The Honda Civic is our highest-rated compact car and the segment’s reigning Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award winner. Pricing starts at $23,950. For compact car shoppers, it’s hard to make a better choice than the Honda Civic. Honda’s entry-level car is a stalwart of the segment and boasts a decades-long reputation for providing reliability, value, and efficiency. It’s even a joy to drive, whether you’re tackling the daily commute or a weekend road trip. The Honda Civic lineup also touts a wide variety of model choices. In addition to two body styles — a traditional sedan or a surprisingly versatile hatchback — the Civic offers a choice of engines and not one but two performance models, the Civic Si and track-ready Civic Type R. The Honda Civic is an excellent all-arounder and winner of myriad Kelley Blue Book awards in a segment that also includes the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, and Hyundai Elantra.
2024 Honda Civic Pricing
The 2024 Honda Civic starts at $23,950. That gets you the base LX sedan model. At this pricing, the Civic is in the higher range of compact cars. The Toyota Corolla starts at around $22,000, the Nissan Sentra and Kia Forte are closer to $20K, the Mazda3 and Subaru Impreza are under $23K, and the Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Jetta begin around $21K. These are the estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) and don’t include the factory-to-dealer delivery fee, which is currently $1,095. The Honda Civic has a diverse model range, and every trim is appealing in its own way. The performance-oriented Civic Si starts at $29,100, and the race-ready Civic Type R starts at $44,795. The Honda Civic earns our Best Resale Value award for compact cars. When it comes time to sell, the Civic might fetch an extra $2,000 or more than some competitors. And who wouldn’t want an extra $2,000 toward their next down payment? Having just been redesigned for 2022, there are no major changes for the 2024 Honda Civic. We know the Civic Hybrid is set to return, which is slated to happen for the 2025 model year.2024 Honda Civic MSRP Civic LX sedan $23,950 Civic LX hatchback $24,950 Civic Sport sedan $25,550 Civic Sport hatchback $26,350 Civic EX sedan $26,950 Civic EX-L hatchback $28,650 Civic Touring sedan $30,550 Civic Sport Touring hatchback $31,450 Class-Leading Resale Value
What’s New for 2024
Driving the 2024 Honda Civic
The most popular engine in the Civic lineup is the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. It’s a model of ease and efficiency, and the proper engine for the Civic’s two lower trims. Its 158 horsepower is adequate for daily duties, while its fuel efficiency of up to 40 mpg will make you remember why the Civic is a smart choice every time you pass by a gas station. Most drivers will choose the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), but a select few will be happy to know a 6-speed manual can be had with this engine in the Civic Hatchback. The step-up engine is even more notable — a 180-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. In addition to added power, it also boasts a higher fuel efficiency figure of up to 42 mpg on the highway. In our year of driving a long-term test model with this engine, we’ve found it frisky and fun. Power delivery is seamless, and it’s well-tuned to the CVT automatic transmission. As we’ve come to expect of the Honda Civic, its ride is compliant yet is sprinkled with a sporty edge. Highway miles go by quickly, especially with driver aids like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist active. We also love that the Civic is a cinch to fling around town. Its small size and nimble manners allow the Civic to slot into spaces and parking spots that would be challenging for vehicles even one class size higher. Driving enthusiasts seeking even more verve can step up to the Civic Si or even loftier Type R, both fitted with manual transmissions and a performance pedigree that few can fault. We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating the current collection of compact cars, including this Honda Civic.
Interior Comfort
The interior of the Honda Civic has a tasteful simplicity. The understated design uses clean lines and a handsome honeycomb metal mesh strip through the dash. We found the infotainment screen and climate controls to be well-placed and easy to reach from the driver’s seat. The interior materials are impressive for a car in this price range. Everything we touch from the driver’s seat feels nice, and we especially like the loaded Touring trim. The Touring model treats the driver to premium features like leather-trimmed seats, a wireless phone charger, a 9-inch infotainment system, and a Bose audio system while keeping the starting price around $30,000. One feature we think is particularly useful in our long-term test model is the combination phone holder and charging cradle. It is conveniently located ahead of the gear lever, yet far away enough to keep the temptation to fiddle with a phone while driving at bay.
The front seats are plenty roomy, even for taller adults, but we do wish there was adjustable lumbar support. We climbed into the back, and there’s plenty of room back there for children and adults alike. If we did have a wish for our rear seat passengers, however, it would be climate vents, which are not available even on the highest Civic trim. A note for Civic Type R buyers: It is the only Civic model with 4-passenger seating instead of the usual five.
The trunk of the Civic sedan is big for a car this size, and we love the wide opening making it easy to load and unload. The Civic hatchback has almost 10 extra cubic feet of cargo space compared to the sedan, and you get even more space if you fold down the back seats. For example, in our long-term hatchback test model, we can fit a mountain bike in the back without having to remove the front wheel.
Exterior Styling
Like so many timeless designs, the newest Civic, which was just redesigned in 2022, keeps getting more and more attractive. Its pleasing proportions and clean lines come together in a sophisticated design. While many buyers will gravitate toward the Civic sedan, we think it’s wise to at least consider the hatchback. Once you do, there may be no going back. The Civic Hatchback offers the attributes you would get in a small SUV — namely, a spacious cargo area that only improves once you lower the rear seats — yet retains a stylish exterior design that many of our reviewers find even better looking than the sedan.
Our Favorite Features and Tech
Two body styles Honda Sensing Drive modes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Bose audio system Multiple performance models
The Honda Civic is available as a traditional sedan or a highly versatile hatchback with the cargo flexibility to swallow a bicycle, for instance.
Every Honda Civic comes standard with the Honda Sensing safety tech suite. Honda Sensing bundles driver assistance features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition.
Normal, Sport, and Econ driving modes let you choose the driving character that suits your personality or the moment.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are handy smartphone connectivity features that let you bring your maps, music, and more to the screen in your car. They both come standard on every Civic, but if you get the available 9-inch infotainment system, you can connect your phone to the car wirelessly.
The Touring, Sport Touring, and Si trims come with an immersive Bose 12-speaker premium audio system that sounds like something from a more expensive car. It not only upgrades the sound with high-quality speakers, but Bose Centerpoint technology creates a surround-sound effect for a concert-like experience.
Every Honda Civic is enjoyable to drive, but the sporty Civic Si and ferocious Civic Type R turn up the adrenaline. The Civic Si is a blast to drive at any speed while retaining an affordable price tag, and the Type R is a track-ready beast.
Engine & Transmission
The Civic Sport is the most popular trim, and it features an admirable 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine good for 158 horsepower and up to 37 mpg on the highway. The base Civic LX also uses this engine. Higher trims are outfitted with a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that’s both more powerful and more efficient. Most Civics are equipped with a continuously variable automatic transmission, but a 6-speed manual remains available in hatchback models. A 6-speed manual is the only choice for the performance-oriented Civic Si and Civic Type R, where it comes with a rev-matching feature for smoother downshifts. Best-selling Engine Upgrade Engine More Civic fuel economy information is available on the EPA’s website. The Civic Si features a version of the turbocharged engine above, but tuned to deliver about 10% more horsepower and torque (200 hp, 195 lb-ft). The latest Civic Type R is the most powerful Civic of all time, boasting 315 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The latest Honda Civic has earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a 5-Star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Civic gets even safer when you add optional features like blind-spot monitoring and parking sensors. The Honda Civic is backed by a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. This coverage is pretty typical of the segment.
2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine
158 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
138 lb-ft of torque @ 4,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (2023): 31/40 mpg (LX sedan), 30/38 mpg (LX hatchback), 30/37 mpg (Sport sedan), 26/36 mpg (Sport hatchback manual), 29/37 mpg (Sport hatchback auto)
1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
180 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
177 lb-ft of torque @ 1,700-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (2023): 33/42 mpg (EX sedan), 31/38 mpg (Touring sedan), 31/39 mpg (EX-L hatchback), 29/37 mpg (Sport hatchback manual), 30/37 mpg (Sport hatchback CVT)Performance Options
Excellent Safety Ratings
3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty
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KBB Vehicle Review and Rating Methodology
Our Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings. We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology. Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing. Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.) We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability.
