• High fuel economy and low CO2
• Civics hold their value well
• Excellent and well-earned reputation for reliability

No Civic saloon will prove particularly costly to run. Fuel economy is high and CO2 emissions are low, while the Japanese manufacturer’s reputation for reliability and dependability is well earned.

Fuel economy

Even the thirstiest Civic saloon – the 1.0 petrol automatic in EX trim – achieves a combined figure of 43.5mpg on the WLTP combined cycle. The most efficient is the 1.6-litre diesel with a manual transmission in SR trim, which achieves a combined figure of 64.2mpg. These petrol figures are fairly standard for the class, but the diesel’s figures are excellent – if not quite up to the original claim of more than 80mpg on the old, NEDC cycle.

Our experience with a long-term car shows these figures are achievable. Our 1.0-litre manual in EX trim is theoretically capable of 47.1mpg, and we hit that without too much issue.

CO2 emissions

Civic saloon emissions are impressive, ranging from a low of 91g/km in the diesels to 110g/km for the petrols.

This means benefit-in-kind tax for company car users is low. Residual values are also excellent – meaning finance packages are good value.

Honda’s ruled out the addition of another Civic hybrid, so you’re out of luck if you want an electrified version.

Reliability

The Honda Civic has earned its stripes as a reliability champion over many years, and the tenth generation model is unlikely to change that. Though the 1.0-litre petrol engine was all-new at launch in 2017, no problems have yet been reported, and the 1.6-litre diesel is a well-proven engine with no major reliability issues either.

Honda dealers typically rank well in satisfaction surveys, so servicing and maintenance shouldn’t leave you out of pocket, either. It’s perhaps surprising, then, that Honda continues to offer only a three-year/36,000 mile warranty in the UK – a far cry from the five or seven years of cover offered by the likes of Toyota, Hyundai and Kia.