Over the decades, Honda has established itself as one of the most reliable car manufacturers in the world. Its Civic model has proven to be an especially great car for the average American consumer. However, not every 2023 Honda Civic build is as practical or affordable as the next.

While a barebone base trim is certainly affordable, it simply doesn’t come close to providing the comforts that a decked-out upper trim does. Luckily, there is a way to establish a happy medium between these two extremes. Here’s a look at what a practical yet affordable 2023 Honda Civic would cost.  

A look at the 2023 Honda Civic 

The 2023 Honda Civic is available as both a compact sedan and a hatchback. With Honda fully redesigning the Civic in 2022, the 2023 model remains relatively unchanged. According to Car and Driver, there are a total of seven trim levels available on the 2023 model. Honda starts the baseline Honda Civic Sedan LX at $23,750. In contrast, Honda offers the baseline Honda Civic Hatchback LX at $24,750. 

While the baseline prices seem quite affordable for a new car, base trims are just a starting point. Most consumers opt for a higher trim level or, at the very least, some upgrades or additional packages.

Thus, the price of a practical yet still affordable 2023 Honda Civic will likely be more than $25K. For example, Honda starts the highest level Touring Sedan trim at $30,350 and the Sport Touring Hatchback trim at $31,250. Therefore, for consumers opting for a Civic with all the bells and whistles, they should anticipate paying well over $30K. 

What does a practical 2023 Honda Civic look like?

We’ve covered what a barebones baseline Honda Civic costs, and we’ve analyzed the starting points of the Civic top trims. However, the majority of consumers want something in the middle, a civic that goes beyond barebones without breaking the bank. The most practical and affordable trim of any vehicle generally lies somewhere in the middle. So, let’s take a look at what consumers can expect to pay for a nice middle-of-the-line Sedan EX trim. 

The 2023 Honda Civic Sedan EX trim starts at $26,200. It comes standard with a 180-hp 1.5L four-cylinder engine. Taking a look at the color options, there are four finishes that are available as standard and two other premium options that will add an extra $455 to the build price. In the spirit of practicality and affordability, we’ll stick to basic black for this build. 

While opting for an exclusive paint color probably isn’t too practical, Honda does offer some pretty practical accessory packages. For this building project, we’ll add the ‘All-Season Protection Package I’ to the build for an extra $420. This package will equip the sedan with all-season floor mats, a splash guard set, and a trunk tray.

For some added safety, we’ll also opt for the Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Monitor package, which will add an extra $550 to our build. This package is well worth the money when it comes to practicality,  as it uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert when vehicles are detected in adjacent lanes.

Overall, this means a practical yet affordable 2023 Civic build from Honda will likely cost a little over $28,000. 

Some expensive upgrade options for the Civic 

While we opted for the most practical packages and add-ons during our build simulation, manufacturers often offer a ton of extra features that are pricey and oftentimes not very useful. According to Honda, had we opted for all the bells and whistles possible through the building simulator, the price would have been nearly $32K. 

All things considered, this just means that consumers should be aware that base prices are often misleading. While some consumers are fine with having a barebones type of vehicle, most simply aren’t and want some types of packages and upgraded features included in their new car.