| MSRP | $22,715 |
|---|---|
| Edmunds suggests you pay | $23,570 |
The Honda Civic has a reputation built on 50 years of affordability, efficiency and durability, and the 2022 redesign looks to keep that tradition going strong. This 11th-generation Civic gets a thorough makeover inside and out. Some may say the new Civic's more conventional design is boring compared to the previous model's flamboyance, but we contend it's cleaner and more refined.
There's little new under the hood, where you'll still find a base four-cylinder engine or a turbocharged four-cylinder that provides quicker acceleration. As for technology features, Honda is often slower than other automakers to incorporate exotic features into its more budget-friendly cars. However, this Civic does have a few new additions. On the top-level Touring and Si trims, for instance, there's a wireless charging pad, a digital instrument panel, and a 9-inch touchscreen with additional wireless functionality for CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.
We're impressed with the 2022 Honda Civic sedan. While you might want to take a look at the refined Mazda 3, feature-packed Kia Forte or stylish new Hyundai Elantra, the Civic earns its rank as our No. 1 small sedan thanks to its fun-to-drive nature, roominess and high fuel efficiency. Check out our Expert Rating to get our full evaluation of the Civic's performance, roominess and more.
Our verdict | |
The Honda Civic boasts praiseworthy performance, high fuel economy, excellent passenger space and a refined design. There are a few minor drawbacks, such as elevated road noise on the highway, but overall the Civic is a great pick for a small sedan. | |
How does the Civic drive? | |
We tested a Civic Touring sedan, which has the turbocharged engine. At our test track it accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds. This is a little quicker than average for the small sedan class. It feels a little lazy off the line, but power grows steadily and quickly so you never feel the need to floor it like you would with the base 2.0-liter engine. The Civic's continuously variable automatic transmission is tuned well to deliver smooth power and quick responsiveness when you need a burst of speed. Around turns, the Civic is stable and sporty, instilling confidence and providing some entertainment behind the wheel. The tires make a lot of noise, but they maintain a surprising amount of grip on the road, which also aids in above-average braking performance. Ultimately this Civic is easy and effortless to drive, which is precisely what we'd want from an affordable sedan. | |
How comfortable is the Civic? | |
The Civic's suspension does a pretty good job of smoothing out bumps in the road. It doesn't ride as comfortably as some other small cars, but given the car's sporty handling we think it's an acceptable trade-off. The front seats are supportive, and the leather upholstery breathes well to help keep you cool on hot days. But note that the seats lack adjustable lumbar support, which could be an issue for people with sensitive lower backs. The climate control layout is a clear improvement over the previous generation's setup, with great vent coverage for the cabin. Road noise is noticeable at any speed and can be rather intrusive on coarse surfaces. Wind noise is thankfully more subdued, and the rest of the interior feels solidly constructed and free of vibration. | |
How’s the interior? | |
The cabin has an attractive design. All controls are within easy reach and intuitive to use. It's also roomy — the front can comfortably seat taller and shorter passengers equally well, and the rear seats will accommodate average-size adults with no problem. Rear legroom is abundant and headroom is adequate. Outward visibility is aided by narrow front roof pillars and sideview mirrors that are mounted on the doors, freeing up your view out front. The back window is a bit short, but the multi-angle rearview camera helps you spot anything that might be behind you when backing out of a parking spot. | |
How’s the tech? | |
The Civic's touchscreen infotainment system is located high on the dash to help you keep your eyes on the road. It has intuitive on-screen menus and responds quickly to your inputs. The graphics for the optional integrated navigation system look a little dated, but the map functions just fine. Our Touring trim had the larger 9-inch screen, while lower trims get a smaller 7-inch version. Most users will probably opt to use the standard Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone projection anyway. In the Touring trim, these systems can connect to your phone wirelessly. You can use a USB cable if you'd prefer, and we found it provided quicker connection speeds. Honda's new camera-based advanced driving aids work well for the most part. We did experience some false alarms for frontal collision and the lane keeping assist got confused by faded lane markings, but these occurrences were infrequent. The adaptive cruise control sometimes brakes a little late, but it otherwise does an admirable job of reducing the burden of driving in stop-and-go traffic. | |
How’s the storage? | |
The Civic sedan's trunk can hold up to 14.8 cubic feet of cargo, which is on the larger side for the class. The space is usable thanks to minimal intrusion from the Civic's wheelwells and trunk hinges. You can fold down the rear seats to provide more cargo space, though the pass-through opening between the trunk and rear seat isn't very big. One thing we really liked about the previous Civic was that it had lots of clever interior storage. Honda implemented more traditional storage spots for this new Civic, which is a small step back in our opinion. Still, the center armrest bin can hold a good amount, the cupholders are large, and a rubberized charging pad in front can help keep your phone from sliding around as it's charging. If you've got little kids, the Civic offers three top anchor spots for front-facing child safety seats, and the main lower anchor points are easy to access. Larger rear-facing infant carriers will likely compromise front passenger space a little, but this is true for most cars in this segment. | |
How’s the fuel economy? | |
The EPA estimates the Civic Touring (which has the turbocharged engine) will get 34 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The EX is even better at 36 mpg combined. Either way, the Civic bests its most direct competitors by about 3 to 4 mpg. We managed to achieve 33.4 mpg from our Civic Touring test car on our mixed-driving evaluation route. This isn't quite as high as we might have hoped given the EPA's numbers, but it's still an impressive showing. | |
Is the Civic a good value? | |
The Honda Civic may cost a bit more than the Kia Forte and Toyota Corolla, but it justifies the added cost with better performance, laudable fuel economy, a few more features and a significantly nicer interior. It has the kind of refinement that we would have expected from the more expensive Honda Accord. We recommend stepping up to at least the EX trim since it comes with the more powerful and efficient turbocharged engine. Honda's warranty remains fairly unremarkable compared to what other manufacturers offer. But the company builds a good product that generally holds its value well. | |
Wildcard | |
This little Honda packs a surprising amount of performance. This is especially true of the sporty handling that lets more spirited drivers actually have some fun. Usually, these abilities are reserved for the more performance-focused models like the Civic Si and Type R. This Civic replaces its predecessor's busy design with a simpler and more elegant style. It eliminates a lot of the clutter and fake vents for a more mature interpretation yet still leaves room for more exciting treatments. | |
The 2022 Honda Civic is available as a small sedan or four-door hatchback. There are five trim levels for the sedan: LX, Sport, EX, Touring and Si. The hatchback comes in similar LX, Sport, EX-L and Sport Touring trims. Each body style trim progressively adds more standard features. The EX/EX-L and Touring/Sport Touring also have a more powerful engine than the standard model, while the Si increases horsepower further still. Feature highlights include:
2022 Honda Civic
2021 Kia Forte
The Kia Forte is less expensive than the Honda Civic, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a better value. You'll get a handful of added features with the Civic, plus it performs on a higher level than the Forte. Kia's generous warranty coverage easily beats Honda's, but it's still not enough to best the Civic's superior design and driving manners.
The Elantra is just off a full redesign last year and is as fresh as this new Honda Civic. The Elantra offers a slight savings in similarly equipped models, achieves slightly better fuel economy, and benefits from a very generous warranty. The Honda Civic, though, manages to pull ahead with a more enjoyable driving experience and superior interior materials.
The Mazda 3 scores big with its evocative styling, sporty performance and available all-wheel drive, which is a rarity in this class. Feature for feature, though, it is more expensive than the Honda Civic, plus the Mazda comes up short with regard to rear passenger space and cargo capacity. The Mazda 3 is a great pick for the driver seeking more excitement, but the Honda Civic is the more well-rounded sedan.
The Honda Civic's 10th-generation model launched in 2016. It upended the conventions set by its rather unremarkable predecessor with distinctive exterior styling, high-class interior materials, and a renewed emphasis on driving excitement. It quickly launched to the top of our rankings of small sedans, where it has sat virtually unopposed for more than half a decade.
The entry-level LX and midtier Sport models will continue to use the familiar 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which makes the same 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque as in last year's Civic. The 2.0-liter now features an automatic engine stop-start feature, which is good for a 1-2 mpg bump in most categories compared to last year's car.
The Civic's cabin should be the roomiest in its class. Honda's published specifications suggest the new version will be more spacious than the previous model, which was already massive inside. Four adults should have no problem fitting comfortably, even on long road trips.
Honda is often slower than other automakers to incorporate exotic features into its more budget-friendly cars. With that in mind, you won't find ventilated front seats or a surround-view camera on the options list. However, the new Civic does have a few new items. The top-trim Touring model receives the most notable upgrades, with a wireless charging pad, digital instrument panel and 12-speaker Bose audio system among its new add-ons. All Civics will now come with a 7-inch touchscreen and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (you previously had to upgrade to the Sport), while the Touring gets a 9-inch screen with additional wireless functionality for CarPlay and Android Auto.
Edmunds saysThe all-new 2022 Honda Civic's styling is a little more reserved than the outgoing model, but many of its core strengths remain. Shoppers looking for a small car packed with goodness and modern tech features might want to wait until the new model debuts. Expect the new Civic sedan to arrive at dealers this summer and the hatchback later in 2021. Until then, check back often for Edmunds' additional coverage and in-depth testing.
The 2022 Honda Civic prototype gives us our first look at the car's 11th-generation redesign. The Civic is an immensely popular, affordable small sedan or hatchback, and the current model is our highest-rated compact car. Practicality, ease of use, and a fun-to-drive spirit have traditionally made the Civic a top pick, and hopefully the more refined, grown-up redesign won't lose any of those important traits.
We know very little about the new Civic beyond its more sophisticated looks inside and out. The 9-inch infotainment screen and fully digital gauge cluster are both new for Honda, and the Civic will also apparently debut some new safety features. Beyond that, all we can say for sure is that a hatchback, Si and Type R will all be joining the lineup again and that all but the sedan will offer the option of a manual transmission.
We expect the 1.5-liter turbo and continuously variable automatic transmission to carry over from the current model, and think it's likely Honda will add a hybrid option at some point in the future.
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2022 Honda Civic:
The least-expensive 2022 Honda Civic is the 2022 Honda Civic LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $21,700.
Other versions include:
