The Honda Civic was redesigned for the 2022 model year and is available in a hatchback or sedan layout. I recently had the pleasure of driving the 2022 Civic Hatchback Sport Touring, which is the top trim for the five-door body style, and found that its feature set and accompanying price tag make it the best trim to buy. Here are five reasons why.

1. The Honda Civic Sport Touring is available with a six-speed manual transmission

For the 2022 model year, the Honda Civic Hatchback is available with a six-speed manual transmission, but only if you select either the Sport or Sport Touring trim. My tester for a week had the available CVT transmission, so I didn’t get the pleasure of shifting my own gears. But it’s nice that you can still get a stick shift in a top-trim car.

2. The Sport Touring comes with a leather interior

Since the Sport Touring trim comes with everything you can get on a Civic Hatchback, it also comes with a leather-trimmed interior. The leather is supple and the seats are comfortable. But what’s even better is that it also comes with heated front seats and a remote start feature (with the CVT), which is welcome during the colder months.

3. The Bose premium audio system sounds divine

The Civic Hatchback Sport Touring comes with a Bose premium audio system with 12 speakers and a subwoofer. To be honest, it’s one of the best audio systems that I have personally tested, especially in a compact car. That says a lot considering these types of audio systems were only available in up-market luxury cars not too long ago.

4. The Civic Hatchback’s shape offers a large amount of cargo room

The main draw for buying a 2022 Civic Hatchback, other than its sophisticated look, is its hatchback shape. As such, the Civic boasts 25.4 cubic feet of volume with the rear seats folded up and 46.2 cubic feet with the seats folded down. By comparison, the Civic sedan cargo volume measures 14.8 cubic feet. So, if you need more space, then the Civic Hatchback can give you what you need and the Sport Touring trim is only available on that body style.

5. The Civic Sport Touring’s engine offers a good balance of power and fuel efficiency

The Civic Sport Touring is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine that produces 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. That might not sound like a lot, but in my real-world testing, I found that it was enough power to get on the freeway and pass cars with relative ease. Technically, that’s all you really need in a commuter car.

On the plus side, it’s also rated by the EPA to get up to 30 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. In my week of testing, I averaged around 29 mpg, which is pretty good for mixed driving at a mile-high elevation. However, your results may be better depending on where you live and how you drive.

The Honda Civic Sport Touring is value-priced for being a top trim level

As for pricing, my Civic Sport Touring tester came out to $30,415 (including the $1,015 destination charge), which is a lot to spend on a compact car. However, you do get a lot more for the money than the five features listed here including a bevy of built-in safety features. That being said, the Civic Sport Touring still presents a great value despite its price tag.