Car review: Honda Civic SE

The dramatic styling divides opinion, says Mike Stone 
Mike Stone12 January 2018

Further acquaintance with Honda’s latest Civic has done nothing to take the shine off this impressive little car. Actually this 10th-generation Civic isn’t that little – it’s a fair chunk bigger than the last version and is much better to drive.

Honda has squeezed 130hp from a three-cylinder turbocharged one-litre petrol engine, and even though there is a 184hp 1.5-litre four-cylinder variant, the less powerful car is the better to drive, being lighter, more nimble and more enjoyable.

After a couple of thousand miles my only criticism is there is a fair bit of tyre roar at motorway speeds and one day the dashboard warning lights flashed up like a Christmas tree and the adaptive cruise control stopped working. The next morning normal service was resumed and it has never happened again.

On the plus side, the six-speed manual gearbox is a treat, steering is excellent and even with mainly town driving, overall fuel consumption has never dropped below 42mpg, rising to around 50mpg on longer journeys.

The dramatic styling divides opinion. I think it’s good but some people think it a bit too aggressive. You pays your money, etc...

With a huge boot, grippy handling, comfortable seating and a fine ride, this Civic makes a lot of sense in a hotly contested field.

Honda Civic SE

Top speed: 126mph

Combined mpg: 55.4 (claimed)

Emissions: 106g/km

Price: from £18,335

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