Overview
The Honda Civic is a compact car that has been popular with budget-minded buyers for decades. The latest generation, including the 2023 model, offers handsome interior trim and several features that were recently considered luxuries. Sedan and hatchback body styles are available, along with four-cylinder engines and two transmissions—a CVT or a six-speed manual.
The Civic’s numerous features, drivers-assistance programs, and great value makes it a safe choice even when compared to its well-known rivals such as the Hyundai Elantra, Mazda 3, and Toyota Corolla. In other words: you’ll love this car without breaking the bank.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Although Honda chose to keep the powertrain options from the older Civic model, it redesigned everything else about the new car. The base model comes with a 158-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, and the upgraded version has a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 180 horsepower.
The new Civic is only offered as a front-wheel drive car. The manual transmission that was previously offered on the Civic sedan has been cut for 2022, leaving only a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). A six-speed manual is still available on the hatchback model. At our test track, our turbocharged Touring sedan needed 7.5 seconds to reach 60 mph, which is slightly slower than last generation Civic’s result.
The manual Sport Touring hatchback we tested did slightly better at 7.3 seconds to 60 mph; however, the nimble handling, communicative steering, and well-balanced ride present in the last generation model are still accounted for here. Both a sporty Si and seriously sport high-performance Type-R variant are again part of the family but will be reviewed separately.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The most fuel-efficient version of the new Civic is the EX, which has a city rating of 33 mpg, 42 mpg highway, and 36 mpg combined according to the EPA. The Sport hatchback got 36 mpg on our 75-mph highway route. If you want more information about how much fuel the Civic will use, visit the EPA’s website.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
A host of driver-assistance features will be offered as standard, including automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection and adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist. For more information about the Civic’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites.
Is there going to be a 2023 Honda Civic?
The 2023 Honda Civic starts at $24,650. This is a higher starting price than most compact cars, but that’s because the entry-level Civic is better-equipped than most other base models. Honda dropped the Civic LX from the lineup for 2023, leaving the more popular, more recommendable Sport as the entry model.
What’s new in the 2023 Civic?
What’s New for 2023? The Civic was fully redesigned for 2022, so for 2023 Honda has made no changes to the compact sedan and hatchback other than dropping the base LX trim. The high-performance Civic Type R hatchback rejoins the lineup this year, but we review that model separately.
Where is 2023 Honda Civic built?
The front-wheel-drive Type R’s six-speed manual transmission has also been upgraded to handle the power increase, and Honda has improved brake cooling to help handle track day punishment. The new CTR is built in Japan with a powertrain from Ohio, but it’s fun to drive everywhere in between.