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2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Review2023 Honda Civic: Perennial Compact Champion
The 2023 Civic continues Honda’s long tradition of building a great compact car. We look at fuel efficiency, interior options, trim levels, and more.
2023 Honda Civic – hondanews.com | Shop 2023 Honda Civic on Carsforsale.com
What’s new for the 2023 Honda Civic?
Now in its 11th generation, the 2023 Honda Civic lineup is by far the best ever. It features five trim levels, hatchback and sedan body styles, and four different engines among them. New for 2023, Honda reintroduces the Type R trim level to the Civic Hatchback lineup. At the same time, it ditched the old LX base model from 2022.
The Breakdown
Great top-trim engines
Fuel efficient
Fantastic cabin
Dreary base 2.0-liter
Limited storage
FWD only
A great all-arounder
2023 Civic Specs
- 158 horsepower from base engine
- 138 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 5 available trims
- 14.8 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- Available 9-inch infotainment screen
- IIHS Top Safety Pick+
- Two years of complimentary maintenance
2023 Honda Civic Powertrain
Honda offers the base Civic with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. It’s available with a CVT or a six-speed manual in the sedan and only with the stick in the hatchback. As powertrains go, it’s dutiful but uninspiring.
There is also a 1.5-liter turbocharged unit offered in the EX, EX-L, Touring, and Sport Touring trims. It makes 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque but only comes with a CVT so it lacks a bit of engagement.
The Civic Si utilizes the same 1.5-liter engine but this time it’s tuned to develop 200 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. It’s also only available with a six-speed manual transmission that we love. It’s a great driver’s car but manages to also maintain a sense of everyday utility that’s not too harsh on poor road surfaces.
Finally, the Civic Type R gets a unique 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. It’s what many consider the king of hatchbacks thanks to a great performance package and reliably sporty behavior on track. Brembo brakes, adaptive dampers, and a performance data logging system are all standard. It’s a potent package to say the very least.
2023 Honda Civic Fuel Economy & MPG
With a few different powertrains to choose from, fuel economy numbers are widespread for the Civic. The quickest version, the Type R, gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway. That’s not bad for something with 315 hp. The thriftiest of the group is the EX model with its 1.5-liter engine and CVT. It gets an EPA rating of 33 mpg in the city and 42 on the highway.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
After a few years of lukewarm interior designs, the 2023 Civic features a cabin that we expect to be a classic for decades to come. The dash is especially elegant and easy to navigate. The seats are comfortable, supportive, and easy to adjust. Visibility is great too thanks to skinny A-pillars and door-mounted mirrors. The climate control system is subtle but effective too. While we’d love to see nicer switchgear, the style of the interior makes up for it in a large way.
The rear seats are roomy with ample knee and headroom too. There’s a center armrest available but one thing this new Civic lacks over the last one is small storage spaces littered throughout. Thankfully, the cargo space behind the passenger compartment is good. The sedan boasts almost 15 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk while the hatchback has 24.5 cubic feet behind the seats. Fold those seats down and the entire passenger space is open for use.
Entertainment & Technology
Throughout the cabin of the Civic, technology is a highlight. The base infotainment system measures 7 inches and features a smooth and seamless user interface. It also features physical buttons and knobs to aid in ease of use. Those who prefer Android Auto or Apple CarPlay will find it as well. The base gauge cluster is semi-digital.
We’d like to see Honda ditch all of its analog components in the future. Nevertheless, a large all-digital 10.2-inch gauge cluster is available as is a larger 9-inch infotainment system. A premium Bose stereo system with 12 speakers is good too but we’d skip it if it’s the only thing you’re looking for from the Touring trim.
Safety Features
The Honda Civic is strong on the safety front. Both the sedan and hatchback are Top Safety Pick+ award winners from the IIHS. It’s also a five-star crash-test-rated car regardless of body style. On top of all that, it comes with a slew of useful advanced driver aids including forward collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist.
2023 Honda Civic Trims & Pricing
Honda sells the Civic in two body styles, a sedan, and a hatchback. The sedan gets four trim levels, Sport, EX, Touring, and Si. The hatchback also has four trims, Sport, EX-L, Sport Touring, and Type R.
Sport – $26,145
The base Civic comes with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, automatic climate control, remote start (CVT only), keyless entry, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 7-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with eight speakers. Safety equipment includes lane keep assistance, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, traffic sign reading, and forward collision mitigation.
EX/EX-L – $27,545
The mid-level Civic comes with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and is only available with a CVT. It also gets 17-inch wheels, a sunroof, heated mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, a rear center armrest with cupholders, and blind-spot warning. Hatchback buyers get leather upholstery and a power-adjustable driver’s seat too.
Si – $29,595
The Si, which only comes as a sedan, is equipped with a 200 hp version of the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and a six-speed manual transmission. It also gets bigger brakes, a limited-slip differential, manually-adjustable front sport seats, a sport-tuned suspension, and high-performance all-season tires.
Touring/Sport Touring – $31,145
Consider this as the luxurious version of the Civic. It gets a 9-inch infotainment system, 18-inch wheels, automatic wipers, fog lights, leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, integrated navigation, a wireless device charging pad, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, two rear USB ports, parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert, and low-speed automatic braking.
Type R – $44,390
Only available as a hatchback, the Type R is the king of all Civics. It gets a 315 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, a six-speed manual transmission, Brembo brakes, an adaptive exhaust, adaptive suspension dampers, exclusive sports seats, faux suede upholstery, and a performance data logging system.
Warranties
Every Civic is covered with a three-year or 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a five-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Interestingly, Honda also offers two years or 24,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.
What we think
2023 Honda Civic – hondanews.com | Shop 2023 Honda Civic on Carsforsale.com
We think that the only thing Honda could’ve done to improve the Civic lineup is to add an AWD variant to each trim level. Beyond that, the 2023 Civic is an incredibly balanced all-around winner in our books.
Other companies like Kia offer better warranty coverage and it might be difficult to find a Civic Type R for MSRP even when new car incentives are factored in. Nevertheless, the lower trim levels are worthy of inclusion on any shortlist for buyers in this segment. It’s a worthy entry in the long history of successful Civics.
