Honda Civic Hybrid hatchback test drive.
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For 2025, Honda made a few exterior changes to the Civic. None of these really improved the car at all. The current generation design looks OK. However, in my uninformed and unprofessional opinion, it never looked as good as the previous generation…
That new huge, and mostly fake, lower plastic grille/trim thing doesn’t help things at all.
As usual, I think the hatchback design looks much better than the regular sedan. Especially on a small car.
The trim I test-drove was the top-of-the-line Sport Touring Hybrid model. Which is pretty loaded with leather seats, an excellent Bose sound system, and much more. Unlike the exterior, the interior is basically the same as before. That means the horizontal air vents with the tablet-like screen stuck on top of the dashboard. Everything works well and it is an easy car to use and figure out.
It mostly feels very solid except for the weird squeaky interior door panels. Which is something I don’t remember experiencing in any other car. But did in every model of the current Honda Civic.
Some things are still missing. Especially for a top “$ 33,150 plus destination” compact car. Like height adjustment for the passenger seat. That means most of your passengers will feel like they are sitting in an empty bathtub. I also noticed that the front seats aren’t that comfortable after long drives. Anything over 2 hours and you will feel the lack of lumbar support adjustments. The lower cushion is also pretty uncomfortable after a while.
More bad ones with the lack of air A/C vents and plugs. A problem that is made even worse by the fact that it was there last year. (???) A 2025 cost-cutting measure that will surely produce more than one instant of what authorities currently call “back seat brawls”.
And these my friends, are bad news on any road trip.
Since it is a hatchback, the back seat folds to reveal a huge and very convenient cargo area. However, the floor is never flat all the way. That could make car camping an issue.
The new Hybrid is basically the nicest powertrain offered in the Civic. And the hatchback makes it the most attractive.
At a bit over $33,000, the Civic Hybrid Touring is the best Honda Civic you can buy. It still offers a great steering feel from other trims. The suspension is always comfortable. And that powertrain is extremely quiet.
The switch from electric to gas is mostly invisible and 99% of drivers will never notice it. Even when pushed, the 2.0 Liter engine is so smooth and quiet that its sound seems to come from far away in the background.
During my weekly drive, I mostly left the car in the Eco mode, since it still had plenty of power. The other modes just feel a little punchier but nothing that was really needed on a daily basis. I also wanted to try and see what the best mileage could be, as an average over 7 days.
Of course, my driving was mostly done in the city, but I did manage to get about 25% on the freeway. My final average was 53MPG. Which is better than the official numbers of 47HWY and 50City. And it wasn’t hard at all. There was always enough power for all situations in the Eco mode.
I think no matter what most people would be able to get at least 50MPG on average in the new Civic Hybrid. Which is pretty fantastic. It is a very nice driving car that has plenty of room for 4. (even 5 on small trips). With a huge cargo area.
I just wish the rear A/C vents were back so that Honda could find it in its heart to offer passenger seat height adjustment. Even a manual one. More comfortable front seats would be great for long trips. But basically, this wonderful car deserves a more interesting and cleaner design.
An excellent car that is very close to being even better.
Heads-up…I’m gonna rant. We’re a long-time exclusively Honda/Acura family, and you hit on a lot of the issues we’ve been having with more recent Honda products and our reluctance to buy another of their current lineup.
* NOISE: they think road noise is sporty. The problem is, that idea was formed in the 80’s when tires were smaller. Now, its just an annoyance and says cheap.
* UNCOMFORTABLE SEATS: Part of their cost reduction has particularly hit seats. I can’t stand to sit in our CRV for more than 30 mins. The cushions are thinner and no longer have the multi-density foams they used from the 90’s thru the early 2000’s. Its a penalty box with little adjustment. You’d think at least ACURA would do better on the adjustments, but… Nope. If its too expensive, make them manual adjustment instead of electric. Seat height is important. So is lumber. This should be an automatic for a brand like Honda.
* ALL BLACK INTERIORS and BLACK EXTERIOR TRIM: this car could look very sleek if the front wasn’t so derpy. And the black mirrors aren’t sporty – they’re a cost savings measure – body colored would make it looks sleek, as would a better executed design on the rear tail lights. And the monotone black interiors with black headliners, the and gloss black exterior trims and black wheels – enough already!
* PREMIUM? Despite Honda pushing Acura forward as their premium brand, Honda has always considered itself to be a premium brand in the mainstream segment – and they’re priced that way. So, stop with the stupid cost cutting. Have the wireless charger as an accessory, cuz I dont use it. But things that can’t be added later should be there. Seat back pockets on both sides, Rear air vents. Honestly I’m ok with the analog gauges as a tradeoff because the digital ones suck anyway. But the door panels shouldn’t flex when you open the windows (and they do!).
We’re expecting we’ll be going to another brand for our next purchase. Its just fully the end of an era.
“I just wish the rear A/C vents were back so that Honda could find it in its heart to offer passenger seat height adjustment. Even a manual one. More comfortable front seats would be great for long trips. But basically, this wonderful car deserves a more interesting and cleaner design.”
Vince, its not just the Civic, all of Accords are the same when it comes to passenger seat adjustment, no high adjustment. My back won’t last a 20 minute drive. WHY, WHY Honda? They are cutting corners. That seat issue is the only reason I didn’t but a Civic for my kid or an Accord for the wife.