Honda Civic (2017 – 2021) Review

You have to feel a bit sorry for Honda. The firm comes up with a car that looks as unconventional, as outlandish and as in-your-face as the latest Civic, and yet still, it can’t shake its image as the car brand for those with a blue rinse and a pension book. It’s a shame, too, because getting around in one of these is far more pleasurable than using your bus pass.

The fact is, there’s also plenty to like for those who aren’t quite so long-of-tooth. The styling might be fussy in places, but we like the fact that it looks like nothing else in the class, especially when that class is packed full of such conservative-looking machines.

One of the biggest boots in the class also means it does a thoroughly decent job on practicality, while the list of cutting-edge safety kit you get as standard might have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief. Honda’s record on reliability is the envy of the motor industry, which should provide plenty of peace-of-mind, and you get all this in a car that’s very competitively priced.

What’s most impressive about the Civic, though, is how good it is to drive. It’s comfortable enough to keep the family happy, yet nimble enough to keep its driver entertained. The engines, meanwhile, deliver a very tempting mix of flexibility, refinement and economy.

Don’t get us wrong, things are by no means perfect. The interior is rather drab, especially considering the glitziness of the outside, while the rear visibility is shocking and the entry-level trims are poorly equipped. The infotainment system, meanwhile, is nothing short of pathetic, and whoever signed it off should've fallen on their sword long ago.

However, while these shortcomings prevent the Civic being the best car of its type, they don’t prevent it from being a very good car overall. And if its attributes sound appealing to you, it’s well worthy of your consideration.

Most passengers will be fine, but anyone much over six foot might find their hairdo getting messed up by the headlining. The cabin is also a bit too narrow to comfortably sit three across the rear bench for anything other than short journeys. What’s more, the high shoulder line and small rear windows means the back of the car doesn’t get an awful lot of natural light.

It’s a similar story in the boot. In terms of sheer volume it’s one of the largest in the class, so there’s enough space to comfortably satisfy most families’ needs.

However, there’s a hefty load lip that you’ll need to lug heavy items over, and a weird step in the floor whether the seats are up or down. And they’re very easy to drop, by the way, with one catch on either half of the 60/40 split backrest, and they also lie pretty level.

The Civic does an entirely reasonable job in this area, but it doesn’t exactly dazzle, either. The materials are fairly nice in the places you interact with most often, with some squishy cushioned surfaces and the odd glossy panel.

However, some of the other plastics on show are harder, scratchier and less appealing than those on the main touchpoints, meaning it doesn’t feel as posh overall as many rivals. The monotone colour scheme doesn’t do much to spice things up, either. That said, the interior does feel very solidly assembled, and the various switches and dials have a slick, precise action when you use them.

This is not an area in which the car excels. First of all, the entry-level S car doesn’t get any infotainment at all. That’s right, not even a radio.

Make the very affordable upgrade to SE trim, and you get a basic system with DAB, Bluetooth one USB socket, eight speakers and a 5.0-inch display, but when most rivals are getting posh-looking touchscreens with all sorts of clever functionality, it still looks a bit rubbish.

From then on, all versions get the same 7.0-inch touchscreen system with an additional USB, a parking camera display and Apple Carplay/Android Auto. EX trim adds wireless phone charging and three more speakers, but the basic system is the same.

Unfortunately, it’s terrible. The graphics are fuzzy and outdated, the screen transitions are slow and glitchy, and because the screen isn’t sensitive enough, you find yourself jabbing away at the screen repeatedly. What’s more, the user interface is so illogically arranged that performing even the simplest tasks is far too difficult.

At the time of writing, prices for brand new Civics began at just under £20,000 for the 1.0-litre manual in S trim, and rose to £25,925 for the 1.6 diesel in EX trim. Our favourite version, the 1.0-litre SR manual checked in just below £22,000, while if you wanted a 1.5, the cheapest one would’ve set you back almost £24,000.

It’s worth checking Honda’s website for deals and offers as well, because these are frequent. At the time of writing, the firm was offering the 1.0-litre SR for £239 per month on a three-year PCP deal following an initial deposit of around £4700. That equates to a deposit contribution of £1000 from Honda, plus an additional discount of another £1000.

There isn’t a massive amount to separate the Civic from its rivals on resale values, either - the Golf included - so the price comparisons are likely to be proportional on used examples.

The official WLTP figures suggest that the diesel will give you a maximum average of almost 63mpg, making it by far and away the most efficient Civic on offer. Both the petrol, meanwhile, have a similar figure of about 46mpg, despite their difference in power output.

However, those are laboratory figures that you shouldn’t bank on getting in the real world. The 1.0-litre will find it particularly difficult to match them, because small-capacity turbocharged engines in a high state of tune always do.

Indeed, we’ve experienced regular returns in the mid thirties over extended periods of time with the car, and our RealMPG figures also suggest that this is the engine that’s most likely to struggle in matching the published numbers.

Insurance premiums will be cheapest on the 1.0-litre cars, as these versions all have an insurance grouping of either 15 or 16.

Next up is the diesel with groupings of 18 or 19, while both 1.5s slot into group 22. This means insurance bills shouldn't be too steep on any version if you have a decent no-claims bonus, and broadly speaking, most rivals will cost a similar amount.

You can also be confident that repair bills should be few and far between, as Honda has a fantastic reputation for reliability, one of the best in the business.

This is an area in which some previous Civic’s have struggled, but it’s safe to say that the latest car is a real return to form for Honda. It’s not the sportiest family hatchback you’ll ever drive, and nor is it the most cosseting, but it provides a really good balance of both abilities.

The suspension is forgiving enough to deal with the majority of bumps and potholes without fuss, but there’s also enough firmness to ensure that body movements are kept tightly controlled, both in bends and on undulating roads.

The controls, meanwhile, are all really responsive. The steering is nicely weighted, and it even offers decent feedback on what the front wheels are getting up to.

The pedals are all consistent in their weighting and travel lengths, and the snappy gearshift is an absolute joy. Okay, so the Civic can’t match the outright dynamic delicacy of a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf, but it’s really not too far behind.

The best choice is the entry-level 1.0-litre turbo with 126PS. Despite its modest size and power, it pulls keenly right from the bottom of the rev range, giving it effortless flexibility and a surprisingly brisk turn of pace.

The more powerful petrol, a turbocharged 1.5 with 182PS, is even faster and has more low-down pull, but to be honest, you probably won't notice it in 95 percent of driving situations.

The one diesel engine on offer is a 120PS 1.6, and it’ll be plenty quick enough for most people, although it doesn’t feel quite as eager as the others.

That said, it’s actually quicker than the 1.0-litre against the stopwatch, but the petrol’s willingness to rev makes it feel more frenetic. Even so, this will be the choice for high-mileage drivers. 

All versions come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard and it has a satisfyingly snappy and precise gearshift reminiscent of the one you get in the Type R hot hatch. The two petrols can also be specified with a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Automatic emergency braking is standard across the range, along with lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control that maintains a safe distance to the car in front and automatically amends your speed when it reads a nearby road sign.

On top of that, all versions get automatic LED headlights and running lights, as well as all the usual airbags and electronic stability aids. The only difference between the trims is that EX cars also come with blind spot monitoring and cross traffic alerts.

It’s a wee bit surprising, then, that when the car was first crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2017, it only scored four out of five stars.

The culprit was poor protection for children on chest and whiplash injuries. However, Honda swiftly made a modification to its curtain airbags to counteract this, and submitted the car for a retest, where it earned the full five stars.

The entry-level S version is a very strange car. Despite all the clever, high-tech safety equipment it has, it misses out on several other items that we’d deem essential.

You get four electric windows and remote locking, but you don’t get alloy wheels, a stereo, a rear wiper or air-conditioning. Even more bizarre is that you only have to pay less than £200 to upgrade to the SE, which checks all those boxes.

Makes you wonder why Honda bothered with the S at all. However, we’d still suggest upgrading a step further to SR trim. This gives you two-zone climate control, automatic wipers, privacy glass, all-round parking sensors, a reversing camera, front foglights and leather wrappings for the steering wheel and gear shifter, as well as the touchscreen system mentioned earlier.

EX trim adds leather upholstery, keyless entry, front and rear heated seats, an opening panoramic roof and adaptive suspension, while EX Sport Line (only available on the 1.0-litre) adds a few sporty styling touches, but nothing else.

Early on in the car’s life, the 1.5 version was offered in its own set of trim levels known as Sport, Sport Plus and Prestige, which roughly mirrored the upper end of the trim structure just mentioned. Nowadays, the 1.5 is offered only in Sport trim, which is very similar to the SR version in terms of the kit it gets.