When any product has a new generation, it’s to introduce new people to an existing concept while refining innovations made along the way. This is how we’d best describe the 10th-generation Honda Civic. Nearly everything was upgraded over its predecessor, and today, you can find a used Honda Civic for sale from the 10th generation and save plenty of money while still getting an experience worth writing home about. Let’s discuss some of the highlights before you visit us here at Hudson Honda and explore our extensive selection of pre-owned Civic models.
The Introduction of the Honda Sensing Suite
One of the first major changes that separated the 10th-generation Civic models from the generations before it was the introduction of the Honda Sensing. Honda Sensing is a suite of safety features still heavily used in the latest automobiles, and for the Civic, the 2016 model is where it started. When you think about a sedan, you may think about various types of traveling, like commuting to and from work. You’re also commuting with most other drivers on the road, so mornings and evenings can get a bit hectic when driving. Fortunately, with the inclusion of Honda Sensing, noticing potential accidents before they occur is something the Civic does exceptionally well.
The available features that came with Honda Sensing in the 2016 Civic include the Forward Collision Warning and Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS). The Forward Collision Warning uses your Civic’s forward-facing camera along with sensors that can alert you if you’re approaching another vehicle too quickly, like when approaching a traffic light or stop sign. The feature doesn’t activate at high speeds, like during freeway travel, but it can help prevent annoying and unneeded fender benders. This is where CMBS comes into play. After the Forward Collision Warning is signaled, CMBS included means that your Civic will attempt to stop your vehicle before you get too close to another car, which can save you a myriad of troubles: money, time, injuries, et cetera.
Some of the other features you can get with Honda Sensing in your 10th-generation Civic include Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Departure Warning with a Road Departure Mitigation system. All of the features are made possible by cameras and sensors, and if the vehicle notices you aren’t aligned properly with the lanes—crossing into another lane or accidentally driving on the yellow line—Lane Departure Warning alerts you about it through both your instrument dashboard and by omitting sounds. It’s worth noting that using your blinker and properly switching lanes won’t activate the Lane Departure Warning.
Sometimes, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you’re accidentally crossing lanes without a turn signal, and the Lane Departure Warning didn’t catch your attention, the steering wheel not only vibrates to redirect your attention back to the road, but the vehicle will provide gentle steering input to move your Civic back into the correct lane via the use of Lane Keeping Assist. Your 10th-generation Civic also offers Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, so your vehicle will keep the speed you set, but it’ll also handle braking and getting back up to the desired speed once the car needs to slow down for traffic.
Something that also helps 10th-generation Civic models punch above their weight for the price is that every model comes standard with an Expanded View Driver’s Mirror, which means you get a longer viewpoint when looking out your side mirror, which can help you identify bypassing traffic easier. And, every Civic model from the 10th generation comes standard with a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera, so you aren’t strictly bound with the rear-view camera feed, including the innovative and helpful birds-eye view that many modern vehicles still go without, although it’s slowly becoming more common of a sight.
A New Duo of Powerful Engine Options
When the 10th generation Civic models were released, Honda replaced the powertrains from the prior model year. While the 2015 Civic utilized either a 1.8L or 2.4L I-4 engine, the 2016 Civic uses a 2.0L I-4 engine as the standard configuration and offers a turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine as the alternative. Both engines provide horsepower and torque upgrades over the predecessors, and even with the more powerful turbocharged engine, you’re getting better fuel efficiency than you would with a 2015 model and its base engine.
The standard engine in 10th generation Civic models achieved its higher horsepower and torque ratings via a larger displacement, while the turbocharged engine provides a boost in each category, as turbocharged engines tend to harness sizeable performance uplifts. It’s worth noting the 2016 Civic’s turbocharged engine only comes with a Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission (CVT,) while the default engine can be paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. However, the following year, with the 2017 Civic, the manual transmission was added as an option for the turbocharged engine, which was the right move.
In models like the 2016 Civic, you’re met with the two powertrain options, with the 2.0L I-4 engine producing 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque, and the turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine creating 174 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. If you want to save money on fuel, that’s what you’ll be doing if you’re driving a 10th-generation Civic. The 2.0L I-4 engine earns EPA-estimated ratings of 30 MPG in the city, 40 MPG on the highway, 34 MPG combined with the automatic transmission, and 27 MPG in the city, 38 MPG on the highway, and 31 MPG combined with the manual transmission.
If your Civic has the turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine installed, your sedan gets fuel economy ratings of 31 MPG in the city, 42 MPG on the highway, and 35 MPG combined with the included CVT on a 2016 model. On the 2017 model, the manual transmission added to the turbocharged engine matches these ratings, so you aren’t losing out if you buy a manual Civic. However, the 2017 Civic with the turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine and the CVT earns a slightly better 32 MPG in the city, 42 MPG on the highway, and 36 MPG combined.
Did you think it doesn’t get better than that? With the 2017 Civic, the Si and Type R were added to the mix, and if you buy a 2017 Civic Si, you get an even more powerful turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine. The stronger engine in the 2017 Civic Si helps the sedan pump out 205 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque, and even though it’s only available with a manual transmission, the engine’s fuel economy capabilities are excellent. What about the turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine? It also gets an upgraded variant via the Type R, and with this engine, your Civic creates an incredible 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and is also only available with a manual transmission.
Making the Right Tech Decisions Early On
Honda is no stranger to making the right calls, and that’s what they did with the launch of the 10th generation Civic models. Before 2016, the idea of an infotainment center in a vehicle hadn’t flourished enough to have any true mainstream support. Touch screens in vehicles around this point could be notoriously buggy. That all changed with the launch of Apple CarPlay in 2014 and Android Auto in 2015.
With the launch of the 2016 Civic, Honda knew it couldn’t wait any longer to enter the realm of modern-day infotainment centers. If you’re purchasing a 2016 Civic, it could come with an available infotainment center with a touchscreen that allows for pinpoint precision, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Some manufacturers didn’t begin including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, even as options, for at least two to three years after that. It’s worth noting that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto didn’t fully come standard with the Civic until the 11th generation model’s launch, so it’s worth looking for upgraded trims over the base LX trim if shopping for a 10th generation Civic.
The Best Generation Civic?
You should consider buying a 10th-generation Civic for many reasons, the main one being value. The 10th-generation Civic is when the sedan started to become more like the vehicles released today, so in many ways, it was the 10th-generation Civic that laid the groundwork for the successful 11th-generation models, with Honda likely underway on the conceptualization of the next generation. If you’re buying a used car, you can save money by opting for a used 10th-generation Civic, and you can find options that cater to different types of drivers, like those looking for a practical commuter or those who want something powerful like the Type R. Choice is what makes pre-owned vehicles like the Civic so great.