2020 Honda Civic

The 2020 Honda Civic is one of the top choices among small cars—or, more accurately, several of the top choices, as Honda offers this car in multiple iterations. To start, there are three body styles: sedan, hatchback, and coupe (still!). The mainstay models can be had with two different engines and manual or automatic transmissions, while two high-performance models, the Si and the Type R, get their own powertrains. Across the sprawling lineup there are some constants. The Civic is engaging to drive, deftly balancing comfort and handling—shading toward the latter in the Sport and Sport Touring trims and still more so in the Si and Type R. No matter the model, the interior is spacious (save for the coupe’s back seat), and a low cowl imparts an even greater feeling of space. The coupe and sedan’s trunks are roomy, but the hatchback is the real cargo-carrying champ. A 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system (on all but the base LX) is now easier to interact with and also includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All Civics come with the Honda Sensing bundle of driver assists, including forward collision warning with auto braking and pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning and lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. EX and higher trims add Honda’s LaneWatch feature, which can display a camera feed from the right side of the car.

Last year’s updates to the coupe and sedan migrate to the hatchback for 2020, and include the revised display-audio system. The hatch and the Si’s overwrought exterior styling gets slightly more so, and the stick shift can now be had the top-spec Sport Touring hatchback. Revised gearing for the Si improves acceleration, and the model also gets engine-sound enhancement via the audio system and Honda Sensing.

2020 Civic trim levels are as follows: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L and Touring (Sport Touring for the hatchback). The Si is its own animal, offered in coupe and sedan form, while the racy Type R is hatchback only. LX and Sport coupes/sedans use the base 2.0-liter engine, while EX and higher trims, and all hatchbacks, get the more powerful 1.5-liter turbo. Sport and Sport Touring models have a slightly firmer suspension than the other trims. The Si is sportier still and an extremely well-realized performer, while the Type R is a blistering hot hatch—both are exclusively offered with a stick shift.

The base 2.0-liter four (158 horsepower, 138 lb-ft) is matched with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) or a six-speed stick, and its EPA combined estimates range from 29 to 33 mpg. The 1.5-liter turbo (174 horsepower, 162 lb-ft, or 180 hp, 177 lb-ft for Sport and Sport Touring hatches) is punchy and flexible. It also gets slight better fuel economy, with EPA combined estimates running from 30 to 36 mpg. The Si gets a 205-hp version of the same engine, while the Type R has a unique 2.0-liter VTEC turbo packing 306 horses.

You can use the rest of this page to find more in-depth information about the 2020 Honda Civic, including features, specs and where to find a good deal near you.

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