When shopping for a used car, looking beyond its price is essential. A car’s reliability, safety, and ability to retain its value over time are also important. In that case, choosing the right car for you can be challenging, considering there are many options. However, if you’re hunting for a sensible compact sedan, the 2014 Honda Civic has one significant advantage over the rest of the pack.

The 2014 Honda Civic received high marks from iSeeCars

The editors at iSeeCars are great at collecting data on used cars and evaluating them based on certain criteria. In the publication’s latest list of the “Best Cars for Cheap,” several used cars were scored based on reliability, value retention, and safety ratings gleaned from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In the category of “Best Used Cars Under $15,000,” the 2014 Honda Civic came out on top. It bested other stalwarts like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Corolla, and the now-defunct Mazda6. According to the iSeeCars overall quality scoring model, the 2014 Civic beat the others with a 9.4 rating. The Accord came in a close second with a 9.0, and Camry was rated an 8.9.

Does this mean that the 2014 Civic is the best-used car that you can buy? Not necessarily. But considering it may have the best value retention in the group, that’s something to consider. According to Vehicle History, the 2014 Civic should retain up to 60% of its original value after five years (2019), which means it should retail for around $15,000.

Taking a look at the iSeeCars round of 2014 Civics currently for sale, that percentage does ring true in today’s market, as many are selling for $13,000 to $18,000 a mere nine years after its inception. Keep in mind that the used car market is still slightly elevated, but the Civic retains its value well nonetheless.

How reliable is the 2014 Honda Civic?

The 2014 Honda Civic should easily last up to 300,000 miles or more with the proper care and maintenance. Fortunately, the maintenance costs are lower than most of the competition. Repair Pal estimates it can cost around $368 annually to maintain a Civic of this vintage.

There are also plenty of Civic owners singing its praises for how reliable the car has been over the years. Many comments say that the 2014 Civic is “extremely reliable” and that they “haven’t had many problems.” That doesn’t mean the Civic is bulletproof, however.

There are two recalls that owners need to address – the first is for tire bead damage caused by improperly installed tires from the factory, and the second is for transmission software, which can be updated by a dealer for free.

Other common issues include:

• Uncomfortable seats: The most common complaint among owners is that the seats are not well-padded, which can lead to back pain on long trips.
• Tire pressure monitors: Tire pressure monitors are known to fail frequently in the Civic. Fortunately, the dealer or a tire shop can replace them quickly.
• Air conditioner failure: It’s not a common issue, but the car’s air conditioner or condenser has been known to fail.

Is the 2014 Civic safe?

The 2014 Honda Civic received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick + Award from the IIHS, so it’s safe as can be. Additionally, it comes with plenty of standard safety features like airbags, a backup camera, anti-lock brakes, and LaneWatch blind-spot monitoring.

All things considered, the 2014 Civic is an excellent choice in a sea of the best-used cars in the market. Especially considering it even beat out its stablemate, the Honda Accord.