2013 Honda Civic Revealed

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

Everybody’s favorite schadenfreude victim got a minor refresh intended to stave off the critics and ensure its continued dominance in the best-seller ranks. Did it work?

The changes to the 2013 Honda Civic aren’t exactly earth-shattering, and to be honest, we’re hoping that the interior gets the brunt of the cosmetic work, since it needed it the most. Powertrain and other mechanical details weren’t revealed either. We’ll have to wait for the L.A. Auto Show in a couple weeks time to get those sorted out. The 2012 Civic, even with its supposedly crappy interior, boring styling and forgettable driving dynamics, is still the 4th best selling car in America. The critics may not have liked it, but my Grandma sure did. And it’s her, not them, who are handing over the money.


Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Burgersandbeer Burgersandbeer on Nov 13, 2012

    What did I miss with this article? The headline reads "2013 Honda Civic Revealed," yet there are no interior pics or mechanical details. Is there a link somewhere that I overlooked?

  • Snakebit Snakebit on Nov 13, 2012

    28-Cars-Later, You realize that the Civic 4door/ILX and the TSX are two completely different cars, different platforms, one's US-built and one's Japanese-built. The TSX and the European Accord are the only ones that share that same platform. In the States, the TSX is one of the most popular Acuras, and it would make no sense to stop importing it. That and the TL are what are keeping Acura afloat, as far as passenger car sales.

    • See 1 previous
    • Kvndoom Kvndoom on Nov 13, 2012

      It makes perfect sense... the weak dollar means that Honda is taking a punch for each TSX sold. The America-built ILX is euro/yen-proof so each sale will be more profitable, even at a lower price. Note that TSX year on year sales have halved since the ILX release. Honda wants the ILX to cannibalize enough TSX sales that they can justify dropping it. I would be shocked if there's a 2014 TSX.

  • ToolGuy Why would they change the grille?
  • Oberkanone Nissan proved it can skillfully put new frosting on an old cake with Frontier and Z. Yet, Nissan dealers are so broken they are not good at selling the Frontier. Z production is so minimal I've yet to see one. Could Nissan boost sales? Sure. I've heard Nissan plans to regain share at the low end of the market. Kicks, Versa and lower priced trims of their mainstream SUV's. I just don't see dealerships being motivated to support this effort. Nissan is just about as exciting and compelling as a CVT.
  • ToolGuy Anyone who knows, is this the (preliminary) work of the Ford Skunk Works?
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X I will drive my Frontier into the ground, but for a daily, I'd go with a perfectly fine Versa SR or Mazda3.
  • Zerofoo The green arguments for EVs here are interesting...lithium, cobalt and nickel mines are some of the most polluting things on this planet - even more so when they are operated in 3rd world countries.
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