![]() ![]() ![]() The trunk remains on the smaller side compared with competitors like the Elantra and Cruze. The front seat posed no problems for my 6-foot-tall frame, nor did the backseat, with good head and legroom and a flat floor. The same generous seating comfort and interior room carry over from 2012. The bump in quality even continues above occupant’s heads, as a higher-quality woven headliner replaces 2012’s cheap “mouse fur.” Higher-quality upper doors have softer-touch materials that are more comfortable for resting arms on long trips. The climate controls are even trapezoidal, a more stylized design replacing the 2012’s square buttons. The new panel has ridges and depth instead of flat, plain surfaces. The center dashboard’s buttons show how far Honda went in sprucing up the interior, with redesigned radio, climate-control and configuration buttons. The textures are also more uniform - they were hugely inconsistent in 2012 - and the new consistency makes the interior desirable instead of merely livable. The center dashboard materials are darker than before, giving a higher-quality appearance than the previous light-painted plastic. The overall interior design hasn’t changed much, and it’s the same generous size as 2012.Ĭloser inspection reveals a huge list of changes we could easily bore you with - just know that it’s a substantial improvement in quality and style for very little more money. Two easily identifiable differences include chrome trim surrounding the buttons and a soft-touch dash pad above the glove box that has high-quality stitching, like a premium or luxury car. It doesn’t take more than a glance to realize the 2013’s cabin has much nicer materials. I’m looking for a set of 2012 wheel covers to replace our 2013’s - ones that actually cover the wheels instead of show off the ugly steel. Standard steel wheels, not alloy wheels, with plastic wheel covers are the norm for this car class, but the Civic’s wheel-cover design is hideous and ruins the progress made by the exterior’s other upscale appointments. The 2013 Civic improves in every area over the 2012 - except for one pesky gripe that’s easily remedied: the wheel covers. Its taillights now extend onto the trunk lid, and a chrome bar connects those higher-quality taillights that feature additional depth and quality. ![]() In back, the Civic sports borderline false advertising in a rear that has the appearance of more-expensive autos, like the Accord midsize sedan. The 2013’s hood is more bulbous, while the grille and lower styling feature more chrome accents and a look that’s more thought-out and stylized than the 2012’s dull rectangular shapes. This still ain’t a Ferrari, but compared with the 2012, the new styling is a huge step forward. The front and rear used to be plain and unexciting. You can read about our purchase process here. The 2013 Honda Civic LX that I drove for this evaluation is a long-term test car that purchased to evaluate over a year of ownership. A Honda Civic Hybrid is detailed separately in our Research section here. The bottom-dollar DX trim is gone, and HF, EX, EX-L and performance-oriented Si trims sit above the LX. The 2013 base price starts at $18,955, including destination charge, with a manual transmission. The enhancements come on the now-base LX trim level for just $160 more than the 2012 LX. The driving experience has improved as well. (Compare the 2012 Civic with the 2013 Civic, Elantra and Chevrolet Cruze here.)Īdditionally, the interior shows off higher-quality materials, while the exterior has significantly more character. Let me reiterate: That’s all standard equipment on the base Civic. Newly standard features include a backup camera, Bluetooth wireless phone connectivity and numerous smartphone integrations, including Bluetooth streaming audio, text message functions and Pandora internet radio. As we detailed in our review here, the 2012 didn’t make huge strides in surpassing its body type competition, but it was still good enough to place second in ’s compact comparison, finishing behind the Hyundai Elantra, a value juggernaut. Honda listened to complaints about the 2012’s so-so value, ho-hum quality and simple styling, then pulled off a complete 180 for the 2013 model year. In a drastic and surprising move, Honda significantly reworked its Civic sedan just one year after a complete redesign. ![]() The 2013 Honda Civic is the stylish, high-quality compact that should have come out for 2012, now offering unheard-of standard features and innovation. ![]()
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