2021 Honda Civic First Review - Kelley Blue Book

Pros

Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award winner
Available as a sedan or versatile hatchback
Efficient and athletic
Available with manual transmission
Standard Honda Sensing safety suite

Cons

No hybrid variant
No Si model for 2021

What’s New this year?

Civic coupe discontinued
Sporty Si model taking a year off
All-new Honda Civic to debut next year

KBB Editors’ Overview

The Honda Civic is among the most recommendable small cars you can buy. A regular Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award winner, the Civic has a sterling history of reliability, high resale value, practicality, safety, and efficiency. Honda’s compact car is even cheerful and fun to drive.

The 2021 Honda Civic lineup spans a wide variety, further making it a star among rivals like the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, and Mazda3. While Honda has dropped the coupe model (it represented only 6 percent of sales), the Civic can be had as a sedan or versatile hatchback. It also offers multiple engine choices and either a CVT automatic or crisp manual transmission. The sporty Civic Si model is taking the year off for 2021, though you may be able to still score a 2020 model. Also in the offering is the track-worthy Civic Type R hatchback, which we review separately.

All 2021 Civic models have the excellent Honda Sensing suite of safety features, and most include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. An all-new 2022 Honda Civic is slated to arrive next year, but this current-gen model is still on top of its game.

How Much Does the 2021 Honda Civic Cost?

We expect the 2021 Honda Civic to start at just under $21,000 for the sedan, and under $22,000 for the hatchback. Destination fee is about $1,000 on top of these prices.

The more recommendable Sport models are about $1,000 more than the base Civic LX. In the middle of the lineup, the Civic EX sedan and hatch are around $24,000. The topline Touring sedan is right around $28,000, while the Sport Touring hatch is slightly more.

At its starting price, the 2021 Honda Civic is slightly more expensive than the base prices of rivals such as the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra, and Subaru Impreza. The price difference isn’t vast, but it’s there, nonetheless. Beginning a bit higher is the Mazda3. Before buying, check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others are paying.

While the Civic may cost slightly more initially, it has a reputation for holding its value very well over the years, making it a smart choice for savvy buyers.

Driving the 2021 Honda Civic

More pragmatic versions of the 2021 Civic deliver a fine ride quality to tackle daily duties, mixed with sufficient body control to make cornering at least a little fun. Base models powered by the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine are quite energetic, especially when the 6-speed manual transmission is in the mix.

The turbocharged 1.5-liter engine is even more pleasurable yet still easy on gas. Unfortunately, a turbocharged engine often means a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). While Honda’s unit is good for a CVT, it’s still not as sporty as driving a stick. Yet if you’re among the few drivers who still prefer three pedals, know that the Civic Hatchback can be had with the 1.5-liter turbo and a 6-speed manual. It’s an excellent combination.

Perhaps the best thing about the Civic is just how easy it is to live with and drive, and how adaptable it is to your needs. Whether you’re in college and simply need a reliable sedan to scoot around town or you’re a Gen Xer going against the SUV grain with the Civic Hatchback, this Honda proves remarkably satisfying.

Favorite Features

HONDA SENSING
Standard on all 2021 Civics, this array of safety and driver aids includes forward-collision mitigation with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, road-departure mitigation, and automatic high beams. To avoid stalling, manual models do not include low-speed follow and will deactivate around 20 mph if the driver doesn’t downshift.

APPLE CARPLAY/ANDROID AUTO SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION
As we all become more connected, this feature grows in importance. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto give the driver access to navigation, music, apps, and text messages through the infotainment system without having to fumble with their phone. It’s standard on all but base Civic LX models.

2021 Honda Civic Interior

This generation of Civic, the 10th, has evolved the notion of a compact car to the point where virtually everything is well considered. That means ergonomics is spot-on, providing comfort and ease of use for drivers of most shapes and sizes.

Base LX models make do with a simple 5-inch LCD screen. Most buyers will be better off with the 7-inch touchscreen that is easier to see and has Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration.

The Civic’s interior space remains noteworthy in the compact-car class. Rear legroom in the sedan is an impressive 37.4 inches. Trunk space of 15.1 cubic feet in the regular sedan is commodious, on a par with several midsize sedans. The Civic Hatchback also does well with 25.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 46.2 cubic feet when they’re folded down. We love its ingenious use of a cargo cover: Instead of moving forward and back, it slides side to side, which we think it less frustrating than the usual way.

2021 Honda Civic Exterior

Driving at night, it’s easy to tell when there’s a new Civic up ahead, the C-shaped taillight design is so distinctive. This description could apply to the Civic as a whole. We think the Civic is sleek and daring enough to stand out, but not so much that it’s offensive.

The hatchback model is differentiated by its bulbous rear end, high-mounted spoiler, and oversized fake vents on the rear bumper. Sport and Sport Touring hatchbacks further stand out with dual exhaust outlets. Again, from here out, the Civic will be a sedan or hatchback. The Civic Coupe’s production ends with the 2020 model.

2021 Honda Civic Standard Features

At its most basic, the 2021 Civic LX sedan includes a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with automatic transmission, the Honda Sensing suite of safety features, 16-inch wheels, automatic climate control, and LED daytime running lights. The LX’s infotainment system is pretty basic – a 5-inch color screen with Bluetooth connectivity and USB port, but no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Also, in the sedan version of this model, the rear seats don’t fold, but they do in the hatchback version.

Most buyers will want to step up to a Sport trim or higher. The Sport model adds a 7-inch touchscreen with CarPlay/Android Auto, leather-wrapped steering wheel, keyless entry, push-button start, upgraded audio system, and the HondaLink system that lets you check on and control certain features of the car remotely from a mobile device.

2021 Honda Civic Options

The usual Honda method of providing more equipment is to make it available in higher trims rather than offer it as extras.

Stepping to the EX gets the turbocharged 1.5-liter engine and CVT, plus LaneWatch (a kind of blind-spot-monitoring system for the passenger side), power moonroof, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, remote start, and satellite radio. EX-L adds leather upholstery, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and HomeLink universal garage remote. In hatchback models

At the top of the 2021 Honda Civic lineup is the Touring model (called Sport Touring for the hatch). It adds a 10-speaker/450-watt premium audio system, satellite navigation with traffic information, 4-way power passenger seat, LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, and heated rear seats. Civic Hatchback Touring models can be optioned with a manual transmission in lieu of the standard automatic.

2021 Honda Civic Engine

With no 2021 Honda Civic Si being made, only two engine choices are available for simplified Civic lineup. LX and Sport sedan models use a 158-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. All versions of the hatchback and EX, EX-L, and Touring models of the sedan get a smaller but turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder that makes 174 horsepower. Sport and Sport Touring hatchbacks with a manual transmission get a slight horsepower bump to 180, and more torque: 177 lb-ft vs. the standard 162 lb-ft.

Most Civics come standard with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that does a good job mimicking a traditional automatic. The sedan Sport trim and Sport and Sport Touring trims of the Civic hatch are available with a 6-speed manual that is an absolute delight to use.

The 2021 Civic is front-wheel drive, just like all other competitors in this class except for the Subaru Impreza that has all-wheel drive standard and the Mazda3, where it’s optional.

2.0-liter inline-4
158 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
138 lb-ft of torque @ 4,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy, est.: 30/38 mpg (LX sedan), 29/37 mpg (Sport sedan)

1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4
174 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
162 lb-ft of torque @ 1,700-5,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 32/42 mpg (EX, EX-L sedan), 30/38 mpg (Touring sedan), 31/40 (LX, EX, EX-L hatchback, automatic), 29/37 mpg (Sport, Sport Touring hatchback, manual), 29/35 mpg (Sport, Sport Touring hatchback, automatic)

Which Model is Right for Me?

2021 Honda Civic LX sedan
158 horsepower
CVT automatic
Automatic climate control
Honda Sensing
5-inch display

2021 Honda Civic LX hatchback
174 horsepower
Automatic transmission
60/40-split/fold rear seats

2021 Honda Civic Sport sedan
7-inch touchscreen
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
18-inch alloy wheels
Keyless entry/ignition
Split/fold rear seats

2021 Honda Civic Sport hatchback
180 horsepower
6-speed manual transmission (CVT with paddle shifters optional)
Underbody spoiler kit
Dual exhaust

2021 Honda Civic EX sedan/hatchback
174 horsepower
17-inch alloy wheels
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Heated front seats w/power-adjustable driver’s seat
Honda LaneWatch

2021 Honda Civic EX-L sedan/hatchback
Leather upholstery
Self-dimming rearview mirror
Garage-door opener

2021 Honda Civic Touring sedan
LED headlights
Rain-sensing wipers
Navigation
Heated rear outboard seats
4-way-power front-passenger seat

2021 Honda Civic Sport Touring hatchback
6-speed manual transmission (CVT with paddle shifters optional)
LED headlights
Rain-sensing wipers
540-watt/12-speaker audio system

2021 Honda Civic Safety Technology

Honda Sensing
This package comes as standard in every 2021 Civic. It includes forward-collision mitigation with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, road-departure mitigation, and automatic high beams.

Honda LaneWatch
This comes in EX trim and above. A small camera on the passenger-side mirror sends its images to the infotainment touchscreen. It’s the nearest thing to blind-spot monitoring the Civic can offer, but there’s nothing for the driver’s side.

Self-dimming rearview mirror
This feature comes with the EX-L trim. When you’re in a car, pickup trucks always seem to have their headlights at eye level. This makes life a little easier; your retinas will thank you for it.