10 Honda Civic Competitors to Consider in 2018

2018 Honda Civic Sedan ・ Photo by Honda

The 2018 Honda Civic is a good all-around car, offering decent acceleration. it gets zero to 60 miles per hour in around 8.5 seconds with the base engine, and seven seconds with the optional turbocharged unit, and has good fuel economy at 34 miles per gallon combined for the base version with CVT. All this at a starting price of only $18,840. But it’s far from the only horse in the compact-car race. To help you figure out what other cars are available, following is a list of 10 Honda Civic competitors, including a few sporty alternatives, a few economical options, as well as some good all-rounders. Read on to discover if the Civic is the best choice for you by reading our comparisons to its competitors.

2018 Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla has long been a direct competitor of the Civic, but these days it’s getting a little long in the tooth and is due for a replacement in the next year or two. Compared to the Civic the 2018 Corolla suffers in the fuel economy department (even ‘Eco’ versions of the Corolla can’t quite match the standard Civic’s fuel economy,) as well as in the acceleration department, where it’s around a second slower to sixty miles per hour. That said, starting at $18,600 the Corolla is still a decent value and even the base version offers a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, dynamic radar cruise control, and automatic high beams along with a composed (though not at all sporty) ride.

Photo by Toyota

2018 Ford Focus

The Ford Focus is another car that’s getting on in years and ready for a redesign in the coming year or so. The 2018 Focus starts at $17,950, and for that money you get a car that can keep up with the base Civic, though the fuel economy of the Ford isn’t quite up to the Honda’s standards, with a combined rating of 31 miles per gallon with the automatic (some versions offer a more economical engine, but even it can’t quite beat the Civic). Where the Ford is very competitive is in the hot-hatch department, where it offers both the Focus ST and the all-wheel-drive Focus RS to go up against Honda’s Civic Si and Civic Type R.

Photo by Ford

2018 Kia Forte

The 2018 Kia Forte offers good value compared to the Civic, with a starting price of $16,800 (that’s thousands lower than the Civic) and one of the lowest priced on our list. Downsides include a ride that is sometimes a bit too harsh (without the handling to justify it) and the Forte’s stylish sloping roof means that rear headroom can be a bit tight. Where the Forte really suffers is in the fuel economy department, where base versions are rated at only 28 miles per gallon combined (and the best model can only achieve 32 mpg combined,) while being just a tiny bit slower than a similar Civic. An updated model will be arriving soon and will likely be much more competitive.

Photo by Kia

2018 Hyundai Elantra

The 2018 Hyundai Elantra is one of the most affordable cars on our list of 10 Honda Civic Competitors, with a price that starts at just $16,950 before incentives. Base models can’t match the Civic’s fuel economy at 33 miles per gallon (and the Eco model at 35 mpg just barely beats the base Civic’s numbers,) though they are a good match when it comes to straight-line performance. The Elantra Sport is downright quick, hitting 60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds, but it isn’t as fun to drive as the Civic. The real tradeoff is an interior that looks and feels a bit cheap in places, though it does offer a comfortable quiet ride, attractive exterior styling and lots of available safety tech.

Photo by Hyundai

2018 Subaru Impreza

With a starting price of $18,495 the 2018 Subaru Impreza manages to just barely undercut the Honda Civic while still offering standard all-wheel drive. The trade-off is fuel economy that isn’t quite up to the Civic’s standard (though still good for an all-wheel-drive car) at 32 miles per gallon combined, though acceleration is similar with both the Impreza and the base Civic taking around 8.5 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. The Impreza has good handling, a smooth ride, and a quiet interior, though some of the materials could stand some improvement. If you’re looking for more performance and even better handling the WRX and STI models are available to compete against the Civic Si and Type R.

Photo by Subaru

2018 Chevrolet Cruze

The 2018 Chevrolet Cruze is one of the more affordable cars on our list of 10 Honda Civic Competitors, with a starting price of $16,975. The standard engine is a peppy one that can out-race the base Civic's when paired with the automatic, hitting 60 miles per hour in under eight seconds while nearly matching it in fuel economy at 33 miles per gallon combined. Though the Cruze can’t match the Civic through the corners. The Chevy really shines with its optional diesel engine option, it’s the only car on our list available with an oil-burner, offering lots of torque (for its displacement at least) and similar performance to the base Civic along with hybrid-like fuel economy (it’s rated at 37 miles per gallon combined with the manual transmission).

Photo by Chevrolet

2018 Honda Fit

Honda’s own 2018 Fit is a close competitor to the Civic. While technically a subcompact, the Fit is nearly $4,000 cheaper than the Civic Hatchback ($16,190 versus $20,050,) has more cargo space with the rear seats folded down, more rear-seat legroom, and almost exactly the same total interior space. The Fit is a bit slower when it comes to acceleration. All Civic hatchbacks come with the optional and more powerful turbocharged 1.5-liter engine, while the Fit makes do with a normally aspirated engine of the same size. Fuel economy is similar with both models rated at 40 miles per gallon on the highway with the CVT transmission, though the Fit is a bit better in the city.

Photo by Honda

2018 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

The 2018 Hyundai IONIQ Hybrid has a starting price of $22,200, the highest of any car on our list, but for that money you get fuel economy that can beat any car in the segment: the base Blue model has a combined fuel economy rating of 58 miles per gallon, better than the Prius even, and at a lower price. Handling is secure but as you’d expect from a hybrid, not particularly fun, and acceleration is leisurely but reasonable, with the Ioniq taking around nine seconds to hit 60 miles per hour. There are also plug-in hybrid (with an all-electric range of 29 miles) and full-electric versions available (with a range of 124 miles.) Best of all, the Ioniq’s styling is mostly restrained and doesn’t scream ‘hybrid.’

Photo by Hyundai

2018 Mazda3

If you’re looking for a fun-to-drive alternative to the Civic, then the 2018 Mazda3 might be the car you’re looking for. With a starting price of $18,095, it’s a bit cheaper than the Civic, and around half a second quicker to 60 miles per hour when comparing base trims (though the Mazda’s optional engine can’t quite match the Civic’s optional unit.) Unfortunately, the Mazda3 isn’t quite as economical as the Civic, with entry-level models having a rating of 32 miles per gallon. The interior could use some improvements in both design and material quality, especially on base models, though the Mazda3 is fairly quiet inside, has a stylish exterior, sharp handling, and a fairly comfortable ride.

Photo by Mazda

2018 Volkswagen Golf

At $20,910 the 2018 Volkswagen Golf’s starting price might seem considerably higher than the Civic’s until you compare it to the Civic Hatchback, which starts at $20,050. The Golf is about a half second slower than the Civic hatchback, taking around 7.5 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour, and the Golf’s fuel economy is somewhat worse with a combined rating of 29 miles per gallon versus the Civic hatchback’s 33 mpg (when both have the manual transmission.) What you do get for the extra cash is a good handling car with a very nicely executed and roomy interior and sophisticated understated styling. If you want more power, Volkswagen also offers the GTI and Golf R to compete against the Civic Si and Civic Type R.

Photo by Volkswagen