2012 Honda Civic EX Coupe 1.8L I4

Summary:

Best in class

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

This car has been excellent so far. I bought this car after my last died, and I was looking for something reliable. The Civic has been rock solid so far. The engine and transmission are among the most refined I've ever driven, and that includes 6 and 8 cylinders. Handling is awesome for a car in this class.

The interior is really cool, the display for all functions of the car is the coolest bit. The upgraded stereo is amazing, but the trim rattles heavily when subwoofer is turned up even a little past default. Overall, a splendid car.

Oh, and the gas mileage is quite good, I average 30 MPG without eco-mode. By the way, ECON mode only improves MPG by a couple units. Sure, every little bit helps, but the car slows down so much, and the engine along with the transmission lose that wonderful refinement.

Still, the car is wonderful as a whole.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th June, 2012

2012 Honda Civic EX 1.8

Summary:

Safe, reliable, economic, smooth ride

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Tired of the lack of comfort of the Fit, and attracted by the low interest rates, I went to my Honda dealer and tried a Civic EX A/T, and I'm glad I did!

Comfort, visibility, and fuel economy are great! I am 5'10 350lbs and the car is roomy enough for me, the i-MID is cool, the controls are fairly easy to understand, and the trunk has enough space.

The acceleration is OK, but it's not a rocket ship. I average 6.0l / 100km on the highway.

The handling is very good and the noise level is low.

The sound system is good, and the controls on the steering wheel are very practical.

By the way, I don't understand the position of Consumer Reports on the Civic; interior materials are not soft touch, but they look good, and the finish quality is Honda worthy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th June, 2012

30th May 2014, 09:21

For those of us Americans who are metrically-challenged, this reviewer's average mileage is nearly 38 miles/gallon. Note that American cars may have extra pollution equipment that could slightly lower this mileage figure, but probably not likely more than 1 or 2 miles/gallon.

2012 Honda Civic LX 1.8

Summary:

Best bang for your buck!!

Faults:

Nothing...

General Comments:

The 2012 Honda Civic overall is an improvement over my previous 2009 Hybrid model. The 2012 LX 4 cylinder non hybrid almost gets the same fuel economy of the older '09 hybrid, and I calculated it to be more cost efficient to buy a regular Civic over the hybrid (my hybrid was a lease).

The 2012 is much quieter than the 09, and the turning radius has improved slightly.

This is a great car if you are looking for value, savings, fuel economy and reliability.

The stereo also sounds better than the older model… basically everything on this car is a slight improvement over the previous model… and also visibility is much better.

I own two Hondas; the other a 1999 Odyssey with 198,000 miles and running strong. I have really grown to trust Hondas!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th May, 2012

2012 Honda Civic LX 1.8

Summary:

Outstanding!

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

Aside from having to wait two months for delivery (I ordered it in December), I am very pleased with this car after two days of use.

I drove a 2010 Dodge Ram for the past two years, so this is a BIG change for me.

I owned an 05 CRV in the past, and really like Honda's.

My only complaint with the LX trim level on the Civic, is the use of drum brakes and a total lack of lumbar support in the driver's seat.

I plan on keeping this car for a long time. I also ordered weather tech floor mats to preserve the carpet.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th March, 2012

2012 Honda Civic LX 1.8 gasoline

Summary:

Great balance of economy and performance

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong. The car is new with only 325 miles on it.

General Comments:

The car is quiet, handles good, has aerodynamic styling and room for 5 passengers.

The dash is very futuristic with lights that change from blue to turquoise to green. Blue is less efficient, turquoise is better, and green means you are driving most economically.

Some professional reviewers complain because the car doesn't have a 6 speed auto like some competitors. However, it is definitely not needed. The gears already have very high overdrive ratios. By the way, the Toyota Corolla still uses a 4 speed auto.

This is my first Honda, and I was skeptical about the fuel economy and handling, but I am very satisfied. At first the handling around corners seemed to have quite a bit of lean, however today it seemed to corner much better.

The fuel usage computer indicated 34.3 MPG after I drove 312 miles on 8.9 gallons of fuel on my first tankful. I exclusively used the econ button, and my driving was 65% city / 35% highway. According to the computer, the average climbed as high as 35.1 mpg, and dropped to its lowest at 33.8 mpg during the 312 miles.

If people want the Honda Civic to be a great handling sports car, they can buy the Si model. The LX model is for people who want a 5 passenger commuter car that gets over 35 mpg on the highway, and costs little in depreciation and maintenance.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 13th January, 2012

13th Jan 2012, 08:37

You had a Yukon before this car and you were skeptical about the mileage? I would think anything over the 17 mpg you were getting would be a welcome change.

Keep us updated as to how your car is doing. Honda's are great cars. You'll enjoy it for years.

1st Jan 2013, 08:55

Your MPG bears out mine. I rented a 2012 Civic LX, a 2012 Hyundai Elantra, a 2012 Focus sedan and a 2012 Corolla. My MPG was 35 highway at 65-70 with the Civic, 41 with the Elantra, and 38 with the Focus and Corolla. Not sure why the Civic got less. Same exact trip and speeds. Note, I drove a used 2008 Civic Hybrid and got 39 MPG on the same trip... not much better than the non-hybrid cars, and not as good as the Hyundai.

In reply to 1st Jan 2013, 08:55

7th Mar 2014, 18:32

To the above comment, interesting numbers.

What can make a difference for highway MPG is the drag coefficient and the way the transmission is geared. It would appear the Civic has less available torque in the last gear, which keeps the revs higher at highway speeds.

The numbers you obtained could be different in city driving depending on the transmission gearing. I would expect the Civic to be the most economical.

In other words, people could choose a vehicle with MPG better adapted to their driving conditions.

30th May 2014, 09:30

The 2014 Civic and Accord automatic models all have CVT transmissions, which have no gears at all, making the gear quantity debate moot.

Toyota has not modernized to the latest (state-of-the-art) engine and transmission technologies.

In reply to 1st Jan 2013, 08:55

30th May 2014, 09:34

Your Civic's mileage could not be 65-70 MPG unless you drove over a very high cliff ! At best, it was probably 40 or so under unusually optimal driving conditions, not average.

In reply to 30th May 2014, 09:34

21st Jul 2014, 09:01

Just a note on MPG. British Imperial gallons are bigger than American gallons (1 Imperial gallon equals 1.2 US gallon) so you get higher MPG figures in Britain (and countries that use this measurement, like Australia and New Zealand). Therefore 65 MPG in Britain equals 54 MPG in the US.