Honda Civic Sedan 2019 Review

The 2019 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe receive a number of upgrades aimed at further solidifying Civic's status as America's retail best-selling passenger car. Launching at Honda dealerships nationwide on October 10, 2018, the refreshed Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe will feature new design cues inside and out, standard Honda Sensing® technology for all trims, and a new Display Audio system with physical buttons and a volume knob. Civic Sedan and Coupe buyers will also have a new Sport trim to consider, featuring unique styling, upsized 18-inch wheels and tires, enhanced handling and value-added feature content.

The 2019 Civic Sedan is available in five generously-equipped trims: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L and Touring. Honda Civic Coupe is available in LX, Sport, EX and Touring trims. The 2019 Civic launch will continue later in 2018 with the Civic Si Coupe and Sedan, Civic Hatchback and Civic Type R.

Exterior and Interior Design

The 2019 Civic Sedan and Coupe both feature refreshed styling that subtly updates the highly popular 10th-generation Civic design to give America's favorite car an even more aggressive impact while simultaneously imparting a more premium feel. The restyled lower bumper gives Civic a wider look and is complemented by a new blacked-out headlight treatment. The Honda-signature "wing" design on the grille also gets a new gloss black treatment on Sedan and Coupe. On Touring trims, the LED headlights have been upgraded with a new design to give the lights a wider and longer beam. The new, more aggressive tone is given an air of sophistication by the subtle use of chrome accents on the front bumper. At the rear, Civic Sedan's lower bumper receives a chrome strip to emphasize Civic's premium feel. Civic also receives three new colors: Platinum White Pearl, Molten Lava Pearl (Sedan only), and Tonic Yellow Pearl (Coupe only).

Inside, Civic Sedan and Coupe models benefit from a number of subtle improvements centered on providing a more refined driving and ownership experience. The Display Audio system, standard on Sport trims and above, has been updated with a new interface that includes a volume knob and physical buttons for key functions, in addition to improved Bluetooth® integration with easier device pairing. Additional improvements on all trims include redesigned steering wheel controls for more intuitive operation, a new center console cupholder that better holds larger beverages, and updated dash trim with gunmetal gray on LX trims (LX and EX for Coupe), metallic finish on EX, EX-L and Touring sedans (Touring only for Coupe), and with an embossed finish on Sport trims. All Civic Sedans and Coupes also benefit from additional sound insulation in the floor, trunk, and front fenders, with new sound insulation in the rear fenders.

New Civic Sport Sedan and Coupe

Slotted between the LX and EX trims, the 2019 Civic Sedan and Coupe Sport trims utilize a responsive 2.0-liter engine paired with either a 6-speed manual transmission or optional Continuously Variable automatic Transmission (CVT). Visual enhancements consist of unique exterior styling cues such as fog lights with gloss black trim and upsized 18-inch wheels (+1 inch) wrapped in the same all-season tires as the Civic Si. Out back, a black-painted decklid spoiler, Sport badging and a sport muffler capped by a wide, center-mounted chrome exhaust finisher styled after Civic Si complete the package.

Inside, Coupe and Sedan sport trims get red gauges, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, paddle shifters (CVT-equipped models), textured aluminum sport pedals, and unique seat materials with a combination of synthetic leather and cloth. The sport trim also gets upgraded tech over the LX model along with an 8-speaker audio system as described below.

Features and Technology

Standard equipment on Civic Sedan and Coupe models includes the Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive systems, including new automatic high beams. Additional standard features on all trims include upscale items such as an electronic parking brake with an automatic Brake Hold feature and a 7-inch digital TFT instrument cluster.

Civic Sport models build off the LX trim with the aforementioned exterior and interior design upgrades, and a redesigned 7-inch Display Audio system that includes Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ integration.

Civic EX models receive the new Display Audio system as well, in addition to newly standard dual zone automatic climate control with new fan speed buttons. New for 2019, Civic EX Sedan also receives an 8-way power adjustable driver's seat, along with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Additional Civic EX features include 17-inch alloy wheels, a power moonroof, Honda's exclusive LaneWatch™ side-view camera, hands-free entry with push button start, an updated audio system with 8 speakers (10 speakers in Civic Coupe), heated front seats and exterior mirrors and remote start. The EX-L trim, exclusive to Civic Sedan, adds leather-trimmed seats, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and Homelink®.

At the top of the Civic Sedan and Coupe lineup, the Touring trim adds newly designed 18-inch wheels, paddle shifters (with CVT) and sport pedals. Also included on Civic Touring are LED headlights that have been redesigned for a longer and wider beam. Rain-sensing wipers, side-mirror turn signals, heated rear seats (sedan only), embedded navigation and an updated audio system are also feature upgrades for all Civic Touring trims, while Civic Touring Sedans also get a 4-way power passenger seat.

Powertrain and Chassis

The 2019 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe LX and Sport trims are powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 138 lb.-ft. of torque. Connected to either a 6-speed manual transmission or CVT, the 2.0-liter provides lively performance and laudable EPA fuel economy ratings. CVT-equipped Civic EX, EX-L and Touring trims are powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with peak output of 174 horsepower (SAE net) 162 lb.-ft. of torque (SAE net). EPA fuel economy ratings with the 1.5-liter engine remain among the best in class, with top ratings of 32/42 city/highway mpg for EX and EX-L trims.

From LX to Touring, Civic has a well-earned reputation of being fun to drive. Civic Sport builds on this reputation with improved handling thanks to exclusive shock absorbers, rear lower control arms, and a stiffer front stabilizer bar in addition to 18-inch wheels and tires.

Packaging

The 2019 Civic Sedan and Coupe continue to offer class-leading interior volume that rivals many midsize cars. Front seat passengers enjoy generous amounts of leg and headroom and a cleverly designed center console offers a surprising amount of flexible storage space. Civic also offers additional storage on a tray under the dash for items that may require quick access, such as a wallet. This additional storage also houses the USB input used for functions including the Display Audio system's Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ integration, allowing drivers to keep their phones out of sight while driving. Alternatively, a convenient pass-through to the upper section lets drivers easily secure their phones while keeping the USB cord from cluttering the interior. Next to the USB input is a convenient 12-volt power source.

Rear seat passengers are treated to excellent legroom and headroom as well, and in Touring Sedan trims the outboard seating positions offer two levels of heating. The generous, midsize-like cargo space - up to 15.1 cu. ft. in sedan and up to 12.1 cu. ft. in coupe - is supplemented by 60/40 split folding rear seatbacks (single-piece in LX) to accommodate longer loads when necessary, with release handles for the seatbacks conveniently located in the trunk and the passenger compartment.

Safety Performance and Driver Assistive Features

For the 2019 model year, Civic Sedan and Coupe models feature the Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies as standard equipment on all trims. Honda Sensing® includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow, Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) incorporating Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) incorporating Lane Departure Warning (LDW). Additionally, all Honda Civic models receive automatic high beams as part of their Honda Sensing® package.

The 2019 Honda Civic also features a long list of standard active and passive safety features, including Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control, driver and passenger front and side airbags, side-curtain airbags with rollover sensor, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist and Honda's next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. The Civic is designed to achieve a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). All models feature a multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines, while EX trims and higher have Honda LaneWatch™ as standard equipment.