2012 Honda Civic Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Honda Civic review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Civic, and includes Honda Civic safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

When the tiny little Honda Civic arrived in America back in 1973, few would have guessed that the nameplate would become one of the best selling cars in the country. For 2012, the ninth-generation Honda Civic debuts, completely redesigned and available in sedan and coupe body styles. DX, LX, EX, EX-L, HF, Si, Hybrid, and Natural Gas variants are on sale, each designed to serve specific consumer needs ranging from low price to high performance with impressive fuel economy and environmental sensitivity tossed in for good measure.

With such an extensive lineup, understanding which version of the 2012 Honda Civic best meets your needs could be daunting. We aim to clarify things for you. First, the Civic is available as a coupe or a sedan. The Civic Coupe is sold in DX, LX, EX, EX-L, and Si trim levels. The Civic Sedan mirrors that lineup, adding HF, Hybrid, and Natural Gas models.

The most popular Civics carry DX, LX, EX or EX-L badges. The DX is the least expensive path to Civic ownership, and these models have 15-inch steel wheels with plastic wheel covers, black mirrors and door handles, manually adjustable side mirrors, and auto-off headlights. The only creature comforts are power windows, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, a center console armrest, vanity mirrors, a manual driver’s seat height adjuster, a one-piece folding rear seatback, an average fuel economy display, and a maintenance minder system. No stereo. No air conditioning. No power door locks with remote keyless entry.

For that stuff, get the Civic LX. The LX is traditionally the most popular model, and it comes with air conditioning, a stereo with a CD/MP3/WMA player, an auxiliary audio input jack, a USB port, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power side mirrors, cruise control, floor mats, map lights, and a more comprehensive trip computer.

The Civic EX adds rear disc brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, a power sunroof, variable intermittent wipers, a 60/40-split folding rear seatback, a premium sound system, and an outside temperature display. A navigation system with satellite radio and traffic reporting is optional on the Civic EX. If you want leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, and automatic headlights, the Civic EX-L is the right choice. The navigation system is also optional on the EX-L.

Now that we’ve discussed the mainstream Civics, let’s cover the one-off models. The Civic HF is basically a high fuel-economy version of the Civic LX Sedan. It has an automatic transmission as standard equipment, along with lightweight 15-inch alloy wheels wearing low rolling resistance tires.

If you’re more interested in going fast than going far, the Honda Civic Si is the performance-oriented version, sold in coupe and sedan styles. It has a larger, more powerful engine, and comes only with a six-speed manual transmission and a helical limited slip differential. Equipped with a sport suspension, the Civic Si rides on standard 17-inch alloys that can be equipped with optional Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 summer performance tires. Feature specification mirrors that of the Civic EX, but the Si also has fog lights, aluminum pedals, and a rear spoiler. Navigation with satellite radio and traffic reporting is an option on this model.

The Honda Civic Hybrid Sedan is, no surprise, a gas/electric version of the Civic rated to get 44 mpg in combined driving. It mixes and matches LX and EX features, and comes equipped with unique styling details, lightweight 15-inch alloy wheels with low rolling resistance tires, LED brake lights, automatic climate control, cloth or leather upholstery, and special instrumentation related to the hybrid powertrain. A navigation system is optional on the Civic Hybrid.

Finally, a Civic Natural Gas Sedan is available nationwide for the first time. This model is outfitted like a Civic LX Sedan, but has lightweight 15-inch alloy wheels with low rolling resistance tires and Bluetooth, and can be equipped with an optional navigation system.

The 2012 Honda Civic lineup is available with four different powertrains and three different transmissions. The DX, LX, HF, EX, and EX-L models are equipped with a 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine matched to a five-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed automatic transmission*.

The 2012 Honda Civic Si is equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine making 201 horsepower at a lofty 7,000 rpm and 170 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. Honda is hoping this larger engine with more accessible power will broaden the Civic Si’s appeal. However, the car remains clearly aimed at enthusiast drivers, as it comes only with a six-speed manual transmission*.

In the Honda Civic Hybrid, a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine is paired with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist system, which now uses lithium ion batteries. Combined horsepower is rated at 110 ponies, and the Civic Hybrid generates a combined 127 lb-ft of torque between 1,000 and 3,500 rpm. This model cannot operate on battery power alone, requiring the gasoline engine for acceleration. However, the latest version of IMA does shut the gas engine down more often when coasting and coming to a stop, conserving fuel. A continuously variable transmission is employed here, along with regenerative brakes and a bunch of other techie hybrid stuff*.

Natural gas powers the Civic Natural Gas Sedan, and no, it has nothing to do with the car’s seat cushions. The 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine burns compressed natural gas, produces zero emissions, and makes 110 horsepower and 106 lb-ft of torque. An automatic transmission is standard*.

* Official EPA fuel economy estimates were not published as this review was written.

Honda equips every 2012 Civic with six airbags, traction and stability control systems, and antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. It has also constructed the Civic to its Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) standards, which intends to disperse crash energy more evenly and channel it around the passenger compartment, and to make the Civic more compatible with a wider variety of vehicles in a collision.

As this review is written, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has crash tested the 2012 Honda Civic.

Reliability predictions at this early stage of the game would normally be a shot in the dark, but it doesn’t take a doctorate degree to figure out that this new Honda is likely to be very dependable. The Civic shows a long history of providing solid reliability, and we see no reason for this to change with the new 2012 model.

Say what you will about the 2012 Honda Civic’s “one-motion” mono-form styling, this car is going to be a best seller and you’re going to get used to the look just like you did when the 2006 Civic arrived with a design that was a decade ahead of its time. Really, this new Civic looks much like the old Civic, inside and out, which should make loyal owners comfortable about getting a new one. Our favorite thing about the redesigned 2012 Civic, however, is the variety Honda offers. You want cheap? You got cheap. You want luxurious? You got luxurious. You want fuel-efficient? You got fuel-efficient. You want sporty? You got sporty. Honda covers all the bases with the new Civic.

By Christian Wardlaw