Costs of Owning a Honda Civic

Honda’s Civic is one of its most enduring and popular models, spanning from its subcompact beginnings to compact and mid-sized in its latest generations. With its 2015 and 2016 models being celebrated models and the incoming 2018 being highly anticipated, now is a good time to discuss the costs of owning a Honda Civic and what drivers get for their money.

2018 Honda Civic

Honda’s latest Civic comes with the sizable price tag. The MSRP stands at $18,840, ranking #1 in Compact Cars, and scoring 8.8 out of 10 on the US News Scorecard. All of this acclaim comes with good reason, even though this latest iteration comes with no major changes in style or dramatic improvements in mechanics. Why? Because Honda knows not to fix what it’s broken. Fans of the Civic will still have their swift handling, great fuel economy, and spacious cabin space. They’ll even have their sometimes-problematic touchscreen.

While the 2018 Civic reliability remains unrated because of how new it is, Honda models are known for their high reliability, rivaled only by Toyota and Volkswagen. This Civic also scored an 8.8 in performance, 8.2 in interior, and a perfect 10 in safety.

Its price tag remains slightly higher than competitors (like Toyota’s Corolla, Hyundai’s Elantra, and Kia’s Forta), which might cause some hesitance in buyers, but the Civic’s history of high mechanical standards, great gas mileage (up to 32 mpg in the city, 42 highway), and comparatively low maintenance costs are sure to help the Civic win out.

If you’re in the market of a new car and are seeking a good investment for the long-term, this Honda Civic is made for you. If, however, you’re looking for a car that’s of similar stature, but isn’t as expensive and has a known record, check out two of the Civic’s previous models: the 2016 and 2015.

2016 Honda Civic

For the 2016 Civic, if you find a slightly used model with around 30,000 miles on it, it can be priced anywhere from $14,000 to $16,000. Though it’s known for having a glitch touchscreen, the ample amount of cargo space, roomy interior, expert handling, and excellent fuel economy are strong benefits.

An already stellar acceleration is amplified by a Sport mode, which gives drivers an extra speed boost. This feature’s particularly useful when merging onto interstates or quickly zipping around potential road hazards. For those who prefer a steady drive, there’s the alternative Economy mode, as well as responsive breaking, a blind spot camera, minimal cabin noise, 42 mpg on the highway, and comfortable plush seating make this iteration of the Civic an even more attractive ride for long commutes or the occasional road trip.

The biggest difference between the 2016 and 2015 is the 2016’s larger interior, improved safety features, and its better fuel economy — but the 2015 model stands strong for what it was at its time.

2015 Honda Civic

Being an older model with a greater mileage reduces the price tag down to around $10,300 for a basic model. That’s a savings of around $3,000 to $5,000 if you went with a 2015 with lower mileage. Luckily, when you have a brand as reliable as Honda, high mileage isn’t an issue you’ll need to fret over like you would with some of its competitors.

Likewise, maintenance costs aren’t an issue you’ll be panicking over — as long as you’re doing the manual-guided standard maintenance. Oil changes, being one of the more frequent procedures, are fairly easy and inexpensive. And just like its more recent versions, the 2015 Civic comes with a strong fuel economy, with a mpg of 31 in the city and 41 on the highway. Drivers should look forward to the possibly of filling up their Civic for a week at the cost of around $23. Spread that over a calendar year and you’ll be looking at hundreds in savings compared to some of the Civic’s less efficient competitors in the sedan market.

A smaller issue some people might have with these Civics: the base floor mats can be pretty tough to clean with a standard vacuum, so you might want to replace the mats when possible, even if you’re buying a used model.

Overall

Honda’s been successful in making a model that’s reliable, attractive, and —most importantly — affordable, while still being able to include the latest technology. No matter the year or model, there is a Honda Civic to suit every style.

Across recent generations, the Civic’s average cost of car maintenance has been about $1,100 after 75,000 miles — $900 less than its Toyota competitors, the Camry and Corolla. Keep in mind that one of the more frequent costs are oil changes, a cost you can dramatically cut and save hundreds on if you learn how to change your car oil yourself. Pair that with the Civic’s excellent mpg of between 30 city/40 highway and 32 city/42 highway, depending on the model’s year, you will be able to save money even with gas prices changing. A Civic is a real investment that’s sure to last you years.