2026 Honda Civic

The Civic's hybrid powertrain churns out 200 horsepower — matching the sporty Civic Si — and bests it when it comes to low-end torque. The hybrid doesn't come with all the performance goodies you'll get on an Si, but it does boast an awesome 49 mpg in the EPA's combined cycle. The potent yet efficient powertrain offers a hard-to-beat blend of performance and practicality.

The Toyota Corolla is the Civic's top competitor, and Toyota took great strides to make sure this generation of the popular compact was more competitive than its predecessors. But the Corolla feels old (it was last redesigned in 2020), and its hybrid variant doesn't hold a candle to the Civic hybrid. Not only is the Toyota less efficient, it's also significantly less powerful. Other solid picks include the Hyundai Elantra, which comes standard with a ton of advanced driver aids and also offers a hybrid powertrain, and the Mazda 3, which is plenty sporty in its own right.

Our test team lived with a Civic Si for a year to find out what it's like to live with the medium-spicy version of the latest Civic generation. It was a 2022 model, but most of our observations are still applicable despite last year's updates. Read our Civic Si One-Year Road Test for more.