2007 Honda Civic Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Written by George Kennedy

Published May 25, 2021

$15,605 to $25,185

6.7/10

CarGurus expert score

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The CarGurus verdict

The Civic offers practicality and quality encapsulated in an efficient and comfortable compact car.

The Honda Civic is one of the most popular cars on the market, with good reason. It's economical and efficient, with sharp styling and a high-quality interior. It also brings forth features that have been rarities in its segment, such as available navigation. In short, the Civic elevates the standards for the compact car market.

The 2007 model year is part of the eighth generation of the Civic, which was redesigned for the 2006 model year, and carried over the following year. Honda and the Civic's reputation are such that these cars hold their value for years. Even if you pay a bit more than than you would for the average small car price, you’ll be rewarded with a top-notch car that will hold its value well.

6.7

out of 10 expert review

Look & feel

8/10

The eighth-generation Civic was the first to move away from the traditional three-box design for the sedan and coupe, replacing it with the “jellybean” silhouette. The Civic set the bar for design in this segment.

Inside, the Civic features a unique “two-tier” instrument panel that is a major departure from conventional design. Perhaps inspired by video games, it is mostly digital, with status bars replacing dials, and it has a large digital speedometer. The upper tier of the instrument panel blends into the dash and flows into the center console.

Trims for the Civic, include the DX, the DX-VP (Value Package), LX, EX, and EX-L. 2007 also marks the return of the sporty Si trim. The DX is the base trim and provides a manual seat with height adjustment, manual tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and power windows. The DX has an extremely basic four-speaker audio setup and 15-inch steel wheels with plastic covers.

The DX-VP or “Value Package” adds upgrades the stereo to a 160-watt 4-speaker setup with AM/FM/MP3 head unit and a CD player. The DX-VP also adds air conditioning.

The LX features larger 16-inch wheels but they are still “steelies” with plastic covers. It also adds an anti-theft system with remote entry, floor mats, and a USB/iPod/auxiliary port to the system, which allows it to play music and connect to a mobile device.

If you want 16-inch alloy wheels, look to the EX trim, which also gets 4-wheel disc brakes, a power moonroof, an exterior temperature indicator, and a 12-volt ACC power outlet (in addition to the one that comes standard on the DX, DX-VP, and LX). The rear seat of the EX sedan gains a fold-out center armrest with cup holders, while the EX coupe’s stereo is upgraded to a 6-speaker 360-watt system.

When shopping Honda’s, keep an eye out for the “L” in the trim designation if you are looking for leather seating. In addition to the leather upholstery, the EX-L adds an expanded center console, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, and heated/power side mirrors. The EX and EX-L are available with a touch screen navigation system, which was a rarity among compact cars for the time.

The Si is the performance model and has other upgrades, such as 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless trunk access, a seven-speaker, 360-watt premium stereo, and a power moonroof.

Performance

6/10

Most trims of the Civic are powered by a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine, putting out 140 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. It routes power to the front wheels through either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission.

The sporty Civic Si comes with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine making 197 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to 6-speed manual transmission and routes power to the front wheels through a limited-slip differential that enhances the performance driving experience. The Si also has stiffer springs and sway bars, which contribute to improved handling. The ride of the Si is not so stiff that you can’t drive comfortably, and so it's a fantastic choice as a daily drivable performance car.

But if you don’t need the performance of the Si, the standard engine in the rest of the lineup makes adequate acceleration. It won’t blow your hair back, but it will be enough to get you up to highway speeds and make passing maneuvers reliably every day.

The standard engine with the standard transmission returns 26 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, 29 combined. With the automatic transmission, fuel economy is posted at 25/36/29. The Civic Si and its slightly larger engine returns fuel economy of 20/29/23.

Form & function

7/10

Despite the unique instrument panel layout, the Civic has rather conventional controls. For all models without the touchscreen, the Civic has straightforward radio and climate controls, with large, easy-to-locate dials and helpful buttons. Hop in, and there’s little to no learning curve for the center stack.

The Civic has a highly functional cabin, with trays and bins in the center console and center stack. The doors have decently sized cargo bins, and there are small cubbies to the left of the steering wheel in the dash. These could be used for a phone, a wallet, or keys.

The sedan has decent rear legroom for passengers, and you can reasonably seat four adults for a couple-hour road trip. The coupe has nearly 5 inches less legroom, and getting into the rear seats makes it less comfortable as well. So long as the front passenger is short enough that they can slide their seat up a bit, an adult can sit in the rear seat.

The Civic has 12.0 cubic feet of trunk space in the sedan, and 11.5 cubic feet of trunk space in the coupe. These numbers are less than that of the 2007 Toyota Corolla, which has 13.6 cubic feet of trunk space.

Technology

5/10

As mentioned, the base car has little more than four speakers. Other models have the upgraded stereo with AM/FM/CD capabilities, as well as a USB port for mobile music device connection.

The optional touchscreen navigation system is a rare feature in the 2007 car market. It's admittedly basic, and it may be worth waiting for the technology to advance before splurging on this feature.

Safety

6/10

Standard safety features on the 2007 Honda Civic include 4-wheel antilock brakes (front discs and rear drums), electronic brake-force distribution, and a full array of front- and side-impact airbags. Moving up to the EX adds a remote anti-theft alarm system and upgrades the rear brakes from drums to solid disc brakes.

This car does not come with a reversing camera, but the system does have a port to add an aftermarket camera. If you purchase from a Honda dealer, it may be able to reliably install one.

Cost-effectiveness

8/10

There are less expensive compact cars than the Honda Civic, but you’d be hard-pressed to find such a high-quality small car for the price. The Honda Civic drives well, is incredibly reliable, and it is efficient by 2007's standards.

The Toyota Corolla gives the Civic a run for its proverbial money in many areas, but Honda’s compact sedan remains a high-quality choice any way you slice it.

What owners say

AI Summary · 85 reviews

"Overall, drivers are quite positive about the 2007 Honda Civic, praising its great performance, stylish design, and impressive fuel economy. Many love the handling and stability, especially at high speeds, while others appreciate the comfortable interior and advanced features. However, some drivers have mentioned the lack of low-end power and rear visibility as downsides, along with limited rear space for families."

4.7

85 reviews

Write a review

by Anonymous

I had researched several different vehicles in this before purchasing this one right off the truck. Alternatives were the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, Nissan Altima, Pontiac G5, VW Golf, Toyota Corolla, and the Toyota Matrix. All of these are fine in their own ways but none can quite compare to the Civic outside of the Golf. The Civic has better handling on sharper corners, an example of this, there is a certain corner that I take that the entry speed is 55 in the other cars, the Golfs was 60 and the Civic was able to do it flat at 72 mph. Acceleration is a bit lacking though and it feels as though it could do better but is just not quite tuned right. The interior is roomy, I am six foot five and can fit in it comfortably... the one complain I have is that the handbrake pokes into my leg if I lean it there. Fuel economy is excellent though. I have been able to get well over 40 mpg traveling on the highway at 72 mph. In town it is cut back a bit to around 30 mpg due to stopping and going and passing. The car is fairly light on its feet but provides good traction in rainy weather. I will say that it does not do well in snow and ice; where I was only able to do 25 mph, other cars were passing me by at 45. Some people don't like the digital speedometer/fuel gauge but I have come to prefer it, it is strategically placed in my line of sight and I can easily concentrate on my speed as well as the road ahead. I dislike the fact the the front pillars come forward so far as to obstruct my view when taking a corner and the road noise can be a bit pronounced. I do like the looks of the car although they are a bit French and reflect a lot you would see in a Citroen. I have put nearly thirty thousand miles on it in the past year and it has not been in the shop one time. The top speed is supposedly limited to 125 mph but I have seen my speedometer at 138 which is not bad at all for a four cylinder car.

October 11, 2008

by Megan F

it's the best and most reliable car i could have ever own.

January 6, 2008

by Dan D

Easy to ride and handle; feels sporty, great audio system, crystal clear at high volume. Great NAV with various languages voice commands, voice recognition system works great. Playing CD/MP3 with SD card for music. XM sattelite radio is awesome (separate subscrition needed).

January 13, 2012