Used 2017 Honda Civic Sedan Consumer Reviews
Former Acura TSX Owner
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.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
The 2017 EX-T Manual is a fun to drive car!
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!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Catchy title goes here ...
First, it's a very nice looking car. The 1.5 turbo should be the standard engine, it's great. Seats are very comfortable compared to the Prius I came from. Handling is predictable but not extremely tight. Wish there were more choices for interior color, I'm not a huge fan of black interiors. My biggest disappointment is in Honda not providing more Honda Sensing versions of the EX-T. My dealer says he has no control over inventory. A search shows very few with Honda Sensing EX-T models. That being said, that is the model I wanted but ended up without it. Mileage is good ~38mpg. I'm disappointed in the stereo sound, cheap speakers in a $25k car is well.... cheap. The electronics are a bit confusing and layout seems odd, but I'll likely get used to it in time. Though the stereo/car settings have some pretty cool features. Wind noise is superb compared to my 3rd gen Prius. Warranty is miserable, warranty length defines confidence in their product. Transmission has a slight delay and then a thud when shifting into reverse. USB ports are a bit awkward to get to and I wish there were some for the rear seats. The clear film you can get for the nose and mirrors wasn't offered but it should be. We had an Accord that was a mess after four years. Simple things - I love auto up/down for both front windows, I like that I don't have to turn cruise control "on" each time I get in the car, I like manual seats, I also like heated seats. Overall, its the car I wanted in the price range it sits at. Others are close but this is the clear leader of the pack. Honda has some details they need to work out though to put away first place in my eyes.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Four Civic Lessons
We, my wife and I have always drove Hondas. This is our fourth iteration of the Civic. Test drove the EX-T 1.5L Turbo and the one we settled on was the 2.0 EX Sedan. To tell you the truth, not a huge difference in acceleration and performance between the 1.5T and 2.0. Just a 1mpg difference between the two engines. The 2.0 accelerates well from a stop as well as on the freeway and passing maneuvers. Never worried about merging with traffic, CVT performs well and always in the correct ratio when needed. Even in ECO mode, performance is diminished some, but transmission/engine will engage when needed for passing etc. The 7.0" Center Dash Digital Display takes a while to understand. A little slow on input response, but works fine. Cloth interior on center console, and armrests etc. gets soiled very easily and material feels a bit flimsy. Not sure how well it will hold up, time will tell. From our first CVCC, to our 1988, then 2002, to our current 2017. Lesson learned, always stick with an reliable, well engineered car! Wife loves it...oh btw, we purchased the white orchid pearl color, nice...
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2017 Honda Civic LX Sedan 6sp Manual
So far I have put on 1100 plus miles and I do not have any complaints. The car handles well and is roomy (I'm 6'2") with plenty of space for passengers. I think the price I paid was fair and I would do business with my dealer again. Lots of cargo room too. The 6sp manual transmission is quick and responsive and fun to drive. Update: so now I have put close to 7500 miles on the Honda without any problems. It has snowed several times and my Civic handles it great. Using full synthetic oil means I still have 30% of oil life left at 7500 miles. One complaint is that after getting a car wash (power wash) my capless gas door got water inside and froze shut. I did not notice this until I needed gas. I had to force the gas nozzle into my tank. No damage and I have not had any additional problems with it once the weather warmed. Overall I am still very happy with my Honda Civic and would but it again. Update: I now have 13,500 miles and have no complaints. Everything is working great and nothing has failed. After thinking about my one complaint about the gas door, I think it was because of the type of car wash I went through, a high pressure water wash. I think a normal wash will not have this issue. We will see this coming winter. Update: at 19800 miles I'm still not having any issues with my Civic. Everything works and I've had no issues.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value