The 2018 Honda Civic

If you call the 2018 Honda Civic the “Sybil” of the automotive world, well, we wouldn’t blame you. For within the tidy confines of this package lie a multitude of personalities, and at least one is designed to suit your needs.

Need a sedan? Civic’s got one. Need two fewer doors? Get the coupe. Need more cargo space? Check out the hatchback. Prefer a cheap, frill-free basic car, or a feature-laden, leather upholstered vehicle? There’s the base LX trim, and there are five more for the sedan, three for the hatchback, and the LX-P that’s only on the coupe.

Most Civics will be equipped with the 174-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, an upgrade over the 158-hp 2.0-liter 4-cylinder in LX and EX trims. Those seeking greater thrills can look into the Civic Si, with 205 horsepower. If the need for speed consumes you, a hatchbackonly Type R waits to impress with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four putting 306 horsepower through the front wheels.

Whichever one you choose, you can be assured that you’ll get a carefully assembled vehicle with thoughtfully chosen materials. What’s more, you’ll get a car that’s known for its reliability and dependability. And enthusiasts know that even the base Honda Civic is very enjoyable to drive, rewarding the driver with sharp handling and pleasant road manners.

While it does have its weaknesses, namely Honda’s refusal to use knobs and buttons for volume and tuning functions, as well as it’s inferior Lane Watch technology, there is good reason that the Honda Civic has retained the topselling compact car crown for so many years, and has often resided on the ‘best cars’ lists of numerous publications, including this one.

For the Civic, having multiple

personalities is not a disorder, but a very attractive trait. We get that it might not be to everyone’s tastes, though. If you’re looking for alternatives, we also recommend these four small cars, listed in alphabetical order below.