Reimagined thoroughly for the upcoming generation of drivers, the 2022 Civic comes forth with a host of exterior and interior design changes and feature upgrades but performs similarly to the outgoing generation with no optional AWD. Being one of the best-selling cars in the US where the SUV craze is much bigger than any other part of the world, Honda has to offer special treatment to the Civic. Here’s a full in-depth review of the same where we will try and compare it with the likes of Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla.

2022 Honda Civic Sedan

Specifications

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• Model: 2022 Honda Civic Sedan
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Overview

Being the company’s largest selling model, the Civic has set a benchmark in the budget sedan segment, not only in the US but globally. The outgoing generation was no less but Honda made the latest generation more feature-packed with a bigger multi-information display and infotainment screen. The exterior and interior design language sees a drastic change but the engine options are the same with a 2.0-liter and a 1.5-liter engine. The latter engine now puts out a slightly higher torque but the real-world performance is somewhat similar to the outgoing generation. Honda is due for launching the hatchback models and the sportier Si and Type R which will be priced higher but the performance and handling will be its priorities. Starting with a base MSRP of $22,715, the new 2022 Civic Sedan will go head-to-head with the Hyundai Elantra and Mazda 3 which are priced similarly.

Trims and Features.

Honda made available the same set of trims for the new generation Civic with LX, Sport, EX, and Touring. The standard engine available is a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-4 with a continuously variable automatic transmission which is new for the 2022 model year. The EX and Touring will get the more powerful 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 with a few extra horses and pound-feet also will have the same transmission. Both the engines drive through the front wheels. A detailed trim-specific feature list is just below.

LX }}

Priced at $22,715.

Key features:

- Single-zone climate control.

- 16-inch wheels.

- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

- Four-speaker audio system.

- Seven-inch partially digital instrument panel.

- Seven-inch touchscreen infotainment display.

- Push-button ignition.

Standard driver assistance features include:

- Adaptive cruise control.

- Lane-keeping assist.

- Forward collision mitigation.

- Traffic sign reader.

- Automatic high beams.

- Driver attention monitor.

Sport } }

Priced at $24,115.

Key features:

- Remote ignition via key fob.

- 18-inch alloy wheels.

- Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift-knob.

- Eight-speaker audio unit.

- Driving modes available.

- Proximity keyless entry.

EX } }

Priced at $25,715.

Key Features:

- Turbocharged engine.

- Dual-zone automatic climate control.

- 17-inch alloy wheels.

- Sunroof.

- Heated front seats.

- 12-speaker Bose premium audio unit.

- Heated mirrors.

- Blindspot monitoring.

- Rear center armrest with cupholders.

Touring } }

Priced at $29,315.

Key features:

- Fog Lights.

- Auto-dimming rearview mirrors.

- Automatic wipers.

- 18-inch alloy wheels.

- Eight-way driver and four-way passenger power-adjustable seats.

- Nine-inch touchscreen infotainment display.

- Leather seats.

- Integrated navigation system.

- Low-speed automatic braking.

- Rear cross-traffic alert.

- Wireless charging pad.

Now that you have all the trims with the features that come along with them, we recommend you go for the EX trim because of its best-of-both-worlds nature. It packs a powerful engine and also adds features like dual-zone climate control, a 12-speaker Bose premium audio unit, heated front seats, and so on. The price is kept at $25,715 which is not as premium as the $29,315 for the Touring.

Exterior Design Overview.

When the tenth-generation Civic was revealed, it was the most aggressive-looking in the segment and a lot of enthusiasts praised its looks especially with the Type R. Side-by-side, it seems that Honda was thinking of something else in making the Civic look more like it is an amalgamation of all its past generations. A lot of people might dislike the philosophy behind the design as it is not as sharp-looking as the outgoing model year of the Civic but it looks great in our opinion. The front now has sleeker and rather flat LED headlights with a wide lower grille. The blunt front fascia will be appreciated by a lot of people as it looks modern too. The front has a matching taillight design and truth to tell, it does not look like a generational upgrade. The standard 16-inch steel wheels can be upgraded to the 17 or 18-inch alloy ones found on the higher trims. The exhaust pipes are hidden below the boot. In terms of exterior looks, the new Hyundai Elantra is a much better option.

The new generation Civic is not all new in terms of the overall dimensions. The 55.7 inches height and 70.9 inches width have stayed the same but most importantly, the wheelbase size has increased to 107.7 inches which are roughly 1.4 inches longer than the previous generation. The length is measured at 184.0 inches along with a curb weight of 2,877 pounds.

2022 Honda Civic Sedan Exterior Dimensions

Interior Features, Updates, and Practicality.

With the new 2022 Civic, Honda takes a step forward in making the interior more refined and minimalistic compared to the bland styling in their past generations. The most visible change is noticed in the dashboard design which is now more streamlined with honeycomb mesh, hiding the air vents. A 7.0-inch touchscreen display comes as standard and sits up on the dash. The center console has fewer buttons and has two cup holders with enough space under the handrest to keep your mobile phones or other gadgets. The steering wheel design is new and comes wrapped in leather with the Sport trim. A new 10.2-inch instrument panel does not come as standard and is only available with the Touring trim. Honda redesigned the seats, especially the front ones for better long-distance comfort, and comes with power-adjustability and heating options with the more expensive trims. Most of the consumers will like how Honda has decided to design the new Civic interior, unlike its highly questionable exterior design language.

The Civic has always been a good family sedan for the mass with adequate space for fitting up to 5 people. Both the front and rear have respectable headroom with 39.3 and 37.1-inch space. You are unlikely to face any issues unless you are above 6-feet tall. There is ample legroom at the front row with 42.3 inches and that decreases slightly with 37.4 inches at the rear. The overall comfort is available throughout the cabin and the rear passengers will have little to no problem when covering long distances. The cargo space is just 14.3 cubic feet which will be enough for carrying your daily luggage and even can fit a big suitcase with small duffels if you are planning to take the Civic to your weekend destinations. To wrap it up, let’s point out a few of the important interior features of the new 2022 Honda Civic.

- Dual-zone automatic climate control.

- Leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated buttons for controlling the infotainment system.

- Leather seating.

- Power-adjustable front seats with multi-level heating options.

- 10-2-inch multi-information display.

- Keyless ignition.

- Wireless charging pad.

2022 Honda Civic Sedan Interior Dimensions

For the lower trims, the 2022 Civic packs a small seven-inch touchscreen display with Honda’s in-house interface which is good to use but, you are going to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay anyway. A huge improvement over the last generation is a nine-inch big infotainment screen available exclusively with the Touring trim. A four-speaker sound system comes as standard but you can opt for the eleven-speaker Bose sound system to blast off your current favorite songs on the road. Satellite navigation and SiriusXM come as an optional feature for the lower spec-ed Civics but are standard on the Touring trim. Here are a few important infotainment features available with the 2022 Civic.

- Nine-inch touchscreen display.

- Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

- SiriusXM.

- Satellite navigation.

- Eleven-speaker Bose premium audio unit.

Engine, Performance, Handling, and Braking.

Though the new 2022 Civic gets to wear new dresses, the heart remains the same as the earlier generation. The lower trims get a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-4 engine which puts out a modest 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. The EX and Touring get a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine but unlike last year, it gets a slight power-bump and now it puts out about 180 horses and 177 pound-feet of torque. Both the engines run through the front wheels and for the 2022 model year, Honda canceled the manual transmission and now all the trims get a CVT. The base engine is decent for your everyday drives to your workplace or just cruising through the highways but the lack of power is felt at times when you will have to overtake other vehicles. Meanwhile, the turbocharged engine will be the best for you if you get over-enthusiastic on the throttle pedal. Honda does not claim any acceleration figures but according to Car And Driver, the Civic with the turbocharged engine does knot to 60 in 7.5 seconds and runs a quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds. The base engine is expected to perform somewhat similarly because of the lower curb weight.

Honda claims that the new generation Civic handles better and even has better stability than any Civic, ever. An increase in the torsional rigidity with up to 8% and a 13% increase in bending rigidity. The improvements are vastly noticeable if you drive the new and the old Civic back-to-back. The steering now feels more connected and makes turns without much of a fuss, thanks to the updated MacPherson struts at the front. The body rolls are a lot lesser than the previous generations with slightly stiffer suspensions. The ride quality is even better with the new generation Civic. The braking performance is not the best but is pretty good for the segment. All the trims get 11.1-inch rotors at the front and 10.2-inch rotors at the rear. Car And Driver monitored a 70-0 miles per hour braking test in just 174 feet.

2022 Honda Civic Sedan Powertrain And Performance

How much gas does the new 2022 Honda Civic sip?

Civic has always been one of the most efficient cars in the segment and the new generation is no less. Similar to the outgoing generation, the EPA rates the same with 31/40/35 for City/Highway/Combined with the base engine and 31/38/34 for City/Highway/Combined with the turbocharged engine. The slightly increased power figures did not affect much and it is quite surprising to see the same city mileage rating from both the engines. The fuel tank capacity is 12.4 gallons and that allows the Civic to get up to 434 miles combined with the base engine and 422 miles combined with the turbocharged engine.

2022 Honda Civic Sedan Fuel Economy

Competition

Toyota Corolla

The Corolla has long been the dominating best-seller in the segment. Starting at $ 19,850, the base version is on par with the current Civic. The Corolla also offers an FHEV version, featuring a 1.8-liter normally-aspirated Atkinson cycle engine, which combined with an electric motor sends 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet (142 Nm) to the front wheels, through a CVT gearbox. This configuration is good for over 52 mpg (4.5L/100km) combined fuel economy. The Corolla’s biggest weapons are its efficiency, standard equipment, and price.

Read our full review on the Toyota Corolla

Hyundai Elantra

The Elantra is another model that recently introduced a new generation. With a starting price of $ 19,300, it’s slightly less expensive than the Toyota and Honda, but not by much. Similar to Corolla, the Korean compact sedan does not offer a hybrid version. Its drivetrain consists of a 1.6-liter normally-aspirated, direct-injection unit and an electric motor, sending 139 horsepower and 195 pound-feet (264 Nm) of torque to the front wheels, through a rapid-shifting six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The Elantra shines with lots of torque, a quick-shifting automatic, and a combined fuel economy of over 50 mpg (4.7L/100km). It also has one of the most spacious interiors in the segment.

Read our full review on the Hyundai Elantra

Safety Convenience.

Bagging the “Top Safety Pick+” with “Good” and “Superior” ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the new 2022 Civic Sedan is the safest among the competition. Although the standard set of safety features include Adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, forward collision mitigation, traffic sign reader, and automatic high beams. A few of the advanced safety features are as follows:

- Blindspot monitoring.

- Rear cross-traffic alert.

- Low-speed automatic braking.

- Driver attention monitor.

How does the new 2022 Honda Civic stack up against the competition? Is it worth it?

The only concern about the new 2022 Honda Civic would be the updated looks. The update did not make it look sharper and can be the most concerning factor about choosing it over the likes of the new Hyundai Elantra, and the Mazda 3 which looks menacing. If you are not buying the base variant then you should consider the Elantra N Line which is priced similar to the EX trim of the Civic but will unlock a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine unleashing 201 horses. Mazda 3 is a very reliable option too with an all-wheel drive, more powerful engine options than the two. The handling aspects are better with the Mazda but the price tag is slightly higher than the two.