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2012 Honda Civic

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2013 Honda Civic

Overview

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2012 Honda Civic Review

By Jason Allan

KBB Expert Rating: 7.6

The 2012 Honda Civic is the all-new, ninth-generation version of the country's best-selling compact car and third-best-selling car overall. Offering a unique combination of affordability, reliability and refinement, the Honda Civic has long been a gold standard not just for the category, but for personal transportation in general. Its dominance is in decline, though, as evidenced by our most recent compact sedan comparison test in which the 2012 Honda Civic tied for first place with the ultra-stylish new Hyundai Elantra. The Honda Civic does remain the clear leader in variety, with a wide-ranging lineup that includes sedan and coupe body styles, a 201-horsepower sporty Civic Si version, a 45-mpg Civic hybrid variant, and a limited-availability natural-gas-powered version.

You'll Like This Car If...

If you appreciate mechanical refinement similar to what you might find in a commercial airliner, the 2012 Honda Civic is the clear choice in the category. And even if you don't easily discern such qualities, just-right steering and pedal feel are the kinds of qualities that quietly contribute to long-term driving satisfaction.

You May Not Like This Car If...

The 2012 Honda Civic is neither as sporty nor as stylish as the Mazda3 or Ford Focus, the interior design isn't as interesting as the Hyundai Elantra's, and it isn't the smoothest or quietest car in the class.

KBB Expert Ratings

Overall Rating

7.6
Driving Dynamics

7.7
Comfort & Convenience

7.8
Design: Interior & Exterior

6.5
Value

7.7
Safety

N/A

Consumer Rating

8.8 out of 10

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consumer ratings

What's Significant About This Car?

The all-new-for-2012 Honda Civic is instantly familiar inside and out, with key changes comprising increased fuel economy, more refined driving dynamics and enhanced infotainment abilities. The Civic hybrid is now more fuel efficient, the Civic Si is more powerful and there's the new mileage-maxing 2012 Civic HF that delivers 41 highway mpg.

Driving the Civic

Driving Impressions The 2012 Honda Civic is not the smoothest or quietest car in the category. Nor is it the most fun to drive. Curious, then, that we'd rate it tops in...

driving dynamics in our shootout of the four newest cars in the category. How does it do it? With the help of steering and pedal response that other automakers could only dream of delivering. It's easy to overlook excellence in these areas, but just as driving feel is a big part of the magic in a Porsche, the way the Civic gracefully listens and responds to a driver's input is a key reason we consider the 2012 Honda Civic the connoisseur's compact sedan.

Favorite Features

Bluetooth Audio
We like being able to listen to the music on our iPhone without having to plug it in, and the Civic's Bluetooth Audio system is notable for how quickly it connects and begins playing.

i-MID Display
Standard in all but the base Civic DX trim is a new five-inch LCD monitor that provides music and mileage info, plus Bluetooth and navigation info when equipped.

2012 Honda Civic Details

2012 Honda Civic Dashboard, center console, gear shifter view photo

Interior

If the 2012 Honda Civic has an Achilles' heel, it's the interior styling. Everything works wonderfully, but the design, textures and materials put its visual appeal in the bottom half of the segment, behind new and newly relevant nameplates like Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus and Chevy Cruze.

Exterior

Just when observers thought Honda might unleash the most expressive Civic yet - as an answer to the bold new Hyundai Elantra attracting so much attention – the even-keeled automaker instead delivered the most evolutionary Civic redesign ever. It's hard to argue against sticking to a styling strategy that's helped keep the Civic at or near the top of the sales charts for many years running.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

The 2012 Honda Civic starts at a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $16,555 (including destination) for a Civic DX, but that's with no radio, no air conditioning and no power mirrors or door locks. Stepping up to the Civic LX remedies those shortcomings and nets a few other goodies for an extra $2,000, but an automatic transmission will set you back another $800. The Honda Civic's myriad active and passive safety technologies are included as standard equipment across the line. The EX and EX-L models sit at the top of the 2012 Civic's non-hybrid, non-natural-gas pyramid, with the Si coupe and sedan covering performance side of the street.

Optional Equipment

A 2012 Honda Civic EX-L with Navigation has an MSRP at $24,225 and includes leather seats (heated front), a moonroof, Bluetooth phone/audio connectivity, a full-function i-MID display and a six-speaker AM/FM/SAT/MP3/ Bluetooth audio system with USB and auxiliary ports (which offers plenty of functionality but just-okay sound).

Under the Hood

With no direct injection or turbocharging, 140 horsepower, and five speeds not six in the manual and automatic transmissions, the 2012 Honda Civic has the simplest powertrain of the newest compact sedans. Nevertheless, it delivers exceptional fuel economy and plenty of power. The mileage-maxing HF trim features the same powertrain, but adds two highway miles per gallon with a lower ride height, aerodynamic adds and tires with lower rolling resistance. The Civic Si, in sedan and coupe form, comes with 201 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission.

Civic DX, LX, EX, EX-L and HF
1.8-liter in-line four cylinder
140 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
128 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,300 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 28/36 (manual), 28/39 (automatic), 29/41 (Civic HF automatic)

Civic Si
2.4-liter in-line four cylinder
201 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm
170 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/31 (manual)

Civic Hybrid
1.5-liter in-line four cylinder + electric motor
110 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
127 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1,000-3,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 44/44 (Continuously Variable Transmission)

Civic Natural Gas
1.8-liter in-line four cylinder
110 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm
106 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: N/A

Pricing Notes

For an adequately equipped 2012 Honda Civic you're looking at close to $20,000. You'll find similar pricing for many of its key competitors, so if $20,000 is more than you care to spend and/or you want more goodies for your money, you might consider stepping down a segment into Honda Fit territory. Even though the 2012 Honda Fit isn't the least expensive car in the category, we deemed it the best value in our recent four-car comparison test thanks in large part to its legendarily strong resale value.

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2012 Honda Civic Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.8

Out of 10

Based on 72 Ratings for the 2012 - 2013 models.

Review this car

Value

8.9/10

Quality

8.7/10
Reliability

9.4/10

Performance

8.7/10
Comfort

8.7/10

Styling

8.6/10

Great car!

By John (CA) on Saturday, May 18, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 100

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 8/10

Pros: "Fun to drive, great technology, pretty fast"

Cons: "exterior is good looking but could use some improv"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Just bought this car the other day and i am loving it! I only use the eco when i want to slow down or dont want to use a lot of gas but i notice it does not accelerate as fast and i dont feel that "kick" , and it doesnt purr like it does without the eco. When the eco is turned off, i am always leaving people in my dust at red lights, the engine also sounds and feels awesome. The handling and turning is a delight aswell with this car. This was my first new car."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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The 2013 Civic EX Sedan is a Winner

By Phil (FL) on Saturday, April 27, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,100

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "design, handling, charm, reliability"

Cons: "needed add on's for the ex model, accelaration mpg"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"This review is for the 2013 model. Designers brought back Honda fans', myself included, love of superior detail, the convenience of peppy agility, and good gas mileage. The 2013 Civic is fun to drive and charming. Turns are made on a dime. Although the car doesn't boast impressive numbers for horsepower, the car actually feels fast because of it's compact size and precise handling. The detailed interior and convenient controls, comfort of the seat, and perfectly-sized steering wheel make the driver trust that the car is there to serve him or her--not the other way around. The interesting color combinations, including dash displays, are easy on the eyes. All of these positive qualities converge to make the Civic feel extremely reliable and worth holding onto. This is exactly what I wanted when I considered purchasing a Honda. There are some opportunities with the Civic, but they are minor. The Ex sedan should have come with splash guards, side molding, and fog lamps. I had to make some extra purchases which brought the price up and reminded me that Honda's are a bit pricey. Also, the Ex should have keyless entry and start. The Bluetooth worked with my older android phone, but then stopped. I spent a couple of hours trying to work this out, but was unsuccessful. The gas mileage estimates are accurate, but I have had to accelerate much slower than expected to achieve the awesome gas mileage. Everything taken together, I would highly recommend this car to people of all ages."

13 people out of 13 found this review helpful

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Great Interior/Exterior, call it the baby limbo

By Sal (CA) on Sunday, April 21, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 23,000

10 7.0

overall rating 7 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 7/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 8/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 5/10

Pros: "Good sound quality, great ext/interior appearance"

Cons: "Too much road vibration and wind noise inside"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 7

"Sitting inside a 2012 civic ex coup for the first time was like sitting inside a cockpit of an airplane. Mainly because of the dashboard has so many buttons to play with, and from the center of the dashboard it is tilted forward and is facing more towards the driver side, making the interior unlike any other car in the same price range. I love my from inside and out, but what bothers me the most when I am driving my car is that there is too much road vibration and wind noise inside the civc, when reaching speeds of fifty miles or above. For such reason, it makes commuting uncomfortable. With the powerful 360 watt speakers equipped in the car will make driving enjoyable, additional subwoofers need to be added to give the car an incredible sound quality. With such amazing sound quality you will be shocked and potentially space out. The coup appears amazing from the exterior with the limo tinted windows, but the coup does not give the flexibility for the passengers to access the back seat easily. Want more horsepower for racing, then this is not the car for you. With 145 hp, I never felt it was didn't had enough horsepower."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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great gas saver

By mike (CA) on Saturday, April 20, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,500

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "comfort in gas saving"

Cons: "less power"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"you trade in power for money saved on great gas mileage. I don't mind driving with less power if it means having extra cash in my wallet. I don't have to drive and stare at the gasoline gage with a frown anymore like I do when I drive my suv. peace of mind is worth more than money! but here you get both."

6 people out of 6 found this review helpful

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Does most things well, lacks true performance...

By Lark (CA) on Friday, April 12, 2013

I owned and sold this car
Reason: Upgrade - My approximate mileage is 15,550

10 7.0

overall rating 7 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 7/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 8/10
Quality: 6/10
Performance: 5/10
Styling: 5/10
Comfort: 6/10

Pros: "Comfortable ride, smooth gearbox, sound/bluetooth"

Cons: "Closer to base model Civic performance"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 3

"These 2012 Si's should hold up in resale value as they provide Honda reliability with a little more kick than an ordinary Civic. But this is far from a sports car; suspension is too soft. Lots of float and body roll on curves and tight turns accompanied by numb steering feel. Upgrades to 200 hp and more torque for 2012 are nice but the "punch" you're supposed to feel (V-TEC just kicked in!) at high revs is a let down. The odd thing about this drive is "rev float". Foot off the gas and clutch in, the rpm's do not drop until mutch later than a normal shift. I don't know if this was designed to help people find a gear or something, but it's very annoying. Advantages include a smooth-shifting manual gearbox plus good entertainment and technology package, however interior design is a bit awkward and uses materials that are very much on a budget."

1 person out of 2 found this review helpful

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Needs improvements

By Arts1 (TX) on Thursday, April 11, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 24,200

10 2.0

overall rating 2 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 2/10
Value: 1/10
Reliability: 1/10
Quality: 1/10
Performance: 1/10
Styling: 1/10
Comfort: 2/10

Pros: "Great pricing"

Cons: "Poor design"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"I have owned several Civics previously & was not expecting the issues encountered with this model year. The auto trans. has hard shifting and clunking, the interior materials are showing premature wear, even the performance is not what I am used to. My dealer said the trans. is normal for what it is doing, and perhaps I should trade this Civic for a redesigned 2013 model year."

1 person out of 3 found this review helpful

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