2012-15 Honda Civic Review

One of the top selling cars in Canada obviously must have the first official 'new' car review.

Note* all reviews will be based off the North American models. 

First off I must hand it to Honda, they redesigned the Civic for 2012 and it was a nice looking car, but then they showed us the 2013 Accord. The Accord was many leaps and bounds nicer looking than the 12 Civic. After getting enough feedback from consumers they redesigned the outside of the Civic ( also minimally inside as well) in less than a year and introduced us to a fantastic looking economy car. Id go as far as saying  it literally just looks like a smaller version of the Accord, which is saying a lot.

Besides the looks not much else changed for the Civic between 2012 and 2013, So I will mostly be talking about the 2013 Auto Trans model with references to the changes for the 2014 year.

I will also be talking about the mid-range models, the ones most people will be buying.

For a quick comparison of the changes made from 2012 to 2013, these pictures should help...

There's just something about adding a little chrome that makes everything better...

Different styles:

The Honda Civic has to be one of the most versatile cars out there. There should be a style that suits everyone. It comes in: 'normal' sedan and 2 door coupe, Si (Sport Injected) in sedan and 2 door coupe, Civic HF (High Fuel efficiency?) sedan, Civic hybrid sedan, and the Civic Natural Gas sedan.

The 'normal' ones come with a 1.8 liter engine and a choice of 5 speed manual trans or 5 speed auto.

The Si come with a 2.4 liter engine and a 6 speed manual trans and an upgraded and sporty interior.

The Civic HF is like the 'normal' Civics but with the hybrid styles wheels and other tweaks to make it slightly more fuel efficient.

The Civic hybrid has a 1.5 L engine with an electric motor to produce a total of 110HP. It has many different features in and around it to make it more fuel efficient, smaller tires, aerodynamic covers on the bottom to reduce drag and a special setting that the car can be put into to help you drive more efficiently as well. This hybrid is different from Toyota's as it is considered a 'mild' hybrid meaning that the gas engine will always be supplying power to the wheels, the electric motor is just there to help when more power is needed. This also means it is a lighter overall system than 'full' hybrids and is less complicated ( less things to break and go wrong).

Finally there is the Civic Natural Gas, which is similar to the 'normal' version but the engine is modified to be filled and operated by natural gas instead of liquid gasoline. 

Due to the price differences progressively going up for each model, I will be talking mostly about the 'normal' Civics as they are the most popular and accessible economy car on a budget.

Styling / Comfort Impressions:

As you may be able to tell from the intro, I like the look of this car. It may not be super flashy but it is a good mix of modern looks and timeless design. It has relatively large windows for its class which give it pretty good visibility and a open feeling from the inside and out.

The inside between the 2012 and the 13/14 remains the same except for a bit of added chrome trim around the air vents, the radio and shifter, which definitely helps give it a slightly higher-end feel. It has a mix of hard and soft plastics but they feel good and look good, not cheap.

It also comes in a beige or light gray interior colour scheme, which to me look a little better, brighter and help the radio pop a bit more. The inside, just like the outside, seems to look just right for a car of this price in this compact car class. It doesn't look or feel cheap, but at the same time, it doesn't look luxurious or come standard with many features that some other cars in this class do. To me, this isn't much of a drawback, I feel this car fits in perfectly into the class and if you are looking for a smart looking car on a budget, this should do just fine.

In the front, the seats are comfortable and well supported with manual or electric adjustment setting to insure that everyone can find a comfortable driving position. I'm about 6' 2'' and I found a comfortable driving position with plenty of headroom.

All the controls are large, easy to use, and in good reach. If you decide to upgrade to the 7'' touchscreen radio and multimedia display, it looks bright and easy to use.

The back seat. First off, A very important test that I do in every car is find out if I can fit behind myself comfortably while the drivers seat is in a position that I find comfortable driving in. I figure I'm a relatively large guy, if I can be comfortable behind myself almost anyone else should be as well.

That being said, I can comfortably fit behind myself. The rear seats are also comfortable and well supported, I don't think I would be too unhappy spending a long road trip back there. They are also relatively easy to get in and out of due to lots of foot-well space and large door openings. 

The trunk is relatively large, not the largest in its class, but still plenty large enough to fit a hockey bag or a few golf bags, or an assortment of suitcases. It does however have quite a narrow back seat pass through once the seats are folded. To put anything large / long through you will almost for sure have to have the whole seat folded down...

Driving Impressions:

Here is where there is a difference between the 12/13 model years and the 14, at least for the auto trans. The 12/13 have a normal auto trans with 5 speeds. While driving, this trans felt good, smooth and provided the power when I needed it without the engine making too much noise. The 2014 models have Honda's CVT ( Continually Variable Transmission). For those of you that don't know what this is, it essentially replaces all the different gears with a set of pulleys. The result is that if you put your foot down from a stop all the way up to highway speeds, you will essentially not feel the surges that normally come from the auto trans changing gears, and the RPM will stay in about the same position until you reach that speed. There are some people that are die-hard car fans and they hate these new CVTs, but in my opinion, its different for each manufacturer. Some are good and some are bad ( loud, lag, power sapping) but Honda's is one of the better ones out there. However, if I had the choice, I would still pick the regular auto as that is what I'm used to. For new time drivers, it may be better to get the ones with CVTs as they will slowly become the standard auto trans in cars soon. 

Overall the Civic has plenty of power from its 1.8 L engine, the ride is smooth and controlled, it has a tight turning radius, and solid wheels and brakes for stopping. Civics also use a timing chain instead of a belt meaning the engines need less costly service on them.

The Eco button that the 13/ 14 models have does change the driving dynamic a fair amount in the city and highway, by dumbing down the throttle response combined with the changing lights on the dashboard (to show how Eco friendly / aggressively you drive) it really does mean you can drive this car quite efficiently. 

Overall:

Great little car that looks good and drives well. Its sorta a shame though that it does everything well, but nothing outstandingly well, making it a very mid range car that many may glance over. But don't, because a car that does everything well, and is made by the very reputable Honda, means that this car will last you a long time with little worries.

Facts / Figures:

Price ( for this trim level): $19,980+

FWD

MPG (approx*): 27 city /37 hwy

Cargo room (approx*): 12 CuFt trunk

Length: 179

Width: 69

Tank size (gal): 13.2

Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 422
Average used price for a 2012-14 Civic with 60,000KM or less: $15,000+

* when I say "approx" I usually am using the numbers given by the actual manufacturer or Consumer Reports, minus 1 to be a bit more realistic. 

Links:
Honda.com
Honda Canada

Hope you liked this first official review of a 'new' car.

Once again, any suggestions or comments on how / what you would like done for these reviews is greatly appreciated. 

Also, a follow would be nice :D

J.K.