SAFETY | 10 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
'Good,' frontal offset, side, and rear impact; 'good,' roof strength; Top Safety Pick+
'Good,' small overlap frontal
IIHS
Five stars overall; five stars frontal, five stars side (sedan)
Four stars overall; four stars frontal, four stars side (coupe)
(**2012-MY ratings**)
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 2013 Honda Civic is one of the top performers in its class for safety; and with a backup camera now standard, it's one of the best-equipped budget-priced compact cars in terms of safety equipment.
Some real structural upgrades have also been given to the 2013 model--bringing it up to snuff with Honda's ACE II body structure--and based on crash tests, its occupant protection is better than ever. It's achieved top 'good' ratings in the new small overlap frontal test, and it's now an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. It's earned top five-star results from the federal government as well, although the feds still haven't either extended 2012 ratings over to 2013 or retested the '13.
Top IIHS scores now extend to Civic Coupe models, though.
The Civic Hybrid is newly offered with standard forward collision warning (FCW) and lane departure warning (LDW)--two systems that are typically not at all offered on vehicles in this class.
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.
Conclusion
The Civic was already a good choice for the safety-minded, while a standard backup camera, a strengthened structure, and new airbags make this year's model more secure than ever.
