The Civic gets a complete makeover for 2022 and Honda has made this popular compact car even better. While most seem to want SUVs and crossovers these days, the Honda Civic is just a darn good car and is definitely worth consideration for its peppy handling, good fuel economy and reasonable price.
Base Price: $29,400
As Tested: $30,415
Horsepower: 180
Mileage: 30 mpg city/37 mpg highway/33 mpg combined
The Civic was introduced way back in 1972 and has been one of the best-selling cars around the world. It’s now in its 11th generation. It comes in sedan and hatchback styles and in numerous trims so you can get the Civic that’s right for you.
For 2022, the Civic gets updated exterior styling, a new cabin design, new front row seats that boost comfort, more legroom in the second row, and added features and tech including a new touchscreen infotainment system.
The five-passenger 2022 Honda Civic is available in sedan and hatchback body styles. The sedan comes in four trims: LX, Sport, EX and Touring. The hatchback comes in three trims: Sport, EX-L and Sport Touring. Starting prices for the sedan range from $21,700 to $28,300, and the hatchback range from $22,900 to $29,400.
The standard engine is the same as the 2021 model: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. The sedan and hatchback offer an available turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder that bumps up the horsepower to 180 and torque to 177 pound-feet. A continuously variable transmission is standard, or you can get a six-speed manual transmission on the Hatchback Sport and Sport Touring trims.
My tester has the turbo and it delivers lively handling. Acceleration is quick with little turbo lag, and there’s more than enough power for merging and passing at freeway speeds. The CVT shifts quickly and smoothly. Brakes and steering are responsive and the Civic eagerly tackles corners. The ride is smooth. Visibility is good all the way around. It all adds up to the Honda Civic being one of the most fun-to-drive compact cars, along with the Mazda3.
Fuel efficiency is great for the class. EPA ratings for my tester are 30 mpg city and 37 mpg city with a combined rating of 33. I got 32 mpg during my week with a mix of city and highway driving.
The cabin is attractive with a nice fit and finish. It’s one of the nicest you’ll find in this class. Soft-touch plastics cover the dash and door panels. Controls are logically laid out. Seats are supportive and comfortable, and there’s a surprising amount of room for passengers in both rows of seating.
Standard features include rearview camera, cloth upholstery, automatic climate control, seven-inch driver information display, infotainment system with seven-inch touchscreen, four-speaker audio system, a USB port, Bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, automatic high-beam headlights, and a rear-seat reminder.
Available features include proximity keyless entry, remote start, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated front seats, eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, four-way power-adjustable passenger seat, 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, infotainment system with nine-inch touchscreen, voice recognition, navigation, eight-speaker audio system, 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, satellite radio, HD Radio, an additional front USB port, two rear USB ports, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless device charging, rear center armrest, universal garage door opener, fain-sensing windshield wipers, auto-dimming rearview mirror and a moonroof.
Standard driver assistance technologies include forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, and traffic sign recognition.
Available driver assistance technologies include blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors.
Cargo space is good for the class. The sedan has 14.8 cubic feet of space in the trunk, while the hatchback has 24.5 cubes with both rows of seating in place.
The standard seven-inch infotainment system has a touchscreen with sharp graphics and intuitive menus. The available nine-inch touchscreen looks great. There’s a physical volume knob but no physical controls for radio tuning.
The good:
Lively handling
Great fuel efficiency
Attractive, roomy cabin
Lots of standard and available features and tech
Standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Good cargo space
The not-so-good:
Manual transmission not offered on the sedan
Pricing info:
My tester starts at $29,400. Destination fee is $1,015 bringing the grand total to $30,415.
Bottom line:
The newly redesigned 2022 Honda Civic gets just about everything updated, making it even better. No doubt this new Civic will remain one of the best and most popular compact cars around for its peppy handling, excellent fuel economy, upscale cabin and all the standard and optional features and tech.
Want more? Check out all of our Honda car reviews!