Honda Civic EX

The Honda Civic EX and EX GT sit at the top of the range and offer equipment levels to rival the class leading Ford Focus Titanium and Volkswagen Golf GT. Designed to attract buyers looking to downsize from larger luxury cars, the EX is expensive, but is loaded with kit and features a large boot. It comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, so the Civic is fun to drive and copes with the UK’s rough road surfaces very well. Heated leather seats, sat-nav and a high quality stereo all come as standard on the Civic EX. Two engines are available, a 1.8-litre i-VTEC petrol with either a manual or automatic transmission or a strong 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel, available only with a manual gearbox. The EX GT is also available with Honda’s clever collision mitigation braking technology called ACC/MBS – a system that automatically applies the brakes when it detects an obstruction or possible frontal impact.

Good points

Even in standard form the Honda Civic is a very safe car, achieving a full five-star crash-test rating from Euro NCAP. When fitted with Honda’s hi-tech ACC/MBS braking system however, the EX GT actively helps to prevent accidents occurring in the first place. The 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel engine returns up to 64mpg and produces emissions of 115g/km, proving that the top-spec model can be cheap to run. It’s practical too, as the rear seas fold up which allows owners to carry taller items, while the boot is a class-leading size, at 487 litres.

Bad points

The range of equipment fitted to the Honda Civic EX does come at a price, as all EX models are expensive. Some cabin materials feel a little cheap and the choice of engines could be greater, too. Top of the range models also suffer from high depreciation and higher insurance groups, which has a negative effect on running costs. The main downsides however are the same for all Honda Civics, the rear cabin is cramped, it’s hard to see out of the rear window, and models loaded with extras feature a dizzying number of buttons and switches on the dashboard and steering wheel.

What you get

• Alloy wheels
• Folding rear seats
• Electric folding wing mirrors
• Alarm
• Passenger & Driver airbag
• Front side airbags
• Front fog lights
• Auto climate control
• Full leather seats
• Leather steering wheel
• Height adjustable driver's seat
• Heated front seats
• Front electric windows
• Single CD player
• AUX stereo input
• Cruise control
• Sat nav
• Stop/Start
• Automatic wipers
• Reversing camera
• Rear electric windows
• Bluetooth

Our choice

If you can afford it, go for the 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel, which despite being expensive to buy offers lower running costs and will save you money in the long run.