2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Automatic

With the 10th-generation Civic, Honda brought back much of what American fans of the storied compact loved through the years, as well as added a few new wrinkles—hello, Type R! But as excited as we are for America’s first ever Civic Type R, it’s the return of the hatchback body style to the lineup that makes that even possible. Having already had positive experiences behind the wheels of the Civic sedan and coupe, it’s time for us to strap our gear to the hatchback, which we tested here in its top-of-the-line Sport Touring trim level.

A Different S.T.

Despite there being multiple racing series dedicated to touring cars, the words sport and touring aren’t typically paired together on vehicles you can actually buy (except for some Buicks—go figure—and grand touring is a whole other thing). That’s because touring conjures thoughts of comfort and space, while sport centers on a more dynamic driving experience, often at the sacrifice of daily comfort or convenience. The Civic Sport Touring hatchback manages to reconcile these seeming incongruities, however, combining fun to drive, comfort, ease of use, and practicality in one package.

The Civic Sport Touring we tested (and the Sport, which offers a six-speed manual unavailable on this trim) does not differ much at all in its chassis tuning from the rest of the lineup, as Honda is saving the significant handling upgrades for the Si and Type R models. In fact, only two things change about the driving experience when the Civic goes Sport Touring or Sport: the steering (which has a barely quicker, 11.1:1 ratio versus 10.9:1) and its shoes. The Sport models get 18-inch rolling stock compared with the 16 inchers on the LX and 17s on the EX and EX-L Navi. All-season rubber is standard on all trim levels.

1.5 Alive

Under the hood of all Civic hatchbacks lives a 16-valve 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four engine. Although not required, premium fuel is recommended for the Sport and the Sport Touring, which both have upgraded knock sensors. Honda claims the higher octane—as well as the center-exit dual exhaust standard on the Sport and Sport Touring—will provide a tiny boost in power. Running premium, the Sport and Sport Touring with the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) make a claimed 180 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque from 1700 to 5500 rpm. Burning regular unleaded, the turbo four paired with the CVT makes a claimed 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft at the same peak rpm, just as it does in the LX, EX, and EX-L, which have the standard knock sensor and single-pipe exhaust.

Although we prefer a manual transmission for vehicles with the word sport in their names, the CVT is the only option on the Sport Touring trim. However, Honda’s CVT is one of the best currently on the market, and it is a willing partner in getting the engine to rev and is responsive to throttle applications across the rev range. In our testing, the CVT and turbo four combo powered the car from zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, completed the 30-to-50-mph dash in 3.9 seconds, and ran the quarter-mile in 15.4 at 93 mph.

While there are many hatchback competitors to this Civic, there are two primary benchmarks: the Volkswagen Golf and the Mazda 3. We’ve awarded both of those cars with multiple 10Best Cars awards for their superb chassis tuning, well-designed interiors, and practicality. In terms of driving feel, the Civic hangs in with those standard-bearers, and it slightly bests them in objective performance. An automatic 2016 Mazda 3 hatchback went from zero to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds and a 2017 Golf TSI we recently tested did it in 7.3 seconds.

Stopping from 70 mph in 166 feet, the Civic also excelled in our braking test, with the firm and progressive pedal returning a stop two feet shorter than did the Golf (which has a reputation for strong brakes) and five feet shorter than the Mazda 3.

The Civic hatchback has exemplary road manners, with quick and light steering that helps the car feel nimble. The MacPherson strut front and multilink rear suspension and well-tuned dampers keep body motions nicely in check during spirited cornering while still providing a ride quality that’s daily-driver livable. Aside from an occasional coarse note coming from the engine bay at higher speeds, the cabin is quiet and well insulated from outside noises.

The EPA estimates the hatch Sport Touring should reach 32 mpg combined, but during our drive time, it achieved only 27 mpg. That’s 1 mpg less than what we recorded for the Golf and 2 mpg less than we achieved with the Mazda 3.

The Rundown

Compared with the Civic sedan, the hatchback’s wheelbase is the same, while overall length is down by 4.4 inches. But the five-door offers 23 cubic feet of stowage behind the folding rear seats, a marked improvement over the sedan’s 15-cubic-foot trunk.