Used Honda Civic 2017-2022 review

It’s fair to say that Honda threw the kitchen sink at this 10th-generation Honda Civic in 2017, having been stung by criticism that the previous 2012-2017 Honda Civic was not competitive with its rivals in a number of key areas.

Hence this car was longer, lower and wider than the ninth-generation car, with more room between the front and rear wheels for passengers, as well as a range of new engines and a more sophisticated rear suspension.

Engines and performance: There's a range of three turbocharged petrol engines: a punchy and efficient 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit, a strong 1.5-litre four-cylinder or the super-sporty 2.0-litre engine in the explosive Honda Civic Type R hot hatch.

In 2018, Honda also introduced a frugal 1.6-litre diesel, however, it was dropped as of 2020 model updates. You could match any of these engines, with the exception of the 2.0, with an automatic gearbox, should you wish to. For the 1.0 and 1.5 petrols, it's a CVT while the diesel got its own nine-speed 'box.

On the road, the 124bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine is very impressive; the Civic delivers perfectly adequate acceleration from low revs and will complete the 0-60mph dash in a reasonable 10.7sec. However, despite having more power than equivalent 1.0-litre versions of the Audi A3 and VW Golf the heavier Civic is actually slightly slower than those rivals.

Naturally, with 180bhp, the 1.5-litre offering is faster and has more low-down pulling power – although it doesn’t actually feel dramatically quicker on the road. Likewise, the 1.6 diesel has just 118bhp so its acceleration doesn’t feel particularly strong. All engines give you the choice of a six-speed manual gearbox that's both light and positive, but the automatic version in petrol models tends to hold the engine at high revs even when you aren't accelerating particularly hard.

Ride and handling: The Civic rides well, with a largely settled ride comfort, and its neutral handling is safe, secure and, helped by its quick steering and slick gear change. The Civic borders on the good fun.

Only in the area of refinement is it let down, with quite a lot of engine noise and some road noise making itself known at higher speeds. The former is exacerbated in the automatic version.

Interior and practicality: The interior is more than spacious enough for four or even five for occasional journeys, while the boot is a good size in either hatch or saloon and has a useful false floor. The low driving position is excellent, the dashboard is clear and logically laid out and the controls are pleasingly weighted and feel of a high quality – as do most of the interior plastics. Only the Civic's dated infotainment system lets it down, with old-fashioned graphics and a slothful touchscreen.

In 2018 the Honda Civic hatchback was joined by the four-door Civic saloon. The Civic saloon’s swooping roofline was lengthened to create a tail and a style that’s a neat alternative to the hatchback. Another happy result is an increase in boot capacity from 478 litres to 519. The engineers also took the opportunity to soften its suspension.

Trims and equipment: The model range kicks off with the entry-level S version, which is very basic; this version was dropped soon after it was launched, though, due to slow sales. The SE is much more appealing, with a DAB radio, air conditioning and front and rear parking sensors.

SR then adds a automatic wipers and a reversing camera, while EX gives you a package of extra safety equipment, keyless go and a leather interior. Then there's the Sport version, which adds heated seats, a sportier bodykit and LED headlights, and also a Sport Plus with adaptive suspension, while top-of-the-range Prestige gives you a full leather interior and heated rear seats.

"I'm old enough to remember when Honda started building cars in Britain in 1985. Sadly, though, this 10th-generation Civic was the last car built at the Swindon factory. The facility ceased operations in July 2021." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

Interested in buying a used Honda Civic? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Prices for this generation of Civic start at around £8000, this for an early 2017 model with an average mileage for the year and a full service history. It'll probably be a 1.0-litre version in the popular SR trim. Expect to pay upwards of £10,000 for a 1.5-litre version.

For a 2020, 2021 or 2022 car, have a budget of at least £11,000. Later 2021 and 2022 cars with very low mileage cost around £16,000. The hottest Civic – the Type R – is covered in a separate review that you can read here.

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MPG

On paper, the most economical Civic will be the 1.6 diesel at 64.2mpg, according to the newer WLTP tests (although this drops quite a lot to 54.3mpg with the nine-speed auto). Both manual versions of the 1.0 and 1.5-litre petrol engines manage at 46.3mpg and drop to 43.5mpg and 42.8mpg, respectively, for the CVT auto versions. The Honda Civic Type R, obviously, is the thirstiest at 33.2mpg.

Road tax

Most Civics will be registered after the tax changes of April 2017 came into force, so will be charged at the current flat rate rather than on CO2 emissions, as before. This is currently £195 per year. To find out more about the current road tax system, click here.

Insurance and servicing

Insurance groups range between 15 and 22 for the regular cars, but the Type R is in group 40, so expect high premiums.

Servicing costs are reasonable and a number of plans are available for spreading the cost. If your example is more than three years old, you can buy a service from Honda for £240.

Reliability

Based on owner feedback from the annual What Car? Reliability Survey, the 2017-2022 Civic is generally a solid choice, though 1.0-litre petrol models have suffered from serious engine and turbocharger failures linked to the wet-belt system. Diesel owners noted occasional filter issues on short trips, while electrical glitches and air-con faults were common across the range. Most repairs were handled efficiently by dealers, but out-of-warranty engine costs can be high.

Discover more about used Honda Civic reliability and common problems on our dedicated reliability page

Engine

In everyday use, the 1.0-litre petrol is all the engine you'll ever need, but reliability around the wet-belt system is a concern. To alleviate this issue, we'd steer you towards the chain-driven 1.5-litre petrol engine, which provides quicker performance without dramatically pushing up running costs. It's a more expensive choice, but we think it's worth the extra outlay for the reassurance.

If you want an automatic Civic, we'd suggest looking elsewhere – there are better gearboxes out there than the CVT you'll find on petrol versions.

Specification

To get the 1.5-litre petrol engine, you have to go for Sport trim. This comes with the same level of kit as SR, but adds heated seats, a sportier bodykit and LED headlights. It's really well equipped.

Our favourite Honda Civic: 1.5 VTEC Sport

In a hotly contested class, it’s the 2013-2020 VW Golf (Mk7) that perhaps stands out as the Civic’s biggest rival. It’s brilliant to drive, well equipped, refined and comparatively cheap to run. It also has a good reputation for reliability, unlike its successor, the 2020-present VW Golf (Mk8).

The 2013-2020 Skoda Octavia is also a great family car. It features a spacious and classy interior and some punchy and economical engines. It’s great to drive and competitively priced new and used. If that weren’t enough, its boot is a class-leading 590 litres. Like the Golf, the 2020-present generation suffers from poor reliability.

The Toyota Corolla has always been a close rival for the Civic. Being a hybrid, it's quiet to drive and very efficient, while the ride is very comfortable. It's practical and competitively priced on the used market, too. Reliability is top notch, while a 10-year, service-activated warranty broadens its appeal.

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If you're interested in finding a used Honda Civic, or any of the other family cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at great prices.