The best $28,000 you can spend

The biggest car news and reviews, no BS

Our free daily newsletter delivers the stories that really matter straight to you every weekday.

We live in an expensive world—nothing is cheap anymore, especially cars. Finding the right balance between purchase price and long-term value is key to making a smart purchase, and despite not being a financial advisor, I have to tell you that buying a cheap car is not the same as buying a cheap or value-packed car. They are different things. and have lived many editions of drive awards, it should come as no surprise that the Honda Civic leads the way in that regard.

I’ve driven several Civics over the years, but usually they’ve been fully loaded hybrids or spicy types rather than the more basic trims. So, when Honda offered me a Civic Sedan Sport with a starting price of $27,890 (including $1,195 destination), I jumped at the opportunity. What does the sweetheart of the lineup offer that makes it such a valuable offering in today’s segment? Let’s find out.

the basics

There are two Civic body styles: sedan and hatchback. Obviously, it’s the former. There are technically four trims available for each body style, but they’re divided into two sets: regular and hybrid. The base two trims, LX and Sport, get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 150 horsepower and 133 lb-ft of torque. The top two trims, Sport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid, get a 2.0-liter engine and two electric motors for a combined output of 200 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque.

All models come with the Honda Sensing safety suite as standard, LED headlights and taillights, push-button start, a seven-inch digital gauge cluster, a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay (wired for LX and Sport), auto climate control, and a rear folding seat (60/40 split for Sport and above).

The Sport trim, like my Solar Silver Metallic tester, adds notable features that enhance its look and feel, such as 18-inch alloy wheels (up from 16-inch steel wheels in the LX), black exterior body trim, a sporty exhaust finisher, fabric and leatherette interior, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, paddle shifters, sport paddles, an eight-speaker stereo, and heated Mirror. It also adds blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

The jump from LX to Sport is $2,000, so based on price alone, the features listed above are worth the price of admission. My tester showed no add-ons, because there really aren’t any, so the total price came out to just under $28,000, plus applicable state taxes and dealership fees.

civic sport driving

Last year, I spent a few months with the range-topping Civic Sport Touring Hybrid and averaged 52.1 mpg over 1,800 miles. As a hybrid, it had a better driving experience, which at the time, I described as “just the right amount to have a little fun on a country road”, while also being super efficient on the highway.

The Sport I drove this time has 50 hp less than last year’s tester, but it’s also a good chunk lighter: 2,926 pounds versus 3,252 pounds. That 326-pound difference is noticeable, especially given the lack of power, and even more so in the corners. The driving experience of the Sport can best be described as exhilarating and, like most cars in this HP neighbourhood, it really depends on the driver whether things feel somewhat dull or exciting. Time your throttle just right, watch your brake inputs, and steer smoothly, and you’ll get that classic Honda driving experience that will put a smile on your face on the back roads. Flooring the throttle on the highway won’t frustrate you, but it won’t propel the Civic with the alacrity needed to pass those two semi-trucks. Of course, if you’re someone who doesn’t care about driving and just needs a fuel-efficient, good-looking sedan to get you to work and back, this will do that too, without revealing its sporty side.

However, the driving experience isn’t the whole point of this trim. Sure, there is a certain standard, but it’s all about its value. And on that front, the Sport met my every need while I was behind the wheel during my test. And really, there were only a few minor details that made me wonder if they were enough to warrant spending another $3k on the Sport Hybrid model. Those features were wireless Apple CarPlay, heated front seats (because Midwest winters), and dual-zone climate control. The latter is probably the least important on my list, but the other two are among my priorities, and at the time, each of those features would essentially cost me an extra $1,500.

decision

At the end of the day, the answer is No-I don’t think I’d spend the extra $3,000 to go from Sport to Sport Hybrid to get those extra features. And really, it has nothing to do with features or even money, because what’s $3,000 worth when you plan on keeping the car for many years? It has everything to do with my personal mindset behind buying a car like the Honda Civic.

Look, I’ve owned several Hondas throughout my life, but I currently own three: a 2012 Honda Civic LX sedan with an automatic, its identical twin in coupe form with a five-speed manual, and a 2007 Fit Sport. When I buy a Honda, I choose the most modestly equipped model, with the idea of ​​spending as little as possible to keep it running for decades. By spending on those extra features, I lose the base four-cylinder engine and step up to the hybrid. Nothing against the hybrid, nor its astonishing EPA-rated fuel economy of 50 mpg city and 47 highway (compared to the regular Sport’s 32/41), because it really is a phenomenal car. But in my opinion, it opens the door to greater complexity, which can This means it will be more expensive to maintain over the next 10, 15, or 20 years.

Nothing can beat Honda’s simplicity, and that’s what sport is all about, after all. For $28,000 – which, by the way, is no mean sum – you can buy the best-looking, most reliable, safest, and most fun-to-drive sedan out there. And if you take care of it, it will stay with you throughout your life.

Honda be provided drive With a seven-day loan of this vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.

2026 honda civic sport specs

Email the author at jerry@thedrive.com