2017 Honda Civic Review
Type:
Pros & Cons
- Excellent fuel economy and performance from turbocharged engines
- Ride quality expertly balances comfort and athleticism
- Many available advanced technology and safety features
- Roomy cabin with high-quality materials
- Touchscreen interface is confusing and slow to respond to inputs
- Overly vigilant forward collision warning system is frustrating
Other years
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2017 Honda Civic appraisal values can range from $9,510 - $13,806.
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Which Civic does Edmunds recommend?
Any 2017 Honda Civic powered by the superb turbocharged 1.5-liter engine will be a good choice by our standards. If you're looking for the most equipment for your money, the EX-T trim makes for quite a good value. It includes available features for the Civic such as remote start and the LaneWatch blind-spot camera. A base Civic such as the LX is certainly appealing, and the standard 2.0-liter engine is fine, but the extra power and fuel economy gained with the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine are worth the price.
Edmunds' Expert Review
Driving
5.0The 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, available or standard on all but the base LX trim, is unusual in its sound and power delivery for a Honda engine, but it delivers best-in-class power and fuel economy. It's worth the extra money.
Comfort
4.5Previous Civics were known for their loud cabins, firm rides and less-than-friendly seats for tall folks. No more with the newest Civic, which suddenly feels like a shrunken Accord. The improvements make it more well-rounded and as well-suited to long trips as short ones.
Interior
4.5Honda's touchscreen interface can be annoying to use, and those of most competitors are better. Beyond that, the Civic delivers a large, versatile cabin for both people and their things. The front center console design is extremely clever.
Utility
5.0The 2017 Honda Civic has lots of space, and it uses it well. Everything is packaged in a way that you can store plenty of small items in the cabin as well as several large suitcases in the trunk.
Technology
The Civic's no-knob volume system is always frustrating, and smartphone integration is also disappointing. We've also found reliability issues in our long-term test of the Civic's HondaLink system. What's more, the adaptive cruise control is a bit too quick to react in traffic.
Scorecard
Overall | 4.5 / 5 |
Driving | 5.0 |
Comfort | 4.5 |
Interior | 4.5 |
Utility | 5.0 |
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2017 Honda Civic.
Most helpful consumer reviews
Dan S,12/26/2016
EX-L 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
My beloved 6-speed manual transmission TSX was over nine years old and enough little things were going wrong with it that it was time for a new car. With a house to remodel and kids in extracurricular activities I couldn't afford a luxury (or even sorta-luxury) performance sedan. So I was looking for a practical, reliable commuter car with an automatic transmission I could hand off to my daughter in 5 years when it's paid off and she's 16. Being a Honda/Toyota guy this made me think about a Civic. I got the EX-L since I could at least get a nicer Civic in my price range. I was expecting a major step down from my TSX, but this Civic (which I viewed as a necessity/compromise and wasn't really excited to purchase) has slowly been impressing me. In Eco mode it's the gutless wonder you expect a Civic to be but if you really stomp on the gas or take it out of Eco mode or even put it in sport mode that combination of 1.5L turbo and CVT transmission make it go right now. The 6-speed stick shift was one of my favorite things about my TSX but this Civic always seems to be in the right gear and I don't notice any clunky downshifting or lag when I press the gas. Handling is good (Honda always does that better than Toyota IMO) but then of course that makes for a rougher ride. I drove on an old patch of the 57 and got shaken and stirred. That's when you know you're in a Civic the most. The interior is pretty nice. I'm 6'2" and I fit OK but to get the most out of the legroom I have to crank the back of the seat all the way down because it goes down and back at the same time. So I pretty much have to fall down into the seat. In the end I think I'll miss my TSX's driver's seat the most, especially it's lumbar support. Sitting so low is made up for by the excellent rear-view camera and right-mirror camera. I'm using Android Auto with the Civic and the Navi is GREAT, so don't shell out extra for Honda's navi. Google Play Music found my music and playlists on my phone with no work from me but it doesn't play my podcasts. It seems like it's possible, but I haven't figured it out yet (I used Rocket Player and Doggcatcher before but Android Auto won't "channel" them through the car). Speaking of music, I'm iffy on the stereo system. The Civic has lots of speakers and very clear sound but not much oomph on the low end. I've turned down the treble, turned up the bass and shifted the balance rearward but it's still not as good as default settings were on my TSX. Interior storage cubbies are weird but plentiful. There's room for your cups, phone, sunglasses, gum, etc. but it may be down a cave and around a corner and a little dangerous to try to get at while you are driving. Overall I like this car. It doesn't come with a lot of bragging rights (I'm a 42-year old family man, though... In my twenties I probably would have been a LOT more proud of it) but my wife really likes having a fun-to-drive car back in the family for her (she doesn't drive stick and our other car is a minivan) and the best compliment I can give this Civic is that given its relative comfort (as long as my youngest can still fit behind me) and WAY better gas mileage than the minivan, it has become the weekend family commuter car, so long as we're not going to Costco or Home Depot. I wasn't expecting that to happen. I thought the Civic would be too small and too dull to want to drive any more than necessary but it has turned out to be a great not-so-little family car and it's getting lots of use. Two end notes: 1. Sorry this review has no paragraph breaks, the online form is not allowing me to hit enter. 2. Gas mileage includes driving over hills to work every day.
Roger W.,01/01/2017
EX-T 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
This is a great car! I prefer a manual transmission, and I was happy to see that it was available in a middle of the line vehicle. I test drove a CVT version of EX-T and I liked it. I told the dealer I'd prefer a manual and they located one for me. When I got to drive the manual version, it felt much lighter, and felt like it had a lot more power than the CVT version! It snowed in my area the day after I purchased the vehicle and this car did great in the snow and ice without traction devices! I think that the manual transmission gives me a lot more control and that with front wheel drive really helps in snow/ice conditions. I am impressed with the interior of the car, the controls, and the information/entertainment display. I use Andriod Auto and that allows me to use Google Maps on the cars display, use Pandora or other apps, take/make phone calls, get weather reports, and other information through my phone on the car's display, or with automated voice! I really like the camera mounted on the passenger side mirror, when I turn on the right turn signal the camera shows me what's on that side of the car eliminating any blind spot! I highly recommend this car, I think the EX-T is the best value in the Civic line, and I would buy it again! Accessories I got include All season floor mats, 2 cargo hooks, trunk tray, body side molding, wheel locks, illuminated interior, and rear bumper applique.
Update: I have had the car for almost 7 months now, and I still give the car 5 stars! I use it as a daily driver, and I have taken it on a few vacation road trips. One of them was more than 500 miles each way. It did great through the desert, the mountains, and everything in between. I would buy this car again. If you are looking for a economy sedan that's fun to drive (especially the manual transmission version) , this might be exactly what you're looking for!
Update: I have had the car for almost 19 months now, and I again give the car 5 stars! I still use it as a daily driver, and I would buy the car again. Highly recommended!
tony j,04/11/2016
LX 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
Great car with euro styling not a typical boring japanese style of the past models, fun to drive, relatively quiet inside, lots of features even on base LX model.
Handsfree blutooth phone connection works well with most phones including older generation LG G2, even budget Blu phones. I like the smaller screen on the LX model and has everything I would need and is easy to navigate plus it has good 'ole dials for selection and volume control which is what I prefer instead of ackward touch screen volume control on upper models.
I am 6'2" and there is plenty of leg room in front and in back seats. Very good size trunk also.
Acceleration is more than plenty with one or two people on board, with four adults however you can feel a slowdown.
Blind spot visibility may take a week or so of getting used to due to sloping rear coupe type shape especially if you are coming from more boxy sedan designs.
My MPG is roughly around 29mpg but I drive over 90% city and like zippier acceleration more often than not. With Econ mode turned on I tested and was getting 33-34mpg in city which is pretty good. On freeway it can easily do 40-43mpg.
kris turner,01/05/2017
EX 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
I have a 2007 Honda Civic. I researched the 2017 Hatchback before purchase. I've had it for a few days and love it! It feels solid and surprisingly the acceleration has pep! I'm not computer savvy but have been able to navigate the computer controls and settings with ease. I got the EX model. Just don't get suckered in at the dealer! Read Edmunds advice on B.S. Fees at the dealer and other new car buying advice. Also don't go over 3% of invoice price! If the dealer doesn't want to negotiate go to another one. I'm a female and went in on my own and told them exactly what I would pay and not pay. I was firm and they knew it. I got my new Hatchback with the price I wanted to pay!
Safety
Our experts like the Civic models:
- Honda Sensing
- A safety package that adds adaptive cruise control, lane departure intervention, and forward collision warning with emergency braking.
- Top Safety Scores
- Both the government and the independent IIHS safety tests resulted in top ratings for the Civic in every possible category.
- Honda LaneWatch
- A blind-spot camera for the passenger side of the car, Honda LaneWatch helps you see the right side of your car for passing and merging maneuvers.