deals pages. They have lots of great new family car deals.

FAQs

  • Yes – you can read about it in our dedicated Honda Civic Type R review. Unfortunately, the UK allocation of the hot hatch has already sold out, so even if you do put your name down for one, you’ll be at the back of a very long queue.

  • Yes. In fact, it was named best family car at our 2023 Car of the Year awards.

  • The 1.05kWh battery pack used as part of the Civic's hybrid system is guaranteed by Honda for five years or 90,000 miles, although it should really last the lifetime of the car. As with most cars, the 12V battery that runs the lights and other electrical systems will need to be replaced every few years.

  • While it is true that the Civic costs more than traditionally powered family car rivals, it is somewhat justified because it has hybrid tech and a lot of standard equipment.

At a glance
New car deals
Target Price from £49,090
or from £641pm
Swipe to see used and leasing deals
Nearly new deals
From £33,950
RRP price range £49,090 - £49,090
Number of trims (see all)1
Number of engines (see all)1
Available fuel types (which is best for you?)petrol
MPG range across all versions 34.4 - 34.4
Available doors options 5
Warranty 3 years / 90000 miles
Company car tax at 20% (min/max) £3,552 / £3,552
Company car tax at 40% (min/max) £7,103 / £7,103
Available colours