2017 Honda Civic

Though it may be the base trim, the standard Civic LX comes with a lot of equipment for the money. Standard equipment includes a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (158 horsepower, 138 pound-feet of torque), a six speed manual transmission (a continuously variable transmission is also available), 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, LED daytime running lights and taillights, full power accessories, 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks, cruise control, an expanded-view driver side mirror, automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and manual front seats with driver height adjustment. Electronics features include a 5-inch central display screen, a rearview camera, Bluetooth (phone and audio), and a four-speaker sound system with a USB port. For the hatchback, the Sport comes with the LX equipment plus a more powerful version of the turbocharged engine, 18-inch alloy wheels, foglights, a center-outlet dual exhaust, aerodynamic bodywork, a rear center armrest with cupholders, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The standard LX is nice enough, but if you'd like a bit more in-car tech and a few more basic creature comforts, then step up to the EX. The EX builds off the base LX, but it adds the CVT as standard along with a sunroof, heated side mirrors, a rear center armrest with cupholders, an eight-speaker audio system with dual USB ports, Honda's LaneWatch blind-spot camera, dynamic guidelines for the rearview camera, keyless ignition and entry with remote start, and a 7-inch touchscreen interface with satellite radio, Pandora compatibility, HondaLink smartphone integration and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration (including app-based navigation). Stepping up to the EX-T gets you one of the Civic's best items, the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine (174 hp, 167 lb-ft). It also comes with a six-speed manual transmission as standard or an optional CVT (174 hp, 162 lb-ft). Thanks to impressive acceleration and big fuel economy numbers, the turbocharged four-cylinder is enough reason alone to buy an EX-T Civic or above, but the EX-T also adds foglights, dual-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats. Right near the top of the heap is the EX-L, which gets the CVT and upgrades to leather upholstery, an eight-way power driver seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and an integrated navigation system. The hatchback-only Sport Touring essentially builds off the regular Sport trim and adds different 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, automatic wipers, a four-way power passenger seat, heated rear seats and a 12-speaker audio system. Also standard is a Honda Sensing safety package that includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane departure intervention, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. You can get the Honda Sensing safety package as an option on the other Civic trim levels. The Touring trim level (for the sedan) essentially comes with the same equipment as the Sport Touring hatchback, but the stereo has 10 speakers instead of 12.