Honda Civic buying guide: Brit-built family hero is yours for £5k

Cars that deterioration the 'built in Britain' tag thin to err towards being luxurious, costly and/or sporty - deliberation Aston Martin, McLaren and Land Rover, to sanction but a few.

There are, however, a mates of reliable Japanese but British-built hatchbacks - 1 of them being the 10th-generation Honda Civic, a practical, fun-to-drive household car that was launched successful the UK successful 2017.

Unlike earlier Civics, this 1 was conceived arsenic a azygous exemplary for each markets. As the US was and is the largest, the British-built Civic hatch would fundamentally beryllium designed for our friends crossed the pond.

Normally, this would capable america with trepidation, but it gave the Mk10 car an edge: the US's penchant for larger modes of transport meant this Civic was the biggest car successful its class, truthful an evident triumph for practicality. Furthermore, a large improvement fund meant the Civic improved successful different ways: it was a spot lighter and amended to thrust than before, and its tech truly moved the crippled on.

A Ford Focus oregon Mazda 3 volition beryllium adjacent much enjoyable to drive, and a Volkswagen Golf volition person tech that is easier to fathom, but the Civic is simply a large compromise - and it earned itself a four-star roadworthy trial rating.

Residuals stay beardown acknowledgment to Honda's stellar reliability record, but there's a caveat to that, which we'll travel to.

But first, the interior. Unlike the somewhat bloated exterior, the wrong of the Mk10 Civic is restrained successful each the close ways. The BMW-like driver-centric dashboard gives a sporty, wraparound feel, and the fabulous short-throw manual gearlever is successful the cleanable place. There's tons of accommodation successful the steering instrumentality and driver's spot (set it to the lowest successful the class, if you wish), too, on with well-aligned pedals.

All Civics get a integer driver's display. A 7in sat-nav with reversing camera and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is modular from Sport trim up, with base-level SE getting lone a Bluetooth DAB radio. The touchscreen is laggy, but a plethora of carnal controls means it's not omnipotent. In the back, determination is generous limb country and decent caput room, portion the footwear holds 478 litres.

Trims scope from SE done SR and Sport, with EX astatine the top. SE is rather basic, but SR has two- portion clime control, automatic wipers, all-round parking sensors and a leather steering instrumentality and gearknob. Sport adds heated seats, portion Sport Plus gets adaptive suspension - it's bully to have, but the Civic is comfy capable without it. EX adds leather seats and a panoramic sunroof.

On the road, the Civic is mostly quiescent and comfortable, though immoderate roadworthy roar and a grade of unsettledness makes its mode into the compartment connected coarse surfaces. The handling is precise and responsive enough, and grip levels are reasonably high, but determination isn't the verve and agility you get from a Focus.

There are 3 engines to take from. The modular 1.0-litre three-pot turbo would beryllium precise recommendable if it weren't for its bedewed belt, which tin degrade and origin motor failure. Thankfully, the 1.6 diesel is lone a small down connected powerfulness (it has 118bhp compared with the 1.0's 127bhp), is impressively refined and is much economical - expect 55mpg to the 1.0's 45mpg. A turbocharged 1.5-litre four-pot with 180bhp rounds retired the choices. It's warm-hatch speedy (we timed it to 60mph successful 7.8sec) portion hardly little economical than the 1.0-litre.

What to look retired for

Engine: 'Wet belt' has go a soiled word with utilized cars, and the Civic is nary different. The 1.0-litre is simply a beauteous motor to drive, but the loop tin neglect arsenic aboriginal arsenic 40,000 miles, leaving a immense bill. If you regenerate it preventatively, fund £1200, but it could inactive spell without informing afterwards. Turbos and the alternator are besides anemic points with this engine. The diesel suffers from DPF issues if continually driven connected short, municipality journeys, portion the 1.5-litre petrol proves thirsty successful the aforesaid circumstances (30mpg tin beryllium expected astir town).

Gearbox: The diesel is paired with a six-speed manual oregon nine-speed automatic gearbox, the petrols the aforesaid manual oregon a CVT. The manuals are astir common, and for bully reason: they person a beauteous displacement enactment and are faster and much economical than the automatics.

Interior: The cloth seats endure premature deterioration and stain easily, but leather was lone disposable connected top-spec EX cars. Plastics weren't arsenic good screwed unneurotic arsenic they should person been successful immoderate cars, truthful rattles tin beryllium commonplace. Check the aerial conditioning works decently - the compressor is simply a known anemic point.

Electrics: The reversing camera tin endure from h2o ingress, which blurs the image. Replacement is the lone mode to benignant it.

Also worthy knowing

Earlier this year, Honda recalled the 10th-generation Civic implicit an contented that could effect successful a instrumentality falling disconnected the car portion driving. Affected owners are being contacted, but if you person your oculus connected a utilized one, inquire for the VIN to participate into the Honda website to cheque for updates.

A saloon was added to the scope successful 2018, to regenerate the Accord. It has an adjacent larger footwear (519 litres) than the hatch and much coherent styling, to immoderate eyes. It's a uncommon happening and wasn't disposable successful Sport trim oregon with the 1.5-litre engine.

The 10th-generation Civic was treated to a precise airy facelift successful 2020 with an electrical driver's spot for the Prestige exemplary (replacing EX) and much buttons for the infotainment system. You tin archer it isolated by the coloured inserts successful the bumper.

There's a level £200 VED rate, portion security groups scope betwixt 15 and 22 for regular models. A antithetic beast entirely, the 316bhp Type R is radical 38.

How overmuch to spend

£4500-£7999 Early cars with much than 10,000 miles per twelvemonth clocked up. Some are good into six figures.

£8000-£11,999 A bully enactment of average-mileage examples with bully history. There is nary important premium for saloons.

£12,000-£19,999 Low-mileage examples and precocious facelifts - they marque up the bulk of the classifieds.

£20,000-£40,000 A scope of Type Rs from early, high-mileage examples to those with lone a fewer 1000 miles.

An owner's view

O'Baid Chaudhry: "I emotion that the Civic comes truthful good equipped arsenic standard, truthful determination is nary request - dissimilar with the German brands - for specifying extras specified arsenic cruise power and heated seats. The diesel runs precise smoothly and precise economically, and it has plentifulness of powerfulness for the existent world. Maintenance connected excavation has been minimal, with lone basal servicing required."