2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring

My first car was a 1987 Honda Civic that was a hand-me-down from my older brother. And while you might picture him handing me the keys to a small old sedan, you would be right. However, during his ownership of the car, he installed a massive exhaust tip and lowered it about three inches, effectively making it look cooler and faster than it actually was.

Keep in mind that this little Civic only had 70 horsepower and a four-speed automatic transmission. It could barely get out of its own way, much less beat anything in a race. On the plus side, it did get nearly 40 mpg, so it was at least very efficient. I just spent a week driving the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid and it seems that 38 years later, Honda has perfected the art of making its cars quick, reliable, and fuel-efficient, which is everything my faithful first car was trying to be. Thankfully, this new Civic looks a lot cooler, too, and it doesn’t need a massive exhaust tip.

Interior

Upon first entering the 2025 Civic Hybrid, my friend said, “There is nothing about this car that impresses me.” I had to forgive him for this remark because in his mind, it was just a lowly Civic and thus more inferior to the other cars I have reviewed. I then pointed out the softness of the leather seats, the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the retro-looking grated vents that stretch across the dashboard. I pointed out that it has heated seats, a Bose audio system, and infotainment touchscreen in the middle of the dash to alert him of the technology that this car provides.

I then had him sit in the back seat, where there is ample head and legroom for people that are under six-feet-tall like, like the both of us. However, the middle seat should be reserved for children. I even showed him the trunk area, which measures 14.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded up and 24.5 cubes with it down. After this mini tour, my friend was finally appeased and gave the Civic Hybrid his nod of approval.

Exterior

After dropping off my friend at his destination, I marveled at the Civic Hybrid’s exterior, which looks classy and compact. The latest generation of the Civic debuted in 2022 and was refreshed for the 2025 model year, which included revised headlights and a new bumper treatment.

The hybrid model gets a set of funky-looking 18-inch wheels to set itself apart from the regular models. Overall, I think the Civic Hybrid looks good, without being too overbearing like some of the past iterations. It also comes in a hatchback body style for those who want a little more cargo space.

Drivetrain and driving impressions

After admiring the Civic’s sophisticated looks, I popped the hood open to check out what it has. Yes, there’s a four-cylinder engine in there, along with a lot of orange lines and random hoses. For those who wouldn’t know what they’re looking at, the Civic Hybrid pairs a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine with two electric motors for a combined 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque. It’s a similar setup that’s used in the CR-V and Accord Hybrid, but the Civic is front-drive only.

The driver can select between a range of regenerative braking levels, which keeps the battery full. However, one-pedal driving is not possible in this car. But then again, you don’t really need it. The remarkable thing about the Civic Hybrid is that it drives like a normal car and most drivers wouldn’t know the difference between a regular Civic and the hybrid. But I can, mainly because the Civic Hybrid is noticeably more lively when accelerating from a stop.

The battery-powered motors allow the car to glide from a standstill with electric-car ease and then the gas engine takes over when the pedal is pressed further. When the gas engine isn’t needed, like during highway cruising, the Civic runs on its electric-only mode to save gas. When more power is needed, the gas engine comes back online in a smooth fashion to give the car more juice. Overall, the Civic Hybrid’s power is impressive and I can believe it when other critics have noted that it’s quicker off the line than its performance-oriented Civic Si stablemate.

As for the Civic saving gas, that’s its main draw. The EPA estimates that it can achieve up to 50 mpg in the city, 47 mpg on the highway, and 49 mpg combined. I smashed those numbers during my week of driving, achieving a high of 53 mpg, according to the onboard display. I even tried putting the car in “sport mode” and mashing the throttle everywhere to see if I could get it into the 40-mpg range, but I was unsuccessful. So, if you’re looking for a commuter car that can get 50 mpg without trying, this is it.

Technology

After checking out the engine bay, I sat inside the car again to see what it had to offer as far as technology. My tester was the up-level Sport Touring trim, so it came with everything you could need and want in a car these days. That includes a nine-inch color touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a Bose 12-speaker audio system, and Google Built-in. There’s even a wireless phone charging dock, which works flawlessly.

After listening to a couple songs through the speakers, which sound amazing, I got out of the car and walked away. One feature I really like on this car, which is found on other Honda models as well, is the “walk away auto lock” feature, which locks the car automatically when you walk a few feet away. Of course, it can also lock with the touch of the door handle, but it’s so nice to just walk away without having to do or worry about anything.

Safety

Honda has always prided itself on producing some of the safest cars on the road and the Civic Hybrid is no exception. Fortunately, I didn’t have to test its numerous airbags or other passive safety features, but I did test out some of its Honda Sensing features. The adaptive cruise control worked well, as did the lane-keep assist, which kept the car centered in the lane and away from the car in front of me.

The Honda Sensing suite also comes with other features like road departure mitigation, a forward collision warning, and a collision mitigation braking system, but I didn’t have to use any of those since they usually kick in when an accident might occur.

Summary

After my experience with the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid, I’m convinced that it is the one-stop shop for anyone looking for commuter car that can save them a lot of gas in between fill ups. It’s pretty fun to drive, given its electric power, and it handles really well. Also, despite my friend’s initial disapproval, the Civic’s interior has plenty of charm and personality, given its sophisticated look and premium features. So much so, that I think it’s worth its $32,845 price tag, and you definitely don’t need to lower it or stick a large exhaust on to make it stand out from anything else on the road.