Who doesn’t love Honda’s Civic? Well, ok, there may be a few haters, but the Civic has long been one of Honda’s most popular vehicles, scoring legions of fans, and millions of happy owners. Happy journalists too, We loved the new Civic Si when we tested it recently, and also loved the Touring model as well. Truth be told, like most cars, the Civic is not as inexpensive as it once was, both the Si and Touring models hovering around $30k.
So, we thought, in the spirit of the affordable Civic that many of us grew up with, it was time to test something a little less spendy. Voila! As you see, Honda was happy to put a Civic Sport sedan in our driveway. So does a slightly-less loaded Civic still satisfy? Let’s find out.
Less Money, Stunning Looks
Well, you certainly don’t feel cheaped out in the looks department. The Sport gives you plenty to smile about.
When the Civic was redesigned for the 2022 model year, it got a major re-do, and the overall look is much cleaner, refined and upscale. Sporty yes, but not as shouty as before.
The Civic keeps things in the family with a front that has Accord styling cues, and we like the forward thrusting grille, full LED lights and lower trapezoidal grille. Adding to the Sport’s looks, our tester enjoyed Honda Genuine Accessories with gloss black H-mark, Civic and Sport emblems.
The sideview continues the clean theme, and even though our tester was a sedan and not the available hatchback, the sweeping roofline that falls behind the rear door looks very hatch-like. Sharp cut-ins at the lower body panels give off a muscular look.
One thing that helps the Sport give off a pricey vibe are the standard 18-inch blacked-out alloy wheels – the same look you find on the more expensive Touring and Si trims.
The rear end really shows off the new design – gone are the big fake grilles, replaced with clean lines, wraparound LED taillights, and a vibe that could easily be from BMW or Audi. Bringing it all together, our tester was dressed in optional Platinum White Pearl, and it is the color for this design, in our minds.
With a much lower base price, you can splurge for a few things, and we see no better one than the HPD kit with front, side, and rear underbody spoilers – all with subtle HPD markings, along with a tasteful rear lip spoiler and HPD emblem on the rear. At an MSRP of just $1,417.80, it transforms what was already a handsome car to a stunner!
Driver’s Cockpit
Inside keeps that sporty feeling going.
What impresses us most is so much of what you get on the more expensive trims is here, too. It starts with the fresh design that bowed last year, with a wide, horizontal flow and upscale looking materials, including a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
The digital display features a 160-mph analog speedometer and digital 8,000 rpm tachometer, along with a digital driver’s info screen in between.
Infotainment is served up by a 7-inch touchscreen (Touring models get a larger 9-inch screen), and while the screen feels a tad small by today’s standards, Honda does a solid by giving us both volume and tuning knobs. Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto keeps you connected, and we found that the 8-speaker, 180-watt system sounded terrific – Honda knows Civic buyers like a bangin’ audio system!
We also found the auto climate control system looked upscale, nestled beneath a cool metal honeycomb trim piece that runs the width of the dash and looks modern and fresh. We were also happy to see an authentic shift lever, not the pushbutton version on some higher-end Honda and Acura products. Behind it is a handy switch behind to access driver modes, along with the electronic parking brake.
Comfort comes along for the ride – we found the front seats to be well padded and deep – a real improvement over the previous generation. While the seat does have a height adjustment, there’s no lumbar support, but the seat is so well designed we really didn’t miss it. We did miss the heated seats you get on more expensive models, though.
Those sitting in back will find adult-sized comfort, and one benefit of not having a sunroof –plenty of headroom, even with the sedan’s sleek coupe-lie roofline. The trunk is nicely sized, and one give away of the lower price – instead of a split-folding rear seat, you only get a one-piece fold down seatback. That said, there’s a massive pass-through so you can bring along large items easily. And if you need more space, there’s also a Civic hatchback that can haul nearly twice the amount of gear.
So, Is It a Sporty Sport?
Absolutely. At first, we weren’t sure our Sport would be so. We’ve been spoiled by the thrust of the 1.5-liter, turbo engine in the Touring and Si, and especially loved the fun of driving the 6-speed manual of the Si.
Those you won’t find in the Sport sedan. Under the hood is a naturally aspirated, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder producing 158 horsepower. (Note: the 1.5 turbo cranks out 180-201 hp, depending on model).
While the turbo would be our go-to for enthusiasts, the Sport’s engine is indeed enjoyable – it puts down the power well, responds nicely to the throttle and sounds potent. It reminds us of why we’ve loved Hondas for decades.
The CVT transmission was a nice surprise, too. While we prefer the responsiveness of a traditional automatic, Honda has really gotten the tuning of the CVT to the point that you might not even know. That’s a big compliment.
Also on the Sport model, you have a choice of drive modes, and Sport brightens up the “shifting” and throttle response, and for added grins it also features paddle shifters for hands-on fun. Even better news, the manual transmission is available on the Civic Sport hatchback model.
While we still prefer the combo of the available turbo engine and manual transmission in more expensive models, we were not left wanting in the chassis department. The Sport has great steering feel, a nice, controlled ride and responsive handling that really goads you into zipping around. Again, it reminds us of traditional Honda values – a feeling of lightness, agility, a genuine joy to drive!
Adding confidence to the joy, the Sport features the Honda Sensing Driver Assistance Suite of goods, including Collision and Road Departure Mitigation, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Following, Lane Keep Assist and Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Traffic Jam Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition. This is the kind of stuff that makes it worth ponying up a little extra for a new car over something a few years old.
Is the Civic Sport the Sweet Spot?
That depends on what you’re looking for. Using just-realesed 2024 pricing, you can get into a Civic starting at $23,950 – a very nicely equipped package. We think the upgrade in style and content makes our Sport tester starting at $25,550 a no-brainer. You really get the value when you see the performance Si models starting at $29,100 and the loaded Touring models starting at $30,550.
Our Sport model had a few options, including Platinum White Pearl paint ($455), HPD Package ($1,452) and blacked out trim ($144.41). Add in $1,095 for Destination, and we rang the bell at $28,705. That’s a smart buy, and we think the Civic will continue looking and driving great for years to come. It’s easily the kind of car that stays in families and gets handed down.
Competitors would include the Mazda 3, at $26,680 – if you leave off our Sport’s HPD package, they’d be virtually the same price. We love the Mazda’s style and great driving chops – we just find the Civic’s youthful looks and attitude a little more appealing. Those on a tighter budget might also want to look at the Kia ForteGT-Line starting at $23,710. Again the Civic Sport is the more appealing package.
The 2023 Honda Civic Sport features great looks, an entertaining drive, excellent quality and impressive value. All the reasons we’ve always loved the Honda Civic are alive and well!
Ben Lewis grew up in Chicago, and after spending his formative years driving sideways in the winter – often intentionally – moved to sunny Southern California. He now enjoys sunny weather year-round — whether it is autocross driving, aerobatics, and learning to surf.