6th Place: Honda Civic

Overview:

The Civic is a car in demand, as high gas prices have catapulted it to one of the best-selling vehicles in the country and have made it hard to come by. Is this because it is such a fantastic little car, or because it has the highest name recognition as people hunt for fuel-sippers? Somewhere in the middle. The Civic is a very nice car, with comfortable seats and more of a sporting edge than most competitors, as well as excellent crash-test scores and the all-important gas mileage. But as a way to save money, a Civic purchase makes little sense compared to some of the others in this group. It's the most expensive here, and it's often out of stock at dealerships, making it potentially hard to find the version you want. The Civic is a reasonably comfortable and fun-to-drive economy car that uses little gas, but at close to $18,000 for a midlevel LX model, it's no bargain. Don't just pay for the Civic name; make sure what it offers over cheaper competitors is worth a premium to you before buying.

Driving the Civic:

The Civic has a somewhat firm and controlled ride that's not quite as comfortable as in some competitors. However, it handles capably, and the steering is responsive, making the Civic pleasant to drive overall and more fun in fast cornering than most competitors. The engine offers acceptable power and is generally smooth and quiet, but road noise could be better-suppressed. Gas mileage is excellent.

Inside the Civic:

Inside, the Civic’s front seats are very comfortable, well-shaped, and supportive. The rear is roomy and well-shaped, but it could be a little softer and mounted a little higher. The dash features an odd design that separates the speedometer, fuel gauge, and a few other indicators from the tachometer, gear indicator, and others. The digital speedometer can wash out in bright sunlight and the changing of the brightly colored numerals can be distracting at night. The dash layout and sloping windshield create a large expanse of dashboard that complicates forward visibility and creates excessive windshield glare. The instruments are easy enough to use at least, but there are too many large swaths of hard plastic. Trim pieces fit together well, at least, and most materials look nicer than they feel. Entry/exit is easy. The trunk is moderately roomy for an economy car, and reasonably well shaped, but LX models lack  a split-folding rear seat.

Civic pricing:

The Civic is the group's most expensive car at $17,919, with a relatively high sticker price and a high demand that makes it hard to get a good deal down from that sticker. Active head restraints are included at that price, but no other extras.

Conclusion:

The Civic is worth a good look if you're interested in a decent mix of comfort and driving enjoyment, if you are interested in high gas mileage for more than financial payoff, or if you are especially drawn to its seat comfort. But otherwise, it's not necessarily worth its high price premium over many other nice economy cars in this class, and some may find they prefer a more comfort-focused competitor.

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