| Year Make Model | 2014 Honda Civic EX 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl CVT) |
| Vehicle Type | FWD 4dr 5-passenger Sedan |
| Base MSRP | $21,880 |
| Options on test vehicle | Dyno Blue Pearl |
| As-tested MSRP | $21,880 |
| Configuration | Transverse, front engine, front-wheel drive |
| Engine type | Naturally aspirated, direct-injected inline-4, gasoline |
| Displacement (cc/cu-in) | 1,798/110 |
| Block/head material | Aluminum |
| Valvetrain | SOHC, four valves per cylinder, variable intake + exhaust-valve timing |
| Compression ratio (x:1) | 10.6 |
| Redline, indicated (rpm) | 6,750 |
| Horsepower (hp @ rpm) | 143 @ 6,500 |
| Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) | 129 @ 4,300 |
| Fuel type | Regular unleaded |
| Transmission type | Continuously variable |
| Transmission ratios (x:1) | 3.200-0.517 |
| Final-drive ratio (x:1) | 3.94 |
| Suspension, front | MacPherson strut |
| Suspension, rear | Multilink |
| Steering type | Electric speed-proportional power steering |
| Steering ratio (x:1) | 14.89 |
| Tire make and model | Continental ContiProContact |
| Tire type | All-season, low rolling resistance |
| Tire size | P205/55R16 89H |
| Wheel size | 16-by-6.5 inches front and rear |
| Wheel material | Alloy |
| Brakes, front | 11.1-inch one-piece ventilated discs with single-piston sliding calipers |
| Brakes, rear | 10.2-inch one-piece solid discs with single-piston sliding calipers |
| Acceleration, 0-30 mph (sec.) | 3.9 |
| 0-45 mph (sec.) | 6.2 |
| 0-60 mph (sec.) | 9.1 |
| 0-75 mph (sec.) | 13.2 |
| 1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) | 16.8 @ 85.6 |
| 0-60 with 1 foot of rollout (sec.) | 8.7 |
| 0-30 mph, trac ON (sec.) | 3.9 |
| 0-45 mph, trac ON (sec.) | 6.3 |
| 0-60 mph, trac ON (sec.) | 9.3 |
| 0-75 mph, trac ON (sec.) | 13.4 |
| 1/4-mile, trac ON (sec. @ mph) | 16.9 @ 85.2 |
| 0-60, trac ON with 1 foot of rollout (sec.) | 8.9 |
| Braking, 30-0 mph (ft.) | 29 |
| 60-0 mph (ft.) | 118 |
| Slalom, 6 x 100 ft. (mph) ESC ON | 64.3 |
| Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) | 0.83 |
| Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) ESC ON | 0.79 |
| Sound level @ idle (dB) | 39.4 |
| @ Full throttle (dB) | 72.8 |
| @ 70 mph cruise (dB) | 66.8 |
| Engine speed @ 70 mph (rpm) | 2,000 |
| Acceleration comments | Not much a driver can do to affect acceleration here, with a CVT and not enough torque to break the front tires' traction. I tried all three forward "gears" (D, S, L) and found S caused the engine rpm to reach redline by 60 mph and hold it there until about 80 mph. There are no distinct gears and no manual-shift mode. Those unfamiliar with this type of transmission might find it odd sounding, as if the transmission is "slipping" gears. |
| Braking comments | As is typical for this type of car, the first stop was the shortest of four, where moderate brake fading occurs. Each stop was straight and well controlled, however. |
| Handling comments | Slalom: The Civic's electronic stability control (ESC) is remarkably sophisticated for this class of car. Unlike some other cars that detect aggressive driver input or the outer limits of the tires' grip and clamp down early and hard on the brakes, this car allows a modest amount of play before subtly "trimming" the car's heading with quick and effective dabs of selected brakes. It's obvious this ESC was tuned and optimized to allow for spirited driving. Steering weight is light but precision is very good. Skid pad: Rather than using brakes to affect the car's attitude (as in the slalom), ESC merely breathes off the throttle in this steady-state corner to maintain the skid pad arc without causing the tires to howl or skid. Shutting the system off allows the tires to begin to slide and gain a little more grip in the process. Again, steering feel doesn't really inform the driver in any way, weight remains rather light regardless, and precision is good. |
| Test date | 1/28/2014 |
| Elevation (ft.) | 1,121 |
| Temperature (°F) | 65.94 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 46.69 |
| Barometric pressure (in. Hg) | 28.89 |
| Odometer (mi.) | 292 |
| Fuel used for test | 87-octane gasoline |
| As-tested tire pressures, f/r (psi) | 32 |
| As-tested ballasted trailer weight (lbs.) | 32 |
| EPA fuel economy (mpg) | 33 combined/30 city/39 highway |
| Edmunds observed (mpg) | 26.3 |
| Fuel tank capacity (U.S. gal.) | 13.2 |
| Driving range (mi.) | 514.8 |
| Stereo description | Six-speaker AM/FM/CD with touchscreen control, Bluetooth audio, Pandora radio, two USB outlets, HDMI port |
| iPod/digital media compatibility | Standard iPod via two USB jacks |
| Satellite radio | Optional |
| Bluetooth phone connectivity | Standard |
| Navigation system | Optional via app streaming from iPhone 5 |
| Smart entry/Start | Standard |
| Parking aids | Standard back-up camera |
| Blind-spot detection | Standard blind-spot camera |
| Curb weight, mfr. claim (lbs.) | 2,868 |
| Curb weight, as tested (lbs.) | 2,811 |
| Weight distribution, as tested, f/r (%) | 61/39 |
| Length (in.) | 179.4 |
| Width (in.) | 69.0 |
| Height (in.) | 56.5 |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 105.1 |
| Track, front (in.) | 59.0 |
| Track, rear (in.) | 59.9 |
| Turning circle (ft.) | 35.4 |
| Legroom, front (in.) | 42.0 |
| Legroom, rear (in.) | 36.2 |
| Headroom, front (in.) | 37.9 |
| Headroom, rear (in.) | 36.2 |
| Shoulder room, front (in.) | 56.6 |
| Shoulder room, rear (in.) | 53.3 |
| Seating capacity | 5 |
| Trunk volume (cu-ft) | 12.5 |
| Bumper-to-bumper | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| Corrosion | 5 years/Unlimited miles |
See which cars and trucks our editors recommend