Last year, the Civic was in the Top-10 most selling cars in the US. No surprise really. Its cheap and reliable and you have some good set of standard features and options as well. That part of the Civic hasn’t changed in ‘09. You can get the base model for under $14,000 and taking into account the great fuel economy its safe to say you won’t regret it. You also have the (more underground & out of factory) option of souping it up since the chassis is so good.

If you are a Civic owner, then the chances are you aren’t looking to buy a new car anytime soon. The new Civic has a new front end which looks oh-so-slightly different from the old one. On the EX and EX-L trims you get a 60-40 folding for the rear seats which gives you quite a bit of cargo room for the odd trip or transport. They have added 2 new levels to the Civic lineup with the LX-S and the DX-VP.

This model year Honda has slightly modified the Civic’s front end, and added standard Vehicle Stability Assist and 60/40 split folding rear seats for the EX and EX-L trims. These 2 trims also have a STATNAV option.

The engine isn’t stellar but I guess you should be comparing it with the right things. For your money you get an i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine which generates 140 horsepower. I guess, for the price, the Civic 1.8-liter is the best you can get. The standard gearbox is 5-speed manual with an automatic option as well. If you can handle the slightly worse fuel economy, I would suggest the automatic as the ride is more care-free. The engine isn’t all that bad and weak. Its average for its class – 0-60 in 9.6 seconds. The sportier Si model can do the 60 in just over 7 seconds and it is this choice of models which makes the Civic so attractive. Its like an entire line of cars on its own.

The number of trims available are staggering. You have everything from the awesome and sporty Si to the environment ensemble – the Hybrid and the natural gas powered Gi. The most economical though is the DX. Its basically a compartment with 4 wheels and it drives without eating a hole in your pocket. Well actually in the ‘09 model you get air con and a 4-speaker audio system as standard. Amazing! Middle of the range is the LX, which is the most popular. You get key less entry, cruise control and folding seats. The LX-S looks sportier and is generally more expensive.

The resale value is tremendous. You really can’t go wrong with your civic – unless you drive it into a tree. Even then, after the repairs it’ll run for a lifetime! If you have the pocket to buy the high-end EX-L model then I would suggest you give the Hybrid a look as well. It has nearly twice the mileage for just $3,100 more and you can feel green.