Insurance Group: 8
MPG: 52.3
CO2: 129
0-62 Mph: 13.4 secs
BHP: 99 BHP
Range: 575 miles
PROS: The Honda Civic offers good looks, low running costs, impressive reliability and loads of interior space.
CONS: It's very noisy, especially at high speeds, and is no fun to drive.
The Civic's 1.4-litre petrol engine is a little out of its depth in the Civic, developing 99bhp and 93-lb-ft of torque. This makes for a leisurely 0-62mph time of 13.4 seconds and a top speed of 116mph.
The Civic disappoints when the road gets twisty thanks to vague, lifeless steering. It's also very firm on anything but the smoothest roads. Refinement is also an issue as the little petrol engine needs to be worked hard to give its best and at speed, noise from the engine, road and wind all combine to make the Civic a very unpleasant place to be.
The new facelifted Civic is much more conservatively styled than its zany predecessor but is still a very handsome car indeed. We'd have to say, however, that we miss the space-age touches of the old model, such as the rocket-shaped door handles.
Standard equipment includes alloy wheels, climate control, electric windows, electric mirrors and a CD player. Metallic paint can be specified for £490.
The Civic scored the full five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests and comes equipped with an impressive amount of safety kit including six airbags and anti-whiplash front headrests.
There's plenty of legroom for both front and rear passengers but front headroom is at a premium and taller drivers are going to find the Civic very claustrophobic. On the plus side, the Civic has a cavernous boot, offering 477-litres of space with the rear seats up and a full 1210-litres with the rear seats down.
Reliability shouldn't be an issue as Honda are famed for producing durable cars and the Civic is supplied with a 3 year/90,000 mile warranty.
The Honda Civic 1.4 i-VTEC SE is very well priced at £16,495 and should hold onto its value very well thanks to the reputation of the Honda brand.
It should also be relatively cheap to run, returning a combined 52.3mpg and emitting just 129g/km of CO2, putting it in VED band D. Also, you shouldn't have to fork out much money on repairs as the Honda is a very reliable car indeed.
However, there are better cars around for roughly the same price and, thanks to its poor handling and rough ride, it could be argued that the Civic does not offer good value for money.
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