Is the 2023 Honda Civic Their Best Car in a Decade?

My Civic story goes back to the very first chubby chappy, a ’73 model with rust holes and dodgy brakes. It was one of the very many clunkers a boyfriend’s father had laying about the family farm. 2 boys paddock-bashing in a hatch with hardly enough power to pull the skin of a custard was a thing to behold. It eventually died on a hill and was last seen with a tree growing through it like a long-lost Incan ruin.

I’ve driven every generation since, some with questionable ability, but each was enjoyed for its inimitable charm and dynamics. Apart from the recent Type R models, Civic was always a step into adulthood, a track well worn by tussle-haired surfers, I.T. geeks, and just about every student that has ever walked the sands of time.

I commented that the previous generation, designed to within an inch of its life, looked like it had been got at by a drunk gamer. The dash was part Nintendo and part bargain-basement clock at Target. The interior matched the exterior, with power that always felt adequate for the era, but could have been better.

The new Civic model scores the same marks.

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1 Minute Video Review: 2023 Honda Civic VTi LX #SHORT Review #yakandah

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ABOVE: 2023 Honda Civic

Outside

Those fancy fripperies have been shaved and preened, and the effect is a smoother, softer, more grown-up look. The slow-selling sedan was dropped from the antipodean line-up, and just as well. It lacks the sporty finesse of the hatch even though a casual observer may struggle to pick the difference.

The previous Civic’s comical Dame Edna front end is now a slimmer, LED-strewn affair that looks and feels more premium. The rear is similarly subtle, prettily lit at night by a charming array that adds a class lacking previously.

Honda has given up any pretence of having an affordable model, with a single trim level and 2 drivetrains. The only clue is a blue hew highting hints here and there on the hybrid LX model. There is a recently released Type R , but it is so different as to almost be considered another model.

Inside:

The tasty cabin has no full-on leather option. The VTi LX comes with part leather/pleather/Alcantara trim, power/heated front seats and a lot of soft-touch plakky bits.

There is a premium feeling and a simplified design inline with the metalwork outside. The dash has an attractive honey-look lattice referencing the grille up front. It conceals the vents rather cleverly, but is mainly there to look right-purty ya’ll.

There is a double dose of climate control, and other conveniences too numerous to name

GET A SPECIFICATIONS LIST HERE: civic spec sheet

The Techy Goodness:

After years of lagging badly in the tech stakes, Civic lost the “lane watch” system in favour of blind spot monitor, at last. The other ADAS features, like lane keep and fancy crash avoidance systems, have brought Civic into a new era. The systems not only help the driver stay aware and attentive, but assist on long trips and around town.

The reversing camera worked well, but the resolution was more Dick Smith than Bang and Olufsen, and was a little disappointing. The menu system was navigable by a 5-year-old, which is for the best, given how complex new cars are.

The biggest hoorah is saved for wireless Apple CarPlay. It was a revelation after some of the utterly hideous attempts in Hondas of old. It would be churlish not take a moment to chide the ghastly HDMI Apple CarPlay encountered by bewildered Honda punters past.

The dash was a disappointment given the price. In a world where less costly carriages have ultra-wide twin LCD screens and an HUD, Honda has a smallish centre screen, and part digital dash. The HUD is a dream beyond what Honda thinks warrants consideration, yet for $47,000, one expects certain appointments.

There is a more economical hybrid, as well as a go-quick Type R but both cost many more shekels.

The Drive:

The 1.5 turbo sings nicely as most Honda engines do. Sadly, the CVT is nowhere near as satisfying as a proper automatic. Despite stepped ratios in some instances, Civic has a rubbery feel to the acceleration, and with no manual option, you have to love it or leave it.

Sport mode makes Civic a trifle more engaging and along with firm suspension, makes for an enjoyable mountain dash. Highways are as comfortable and on most surfaces the cabin is quiet. The steering gets a special shout-out for being deliciously svelte and supple. Twisty bits are quite rewarding but 131kw is never going to set the world on fire.

Perhaps, if you have a really active imagination, you could be Oscar Piastri in disguise, otherwise it is a demure affair.

Our fuel use was around 8L/100k but we were confined to town duty, but as always, the boys were on-hand to cast a curating eye over Civic’s features, foibles, fabs, and fails, and boy-o-boy the gays in the village don’t hold back.

Casper:

It is a handsome little phucker. Love the cabin and wireless carplay. I could do without that automatic, and there is no manual option.

Nico:

Loads of space in the back. Needs more power

Alan:

What a peach, despite the CVT. It hums along nicely and has a nice solid, quality feel that was absent from the previous generation. It has an excellent audio system helped by the wireless CarPlay.

Handling is sporty without being harsh.

Max:

What a great little car. It looks like a car you could grow old with because it would last for ages. I wanted to throw it into corners, but felt it wasn’t up to the job. Maybe i short-changed it.

David:

Civic is regal and elegant. I didn’t care much for the boy-racer nonsense in the old car. Nice effort, but i refer the rear seats.

Raffy:

I didn’t get to drive it, but riding in the back was a great spot for a nap. The Type R will be brilliant, because the VTi LX is far too underpowered for my tastes.

2023 Honda Civic VTi LX

Price: $47,200

Engine: 1.5L 4-cyl turbo petrol

Power: 131kw/240Nm

Econ: 6.3L/100k

Trans: CVT

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