The 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid rolls into American showrooms today, and it’s likely to be both economical and an extraordinarily pleasant car to live with. However, if you’re looking for a truly cheap and cheerful hybrid sedan, the Honda Civic Hybrid might not be your first choice because it starts at more than what a loaded Corolla Hybrid costs.
To get into the lowest-cost 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid, you’re looking at the Sport Hybrid trim, which retails for $29,845 including freight. While that does include some lovely creature comforts like dual-zone automatic climate control, a moonroof, and heated front seats, that’s still a substantially more expensive entry point compared to the competition.
For example, if you want a high-spec Corolla Hybrid, like the XLE trim with leatherette, a moonroof, heated seats, and wireless smartphone charging, you’ll be looking at a sticker price of $28,345 including freight, or $1,500 less than the entry point for a Civic Hybrid. Even if you add the $600 JBL audio system, you can still have a nice vacation for the difference in price between the Corolla and the Civic.
OK with fewer features? No problem, the Corolla Hybrid range goes all the way down to the $24,595 LE trim. While fairly basic, it includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, power windows, single-zone automatic climate control, LED headlights, and sensible 16-inch wheels with reasonably priced tires. In this end of the market, many consumers are looking for affordable transportation rather than premium aspirations, so a $24,595 relatively basic hybrid sedan holds huge appeal, as does a sporty SE trim in-between the LE and XLE and the option of all-wheel-drive.
Of course, the Corolla Hybrid isn’t the only competitor to the Honda Civic Hybrid. Hyundai will sell you a brand new Elantra Hybrid for as little as $27,400 including freight, and while that trim doesn’t include heated seats or a moonroof, it does include a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, dual-zone automatic climate control, blind spot monitoring, and a surprisingly handy hands-free proximity-based trunk release. That’s not a bad tradeoff at all considering savings of $2,445 over the cheapest Civic Hybrid.
Alright, so the Civic Hybrid does have more power than either the Corolla or the Elantra, but fuel economy — the figure that really matters — isn’t a decisive win for Honda. The Civic is rated at 51 mpg city, 47 mpg highway, and 49 mpg combined, the Corolla Hybrid XLE is rated at 53 mpg city, 46 mpg highway, and 50 mpg combined, and the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is rated at 51 mpg city, 58 mpg highway, and 54 mpg combined.
Hang on, if the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid starts at $29,845, where does it go from there? That would be the Sport Touring Hybrid trim, which stickers for $32,845 including freight. It adds new wheels, Google built-in, leather seating, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a nine-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a wireless smartphone charger, but that doesn’t seem like an overwhelming amount of equipment for a $32,845 compact car, especially when the loaded $30,600 Elantra Hybrid Limited adds the luxury of ventilated seats.
Will the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid be good? Probably. We already like the refinement and upscale materials inside the outgoing Civic, and the hybrid system in the current Accord impressed us. At the same time, we recognize that people looking for an entry-level hybrid vehicle are often shopping value. No matter how you slice it, $29,845 is a lot of money, and Honda would do well to offer the hybrid powertrain in less expensive trims.
(Photo credits: Honda, Toyota, Hyundai)
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My fiancee and I bought a Corolla Hybrid about 6 months ago, primarily for her to drive. MSRP right around $27k. Coming from a 20-year-old dying shitbox, all she wanted was basic, affordable, reliable transportation and the car has certainly delivered on that. She is thrilled with it.
Of course, it is not an “enthusiast” car by any means, but the thing that really caught me off guard was the lack of basic comfort/ergonomic features. I daily a 2016 VW GSW which, adjusted for inflation, is not too far off in price than the Corolla, so I was expecting similar cheapness/lack of features. But the Corolla brings cost-cutting to a new level. A few things that I’ve found frustrating:
– Center armrest is not adjustable.
– Lack of driver storage space (no overhead sunglasses storage, center console bin is tiny, door pockets hardly fit a water bottle, etc).
– The intermittent wiper speed is not adjustable and the lowest setting is way too fast for when there is only light drizzle.
– Most of the buttons are not back-lit and difficult to use when driving at night.
– No pocket on the back of the front seats.
– Probably more that I can’t think of off the top of my head…
Maybe my expectations were too high, but I think that if the Civic offers some of these features that the base Corolla lacks, coupled with the perennial lack of availability of all Toyota hybrids, I wouldn’t be surprised to see even the most budget-minded people willing to spend a little extra to get into the Civic.
My wife dailys a 2005 Pontiac Vibe and her work has a couple of corolla hybrids for company cars and she’s even complained how they barely feel nicer inside than her car, and definitely feel really basic compared to other cars in the same class.
This seems fine. Yeah it’s a bit expensive, but the Civic has always been more expensive compared to the equivalent Corolla or Elantra. All three have their place. Corolla will be the most trustworthy (but slow as hell), the Hyundai will have the best features (but do you trust it/the dealer?) and the Honda will likely be the best to drive, (but most expensive). One of these should slot in nicely to whatever a buyer is looking for from a hybrid sedan.
+1, I was prepared to be shocked by some low $40’s but it’s only $2-3k difference. I’d probably personally pick the Hyundai at this point, but the difference between $30,600 and $32,800 doesn’t knock Honda out of contention.
This seems fine. Yeah it’s a bit expensive, but the Civic has always been more expensive compared to the equivalent Corolla or Elantra. All three have their place. Corolla will be the most trustworthy (but slow as hell), the Hyundai will have the best features (but do you trust it/the dealer?) and the Honda will likely be the best to drive, (but most expensive). One of these should slot in nicely to whatever a buyer is looking for from a hybrid sedan.
+1, I was prepared to be shocked by some low $40’s but it’s only $2-3k difference. I’d probably personally pick the Hyundai at this point, but the difference between $30,600 and $32,800 doesn’t knock Honda out of contention.
The corolla and Elantra also look miles better and not giving duck face all the time.
The corolla and Elantra also look miles better and not giving duck face all the time.
The Hondas I’ve had have been completely reliable, and this Civic looks better and drives better. I’d cross-shop, but wouldn’t be surprised at all if I ended up with the Civic.
Civics aren’t really Civics anymore, but that’s another issue. I’d love to see a proper Honda subcompact hatch again but won’t hold my breath.
“Civics aren’t really Civics anymore”
That true, it’s as large as an Accord was just a few decades ago.
I wish they didn’t kill the Fit here. I’d pay for one spec’d like a Civic Sport Touring 6MT if it were available, but I’d be a fringe case because that’s not the target demographic for the segment.
The Hondas I’ve had have been completely reliable, and this Civic looks better and drives better. I’d cross-shop, but wouldn’t be surprised at all if I ended up with the Civic.
Civics aren’t really Civics anymore, but that’s another issue. I’d love to see a proper Honda subcompact hatch again but won’t hold my breath.
“Civics aren’t really Civics anymore”
That true, it’s as large as an Accord was just a few decades ago.
I wish they didn’t kill the Fit here. I’d pay for one spec’d like a Civic Sport Touring 6MT if it were available, but I’d be a fringe case because that’s not the target demographic for the segment.
Honda has a high opinion of itself. Personally, I think the Elantra hybrid is the best deal, or Corolla if you’re not quite sold on Hyundai reliability.
Honda has a high opinion of itself. Personally, I think the Elantra hybrid is the best deal, or Corolla if you’re not quite sold on Hyundai reliability.
Civics in general are expensive, so this isn’t really new or exclusive to the hybrid. The base Civic LX was already a $25k car with 4 speakers, wheel covers, and single speed intermittent wipers. Before anyone says “I don’t need more than that” it’s more that competitors give you the same for less money, or more for the same price. Not even talking H/K, that goes for regular Corollas or even like the Mazda 3. But the Civic outsells the Accord now, so people are paying up.
Also Honda and Toyota are moving toward hybrid powertrains not as just economical options but engine upgrades that happen to be hybrids.
Two things to keep in mind vs the Corolla:
The Civic is much roomier inside (same against a Prius). Nearly 10 cubic feet of interior volume (little less when equipped with moonroofs, which the Civic hybrids all have) and nearly 2 cubic feet more trunk space. Actually the Civic is closer to the new Camry in several dimensions than the Corolla, mostly losing out on width, so it sort of splits the two.
The Civic is going to be a better performer vs. the Corolla. Tests of the Accord hybrid put it much quicker than what Corolla hybrids have been tested at. Against a Prius it’s a much narrower but the Prius’ tech is newer/more improved and I’d expect the next Corolla will be improved in that regard.
Civics in general are expensive, so this isn’t really new or exclusive to the hybrid. The base Civic LX was already a $25k car with 4 speakers, wheel covers, and single speed intermittent wipers. Before anyone says “I don’t need more than that” it’s more that competitors give you the same for less money, or more for the same price. Not even talking H/K, that goes for regular Corollas or even like the Mazda 3. But the Civic outsells the Accord now, so people are paying up.
Also Honda and Toyota are moving toward hybrid powertrains not as just economical options but engine upgrades that happen to be hybrids.
Two things to keep in mind vs the Corolla:
The Civic is much roomier inside (same against a Prius). Nearly 10 cubic feet of interior volume (little less when equipped with moonroofs, which the Civic hybrids all have) and nearly 2 cubic feet more trunk space. Actually the Civic is closer to the new Camry in several dimensions than the Corolla, mostly losing out on width, so it sort of splits the two.
The Civic is going to be a better performer vs. the Corolla. Tests of the Accord hybrid put it much quicker than what Corolla hybrids have been tested at. Against a Prius it’s a much narrower but the Prius’ tech is newer/more improved and I’d expect the next Corolla will be improved in that regard.
So the Maverick way is start cheap make few then rise up price. Honda are just like screw it lets start high and make few.
So the Maverick way is start cheap make few then rise up price. Honda are just like screw it lets start high and make few.
Is the Corolla a snooze to drive? The Civic may be more of a drivers car. Otherwise it’s another victim of “premium everything”.
YES! It’s a very good car for people who want the cheapest buying and running costs with the least worry and DGAF about a driving experience. It’s not torture and was better than I expected in terms of performance (“performance”?), that is being perfectly adequate with better grip from the eco tires than I thought (they must have gotten a lot better), and I easily beat the rated mileage, but it will give your soul a dull ache if you enjoy driving and will be disappointing to anyone who wants anything that feels premium or has a bunch of features (not that anyone should expect that).
That confirms my suspicions. Not a driver’s car by any means. The one newer Civic I’ve ridden in felt pretty responsive. Every Toyota I’ve driven or ridden in needed to be pushed to 8/10 to at least get some semblance of personality.
Guy at work has a 1.5T Civic and it’s definitely a better driver. He did have an engine blow, though, it was a warranty job. IMO, if you care about driving, life is too short and uncertain to drive the Corolla if you can afford a little annoyance or worry in exchange for some personality. I had a Camry I had to buy in an emergency and thought I’d keep it as a 2nd car, but every time I drove it, I wondered why I was doing that to myself with the GR86 at home. Saving the miles? For who?
Yes.
Is the Corolla a snooze to drive? The Civic may be more of a drivers car. Otherwise it’s another victim of “premium everything”.
YES! It’s a very good car for people who want the cheapest buying and running costs with the least worry and DGAF about a driving experience. It’s not torture and was better than I expected in terms of performance (“performance”?), that is being perfectly adequate with better grip from the eco tires than I thought (they must have gotten a lot better), and I easily beat the rated mileage, but it will give your soul a dull ache if you enjoy driving and will be disappointing to anyone who wants anything that feels premium or has a bunch of features (not that anyone should expect that).
That confirms my suspicions. Not a driver’s car by any means. The one newer Civic I’ve ridden in felt pretty responsive. Every Toyota I’ve driven or ridden in needed to be pushed to 8/10 to at least get some semblance of personality.
Guy at work has a 1.5T Civic and it’s definitely a better driver. He did have an engine blow, though, it was a warranty job. IMO, if you care about driving, life is too short and uncertain to drive the Corolla if you can afford a little annoyance or worry in exchange for some personality. I had a Camry I had to buy in an emergency and thought I’d keep it as a 2nd car, but every time I drove it, I wondered why I was doing that to myself with the GR86 at home. Saving the miles? For who?
Yes.
Pricing seems like a huge misstep compared with the corolla.
Pricing seems like a huge misstep compared with the corolla.
I sure hope this powertrain finds its way into the Integra but I don’t know if it will. Luxury buyers are more open to EVs and as a result many luxury brands are skipping hybrids entirely…and Acura now has that 6,000 pound ultium abomination.
Anyway, I’d gladly pay the premium for this over an Elantra or Corolla. It has better styling, a better interior, and more power than both. I also trust Honda’s hybrid system over Hyundai’s when it comes to longevity.
Yeah I think the only comparable one here is probably the Camry don’t the Elantra and Corolla have way less horse power figures?
I sure hope this powertrain finds its way into the Integra but I don’t know if it will. Luxury buyers are more open to EVs and as a result many luxury brands are skipping hybrids entirely…and Acura now has that 6,000 pound ultium abomination.
Anyway, I’d gladly pay the premium for this over an Elantra or Corolla. It has better styling, a better interior, and more power than both. I also trust Honda’s hybrid system over Hyundai’s when it comes to longevity.
Yeah I think the only comparable one here is probably the Camry don’t the Elantra and Corolla have way less horse power figures?
Still, I’d have the Civic. Seems like the best all-rounder, between the extra power and competitive MPG. Plus, the interior seems to be nicer than the Corolla.
Still, I’d have the Civic. Seems like the best all-rounder, between the extra power and competitive MPG. Plus, the interior seems to be nicer than the Corolla.
Thank you for this. I was reading the drive’s take on this and they just referenced that it was cheaper than a Prius, which is missing the point entirely. This is not meant to compete with the Prius, the corolla comparison is dead on and yeah then the civic no longer looks like the good deal, because it isn’t.
Yeah it seems if the hybrid will be sedan only? If it had a hatch option I would cross shop it with the Prius.
The hatchback was covered as part of the initial announcement last month and gets the same trims minus the LX, but would have been good if this article also mentioned that hatch hybrid pricing will be announced later – Honda said in their press release later this summer. If it follows current pricing, the hatch will probably be around a grand more; a Sport hybrid hatch will probably split the difference between the LE/XLE Prius trims, and the Sport Touring between XLE/Limited.
Ah, right now the Honda website only seemed to mention “Civic sedan” as a coming soon hybrid, which they do differentiate from the “Civic hatchback” model.
Yes, it’s strange how they’ve buried it on there. The hatch does show as one of the sliders on the homepage, but hasn’t gotten a dedicated landing page the way the sedan has had, the ‘learn more’ just links out to the press release.
Damn. I checked Honda’s website today and saw the sedan thing. I thought there may be hope of retaining the manual in the hatchback. Meh.
These are dark days for fans of the third pedal.
Maybe they’ll still surprise us with something with the proper announcement of the ’25 Si…doubtful though, given the Canadian hatch and Si specs have been out and not meaningfully changed.
It isn’t even cheaper than a Prius though, the Prius starts at $29,470 including destination charge, so the Civic Hybrid is still a few hundred more
I think they were comparing top specs but I don’t remember, I stopped paying attention because it just didn’t make sense
Prii climb pretty quickly from that base price.
That doesn’t really mean they won’t be cross-shopped though. If you’re in a Toyota showroom, a higher-equipped hybrid Corolla, a base Prius, and a base Camry are all arguably on the table, especially since the cheapest of those three is actually the least efficient.
Fair. Most people I have known with Priusesii all wanted that and only that, but the current gen definitely has a lot more mainstream appeal than it ever used to
I think that will still tend to be the case just since Prius production is much lower than the other two. But there’s probably people that will still just equate Prius with fuel economy and might start out looking at those, then move to a cheaper (Corolla) or bigger (Camry) option when they see the price.
The Civic hybrid seems to more split the difference between different Toyota options.
I like the new Camry, and would love a wagon version… I guess the closest thing to that is the Crown Signia which includes a significant price jump.
I can’t believe I’ve become so automotively old that I’m willing to buy a Camry but they don’t make a Camry frumpy enough for me.
Thank you for this. I was reading the drive’s take on this and they just referenced that it was cheaper than a Prius, which is missing the point entirely. This is not meant to compete with the Prius, the corolla comparison is dead on and yeah then the civic no longer looks like the good deal, because it isn’t.
Yeah it seems if the hybrid will be sedan only? If it had a hatch option I would cross shop it with the Prius.
The hatchback was covered as part of the initial announcement last month and gets the same trims minus the LX, but would have been good if this article also mentioned that hatch hybrid pricing will be announced later – Honda said in their press release later this summer. If it follows current pricing, the hatch will probably be around a grand more; a Sport hybrid hatch will probably split the difference between the LE/XLE Prius trims, and the Sport Touring between XLE/Limited.
Ah, right now the Honda website only seemed to mention “Civic sedan” as a coming soon hybrid, which they do differentiate from the “Civic hatchback” model.
Yes, it’s strange how they’ve buried it on there. The hatch does show as one of the sliders on the homepage, but hasn’t gotten a dedicated landing page the way the sedan has had, the ‘learn more’ just links out to the press release.
Damn. I checked Honda’s website today and saw the sedan thing. I thought there may be hope of retaining the manual in the hatchback. Meh.
These are dark days for fans of the third pedal.
Maybe they’ll still surprise us with something with the proper announcement of the ’25 Si…doubtful though, given the Canadian hatch and Si specs have been out and not meaningfully changed.
It isn’t even cheaper than a Prius though, the Prius starts at $29,470 including destination charge, so the Civic Hybrid is still a few hundred more
I think they were comparing top specs but I don’t remember, I stopped paying attention because it just didn’t make sense
Prii climb pretty quickly from that base price.
That doesn’t really mean they won’t be cross-shopped though. If you’re in a Toyota showroom, a higher-equipped hybrid Corolla, a base Prius, and a base Camry are all arguably on the table, especially since the cheapest of those three is actually the least efficient.
Fair. Most people I have known with Priusesii all wanted that and only that, but the current gen definitely has a lot more mainstream appeal than it ever used to
I think that will still tend to be the case just since Prius production is much lower than the other two. But there’s probably people that will still just equate Prius with fuel economy and might start out looking at those, then move to a cheaper (Corolla) or bigger (Camry) option when they see the price.
The Civic hybrid seems to more split the difference between different Toyota options.
I like the new Camry, and would love a wagon version… I guess the closest thing to that is the Crown Signia which includes a significant price jump.
I can’t believe I’ve become so automotively old that I’m willing to buy a Camry but they don’t make a Camry frumpy enough for me.
It’s a real shame how fat and long the modern Civic has gotten. I’m not even that old and I remember there being compact Civics in the past.
Yeah it seems the civic has pretty much replaced the accord size wize. While the accord has gotten even bigger.
The real issue is that there’s no longer a smaller option (Fit) to take over for what the Civic once was.
I need more likes for this. Signed: Fit owner.
It’s a real shame how fat and long the modern Civic has gotten. I’m not even that old and I remember there being compact Civics in the past.
Yeah it seems the civic has pretty much replaced the accord size wize. While the accord has gotten even bigger.
The real issue is that there’s no longer a smaller option (Fit) to take over for what the Civic once was.
I need more likes for this. Signed: Fit owner.