2013 Honda Civic EX-L new car reviews

The Honda Civic: Now, so much more than meets the eye.

ECO-Assist and ECON Mode? Yes, please.

They say the Civic is the new Accord. This front-wheel-drive Civic sedan with navigation system is easy on the eyes, easy on the environment, and easy on the tuchus. It seats five comfortably and includes navigation system with voice recognition, rearview camera and the ever-popular Bluetooth.

Who wouldn’t want to take a smooth ride in this vehicle that tells you how efficiently your driving is and how to make it more eco-friendly? ECO Assist is a program just for that purpose, having illuminating areas of color to let the driver know how efficiently he or she is driving. Pretty nifty, eh? There’s even a program that helps you operate your Civic in order to obtain the greatest fuel efficiency. Drive in ECON Mode for that useful aid.

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Other staff views

Alan Cesar
SuperDork

Great steering! And comfortable inside—well suited to daily chores and regular shenanigans. But it's not a particularly brilliant driver. The seats aren't well-bolstered, and the maroon-over-tan color scheme is very unexciting. It does nothing for the boy-racer in me.

If I needed something super-practical, I'd forgo any semblance of style from the 4-door and just opt for an uber-useful wagon. Oh, wait. There is none, and the CR-V isn't very good on gas. Say, where's that Mazda CX-5 I've been hearing about?

Joe Gearin
PowerDork

This most modern Civic is by all measurements a good car. It is comfortable, efficient, and well built. It is actually much nicer inside than just the last version of Civic which seemed to have slipped in quality. Honda may have addressed the interior issues, with better fabrics, panel fit and plastics, but they haven't stopped the trend towards mundane transportation.

This latest Civic feels like a small Buick. This isn't a slam, as modern Buicks are very nice cars. It's just that years ago, every Honda felt athletic---- this latest Civic doesn't have a sporting bone in it's body. The ride is more isolated than Civics in the past, it is more luxurious, and also less connected-feeling. This is very nice transportation, but nothing more.

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