Honda Civic Hybrid test drive.
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For the 2025 model year, Honda has finally brought the Civic hybrid to the US. It has been on sale for a few years overseas and it did take a while for Honda to bring it over here.
The 2025 model year also features a new face. One that doesn’t really improve anything and actually looks a bit weird from some angles. Otherwise, this is the exact same Civic sedan we have seen since June 2021. A more conservative design than the previous generation that still doesn’t look very modern.
The interior is also very familiar with no visible change from the past 3 years. The Sport Touring trim is the top of the line and is pretty loaded. With a sunroof, a great Bose sound system, and leather seats, However, the seats do not look very premium, leather or not.
The driver seat also has a pretty hard spot around the lower back section, and since Honda doesn’t offer any lumbar adjustment on any of the Civic trims, you’re out of luck. There is also still no way to adjust the passenger seat height. That means everyone under 6 feet will be sitting really low. Too low for most people.
The rear seat is pretty roomy, but you are still not getting any air conditioning vents back there. Or any way to plug your phone. Which, at over $32,000 in 2024 is not excusable. It also makes the whole back seat area look really cheap.
But wait! Here is a photo of the Honda Civic Touring I test-drove a couple of years ago, and, as you can see, the USB plugs were there.
For some reason, Honda decided to save a few bucks and remove them. Even on the $32,000 Sports touring trim. Not a great move…
The main attraction here is the all-new Hybrid powertrain producing 200HP. Which is more than the old 1.5 Liter Turbo. While the CVT seemed to eat up most of the old Turbo engine’s power, the new eCVT works great with the hybrid.
The ride also seems a little bit smoother than before, and the steering feels great, even in the ECO mode, I was using it most of the time. There isn’t much difference between the Normal and Eco modes. And the Sport mode is of course more responsive if you can stomach the fake exhaust sound that comes with it when you really push it.
The new Civic Hybrid is a joy to drive around. The car is always very quiet, smooth and feels very solid. A car like this really deserves a much more modern design, in my humble and unprofessional opinion.
It is officially rated at 50MPG City and 47HWY. It gives you a strangely optimistic rating of up to 60MPG for the first few miles. But when it settles down, you can easily see 54MPG around town and 52 on the freeway.
During my week with a mix of about 60% to 70% around town, my average was a bit over 53 MPG. Which is excellent.
The Civic Hybrid is a great car that deserves a few improvements here and there, as well as a more modern design. A new generation could come out in a couple of years and could fix most of the current car’s flaws. For now, the new Civic Hybrid’s closest competition is the new Toyota Prius.
Which, in my opinion, looks about 100 times better than the Civic, inside and out. While a similarly equipped Prius could cost between $1000 and $2000 more, it gets even better MPG. A panoramic roof is available, as well as AWD.
The Hybrid powertrain is a great replacement for the old 1.5 Liter Turbo. The amazing MPG numbers are just the cherry on top.
If you’re okay with the few missing features I mentioned above, the new Civic Hybrid is a great choice.
The styling is a failure. Strange curves and the front end that doesn’t enhance the overall design strategy. And that cheese grater dashboard isn’t aging well at all.
Styling comes from Japan. That’s why the Civic, Accord, HRV, and CRV have all been so oddly conservative. The choice on equipment in trim levels is strictly American Honda’s however. I agree that they should have lumbar, and height adjustment for the front seats in the Touring trim. And vents and USBs in the back seat. Other markets have these in their Civics. I’m not sure what Honda’s rationale is for this… they’re already always the expensive choice in the segment. And for things that people will want but can be added later, push those to accessories – light fog lights and spoilers. Even the rear vents/USB charging ports could be added at time of sale (and they have the kits!). It makes no sense that nothing is offered.
I guess I am getting really old. I can remember when a new Honda Civic would set you back around $2,000 and a Mercedes that cost over $30,000 was considered expensive. I understand that the Civic is packed with technologies and safety that didn’t exist 50 years ago but paying over $30,000 for what I think should be a starter car seems crazy