2022 Honda Civic Sedan

The Honda Civic is still the second-best selling car - not truck or crossover - in the US, lagging only behind the perennial all-star Toyota Camry. But in the compact segment, the Civic outsold its closest competitor, the Toyota Corolla, by 30,000 vehicles last year. And it beat the rest by an even bigger margin. That's why Honda always needs to get the Civic right.

When we look back at the ten previous generations of Civic, designers seem to bounce back and forth between dorky and cool. Generation ten? Definitely cool. The few before that? Kinda dorky, while four, five, and six were pretty cool. But what about gen 11? That's the all-new 2022 Honda Civic you see here, available first as a sedan and later as a hatchback. Well, gen 11 is much more grown up, both visually and in the way it feels and behaves. For better or for worse.

Under the hood, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine produces 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft in base models, while a turbocharged 1.5L on upper trims brings these up to 180 hp and 177 lb-ft. As with most in the segment, the Civic is front-wheel driven, but unlike most, this eschews its compact classification with masses of space, an abundance of tech, and a joyful chassis that remembers what the pleasure of driving is all about. So is this all-new Civic good enough to still dominate the sales charts? Our first drive of the newcomer suggests this may be the best performing Civic yet.

Honda says the 11th-gen is the most rigid in Civic history, with an 8% improvement in torsional rigidity and 13 percent improvement in bending rigidity versus the previous generation. All of that improves ride, handling, and NVH. And it's noticeable. Maybe not when you first get in, but after we tested the 10th-gen back-to-back with this one, the improvements were easy to feel.

Body movements are more controlled, especially over the little, rhythmic bumps that make your car bounce all over the place. Jiggles were muted over the broken edges of the road as well. It has an extra 1.4 inches in its wheelbase, along with new lower ball joints on the MacPherson strut front suspension, which provide smooth (but maybe a little slower than we'd like) turn in and easy following of sweeping curves. Honda also says that the reduced suspension friction and improved bushings help reduce harsh road shock by 20 percent, and that too was felt in the smoothness of the ride.

We will say the new Civic is fun to hustle around back roads, but we're even more excited for the hatch, and eventually a six-speed manual transmission.

Between the extra power, massively improved cabin and stiffer, more controllable body, the 11th-gen Civic is undeniably good. But we keep coming back to the sheetmetal, which looks like a mix of Accord and Volkswagen cues. It's just a little boring, especially when you set it next to the last generation, which was a little boy racer, but still cool.

This is the first year of a new model, so that's something to think about, but this is Honda we're talking about; we don't think the Civic will be a lemon. It competes with the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra and Kia Forte, to name some of the best sellers, but we think this may be the pick of the lot.

The new Elantra looks great, and the N-Line powertrain makes 201 hp, which is fun. The Corolla, Sentra, and Forte are fine, just not very exciting. If you want wild, try the Elantra first. If you want sensible, though, the Honda Civic Sedan is probably the best option.

The price of the Honda Civic Sedan is very attractive. Price increases over the outgoing model are minimal, and in the case of the Touring, it's exactly the same as before. The 2.0L LX has an MSRP of $21,700, increasing to $23,100 for the Sport trim. Equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, the EX variant of the Honda Civic has a cost of $24,700. The price of the top-spec Touring matches that of the outgoing model. At just $28,300, it's a steal. These prices exclude Honda's destination charge of $995.

There are four models in the new Civic sedan range: LX, Sport, EX, and Touring.

The entry-level LX and Sport are powered by a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a CVT transmission. LX trim comes standard with Honda Sensing, LED exterior lights, push-start button, a seven-inch digital gauge display, a seven-inch color touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, auto climate control, and a four-speaker sound system.

The Sport trim adds 18-inch alloys, sporty exterior adornments, keyless entry, remote start, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, paddle shifters, and an eight-speaker sound system.

The EX and Touring trims are equipped with the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, also mated to a CVT transmission. EX variants add a moonroof, blind-spot monitoring, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and side mirrors, and 60/40 folding rear seats. Since the EX is aimed at comfort, it removes some of the sportier features found on the Sport model and drops to 17-inch alloy wheels.

The top-spec Touring trim adds low-speed braking control, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors front and rear, LED fog lights, power-adjustable front seats, rain-sensing wipers, a digital instrument cluster, a nine-inch infotainment system, navigation, two rear USB ports, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system developed specifically for the Civic.

So far Honda has unveiled only one optional package but without a price. It's called the Honda Racing Package, and it comes with front, side, and rear underbody spoilers, a decklid spoiler, and a rear emblem. Honda traditionally doesn't make lots of features optional, so if you want more, you need to climb the trim ladder.

Pricing looks just right, with the base Civic starting at $22,695 including destination. The top Touring trim starts at $29,295, which seems a bit much, but you do get all of that new tech, the heated leather seats, and a bunch of other stuff. We think the best place to land is probably somewhere in the middle, as long as you get the more powerful 1.5-liter turbo engine. That leaves you with just one option, the EX. The EX trim with that power plant costs $25,695, and is where we'd start. You get the seven-inch screen, which is fine, and the interior layout is standard no matter what model you pick.

On the other hand, if you want to wait a few months, we'll see the new Civic Hatch. That will definitely look cooler, but don't wait around for a coupe, because it's never coming. And if you want a manual, you'll have to wait for that too. Finally, if you want a wild-looking Civic, you'll have to wait a few years, or maybe a few generations, as the pendulum has just touched the boring side. It'll be a while before it swings back.

While Honda has gone boring for this new Civic, the Toyota Corolla has swung the opposite way and gone majorly exciting with its exterior design. The Toyota boasts a more aggressive exterior, but its engines don't deliver the kind of performance you expect given the way it looks. There's no turbocharged offering, and Corolla buyers have to be satisfied with either a 139-hp 1.8-liter, or a 169-hp 2.0-liter. Either way, both Honda engines are superior, not just in power, but gas mileage as well. The Civic is slightly more expensive, but the new interior more than makes up for it. Not only is the Honda more advanced, but its interior also makes Toyota's brand-new offering look a generation behind.

Toyota already has a Top Safety Pick award behind its name, while Honda still has to wait and see if its new Civic can match the old model's rating. Safety-wise, both cars get similar active and passive safety features. The Honda wins in our books, though, not just because it has a more engaging drive. It's ahead in terms of interior space, refinement, design, and fuel economy. Factor in similar pricing, and it's a no-brainer.

The price gap between the Honda Civic and Honda Accord isn't that big, which means some customers might be lured into showrooms by the new car, only to drive away with a larger, older one. Honda's Accord is obviously larger, most notably in the rear. Rear passengers get more space, and it has 16.7 cubes of cargo capacity.

The Accord is available with three powertrain options, including a 192-hp version of the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, a 212-hp hybrid, and a 252-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. The latter engine makes the most of the Accord's sweet chassis. On the inside, the base Accord has a larger touchscreen interface and a better standard sound system, but compared to a similarly-priced Civic Touring, the Accord's system isn't as current or capable. The interior isn't nearly as cool, either. If you need the extra space, the Accord is worth going for. If not, the Civic has more than enough positive attributes to keep you happy.