Used 2018 Honda Civic Consumer Reviews
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Superb All-Rounder
AW, 09/26/2018
updated 07/19/2022
2018 Honda Civic Si 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
55 of 57 people found this review helpful
I am a middle-aged gearhead w/ long commute, looking for an economy car that can perform family duties in a pinch. I considered various options incl. hybrids, but was drawn to the Civic’s sharp looks & highway MPG, and bought the Si. I was instantly hooked by the deep bucket seats & short-throw shifter, where my backside says “AHHH…. YESSS!!” every time I enter the car. Spoiled by automatics for 20 yrs, I was initially reluctant to daily this, and it is a bit clumsy at low speeds. But the shifter & clutch are very light & precise, and this car becomes alive at higher speeds. I love the wide foot-well w/ perfectly placed footrest, and dashboard looks as clean & modern as the exterior. My only gripe is that the tach needle is too thin, causing the screaming engine to hit the rev limiter before I can catch it. Engine is a gem, being punchy w/ no perceptible turbo lag. The firmly weighted steering w/ lots of feedback is another highlight, which I find easier to drive than cars w/ super light steering, or artificially heavy ones. On the practical side, even though premium gas is recommended, it runs well on regular unleaded, where I would not have bought it otherwise. I mostly drive on the freeway at moderate speeds and average 43 MPG, which ticks my first box. It has sufficient room for my family of 5, where even the middle seat is soft & comfy. The Si costs more than LX or EX, but saves me money because the family often rides this on weekends as opposed to our SUV. What this car lacks in space, it more than compensates w/ the WOW factor. The ride is firm but smooth, and the way it corners so flat is comforting. Just watch out for potholes which produce a loud BANG, and Sport mode which amplifies road ripples at high speed. I have owned & driven luxury cars costing several times more, and they are certainly nice (esp. interior quality), but the Civic Si’s virtues are equally superb, and I am as happy as I have ever been!! Nov. 2018: After a bit more driving, the manual has become second nature, where I often drive on city streets rather than freeway to savor it. Brakes are firm and reassuring with ZERO nose dive. Tires have strong grip yet minimal road noise. Fuel-sipping engine pins you back to the seat the moment you stab the gas. Rear seat has more than enough room, trunk swallows 3 golf bags, takes an external bike rack that carries 3 bikes (& 1 more inside the trunk). There is hardly a family task that the Si cannot accomplish. Nothing is ever perfect, and you can nit-pick this car all day long if you want, but you are missing the big picture. After 10k miles, I can only say “This is too good to be true.” Nov. 2019: Still loving it w/ 74k miles. The AWESOME seats & handling never get old, makes you unable to drive any other car – in fact when I recently drove a sporty European sedan that is getting rave reviews, it felt utterly horrible. The Si is twice the car at half the price IMHO. Dec. 2020: This is actually a 2017 CPO that had 14k miles, I drove 86k, total 100k. No major issues, just normal wear & tear e.g. new battery & headlight bulbs. One tire was ruined by a pothole but other 3 have not worn out yet. Make sure the sidewall height exactly matches between right & left tires, since any deviation results in TPMS fault & eventually torque steer. Android Auto needs good USB cable & occasional system reboot. Dashboard developed a buzz coming from A-pillar, easy fix w/ stick-on foam. Front brake pads have a slight rattle due to wear, paint chips easily. Otherwise good, it has excelled on everything from soccer dad duties at 25 MPH to cross-country runs at 80 MPH. NORMAL mode is perfect for daily use, being smooth and tame, almost too easy to drive. Thankfully SPORT mode firms up the ride & steering, but clutch & shifter need more spice. Exterior can borrow some bits from Type R. Minor gripes aside, this is clearly a stand-out in a world full of anonymous A to B appliances. Trade-in value is insanely high, but mine is not going anywhere!! Jun. 2021: Working from home, I now have a typical mixed driving style & still get 40 MPG. Nothing against CVT or hybrid, but manual should be just as economical in the long run. Clutch & shifter are so light that you almost shift w/ telepathy. Heavy traffic is no problem, where working this clutch is as easy as working the brakes on CVT. It deters thieves (happened to me 30 yrs ago where the guy yelled “SH**, it’s a stick!!”). In college, fewer buddies will borrow your car. The only time I wished for CVT was on the hilly roads near SF. Looks large & substantial even in a sea of SUV’s, you can carry 10’ lumbar. Digital speedo is clear & visible even w/ steering wheel turned. Rear bumper has large flat area in middle (saved me 3 times). This is a hidden gem that continues to leapfrog my wildest expectations. As the world grapples w/ inflation, I am laughing all the way to the bank!! Dec. 2021: Runs like new with 125k miles, love the spherical shifter knob that audibly clicks into gear. Steering almost feels unassisted, where the inherent stability makes it track the road like a laser-guided missile, and the car straightens itself as you loosen the wheel after a turn. Firm ride is magically smooth over bumps, although it does get jittery on the worst roads. Overall an incredible experience that runs circles around more famous brands. Today, most cars feel “floaty” like a boat, blobbing around the waves with a powertrain that has a mind of its own. However, Civic Si is a direct extension of yourself that is glued to the road, as if you are walking on your own legs. As a bonus, total cost of ownership is about as low as it gets, which proves that you can indeed get something for nothing. Jul. 2022: At 140k miles, the only sign of wear is brake rotors getting wavy. Punchy engine is a fuel miser at low RPM, with a lifetime average of 42.8 MPG (this is the true value since onboard computer is not very accurate). Chassis is sharp and direct even when hypermiling, and my teenage kid is asking why other cars feel so numb - maybe their test drivers had been replaced by phone apps. Did great on family trip from Indy to NYC, carrying 4 people in comfort along with their luggage. Being compact and nimble, it zipped around the chaotic streets of Manhattan at a decent 29 MPG. Unlike econocars that look like a used bar of soap, it exudes a rich ambience where, with everyone dressed up, we proudly pulled up to valet parking of exquisite restaurant under the Brooklyn Bridge. As you can see, it combines the essence of all Civic / Accord / Insight / Type R / Integra into a single unbeatable package. Mine has been everywhere from sea to shining sea creating family memories, and it keeps going like a perpetual motion machine. I still cannot believe it is real.
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Daily use and speedy honda civic 2018 1.5 turbocha
Big moody, 12/10/2018
2018 Honda Civic LX 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
15 of 15 people found this review helpful
I bought this car about two months ago and its been great. Turbocharged engine is pretty fast, in fact faster than a subru brz factory tuned. Economically its pretty reasonable as well, fuel efficient, and service cost as well. Road handling is also great, the only thing that didn’t meet my expectations is when I go fast on a curved road but again its not a sports car so its understandable. Overall I would give the car 95%. Great car if you are looking for a fun daily use car.
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Amazing value, this car is a rocket!
A Mirza, 06/25/2018
2018 Honda Civic Si 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
31 of 34 people found this review helpful
I am a longtime Toyota owner, and recently gave my 2006 Toyota Camry SE V6 (130K) to my daughter, and was in the market for another Camry. I test drove the 2018 Camry SE, and had plans to buy it, but one day on my way to work I saw a Honda Civic Sport, loved the way it looked and started to do some research. That brought me to the Civic Si, and after a test drive, I loved it. It's priced about $2500 less than the Camry SE, gets about the same gas mileage, but has 6 speed manual! After a couple of months of back and forth negotiations, I came out with the Si for $22K. Without getting into to much details...this car is fast. Very fast. And it handles the road like an expensive sports car. It begs you to drive it hard, and it rewards you for it. The only thing I don't like is that people are always coming up on my bumper or to my side wanting to race or see if they can beat me. It is a bit annoying as I am 50 years old and left my adolescence a long, long time ago
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Civic Coupe Punches Up
John Carocci, 03/26/2018
updated 03/28/2019
2018 Honda Civic LX 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
30 of 33 people found this review helpful
First, some background. I was a loyal Hyundai driver for many years. They were a good value and reliable transportation. Until I got one that was neither. It died for good two months before it was paid for. I test drove a Honda Fit and became a loyal Honda driver in less than half an hour. The Fit rode nicely, had a great interior, swallowed all my cargo and got excellent mileage. All with a feeling of quality that far surpassed my Hyundais. Only two things kept my Fit from perfection - I wasn't able to get a manual (I was under the gun and didn't have time to wait) and, well, the looks. I recently bought a Honda Civic Coupe in the LX trim, with a manual transmission. The very bottom of the Civic ladder, but it drives and feels and looks like a premium car. I couldn't be happier. The 2.0L engine has 158 HP and is more than powerful enough for city and highway driving. I can't compare it to the 1.5L Turbo since I never drove that one, but my Civic is up to anything I've thrown at it so far. The manual transmission is fantastic. Very smooth, and very forgiving. After a bit over a month, I'm averaging 32 mpg in mixed driving. The downsides are more about it being a coupe - the doors are huge, and you sit very low, so getting in and out might be tough for people who are older or have mobility issues. The visibility could be better, but I'm coming from a Fit which had exceptional visibility all around. It's also probably not a good choice for people with children, as the back seat is tough to get in and out of for things like child seats, etc. What I like best is that after a lifetime of economy car compromises, I'm driving an economy car that doesn't make me feel like I'm settling. Update: it's now nearly 13 months since I've gotten the Civic. I'm still just as pleased with the car as on the day I drove it off the lot, but of course spending some time with any car will reveal the flaws. Fortunately, all of these flaws are very minor. First, the exterior design does a poor job of keeping water out of the trunk. Water collects in a small groove just above the trunk, so if you open the trunk in even a light rain, water drips into the open trunk. Like I said, minor, but I've never experienced this in another car. Also, as we approach 2020 there's no excuse for not having variable speed intermittent wipers. My bottom of the barrel 2002 Hyundai had this feature. The scan feature on the stereo takes three steps to activate. Finally, the base 158 hp engine is great - more than enough power for any situation - but you have to rev high to get the full power. I think the turbo delivers power at much lower rpms so if that's important to you, go with the turbo. Other than these quibbles? Amazing car. Roomy as heck on the inside. Comfortable seats - at the end of a 2.5 hour drive I make regularly I'm just started to get fidgety. The mileage is a step down from the Fit but I'm averaging just over 32 mpg in combined city/highway driving. I get a casual "nice car!" comment at least once a week.
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Major change of heart on engine
Kristen and Steve, 10/18/2018
updated 04/19/2021
2018 Honda Civic EX-T 4dr Sedan w/Honda Sensing (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
113 of 129 people found this review helpful
We were originally mortified to learn about significant issues with the Earth Dreams engine in this vehicle. Engines were stopping mid-drive and cold weather proved a serious problem, according to reports. However, after a few initial hiccups that concerned us about improper oil level and mixing of fuel and the interior briefly smelling of fuel, this car performed flawlessly for the three years we drove it. The interior is exceptional. Looked like new when we sold it. Absolutely love the sensing technology. It was a bit sluggish in returning to original speeds after slowing, but overall we enjoyed it. I am retracting my initial poor review of the vehicle. Three years of very enjoyable and maintenance-free driving requires that I do.
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