SAFETY | 9 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
'Good,' frontal offset, side, and rear impact; 'good,' roof strength; Top Safety Pick (Sedan)
Not yet rated (Coupe)
IIHS
Five stars overall; five stars frontal, five stars side (sedan)
Four stars overall; four stars frontal, four stars side (coupe)
NHTSA
Outward visibility is challenging with the combination of a giant A-pillar, rising beltline and obscuring C-pillar. [Si Coupe]
Edmunds' Inside Line
The 2012 Honda Civic in sedan form, is a great pick, earning both five-star safety ratings from the federal government and top 'good' results in all categories from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
It should be noted that those results don't extend to the Coupe which, in its last generation, was given a lower 'acceptable' score.
While some of the previous Civic's so-called ACE body structure carries over to the new model, Honda has optimized it to absorb crash impact through “pathways” that distribute forces away from occupants.
Electronic stability control is standard on the Civic, as are anti-lock brakes, side-curtain airbags for front and rear occupants, and front-seat side bags, plus a whiplash-mitigating seat design.
Conclusion
The 2012 Honda Civic sedan is looking like a very sensible choice for the safety-minded.
