Honda has paid close attention to the venerable Civic lately. It was all-new for 2012, received a makeover the next year, and now gets another round meaningful changes. As always, the Hybrid is the mileage champ of the lineup.
What's New for 2014
A new continuously variable transmission (CVT) and various aerodynamic tweaks boost fuel economy to 45 mpg combined. Interiors are a bit nicer this year, and you can now get features like keyless ignition, a blind spot camera and a 7-inch touchscreen.
Choosing Your Honda Civic Hybrid
Available in sedan form only, the Hybrid gets its efficiency from a 1.5-liter four-cylinder and electric motor that together produce 110 horsepower. Thanks in part to the new CVT, the combo delivers a few more mpg this year: 44 in the city and 47 on the highway.
The Hybrid starts out better equipped than the standard gasoline model and shares most options with the rest of the line. To keep things simple, Honda offers the Hybrid in four well-defined trim levels:
- Base: Comes with a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio, automatic headlamps, keyless ignition, a right-side blind spot camera, text messaging capability, a four-speaker sound system with CD and Pandora, and a 7-inch touchscreen with integrated smartphone apps.
- Leather: Adds a leather interior with heated front seats, fog lamps, heated outside mirrors, forward collision alert and lane departure warning.
- Navi: Gets you a navigation system with HD and satellite radio—plus the collision alert and lane departure systems found in the Leather model.
- Leather with Navi: Combines all packages into one loaded Hybrid.
The price span between the base Hybrid and the Leather with Navi is less than $3,000. That’s a ton of equipment for the money, so swing for the fence if you can afford it.