The 2022 Honda Civic remains a go-to economy car, with low-key performance and high-economy powertrains. The Civic is one of the bestselling and best-known compact cars on the planet. Emerging now in sedan and hatchback body styles, it’s offered as a Civic LX, Sport, EX, or Touring. The hatchback swaps the EX trim for EX-L, and the Touring for Sport Touring. With softened style, a jazzy interior, and fine ride and handling, the 2022 Civic remains top of its class.
The hatchback now dips lower in the front and is more boxed off in the rear. The windshield and A-pillars have been pushed back by about two inches, leaving a long hood that makes the Civic look more stretched than it actually is. It has only grown a little but is 4.9 inches shorter than the sedan, with all of that length being chopped off at the rear. The overall design is more cohesive than the sedan.
The styling is toned down, with a lower hood and relaxed roof pillars that draw out the shape better. Far fewer lines slash across the body especially at the rear hatch and even the treatment of its side rear windows has matured. All Sport models come with spoilers, badges, gloss black trim, and body kits, but without the high-output powertrains, the Civic fares better with the blacked out trim.
The engine options carry over from the 2021 models, with a 158-hp 2.0-liter inline-4 on LX and Sport trims and a 180-hp 1.5-liter turbo-4 in EX/EX-L and Touring/Sport Touring trims. A CVT sends power to the front wheels for most models, but the hatchback offers a 6-speed manual as a no-cost option for the Sport and Sport Touring. Turbos have good urgency, but the CVT saps some of the fun.
The manual transmission puts it right back, however, and is the only transmission on the Si and its satisfying 200-hp turbo-4. The Civic’s ride and handling have a sophisticated vibe, and even Sport and Touring/Sport Touring cars with 18-inch wheels soak up the streets. Gas mileage is a strong point, too, at up to 36 mpg combined.
Inside, a 7.0-inch touchscreen is standard, but a 9.0-inch touchscreen fits in Touring and Sport Touring models, which also get a 10.2-inch digital gauge display. Materials on the lower trim levels are impressive, with metal accents on many of the switches and a fingerprint-resistant material on the center console. A clean unbroken mesh panel concealing the vents separates the upper and lower parts. It’s pretty and distinctive.
Interior space provides room for four large passengers, with a fifth possible in the back seat. The Civic’s front seats could use more lumbar padding, but otherwise feel plush, above its price range—and the view out is expansive. Trunk space and rear-seat room peg the usefulness meter, too.
Every 2022 Civic comes with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and active lane control. Blind-spot monitors and parking sensors come with the more expensive models.
The Civic hatchback LX starts at $23,915. It has power features, 16-inch wheels, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. For $25,115, the Sport adds the black exterior, 18” Alloy Wheels, and Smart Entry. The $27,615 hatchback EX-L hits the sweet spot with its 17-inch wheels, heated front seats, and blind-spot monitors; but the $30,415 Sport Touring gets a serious look with its 9.0-inch touchscreen, Bose 12-speaker audio, leather upholstery, and wireless smartphone charging.
The all-new 2022 Honda Civic is the most impressive Civic to date and also our top pick among small cars; there isn’t anything it doesn’t do well. Efficient, refined powertrains, entertaining handling, class leading safety, and impressive technology; the list goes on and on. Our pick would be a Touring Hatchback, but if the Touring is to many rich for you taste, the EX is just as great. Regardless of body style or trim the Civic should be on your small car shopping list!
