Honda Civic Lx Fantastic Family Car By Tanya Pecora on Feb 05, 2010 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

We purchased this car new in 2006 after doing tons of research on vehicle reliability. We had a limited budget but knew our new car had to have all the safety features. We narrowed it down to the Honda Civic or the Toyota Corolla. Both cars were rated above average for safety and reliabily. The deciding factor for us was the Civic had ABS and side curtain airbags standard, even on entry level DX. By comparison, we would Have had to go up to the top trim level to get those safety features in the Toyota. Pros:

inexpensive

Safety features are standard, even on base model

Eye level spedometer is very easy to read

All controls are intuitive and within easy reach

Fun to drive

Great fuel economy

Very reliable

Cons:

Small backseat

Takes a little too long to speed up

Only 2 UAS latch sets in the back, although there are 3 tethers so you

could put 3 carseats across the back, I've done it, its TIGHT!

Honda dealership did not negotiate much on price

Overall we love this vehicle, it is responsive and fun to drive. Fuel economy is good, especially on the highway. DH gets about 700 km per tank. We now have about 110, 000 km on her and she's still going strong. We've only had to do regular maintenance. Hubby drives this car the most and he enjoys it. I know he wishes there was a bit more horespower though.