Honda Civic History
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Over several decades, as some other brands have cycled through various small-car model names, the Honda Civic has remained the Japanese automaker's mainstream compact line, offered through the years in hatchback, coupe, wagon, and sedan guise, in basic, sporty Si, Hybrid, and even luxurious variants.
Vehicles that have been cross-shopped with the Civic in recent model years include the Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Mazda3, and Hyundai Elantra, but among them the front-wheel-drive Civic has one of the most consistent, enviable reputations for reliability and longevity and has for most of its time been one of the more enjoyable small cars to drive.
While in non-Rust Belt states there are no doubt many running examples of Honda Civic models dating back to the '70s and '80s, the 1990s-era Civics are currently the most common older Civic models still widely in circulation. These Civics mostly have 1.5- and 1.6-liter engines of various outputs; Honda's VTEC system was phased into the Civic line back in 1992 and allowed the model to be both faster and more fuel-efficient than many other small-car models in that era. It was also one of the few inexpensive small cars to have an independent rear suspension, giving it uncompromised ride and handling traits.
The Civic that was sold from 2001 through 2005 was only sold as a rather drab sedan in the U.S.—except for the sporty Si model—but what it didn't win in style it did in all-around performance, with good fuel economy as well, and a roomy interior. Some enthusiasts weren't thrilled with the change to a strut front suspension. This generation did mark the debut of a Civic Hybrid model, borrowing the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system that had made its debut in the earlier Insight coupe.
With radically different, aerodynamically optimized exterior styling and a completely reconceived twin-level instrument-panel design, the Civic that was offered from 2006 to 2011 came in sleek coupe or sedan variants, with a 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine on most (DX, LX, EX, and EX-L models). The Civic Hybrid model returned, with a CVT transmission and 110-hp mild-hybrid system good for an EPA 40 mpg city, 45 highway, and a natural-gas-fueled GX model is also on offer. This time around, the Civic Si model includes an excellent 197-horsepower, 2.0-liter four and six-speed manual gearbox. Other versions have a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic. Again, the Civic is praised for its fuel economy and peppy driving feel with nearly any of its variants, but backseat headroom is limited because of the sloping roofline.
And while many think of the Civic as solely a basic, no-frills vehicle, in recent years top-of-the-line Civic EX models got even more lux, with leather upholstery, heated seats, and even a navigation system.
For 2012, the Civic was again completely redesigned. This generation of the Civic looks and drives much like the previous-generation model, but with a toned-down, more conservative look inside and out. Its driving experience is also far from youthful and eager, though a somewhat softer suspension brought more comfort and refinement. Base prices have remained very low, at around $16k for the DX, but Bluetooth and satellite radio were the exclusive domain of the top-of-the-line EX and EX-L. Civic Si models are upgraded to a new 2.4-liter four, while Hybrid models now achieve an EPA-rated 44 mpg.
Hit hard by bad reviews for the newest Civic models, Honda has reportedly stepped up work on a heavily revised Civic, potentially due as soon as the 2013 model year.
