If there were an automotive hall of fame honoring cars for market longevity and sales figures, the Honda Civic would have to be the first inductee. Civic has been on the market without interruption for 47 years, and more than 16,500,000 units have been sold worldwide.
There are currently three versions of the Honda Civic: coupe, sedan, and hatchback. For this review I drove the 2019 Civic sedan, which is available in LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Touring trims. The Sport trim is new for 2019.
LX and Sport models have a 158-horsepower four cylinder engine and offer a choice between a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT (continuously variable) automatic.
EX, EX-L, and Touring models come with a 174-horsepower four-cylinder paired with a CVT.
The best fuel economy ratings are for the EX and EX-L trims with an automatic transmission: 32 mpg city, 42 mpg highway, and 36 mpg combined. On the low end but still really darn good are the LX and Sport models with a manual transmission: 25 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 29 mpg combined.
With a $930 destination charge included, the Civic sedan’s base pricing ranges from $20,480 for an LX with manual transmission, to $28,330 for the Touring trim.
Civic styling has been updated for 2019 to give the car greater visual impact, including a revised lower front bumper with chrome accents, and blacked-out headlight trimming. The brand’s signature “wing” design on the grille also gets a new gloss black treatment. For an extra bit of premium styling at the rear, there’s a new chrome strip on the lower bumper.
A 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 10-speaker premium audio is a highlight of the 2019 Honda Civic sedan Touring trim. (Manufacturer photo)
Look for two new exterior colors this year: Platinum White Pearl and Molten Lava Pearl.
Also new for 2019, all models come standard with Honda Sensing, a driver assistance and safety package featuring adaptive cruise control, a collision mitigation braking system, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist system, road departure mitigation, and forward collision warning.
My tester was the lavishly equipped Touring model, whose notable standard features above and beyond some other trims include a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and excellent 10-speaker premium audio, a four-way power front passenger seat, and heated rear seats.
As with many other car companies, Honda has seen the light and reinstalled a physical knob for the audio volume control, and the climate control system is managed by three large and simple control knobs.
The Honda Civic’s roomy interior has seating for five, with generous legroom even for rear seat passengers. Fold-down rear seatbacks and an enormous trunk with a wide opening make the car a serious cargo carrier, but this practicality and utility are just bonus attractions for this compact sedan whose most lovable quality is being lots and lots of fun to drive. Its engine is super fast, the transmission is seamless, the ride is smooth and quiet, and it isn’t a gas hog.
For 2019, the Honda Civic compact sedan’s exterior has been tweaked to impart greater visual impact, including lower bumpers with chrome accents and blacked-out headlight treatments. (Manufacturer photo)
2019 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN 1.5T TOURING
Base price, including destination charge: $28,330
Price as driven: $28,330
Mary Lowry is an independent automotive writer who lives in Snohomish County. She is a member of the Motor Press Guild, and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturers as a one-week loan for review purposes only. In no way do the manufacturers control the content of the reviews.
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