Buying a brand-new Honda will certainly bring you a good deal, no matter which vehicle you choose. However, buying used can actually save you tons more. There are several good years for the popular Civic, but the 2018 Honda Civic proves to be the best model that will bring you more bang for your buck. 

Both Consumer Reports and U.S. News & World Report reviewed the 2018 model and each one shares the good and the bad with it. Let’s see what they had to say about this model of the Civic.

What’s so good about the 2018 Honda Civic?

Both Consumer Reports and U.S. News liked the 2018 Honda Civic with its many benefits. But there were a few features that made it stand out in its class. One is its exceptional handling and comfortable ride quality. The Civic can handle most road surfaces like a dream and can take corners with very little body lean. 

The interior is spacious, offering plenty of room for both front and rear passengers in the hatchback models as well as the sedan. Cargo space is also exceptional, with 15.1 cubic foot of space in the sedan version and 25.7 cubic feet in the hatchback. The coupe, however, falls short with only 12.1. 

Powering up the Honda Civic are a couple of pretty good motors. The standard base engine is only a 2.0-liter four-cylinder motor producing 158 hp, which is on the average side. However, the turbocharged engines available on some of the trims offer more power. The motor on the Si model generates 205 hp, and the Type R produces a whopping 306 hp. 

Fuel economy couldn’t be better with the Civic. Paired with the four-cylinder motors is a six-speed manual transmission with an available CVT for those wanting an automatic to shift gears. 

The manual gearbox allows the base engine to gets an estimated 28 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. The CVT offers a little more for the city, getting an estimated 31 mpg and 40 for the highway. The turbocharged motors can get anywhere from 28 to 31 mpg in the city, with the manual transmission and 28 to 42 on the highway. The CVT gets 32 mpg in the city and 42 on the highway.

Where could this used Honda have improved?

Despite all the great features the Civic comes with, there’s still some room for improvement. One drawback you’ll find with the 2018 Honda Civic is its low stance on the road. Because of this, you’ll find it difficult to get in and out of the vehicle. Elderly drivers or those with knee problems might not find this appealing. 

The available touchscreen on some of the models are awkward to use. The 7-inch screen size is definitely appealing, but the display interface is challenging, getting used to and touch controls are slow to respond, making it a major distraction while driving. It’s recommended to find a used model with the 5-inch standard display as those tend to have control buttons that you can use quickly and easily. 

The last drawback to purchasing a 2018 Civic is with the Honda Sensing Safety suite of features. This model year did not have the safety suite standard on all the trims, as you see with the newer models. The good news is that it was at least an available option, so you might be able to find a 2018 model that someone added it to their vehicle. 

What else did reviewers have to say about the 2018 Civic?

Consumer Reports and U.S. News reviewers disagreed on some things with the Civic. One deals with the seating in the car. U.S. News felt the seats were comfortable, but Consumer Reports said they didn’t care for them that much. 

They called the seats ‘tolerable’ and didn’t think they were comfortable at all. Also, they thought the cargo area, in all models, was exceptional, but U.S. News was a little disappointed with the Hatchback version. They thought it fell short of some of its rivals. 

Both agreed that there’s a lot of trims and body types to keep track of with the Civic that Americans could find overwhelming. Not only would a buyer have to consider a coupe, sedan, hatchback, or sporty version, but you’d have to trudge through several trims with each type. 

Honda offers LX, EX, EX-T, EX-L, and Touring for most of the body types. The LX-P is specific only to the Coupe style, and the Sport, Navi, and Sport Touring trim levels are only available in the hatchback version. 

The 2018 Honda Civic offers consumers plenty of features for an affordable price. You could pay as little as $15,000 for one, depending on where you buy it. The 2018 model is well worth it and could save you tons more than if you bought it new.