Name: Honda Civic (2022 - present) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Honda Civic e:HEV
Rating: 72.0

Summary

The Honda Civic – officially badged Civic e:HEV – has never dominated UK sales charts, but it has been a consistent and distinctive presence for more than 50 years. This 11th-generation model is now offered exclusively as a petrol-electric hybrid.

In a market where many family buyers have moved towards SUV-style vehicles, the Civic remains one of the few traditional hatchbacks left standing. For drivers who prefer a lower seating position, sharper steering and a more connected feel on the road, that alone makes it worth a look.

UK media reviews have been consistently positive. Testers regularly praise the Civic’s balance between comfort and handling, with several describing it as one of the best cars in its class to drive. The steering, in particular, stands out for its precision and feedback, giving the car a more natural and reassuring feel than many newer rivals.

Inside, reviewers highlight the clear instrument layout and the welcome presence of physical switches and dials for key functions, rather than burying everything in a touchscreen. Cabin quality is generally rated highly, although rear headroom is tighter than in some competitors and the price is higher than mainstream alternatives such as the Toyota Corolla.

Fuel economy is strong for a family hatchback, helping to offset the higher purchase price, while safety results and reliability data are both very good. Honda’s standard three-year warranty is only average by current standards.

As of February 2026, the Honda Civic holds a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 72%. Strong media scores, good safety results and excellent reliability performance combine to make it one of the most accomplished family hatchbacks currently on sale.

Civic highlights

Excellent steering and genuinely enjoyable to drive
Strong real-world fuel economy
Clear dashboard with proper buttons and switches
Spacious boot and clever storage touches
Proven reliability record

Civic lowlights

Higher starting price than most alternatives
Rear headroom tight for taller passengers
Automatic gearbox can feel strained under hard acceleration
Only available as a hybrid
Three-year warranty is only average

Key specifications

Body style: Medium liftback
Engines: petrol-electric hybrid
Price: From £33,795 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2022
Last updated: Summer 2025
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Featured reviews

“The Honda Civic is a genuinely lovely car, and deserves to sell a lot more cars in the UK than it does. The steering alone is light years ahead of most modern cars, making it enjoyable to drive. The interior layout is also good, with plenty of proper switches and knobs. Practicality is good, and overall kit levels are competitive for the money. It’s an old-school feeling to drive a Civic, in the best possible way.”

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric hybrid Sport

Score: 8 / 10

The Car Expert

Stuart Masson

“The latest Honda Civic is great to drive, well put together and is fuel efficient too, but it just looks a bit dull.”

Model reviewed: Range overview

Score: 9 / 10

Read full review

Carwow

Tom Wiltshire

More reviews

Auto Express

Model reviewed: 2025 facelift range
Score: 8 / 10
“The updates to the Honda Civic may be small, but there really wasn’t much wrong with it in the first place. Subtle cosmetic tweaks inside and out are the support act to a slick hybrid powertrain and a great ride and handling balance that has the beating of most of its rivals. A little more standard kit, plus a price that is slightly lower than this time last year, make the Civic stronger once again.”
Author: Alex Ingram
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric hybrid Advance
Score: 8 / 10
“The Honda Civic is a spacious hatchback that can give many SUVs a run for their money. It’s better built and even sharper to drive than before, and the hybrid powertrain should prove usefully frugal when we’re all placing greater focus on the rising cost of living. If you don’t want an EV, the new Civic is a very strong contender in its class.” (Richard Ingram)
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Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“The hybrid-powered Honda Civic is a frugal, well-equipped family hatchback that really impresses.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Honda has dramatically changed the Civic hatch by making it, well, less dramatic. In appearance, at any rate. The new Civic gets simple, sober styling but the biggest changes are under the skin, where there’s just one hybrid engine available and the cabin has been given a high-quality makeover.”
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Business Car

Model reviewed: e:HEV
“The Honda Civic is now hybrid only – but it’s also fantastic to drive!”
Author: Richard Bush
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Model reviewed: Sport
Score: 8 / 10
“Honda sees the latest Toyota Corolla as this Civic’s keenest rival. We like the Toyota, having most recently driven the GR Sport, which is closest in spec to the Sport, and we think the Honda is the better car.”
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Car

Model reviewed: 2025 facelift range
Score: 8 / 10
“The Honda Civic is comfortable, quiet, good to drive, efficient and feels well built. It’s the kind of car that simply will not be a headache to own and will almost certainly return good fuel economy without you really trying. Is it interesting? Not really. Is it good? Yes.”
Author: Jake Groves
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.6 / 10
“The Honda Civic e:HEV is a hybrid family car that’s good to drive, comfortable and well equipped.”
Author: Richard Ingram
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Daily Mirror

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric hybrid Advance
“Why don’t all hybrid cars work as well as as the Honda Civic?”
Author: Gareth Butterfield
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Driving Electric

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It drives well, packs some impressive engineering and impresses especially when it comes to interior quality and real-world efficiency. Company-car users may rue the lack of a plug-in hybrid option, but private buyers will find lots to like here.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: Civic e:hev Sport
Score: 8 / 10
“It looks more resolved than before, has a big jump in quality, drives extremely well and has all the performance you could reasonably want paired with an impressive set of economy figures. Save for a firm ride and some higher-than-average levels of road noise, it’s an impressive package.” (Jordan Katsianis)
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Heycar

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It might not look like a radical departure from the old one, but much has changed including a classier, more user-friendly interior, smooth and efficient hybrid-only power and better ride and handling.”
Read review

Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The new Honda Civic is a very impressive all-round family hatchback, albeit one that’s not exactly cheap to buy or exciting to look at. It’s hybrid-only, making it smooth and powerful yet cheap to run, while it drives well and has a smart, intuitive.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9.4 / 10
“Cheap to run and great to drive – the new hybrid-only Honda Civic is an impressive bit of kit.”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The new Civic looks a mite dull on the outside and it’s certainly not the most thrilling car of the year to drive (not in standard form, at least), but it might just be the most sensible thanks to a decent cabin, lots of space and a very frugal hybrid engine.”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The latest Civic isn’t quite as good as Honda would have us believe, but it’s a good alternative to the Corolla, if not quite as sharp to drive. And on the face of it, with prices starting at £29,595, it’s pricier than the Toyota rival.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Honda took an interesting tack with this Civic: honing the drivetrain for impatient European tastes first, then adapting it for lazy American driving afterwards. It shows: this is a well sorted, mature and very complete family hatchback, well kitted out and impressively refined. It’s one heck of an upgrade.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: November 2022
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 89%
Child protection: 87%
Vulnerable road users: 82%
Safety assist: 83%

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

Model tested: 2.0-litre petrol/electric hybrid automatic

Overall score: 3 stars
Date tested: November 2024
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 7.2 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 5.5 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 4.1 / 10

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score
Hybrid models	58 mpg	B

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Hybrid models	112 g/km	B

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	28	C

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£231	C
Year 2	£530	B
Year 3	£825	B
Year 4	£997	B
Year 5	£1,390	B
Overall	£3,973	B

The Honda Civic is a relatively inexpensive car to run, according to long-term ownership cost data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

The Civic scores consistently well across fuel economy, road tax (which is taken from the CO₂ score), insurance group and servicing costs. If you’re looking for a new car with low running costs, the Honda Civic should be on your shopping list.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

Total claims: 211
Average repair cost: £401.51
Last updated: April 2025

Reliability score

All data based on MotorEasy average workshop costs for extended car warranty claims

The Honda Civic has a very high reliability rating of 85%, according to warranty data provided exclusively to us by our commercial partner, MotorEasy. This score applies to both the current Civic and also to previous generations, which is worth considering if you are considering a used Honda Civic.

Based on more than 200 warranty claims, the average repair cost is about £400 so a used car warranty is well worth considering if you own or are considering a Civic. The most frequent claimant concern is the braking system, with an average bill of about £150. Engine faults are unsurprisingly the most expensive problems, and are not uncommon in the Civic.

Make sure that any used car warranty you purchase covers all of these problem areas.

Warranty rating

New car warranty information for the Honda Civic

Overall ratingC50%
New car warranty duration3 years
New car warranty mileage60,000 miles
Battery warranty duration8 years
Battery warranty mileage100,000 miles

Honda’s new car warranty is pretty much the bare minimum offered in the UK, with a duration of three years and a limit of 60,000 miles. Other rivals in the price bracket do better (and in some cases, much better).

In addition to the standard new car warranty, the Civic has an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components.

Warranty on a used Honda Civic

If you are buying an ‘Approved Used’ Honda Civic from an official Honda dealership, you will get a minimum 12-month warranty included.
If you are buying a used Honda Civic from an independent dealership, any warranty offered will vary and will probably be managed by a third-party warranty company.
If you are buying a used Honda Civic from a private seller, there are no warranty protections beyond any remaining portion of the original new car warranty.

If you’re looking to buy any used car that is approaching the end of its warranty period, a used car warranty is usually a worthwhile investment. Check out The Car Expert’s guide to the best used car warranty providers, which will probably be cheaper than a warranty sold by a dealer.

Recalls

Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Honda Civic

As of February 2026, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting this generation of the Honda Civic. However, this information is updated very regularly so this may have changed.

You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Honda dealer.