2018 Honda Civic Hatchback

Since the civic is available in a lot of trim levels, buyers are definitely in a lot of confusion. We would recommend the manual transmission car for enthusiastic buyers and the automatic transmission for more everyday mundane users. Out of the trims offered, we feel it is the EX that makes the most sense. It is offered at a price of just $23,250 and hence will fit the budget for most people looking for the base trim. And at this extra price, it offers 17-inch alloy wheels, a rearview camera, remote engine start, and several other useful features. There are a wide number of optional packages offered as well. 

The 2018 Honda Civic hatchback is offered in a total of five trim levels. These are similar to the sedan variants but that body style is reviewed separately. Customers get a lot of choices in terms of the powertrain options as well. But since you’re basing the comparison on the base of it, there is only a 1.5 L gasoline engine on offer. 

Nonetheless, every single trim level is properly equipped with everything that you expect from this price range. The base starts with features such as a 5-inch color touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, and so on. Some features include:

The 2018 Honda Civic hatchback is powered by a 1.5 L four-cylinder engine that produces 173 hp and 154-pound feet of torque. Powertrain options available are only front-wheel-drive and transmissions on offer are a six-speed manual and a CVT automatic. This engine is peppy and gives the car an excellent reputation for being fun to drive. 

On the Sport models, you will find the same engine in a different state of fuel, with the horsepower, bumped up to 180 hp which makes things much more fun. The CVT is not as boring as it sounds and can give you decent thrills. The other advantage of all cars like the Civic is that it is engaging in terms of the driving dynamics. First of all, it is pretty like to begin with and does not have a lot of ways to manage it. 

On top of this, the suspension is well equipped to handle everything the car comes across. It has managed to strike a very good balance of ride and handling. Users will be treated to a supple ride over bad roads but the thrill of a good handling car on good roads. The steering is decently communicative and the gear shifter is slick.

One look at the Civic and we understand that it is the most powerful auto bilayers class. Its 174 hp is the class-leading figure and this reflects in its 0 to 60 mph times as well. The Hyundai is a close second but is a little slower in terms of acceleration. The next closest rival is the Ford Focus hatchback which produces 160 hp and remains competitive in the 0 to 60 mph run as well. The Mazda 3 might be a little slow in terms of the engine but is also a good handling car. This segment also is very competitive in terms of the pricing with all cars differing by very slight amounts.

Honda has done a great job of making the engine that will probably be the most powerful in this class but also the most fuel-efficient. One of the biggest advantages of a small hatchback is that no matter how powerful it is, at the end of the day it remains fuel-efficient and hence easy to drive fast. 

The 1.5 L turbocharged engine in the Civic returns you an EPA-rated fuel efficiency rating of 29 MPG in the city, 38 MPG on the highway, and 33 MPG combined. The fuel tank is quite small at 12.4 gallons and this results in the car achieving a total range of 359 miles inside the city and 471 6 miles on the highway.

We see that the Civic has the class-leading engine because it is not only the most powerful but also the most fuel-efficient. Even with its small fuel tank, it returns the second-best range figures in this class. The Hyundai is not well suited for the stereotype of hatchbacks still being fuel-efficient at the end of the day. Given that the manufacturer has tried to squeeze out as much horsepower as possible from the 2 L engine, they can understand why this happens but the Honda still has the better compromise at the end of the day. But undoubtedly, it is the most of that has the best range figures in this class due to a combination of excellent fuel efficiency and a large fuel tank.

Although it is quite a small car, the interiors of the Civic did not exactly convey that same message. They feel very well laid out and well-designed. The cabin feels airy and that is good visibility outside. The seat also offers you very good support and is comfortable for long journeys. The materials used are slightly below par according to the category standards but the controls are intuitive and easy to use. 

There are soft-touch plastics here and there but the cabin is bogged down by the use of some low-quality materials. There are enough storage spaces and cubbyholes inside and the cargo carrying capacity is excellent. Honda has produced the Civic long enough for the ergonomics to be sorted well enough inside. Five people can sit in excellent comfort and carry a lot of luggage as well in the small car. There are lots of convenience features inside as well.

We see that all the cars in this category are pretty evenly matched when it comes to the interior space offered. However, the Civic feels the most spacious and definitely has the largest boot. All four cars offer seating for five adults, roughly the same amount of space in their interiors. The Ford Focus never feels cramped but it is the one with the least amount of space inside. All hatchbacks offer folding rear seats and hence you can hold large amounts of cargo. When seats are folded down, the Civic offers 46.2 cu-ft of storage space which can fit nearly everything you need. Some of its interior features include:

• 6-way manual passenger seat adjustment
• 6 -way manual driver seat adjustments
• Electric power steering
• Front and rear cupholders
• Audio and cruise controls on the steering wheel
• Interior air filtration

2018 Honda Civic hatchback Infotainment unit

The 2018 Honda Civic hatchback has a basic infotainment system that seems to perform most functions that wide of it with ease. However, some of its competitors offer much better features in terms of infotainment. The Civic has got an FM radio, Bluetooth, and USB amongst other things. It also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which makes smart phone connectivity easier. However, the system can definitely be faster and the graphics can be a lot better. The controls are also rather intuitive and the touchscreen is not a fussy unit either. 

The main infotainment features of the infotainment system include:

• Bluetooth Connectivity
• USB connection
• AM/FM stereo
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Integration
• Navigation
• Voice Recognition

The 2018 Honda Civic has an exterior design that is a bit polarizing. It is definitely futuristic and looks thoroughly modern but the looks have split the crowd into two camps. There are many people who are big fans of the design but it is definitely not on the conservative side. 

It has a decent road presence with its low-slung body. And another thing is that Honda has managed to keep it pretty light at just 2822 pounds. The dimensions are some of the best in class as well.

All the cars are quite close when it comes to dimensions but the Honda Civic is longer which gives it better interior space as well as cargo space. All weigh around 2900 pounds, measure about 70 inches in width, 58 inches in height, and 104 inches in wheelbase. The Mazda and the Honda Civic have a slightly larger wheelbase of around 106 inches. The Honda Civic has the lowest ground clearance which can be attributed to its low-slung design as we have already talked about. But this gives the car some much-needed stability. Some of its standout exterior features include:

• Rear defogger
• Rear window wiper
• Variable intermittent wipers
• Rear spoiler
• All season tires
• Cargo tie downs

The Honda Civic has been around for a long while and hence it is tested by all agencies. The NHTSA crash test has awarded this car five out of five stars which is the highest rating possible, and on the IIHS crash test, it earned an overall rating of 'Good' which is the highest rating possible.

Apart from good structural engineering, you get a lot of features such as airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, adaptive cruise control, and so forth. The ACE body structure has proven its mettle over the years and continues to offer standout safety in the likelihood of a crash. Some standout safety features include:

•  Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Tire Pressure Warning
• Emergency Braking Assist
• Pre-Collision Safety System
•  Blind-Spot Monitoring

2018 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT

The Hyundai Elantra GT is a rather recent entrant to the compact hatchback segment. It tries to offer the same performance as the Honda Civic but fails to do so. But in this attempt, it ends up sacrificing a lot of fuel efficiency and takes one of the biggest strengths of this category out. It gives you excellent cargo capacity if you fold the seats down but has a lower capacity as such. However, one advantage it has is that it offers better infotainment features and also some extra convenience features you will not find in the Honda Civic. It also has nicer quality interiors but if we were to pick a car, it would be the Civic. 

2018 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2018 Ford Focus Hatchback

It is tough picking between the Ford Focus hatchback and the Honda Civic hatchback. This is because they are built on the same philosophy and have very stark similarities despite coming from two very different manufacturers. Both cars are very capable and have rewritten the books about how fun small hatchbacks can be. They are priced at about the same but the fuel efficiency is slightly better in the Honda Civic. The Ford has slightly more cleverly designed interiors but the platform is a bit dated as of now. On the other hand, the civic is thoroughly modern and fresh. 

2018 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2018 Mazda 3 Hatchback

The Honda Civic is slightly polarizing in terms of design but is a good car when you look at it on paper. The Mazda 3 Touring is much less powerful when you compare it with the Civic but has the same kind of handling potential as the more powerful car. They are priced nearly at the same amount but the Mazda has a better overall range due to being equipped with a larger fuel tank and returns almost the same fuel efficiency. However, this is not very impressive since the Civic manages to do so while being much faster. 

The 2018 Honda Civic hatchback is a car that produces a healthy amount of power, is fun to drive, and feels easy to live with. It can definitely use some improvement in terms of the infotainment system and the quality of the interiors but the small things aside, it is very nearly the perfect car. And like we said, although the design is a bit polarizing, it is a very practical and modern hatchback that can run most errands for you and be fun while doing so. It is a car worth buying even against the strong rivals that it is pitched against.