The Honda Civic has been the best-selling compact car in America for years. So it makes perfect sense that Honda brings it back for 2009 with very few changes. Nice styling, great dependability, and high mileage at an affordable price—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The only slight changes to speak about are minor style adjustments, a few new options, and the expansion of the model line with two new trim levels. The Civic now offers seven sedan models—including the Civic Hybrid and Civic GX Compressed Natural Gas vehicle—making it one of the most varied line-ups on the market. The MSRP starts as low as $15,505, and goes up into the $20,000s.
The 2009 Civic finds power from one of two carryover engines. There’s a 1.8-liter inline-four with 140 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque, and a 2.0-liter inline-four yielding 197 horses and 139 pound-feet of torque. Transmission choices include a five-speed manual, a five-speed automatic, and a six-speed automatic. Our test sedan was equipped with the 1.8 and five-speed auto, which has fuel economy ratings of 25 city/36 highway.
Exterior styling differences over the previous model are pretty much limited to the car’s front-end. The grille opening is new, as is the three-port lower air intake. The previous model’s lower intake was one continuous vent. The inside of the car is familiar to any Civic driver. It’s spacious, modern, and well packaged. For 2009, there are a couple of new available technology enhancements like Bluetooth and a USB audio interface.
The 2009 Civic is an economical commuter with eye-catching style, a roomy interior, and Honda’s reputation for reliability. The Civic might not grab headlines, but there are few compacts, or sedans, that can offer so much for such a reasonable price.
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