We as automotive journalists are pretty spoiled. We test almost everything under the sun, from high-end luxury cars and big pickups, to EVs and engaging sports cars. we get to test everything under the sun from high-end luxury cars to EVs and everything in between. Though I’ve reviewed some pretty expensive and high-tech vehicles so far, getting into this top-trim 2024 Honda Civic Touring was actually a nice palate cleanser.
The 11th-generation Civic heads into its third year of production as one of Honda’s volume sellers. There are a few trims to choose from, including a new hybrid variant for 2025, along with two body styles—a sedan and a hatchback. It is important to note for 2025, Honda has shuffled trim levels: the Touring trim for the sedan will be reserved only for the hybrid, becoming the Sport Touring Hybrid. The hatchback, on the other hand, will offer the Sport Touring trim on both hybrid and non-hybrid versions. The 2025 model year will also introduce a facelift for this generation of Civic, with slightly different bumpers and additional features.
This Civic is by far my personal favourite in terms of overall exterior design. It’s more mature, simple, and cohesive compared to the previous-generation model, but the front end has a slightly bulbous nose cone, reminiscent of a beluga whale. Perhaps Honda was trying to go for a mature vibe with a friendly face. As buyers of yesteryear Civic generations become older and expect more refinement, this Civic reflects just that. Some people may say the Civic looks boring in comparison to the very aggressively styled Hyundai Elantra, but this will probably age much more gracefully.
The cohesion and simplicity extends inside the Civic, with a fairly simple dashboard and infotainment layout. The buttons and knobs are surprisingly nice to operate, with tight and clicky physical detents more fitting of a European vehicle. The honeycomb-style HVAC vents are very well integrated into the dashboard and continue the theme of cohesion with this interior. One nifty feature is how low the power-adjustable driver’s seat can go, making for even the most long-legged and tall drivers fit with relative ease. Trunk space is also very generous at 419 litres, beating out competitors like the Toyota Corolla, VW Jetta, and Nissan Sentra, though the Kia Forte still has it beat in terms of numbers.
I did experience a few drawbacks to this interior space. The Civic’s front seats were very firm and offered little cushioning compared to the rear seats. The piano black trim—thankfully not too pronounced—is a dust and fingerprint magnet, a trend that needs to die. Lastly, the back-up camera has the worst picture resolution I have seen in any new vehicle, akin to watching YouTube videos in 240p.
Other than those slight knocks, the rest of the interior is well-put-together and generally a nice place to spend time, with a good use of soft touch and hard plastics scattered throughout and great visibility overall. Standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto works well with minimal glitches. The Bose audio system is adequate here; not earth-shattering, but not tiring to listen to if you decide to turn up the volume during those brutal traffic jams.
Under the hood of the beluga-faced Civic is a 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four, making 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired only to a CVT; if you want the six-speed manual with the sedan, you will need to upgrade to the Si. This engine is suited for low-end torque and maximizing fuel economy, as it runs out of steam when pushed. Though fuel economy is officially rated at 6.9 L/100 kilometres combined, my stint returned a thirstier 7.8 L/100 km, albeit with constant stop-and-go traffic and my slight lead-foot being the main culprits. The CVT on the other hand is very good, providing very smooth and progressive power delivery while minimizing the rubber-band characteristic of CVTs you’d find in the Civic’s other competitors. It does what you want a transmission to do: give you power when you need it, then disappear into the background when you want to relax and cruise.
Though I lament the manual transmission not being available on lower trims going forward, the Civic Touring still takes advantage of the well-tuned chassis that Honda engineers took pride in developing. The Touring is the most plush of the Civic bunch, but it is still fun to toss around with light, responsive, and quick steering that provides a good amount of feedback through the wheel. Chuck it into a tight corner and you’ll experience minimal body roll and understeer, even if you enter it a little too quickly. Drive it like a safe five-star Uber driver and you’ll be happy at how well the Civic absorbs big bumps and how stable it is at higher speeds. The standard Goodyear tires, however, leave much to be desired, transmitting a lot of road noise into the cabin and creating a choppy ride over undulations and pavement imperfections.
The price of admission to get into a Honda Civic Sedan is becoming more expensive, with the base LX now coming in at $29,506. Our Civic Touring tester finished in Pearl White, a $300 option, comes in at $33,466 as-tested. Fortunately, it’s fully loaded with tech such as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and forward collision mitigation to name a few.
Spending time with the 2024 Honda Civic Touring shows how much this segment of vehicle has grown and evolved in terms of space, tech features, and overall refinement. With its handsome styling, great interior and more than adequate powertrain to satisfy the masses, the 11th-generation Civic ticks a lot of boxes and will more than satisfy the needs and wants of most people.
