Highway Journey ProsAnnoyances✓ Mid-40s MPG? I’ll take it!☓ Infotainment is first rate, however nothing earth-shattering✓ Genuinely snappy, loads of passing energy☓ No lumbar adjustment, even on Sport Touring✓ Compliant journey☓ Costly price ticket✓ Helpful (and never overbearing) driver help tech
This isn’t the primary time we’ve had a hybrid Honda Civic available on the market — nevertheless it’s purported to be one of the best but.
Whereas the third-generation Perception was at all times a well-intentioned automobile that aimed to woo some of us out of the Toyota Prius or Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, it simply didn’t deliver the type of model recognition and endurance as well-established fashions just like the Accord and the Civic. So, you introduced your small hybrid providing again beneath the Civic banner to ratchet up adoption, and you understand what? Even earlier than turning a wheel, that was a very good determination.
You see, the eleventh-generation Civic outsells even the Accord by two-to-one, with sellers shifting almost 60,000 models in March alone, placing up numbers that deliver it into competition with its best-selling CR-V. Add in a hybrid possibility — as Honda’s additionally provided with the CR-V and Accord over the previous a number of years — and you’ve got a mix that’s really powerful to beat…however maybe a highway journey will reveal some flaws we wouldn’t catch in our customary media drive or week-long fleet check?
I definitely hoped so, as I grabbed the important thing to a 2025 Civic Hybrid Sport Touring hatchback Honda supplied the TFL group for a three-month long-term mortgage. Over that interval, we need to get a much better sense of simply how successfully the automaker pitches its automobile in opposition to mainstays just like the Toyota Prius and Corolla Hybrid, particularly as the necessity for a extra environment friendly, lest pricey to personal automobile is on the prime of oldsters’ minds as they attempt to navigate at this time’s market. After sampling the sedan in Montreal and the hatch in Nashville, I used to be in a position to give this automobile a for much longer shakedown, driving it 1,200 miles from Los Angeles again to our base in Boulder, Colorado.
Earlier than setting out, I already had a good suggestion what to anticipate based mostly on these previous couple media journeys. Beneath the hood, Honda’s given the 2025 Civic Hybrid a well-known two-motor setup. The fuel engine on this equation, a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder, usually works with the primary of two electrical motors to generate electrical energy, then that power is distributed to the second drive motor, powering the entrance wheels. At greater speeds, Honda makes use of a lock-up clutch between the generator and that second motor, permitting the fuel engine to instantly drive the wheels. Whereas it’s not fairly as potent because the system powering the Accord or CR-V, the Civic Hybrid nonetheless manages a good 200 horsepower peak output (similar because the 1.5-liter turbocharged Si), and as much as 232 lb-ft of torque to the entrance wheels.
That type of on-paper efficiency additionally places Honda’s compact hybrid forward of rivals just like the Toyota Corolla Hybrid in addition to the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, and even the dramatically improved Prius. Official EPA figures put the hatchback mannequin at 50 Metropolis / 45 Freeway / 48 Mixed mpg, with a complete driving vary of 595 miles for each 12.4-gallon tank of gasoline. Go for the marginally much less sensible sedan, and also you’ll profit from 1-2 mpg higher gasoline financial system, however decrease driving vary because of the smaller 10.6-gallon gasoline tank (for packaging causes, since there’s much less area to suit a bigger gasoline tank with the 1.06-kWh battery pack).
By way of styling and dimensions, the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid is nearly an identical to its gas-powered counterparts, no matter whether or not you select the sedan or hatch. Up entrance, up to date Civic fashions get a mildly tweaked entrance fascia, with sedans getting darker back lights. Inside, Sport Touring fashions like this one get an up to date 9-inch infotainment system with Google built-in apps and a ten.2-inch digital instrument cluster. All different Civic fashions, together with the bottom Sport Hybrid, get a smaller 7-inch unit, and don’t get leather-trimmed seats, Bose premium audio system, wi-fi Apple CarPlay/Android Auto functionality (although you’ll be able to nonetheless plug in), or wi-fi cellphone charging.
As horrific because the tales might be attempting to navigate round Los Angeles, sticking to the freeways continues to be the quickest possibility once you’re staring down a 16-hour-plus drive again house, not accounting for stops. Happily, the site visitors gods smiled upon me as I hopped on the infamous 405 freeway on the primary a part of my homeward journey. Proper off the bat, you discover simply how a lot energy the Civic Hybrid has to offer. Not solely does it have the grunt to get out of its personal approach accelerating onto a 65 mph freeway, however the Hybrid hatchback’s particular spring and shock tuning in addition to the “Lively Sound Management”, and the Sport Touring’s wheel resonators, make for a quiet and dignified cruising expertise when you’re in control.
Getting out on the freeway additionally provides you the flexibility to check out Honda’s plethora of driver help options, baked into the Honda Sensing suite. That features customary lane-keep help, highway departure mitigation, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise management and, in the event you aren’t paying fairly as a lot consideration as you ought to be, ahead collision warning and collision mitigation braking.
Almost all Civic rivals sport related tech lately, however what made Honda’s system extra nice to make use of is that it’s not absurdly overbearing by way of retaining you in your lane. Take note, although, the system works greatest when the lanes are clearly marked and also you aren’t coping with inclement climate. It additionally insists you retain your arms on the wheel since it’s not an autonomous system, and can ping you to place in some steering effort about each 5-10 seconds earlier than sounding an alarm, and disengaging the system completely in the event you nonetheless don’t reply after that.
For the primary couple hours working by way of the Inland Empire towards I-15, the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid provided a compliant journey, whereas the hybrid system was almost imperceptible when the fuel engine did have to kick in to keep up freeway speeds. Due to Honda’s EV-like, direct-drive method, essentially the most you’ll hear of the engine beneath gentle acceleration and cruising is the EV gentle shutting off within the gauge cluster. Beneath tougher runs, the engine will spring to life — although the majority of what you’re listening to is faux engine noise that makes the Hybrid sound like an Si. That stated, I benefit from the Si sounds in order that doesn’t notably hassle me, although I do know some of us hate augmented engine noise beneath any circumstance.
On the entire, the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid was making a ton of sense as a reliable highway journey machine…with two exceptions. Sticking with that complete EV-like method for a second, Honda gives up paddle shifters with 4 ranges of regenerative braking. Go away the automobile to its personal gadgets, and it’ll work out how a lot regen to use based mostly on the battery’s state-of-charge and the type of incline you’re driving on. Broadly talking, it really works within the sense of constructing the Civic Hybrid really feel prefer it has a standard transmission, even when it doesn’t.
In case you are on the lookout for a extra bona fide EV expertise, although, some phrases of warning: Even essentially the most aggressive degree doesn’t gradual you down sufficient to imitate one-pedal driving. Annoyingly, after you begin accelerating once more, the system additionally reverts to its lowest setting, so it’s a must to click on again down a couple of pegs in the event you choose to not alter the quantity of cost trickling again into the battery by way of the brake pedal.
One other (admittedly minor) gripe: One of many first issues I’m going for when settling into the lengthy cruise are the seat changes. And whereas the leather-trimmed seats within the Sport Touring Hybrid are moderately snug, what you don’t get, even on this $34,755 top-end mannequin, is any type of lumbar adjustment. It’s a tiny element and I wouldn’t count on something fancy like four-way lumbar help or massaging seats, however nonetheless…to me, the dearth of just a bit decrease again help is a bizarre omission for a automobile that brings a ton of different helpful options to the celebration.
Taking the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid hatchback onto the LA freeways and out into the huge expanses of the Mojave desert was a very good alternative to check out the automobile’s journey high quality and help methods. The entire level of a “highway journey”, although, must be to at the least often depart the Interstates and discover a bit. Happily, the hills and canyons that dominate the Southwest supplied ample alternative to check this Civic’s dealing with functionality, in addition to its punch.
Even with the additional weight of a battery pack and electrical motors onboard, Honda packaged this Civic in such a approach that it loses little of the enjoyable issue. Positive, in the principle the Civic Si or the Kind R on high-performance summer season tires will out-grip and out-corner the hybrid, which on this case rides on Goodyear Assurance Finesse all-seasons. Even so, the Civic Hybrid hatchback gives outstanding physique management when the highway will get twisty, whereas the steering is well-weighted and exact (and the Particular person drive mode helps you to tune the steering really feel, in addition to the throttle response, engine sound and gauge model to your liking).
Whether or not you’re rolling down a dead-straight Interstate or on a twisty again highway, the brand new Civic Hybrid is usually a snug cruiser and a enjoyable corner-carving companion whereas nonetheless returning remarkably good gasoline financial system. Higher but, regardless that 200 horsepower could not sound like a lot, Honda tuned the powertrain to easily ship all of the passing energy you want once you want it, earlier than calming proper again down into the cruise.
Honda struck a pleasant stability between model and ergonomics with the Eleventh-generation Civic, and that carries by way of unmarred to the 2025 Hybrid fashions. For those who’ve sat in a reasonably new Civic, then you definitely’ll really feel proper at house with the honeycomb mesh for the HVAC vents, the easy gear selector, tactile and satisfyingly clicky local weather management knobs and easy steering wheel buttons. It’s no muss, no fuss method simply works, and the 2025 Honda Civic lineup (hybrid or not) will get up to date 3.0-amp USB-C ports within the entrance for straightforward connectivity if in case you have a more moderen smartphone.
Then there’s the infotainment system. On the entire, the Hybrid Sport Touring’s upgraded 9-inch setup with the Google apps baked in is a welcome enchancment, akin to what Honda’s rolled out by way of its different revamped fashions. Functionally talking, it’s not that totally different than the previous system, however having Google Maps native within the system is good in the event you don’t need to depend on cellphone projection, and the brand new system is a bit snappier than what got here earlier than. However right here’s the rub: All the opposite Civic trims get the smaller 7-inch unit with out Google Constructed-in, which feels even smaller with the annoyingly massive sidebar and prime bar taking on actual property. The one time these bars go away is once you plug in to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (however at the least you’ve gotten the choice, even when the Sport Touring is the one mannequin to supply wi-fi cellphone projection).
You’d suppose the hybrid setup would compromise inside area, however Honda packaged this automobile so that you solely lose 2.4 cubic toes all through the whole cabin, so it’s hardly noticeable. Even higher, the hatchback maintains precisely the identical quantity of cargo area as its purely gas-fed counterpart, providing 24.5 cubic toes with the second row in place. With the seats folded, that expands out to 46.2 cubic toes, which immediately makes the hatchback my go-to for greatest all-around highway tripper and each day commuter over the sedan’s 14.5-cubic-foot trunk.
Other than fairly good area and cozy seats, the 2025 Civic Hybrid hatchback has a totally Civic inside, and that’s that. The rear passengers don’t get HVAC vents or USB-C ports of their very own sadly, so of us within the again could not have one of the best time on an extended journey. That stated, aside from the dearth of lumbar adjustment, the entrance seats are a totally nice and cozy place to be for you and your plus-one.
From the deserts and canyons of Arizona and Utah to the 11,158-feet Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado (web site of the world-famous Ike Gauntlet, in fact), I anticipated the uphill climb from LA to hamper the Civic Hybrid’s 45-50 mpg figures a bit. Nearly all of this 1,200-mile journey — even on the again roads I alluded to earlier — ran at freeway (55+ mph) speeds. So, among the many Civic Hybrid hatchback’s 50 Metropolis / 45 Freeway / 48 Mixed mpg scores, we’re eyeing one thing nearer to that 45 mpg freeway ranking.
Over a 1,189.5-mile journey from Los Angeles to our headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, together with a couple of small detours alongside the way in which, I spent a complete of $89.21 for 27.68 gallons of gasoline (Honda recommends 87 Octane for the Civic Hybrid, and that’s what I caught with right here). Whereas the journey laptop suggests a gasoline financial system ranking of 45.5 mpg — roughly proper on the cash — the precise math works out to 42.97 mpg over the whole journey.
Right here’s a better take a look at how the Civic Hybrid carried out on every leg of the journey, beginning with a full tank in LA:
Gasoline StopSegment milesGallons UsedFuel CostSegment Common MPG1) Kingman, AZ364.1 mi9.1 gal$28.2040.01 mpg2) Flagstaff, AZ151.4 mi (515.5 complete)4.13 gal$12.7536.7 mpg3) Moab, UT317.2 mi (832.7 complete)6.29 gal$23.7550.43 mpg4) Superior, CO356.8 mi (1,189.5 complete)8.16 gal$25.2143.73 mpgFull journey totals1,189.5 mi27.68 gal$89.91 ($0.07/mile)42.97 mpg
It’s price noting that this specific 2025 Honda Civic Sport Touring Hybrid had simply 701 miles on the clock once I picked it up. It stands to purpose that we could also be higher outcomes down the highway since we’re simply barely past the break-in interval, and our latest exams have proven a outstanding distinction in gasoline financial system after we put some miles on.
We’re testing this Civic Hybrid hatchback over the following few months, so I’ll be sure you put up one other replace down the highway. Though the journey laptop appears just a little optimistic for this almost 1,200-mile highway journey, 43-ish mpg continues to be mightily spectacular, contemplating I spent most of journey at freeway speeds and made no effort in anyway to hypermile these outcomes.
Once I drove the Civic Hybrid hatch in Nashville, I discussed that I couldn’t make up my thoughts between shopping for this automobile or the Si, if I had been truly available in the market. Each journey on the identical platform and have the identical common set of options, however goal totally different demographics. The Si is sedan solely, however completely comes with a 6-speed guide transmission (and that’s more and more troublesome to search out lately…). The Hybrid, for its half, gives up higher practicality with the hatchback possibility and considerably higher gasoline financial system. I’d argue the Sport Touring can be a bit extra snug, what with the much less aggressive leather-based seats (and even the fabric ones, in the event you go for the bottom Sport Hybrid).
And as a lot as I like each the Civic Si and the Kind R as they rage in opposition to the dying of the sunshine by retaining that third pedal…for the overwhelming majority of you of us procuring a brand new automobile on the market, this Civic Hybrid hathback is a no brainer. Not solely is it the one I’d lean towards as a long-term commuter and highway tripper, nevertheless it’s profitable me over as the most effective highway journey automobiles for the cash, in the event you can deal with the one catch.
That one catch is, in fact, is the worth tag. We’re nonetheless speaking about an financial system automobile right here, and the Sport Hybrid hatch’s $31,300 asking value is $2,700 greater than the usual Sport, with its 150-horsepower 2.0-liter engine and no electrical help. Within the long-term, that additional money is price it for the added efficiency and gasoline financial system, however spending upward of $35,000 for a small hatchback (plus taxes and registration charges, bear in mind) could possibly be a troublesome ask in the event you’re looking for a compact on a decent price range.
Nonetheless, given the present car-buying local weather and in the event you can swing it, the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid hatchback is a superb alternative, all issues thought of.
Take a look at the way it compares to an in depth rival, the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, beneath:
