2022 Honda Civic Review: First Drive

It’s almost impossible to overstate the influence the Honda Civic has on the automotive landscape.

For nearly 50 years, Honda’s longest-running automotive nameplate has been at the top of the sales charts—and peoples’ minds. Everyone has a memory associated with a Civic, be it a new driver’s first car or a silver-screen trio running Spoon engines. So when a new one comes along, it’s a big deal.

The 2022 Honda Civic presents a dramatic step for the model this millennium, precisely because it isn’t dramatic. There’s no wild two-tier dashboard design, no styling cues pulled from the world of Gundam. Instead, this 11th-generation Civic trades on a simple, clean design language inside and out, wrapping up everything that we love about the Civic—impressive quality, spacious interior, well-rounded driving dynamics—into an altogether classier package.

The whole dang thing. Okay, not really: underneath, this is a tweaked version of the chassis we’ve seen since the 10th-generation Civic debuted for the 2016 model year. Chassis and body stiffness are both up, promising better ride and handling. Honda has teased out the wheelbase, adding 1.4 inches (36 millimeters), for a class-leading 107.7 inches (2,735 mm) total. Length is up too, by 1.3 inches (36 mm), putting the 184.0-inch (4,673-mm) Civic a hair shy of the Hyundai Elantra. Both cars have the same 55.7-inch (1,415-mm) height, making them the lowest in the class.

Honda has reversed course from the angular, fussy styling of the 10th-gen Civic, opting instead for clean, reserved lines. When the new Civic bowed in concept form late last year, there was a whiff of Volkswagen Jetta about its simpler, upright look. In person though, the production car doesn’t just look like the Accord’s baby brother—it bears more than a passing resemblance to the iconic EJ-generation sedan of the late ’90s. Part of this is the cleaner styling, but the other part is a massaging of the proportions. Honda has shifted the A-pillars back 2.0 inches (50 mm), flattened the window line, and dropped the rear deck. There’s so much more glass surface now, providing the impression of an airy cabin and excellent visibility.

The sedan will make up one half of the available 11th-gen body styles, with a five-door hatchback coming this summer. For the first time since the fifth-generation Civic, there will be no coupe. Don’t be sad: while the two-door might be gone, a four-door Si and five-door Type R will return.

If you think the exterior is a significant step-change, wait until you lay your peepers on the insides. Honda has overhauled everything in here, from the steering wheel, the dashboard design, and even the seats.

The guiding principle for the interior design is what Honda calls “Man-Maximum, Machine-Minimum,” or M/M for short. Paring back all but the essentials has resulted in a cleaner, more focused cabin, one that convincingly bridges the gap between mainstream and premium models in this top Touring trim. Honda’s interior designers haven’t just gone for minimalism because it’s trendy now, either. Thoughtful touches include a dash top with minimal cut lines to reduce reflections, and a new center console material to do the same with fingerprints. I dig the pattern on the latter, so much that I wish it replaced the piano black running across the dashboard. The full-width strip of mesh just above that cleverly hides the air-con vents. Right in the middle are the climate controls, with three knurled-metal dials offering clickity-click tactile joy.

Honda’s engineers have redone the front seats from the frame up. A new suspension mat supports the majority of an occupant’s weight, while additional support in the seat back reduces fatigue and increases long-distance comfort. Honda says “They’re the most comfortable seats we’ve ever made.” The seats are like the right font in a novel: you know they’re doing their job when you don’t think about them at all. The Civic’s seat does just that, silently supporting me throughout the day.

Sitting proud of the dashboard is a 9.0-inch infotainment unit (lesser trims use a 7.0-inch item). It runs an updated OS as found in the 2021 Accord, using large, clear tiles on the main screen. Thankfully, there’s still a physical volume knob. The system works well, responding quickly to taps, even in the native navigation. What’s more, the larger screen includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Just as well, since the Touring is also the only trim to include a Qi wireless charger. A kickin’ 12-speaker Bose sound system is another top-trim-only perk.

Another unique Touring feature is the 10.2-inch digital instrument panel. Crisp and clean, it provides a customizable view of all of the Civic’s vitals. Best of all is the display for the full-speed adaptive cruise control, which now provides a digital recreation of the lanes around the Civic, complete with nearby cars. It’s on par with the similar setup found in BMWs, if not better, accurately displaying different vehicle types and their positioning within the lanes. The little digital Civic also mirrors the car’s brake and turn-signal use. Neat.

Adaptive cruise control is part of an expanded Honda Sensing suite, standard on all 2022 Civics. The rest of the lineup includes automated emergency braking, road departure mitigation, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, Traffic Jam Assist, blind-spot indicator, and traffic sign recognition. The Touring adds low-speed automatic braking, along with rear cross-traffic alert and parking sensors at both ends.

Should the worst happen, the Civic is equipped with the latest evolution of Honda’s airbags. The driver’s airbag is similar in design to the one which debuted in the Acura TLX, using a donut-shaped bag to minimize head rotation in the case of an accident. The passenger-side airbag achieves a similar goal via three-stage inflation.

Honda is one of the few companies to make noise about its safety approach for people outside of the car, too. Embossing under the aluminum hood is said to protect pedestrian heads from serious injuries. Similarly, the nose and bumper designs are meant to reduce leg fractures.

Even at the end of its life, the last Civic remained one of the best-driving cars in its class. There was a smooth operator, capable of handling the daily rigors of both city and highway driving with poise. Find a road with a bit of character though, and the Civic could provide entertainment, with clean, accurate steering and a neutral chassis balance.

I’m happy to report that in my time with the 2022 Civic, that inherent balance remains. What’s changed is an added layer of refinement: the stiffened chassis and increased sound deadening make for quieter, more serene progress. It even rides better than the Accord Hybrid I reviewed last week. The added standard features and increased glass quotient adds roughly 100 pounds (45 kg) to all trims, yet the Civic still feels light on its feet. The steering is clean and consistent, building driver confidence early. Body roll is minimal as well, and the Civic feels resolutely planted on the highway.

The two-engine drivetrain lineup is carried over, both hooking up to a CVT. A 2.0-liter inline-four makes 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque, best-in-class figures for a base engine. Touring models (as well as American EX trims) use the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, now producing the same 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque as last year’s Sport hatchback. It’s a punchy engine, capable of hauling the Civic up to highway speeds without fuss. New this year is a Sport mode, if you’d rather the transmission hum along at a slightly higher rpm than usual. Throttle response is quicker in Sport too, and expectedly soft in Eco.

Over the course of 150 miles (241 km) of mixed-use motoring, the Civic psoted an average fuel consumption slightly above 36 mpg (6.5 L/100 km). That beats the EPA-quoted 34 mpg average (NRCAN: 6.9 L/100 km).

The entire compact car class is gunning for the Civic. Honda’s icon is the sales leader in America, and has held the best-selling-car title in Canada for 23 years. This is the bar which all others are judged against.

The one we’re most eager to pit against the 2022 Civic is the Hyundai Elantra. Our reigning Car of the Year hits a lot of the right notes, offering even more tech than the Honda at a lower price. It comes in hybrid flavor, too. The Elantra driving experience is geared more towards comfort, though. Also, its nat-asp 2.0-liter is down on power versus the Civic’s base engine, never mind the turbo.

Another strong competitor is the Mazda3. Like the Civic, it straddles the line between mainstream and premium, though the Mazda pulls off that trick outside as well as in. Its turbocharged engine punches a class above too; you’ll need to wait for the upcoming Civic Si to get close to that level of performance on Team H.

Other options include the Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, and Kia Forte.

The 2022 Civic lineup starts with the LX trim, priced from $22,695 ($26,165 CAD) including destination. The LX includes Honda Sensing as standard, as well as an eight-speaker sound system, auto climate control, and full LED exterior lighting. The Sport grade is next in the US, adding blacked-out exterior trim, 18-inch wheels, paddle shifters and more for $24,095. Graduating to the EX bumps the price to $25,695 ($28,465 CAD), while adding the 1.5-liter engine (in America), 16-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, rear-seat USB ports, a heated steering wheel, and moonroof. In Canada, the Sport sits above the EX, priced from $29,565 CAD.

The Touring trim remains the top trim, with a $29,295 ($31,965 CAD) sticker. It’s the only way to access the turbocharged engine (in Canada), the fully digital instrument panel, larger infotainment screen, wireless phone mirroring, leather seating, and additional safety features.

It would’ve been silly to bet against the 2022 Honda Civic. Honda has been at this for a long time, turning out quietly excellent compact cars by the millions. It knows what it’s doing.

This latest model is not a revolution, despite abandoning the increasingly sci-fi styling of the last few generations. Instead, the latest Civic refines everything we love about the last model, including agreeable driving dynamics, a spacious interior, and strong, fuel-efficient engines. Now it adds class-leading standard safety plus clean design inside and out to its long list of qualifications. The Civic looks set to retain its crown yet again.

Discuss this story at our Honda Civic Forum.

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