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Honda Civic

The 2009 Honda Civic ranks 2 out of 33 Affordable Small Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 68 published reviews and test drives of the Honda Civic, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

Reviewers praise the 2009 Honda Civic's excellent safety features and high-class cabin appointments, but also mention its sleek body style. It is one of the most reliable, visually appealing and solidly performing vehicles of the affordable small car class.

Although several compacts have more comfort or utility than the Civic, few cars have captured the media attention as this car has for all-around excellence, and it's one of the top-ten best-selling vehicles of 2008.

If you're a Civic fan, chances are you aren't shopping around. But there are some great options in this class. For example, the Honda Fit's configurable rear seats afford more cargo options than the Civic's 60/40 split rear seats, and the

Volkswagen Rabbit is well-liked for its great cargo capacity and tremendous power.

The current generation Civic was named Car of the Year when it debuted in 2006 by Motor Trend and by a jury of automotive journalists at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. It was also a Consumer Reports Top Pick for 2007 (Hyundai Elantra snagged the prize in 2008.), and the 2009 Honda Civic is a Consumer Guide Best Pick. In addition, the Civic tops the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, Ford Focus and Chevy Cobalt in Kelley Blue Book comparison tests. In a press release summarizing the results, KBB notes, "The Honda Civic is a great car. Its reputation as reliable and economical transportation is so strong that it's easy to overlook just how well it does everything else, as we realized during our most recent time behind the wheel of the freshened, fourth-year Civic."

This model year Honda has slightly modified the Civic's front end, and added standard Vehicle Stability Assist and 60/40 split folding rear seats for the EX and EX-L trims. Honda also added two new Civic trims, the DX-VP and LX-S to the lineup.

Civic fans can choose between the four-door sedan, the two-door coupe, a hybrid model, and the performance oriented Civic Si, but this review focuses on the four-door sedan.

Civic Performance - 8.3 (Very Good)

Several modifications were made to the 2009 Honda Civic's cabin and exterior design, but the car still comes with the same powerplant and chassis that caused reviews like Motor Trend to write, "There's a velvety fluidity to this car's every move that sets it apart." According to Car and Driver, the Civic coupe is tough to beat "if you want a tasty blend of fuel economy, high style, and fun-to-drive."

Civic Exterior - 8.4 (Very Good)

The '09 Civic has a restyled front grille, new headlight colors and modified tailights. But despite the style adjustments, critics' opinions have little changed on the Civic's exterior, and it's still considered one of the sleekest of the affordable small car class.

Civic Interior - 8.1 (Very Good)

As the Kansas City Star says, the Civic continues to feature "a surprisingly high level of fit and finish," with "tight panel gaps, an energetic interior design and a high level of standard equipment." But the 2009 Honda Civic doesn't set the gold standard on utility or space.

Civic Safety - 9.8 (Excellent)

With excellent safety scores in federal government and insurance industry crash tests, as well as standard antilock brakes, side airbags and side curtain airbags, the Honda Civic makes a strong impression as a safe vehicle.

Civic Reliability - 9.0 (Excellent)

The 2009 Honda Civic reliability score shown is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS). Honda provides a basic warranty for the 2009 Civic that's good for the first three years or 36,000 miles, and has a longstanding reputation for high-quality and strong reliability.