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The Honda Civic used to be not only the sportiest-driving compact but also arguably the most stylish and desirable. But that car you remember might not bear much semblance to what you'll find after some cross-shopping. In the years since then the Civic has grown, and Honda has vied for more of the mass-market, but in the process has lost a lot of the appeal that used to charm miserly enthusiasts, as well as affluent households who could afford more, to add a Civic to the garage. That said, the Civic remains a comfortable, spacious, and economical small-car choice.
While the Civic has been fully refreshed for 2012, not much about the lineup itself has changed. The Civic still comes in standard Coupe and Sedan models, a Civic Si two-door coupe, a Civic Hybrid sedan, an eco-minded Civic HF, and a Civic Natural Gas. The newest generation, all new for 2012, builds on the car's traditional strengths—sporty roadholding, good gas mileage—but faces increasingly stringent competition from new entries like the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, and Chevrolet Cruze.
With this latest redo the Civic has become undeniably a little more conservative. While the new Civic retains much of the futuristic, previous-generation model—including its rakish roofline—it tones down the look with more conservative rear styling. Likewise, inside Honda has kept the dual-tier instrument panel but recontoured it to cant slightly (and disconcertingly, to some) toward the driver.
While the new Civic performs just as well as the previous one, driving enthusiasts who remember what this model once was will find it irksome that Honda's also taken a step toward the conservative side here. The 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter engine, paired with either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic, feels strong and responsive, and it isn't at all boomy when revved as some other models. The Si performance model gets a larger, 201-hp, 2.4-liter four that promises—but doesn't quite deliver—a stronger kick. Meanwhile, our favorite of the lineup is probably the improved 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, which gets an improved version of Honda's mild-hybrid system and impressive 44-mpg city and highway ratings.
Honda hasn't changed the size of the Civic, but with improved seats and a little rejiggering of available space, everyone's going to be pretty comfortable, considering this is a small car. Front seats are a little short and flat, but backseat accommodations are among the better ones for this size. Trunk space is vast, too. Road and wind noise aren't quite the issues they were in the previous-generation Civic, and the ride is a bit softer. But while interiors have been rapidly moving upscale in this class, the Civic's interior feels like a sore point, with hard plastics, thin-feeling panels, and a relatively cut-rate feel.
With a starting price of just $15,605, the Civic remains very affordable. But that base DX model doesn't come with all that much—windows are hand-winding, and there's no Bluetooth, air conditioning, or cruise control. Other models add features—like an improved navigation system, USB inputs, and a new secondary display screen in the line of sight—but also have much a much higher price tag, and it's disappointing that Bluetooth and satellite radio are only offered on the top-of-the-line EX and EX-L models.
Safety-conscious shoppers should make note that the 2012 Honda Civic has already been named an IIHS Top Safety Pick.
If you're an auto enthusiast, you can hardly be faulted for thinking Honda has largely abandoned you. In fact, you might even feel justified in thinking that the once enthusiast-driven company has lost the plot and gone Toyota, ditching drivers' cars for various forays into the hybrid scene and profitable-but-bland people-movers of various shapes and sizes. You might even get depressed when you look at Honda's enthusiast car portfolio circa 2001 and compare it to its portfolio today. 
A decade ago, Honda's lineup included the likes of the S2000, Civic Si, Acura NSX and Integra/RSX -- and the Prelude had only just been discontinued, with 2001 being its last year. These days, the options are substantially more limited. There's the oddball CR-Z and the only member of the above list to make it out of the aughts, the Civic Si. Somewhat of a constant in Honda's lineup for some two decades, the continued presence of the Si has served as a beacon of hope for enthusiasts even as the rest of its sporty brethren died off one by one over the past decade, each leaving no heirs. But the Si, like the rest of the Civic lineup, has just undergone a fairly significant transformation, bringing its hope-bringer status into question. 
One reason why is that the 2012 Honda Civic Si is no longer powered by the high-revving K20 2.0-liter four. It has made way for a slightly modified version of the K24 2.4-liter also found under the hood of the Acura TSX that makes slightly more power (201 hp versus 197 hp), considerably more torque (170 lb-ft versus 139 lb-ft), but redlines at 7000 RPM instead of 8000 and is nowhere near as free-revving as its predecessor. As a result, the character of the 2012 Si is decidedly different. Motor Trend Rating: 
