Honda Civic - MPG, CO2 and running costs
Great real-world fuel economy and solid residual values for the Honda Civic, although insurance costs are a little high
The Civic’s sole e:HEV petrol hybrid system makes it a frugal performer, managing 56.5mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, with CO2 emissions from 108g/km. Our experience with the 11th-generation Civic shows that achieving impressive fuel economy figures shouldn’t be too difficult in everyday driving.
For instance, during our group test between the latest Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Kia Ceed, the Honda returned 50.3mpg, compared to the Toyota's 54.2mpg and 43.5mpg we saw from the Kia. And when we ran a Civic in Sport trim as a long-term test car, after nearly 6,000 miles (of which a significant proportion was in town traffic), we averaged a respectable 45.1mpg.
But, without a plug-in hybrid version or the availability of an all-electric Civic model, company car drivers are less likely to opt for Honda’s evergreen hatchback than the Peugeot 308 or Vauxhall Astra. Also, while the Civic has lower emissions than a regular petrol or diesel car, its higher starting price than a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf may count against it when calculating its Benefit-in-Kind tax rate.
Insurance
All Civic models sit in group 28 (out of 50) for insurance, so premiums will be reasonably expensive compared with rivals such as the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. The more powerful 276bhp Focus ST is in group 27, while a mid-range 153bhp Focus Titanium X model is in group 19. Even the 296bhp Golf GTI Clubsport is in group 29, which means that – from an insurance perspective – the Civic doesn’t represent the best value.
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Depreciation
Buyers will be pleased that early indications are that the Civic will hold onto a decent chunk of its original value after a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period. All models should be worth around 50 per cent of their showroom sticker price after this time, which compares similarly to the VW Golf.
The only downside for the Civic is that the Corolla, in either Excel or GR Sport form, will be worth almost 57 per cent of its value after the same time and mileage period, and it is cheaper to buy in the first place.
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