2010 Honda Civic Hybrid - Styling Review

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Shopping for a 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid? MSRP: $23,800 - $27,000

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It takes a trained eye to tell the 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid apart from other Civics. Along with the other Civic four-door sedans, it got a new grille and lights last year; otherwise, it's unchanged for 2010. The Hybrid's minor exterior tweaks include different wheels, clear turn-signal lenses, turn indicators built into the side-view mirror housings, and a small trunk-lid spoiler. Inside, it sports blue lighting and a wonderfully rich blue cloth interior and blue vinyl dash cap.

The 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid shares much of its body design with conventional Honda Civics, which most reviewers approve of. Reviews surveyed by TheCarConnection.com mostly side with Edmunds, whose testers are "quite fond of the current-generation Civic" and its futuristic styling. Reviewers at Cars.com point out that "the hybrid takes the look even further, with disc-like 15-inch alloy wheels fitted with low-rolling-resistance tires." Kelley Blue Book cites additional differences between the 2010 Civic Hybrid and other Civic models, including "side mirrors with integrated turn indicators," along with "clear front turn signal lenses, mild trunk spoiler, small roof-mounted antenna" and hybrid badges. But not all reviewers appreciate the Civic's radical sedan silhouette. Car and Driver feels that "from the B-pillar forward, it has almost a minivan look to it," contributing to a "front end [that] looks pretty strange."

The dashboard and instruments comprise a love-it-or-hate-it interior. Edmunds notes that the "digital speedometer and gas gauge are at the base of the windshield," which makes "some drivers find the two-tier display distracting," although "others say it makes quick visual checks of speed easier." And ConsumerGuide approves, singing the virtues of the "two-tier instrument panel" that puts the speedometer's digits "in the driver's line of sight for viewing without taking focus off [the] road." On the other hand, Car and Driver testers feel that the dashboard is "odd" and gives "the impression that a designer is trying a bit too hard to make the civilian Civic into a Formula 1 racer." Edmunds praises the "easy to operate" controls, but the reviewers at ConsumerGuide disagree on several fronts. They say that "the navigation system takes time to master, has undersized buttons, and absorbs too many audio functions," and complain that "its screen is difficult to read in changing light conditions."