Honda has earned a reputation for being, well, reputable. Their lineup of sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and electric vehicles may all be different on the outside, but they have one very important thing in common. These cars are all made by Honda, which means there is a very high chance that they are reliable.

Enter: the Honda Civic. The Honda Civic is a JDM car that has earned a spot on the list of the best-selling cars in the entire world. There must be something behind that, right? The Honda Civic has a lot going for it, and that has consistently been the case throughout the decades of its lifespan so far.

The Honda Civic is a favorite among modders, commuters, families, and just about every category of car consumer. Some of the years of the Honda Civic and some of the Honda Civic generations stand out a bit more than others, though.

Perfection can’t be a constant. The best years of the Honda Civic do things better than other Honda Civic models. If you are considering owning a car that is a bestseller, you may want to know what year Honda Civic is most reliable. We take a look at Honda reliability and what the best Honda Civic is - read on.

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How The Honda Civic Got Its Start

1980 Honda Civic
Charles01 via Wikimedia Commons

Honda is a household car name known across the world. Originally founded in 1946 by Soichiro Honda, this Japanese company started as a manufacturer of motorized bicycles.

A few decades later and 1963 saw Honda begin to manufacture cars. By 1972 the first Civic rolled off of the production line. Honda’s intention with the Civic was to create a European style car that would sell domestically in Japan. But the Civic wasn’t just a jump into this arena. The Honda Civic was an evolution of previous cars manufactured by Honda by way of their accomplishments with the Honda N360 and Honda 1300. This is where Honda's reliability really started to show.

Why Honda Is Known For Their Reliability

2021 Honda Civic
KBB

Early in Soichiro Honda’s venture into the automotive world, he faced rejection for his poor quality piston rings. This lack of quality resulted in him looking into Toyota’s “Five Whys” philosophy. This technique is a means to help troubleshoot and diagnose an issue by asking the question “why” 5 times in order to get to the bottom of the problem. The intention is to find the root of the issue by stripping back layers of the issue by asking “why”. Sakichi Toyoda, founder of Toyota, created this philosophy with the end goal of growing his manufacturing capabilities.

With Honda taking on a very serious and pragmatic approach to their vehicles, they have consistently put out the most reliable and safe cars. Honda has put a strong focus on production quality and precision for what they create. There’s a reason you see Honda always at the top of the list of reliability and that’s because of their attention to detail and having never stopped asking “why”.

So when you ask yourself "are Hondas reliable", the answer is most often a resounding "yes". Now let's take a look at the best years for the Honda Civic, one of Honda's most reliable cars.

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What Year Honda Civic Is The Most Reliable?

Aside from some questionable cars under the Civic name, Honda Civics as a whole are some of the most dependable cars on the road. But if you’re looking for the best of the best, there’s one spot where the Civic shines the most when it comes to reliability.

In 2014 and 2015 the Honda produced the Civic with the 2014 being from the ninth generation and the 2015 being from the tenth generation. These two years are the sweet spot for Honda when it comes to Civics.

The ninth generation was a funny year in that Honda was working in a financial crisis and stripping back as much as possible. With some unfortunate quality issues reported within their Civics they made improvements in the 2012 and 2013 models. It would seem that the 2014 year benefited greatly from this, as it was lauded by authorities such as JD Power.

2015 brought the Civic in its tenth generation. A beginning generation for manufacturers is not usually of the best quality, traditionally speaking. So it makes it a bit of a surprise to know that 2015 was a great year for the Civic. The Honda Civic's reliability surpassed most of the offerings during that year.

Ninth And Tenth Generations Of The Honda Civic And Why They're Reliable (And How Much They Cost)

2014 Honda Civic Si
via: amazonaws.com

2014 Honda Civic - $15,000

For the ninth generation, the latter half of the model years were greatly improved from the first half. The credit for this dependability can be give to the 2008 financial crisis, where Honda had taken aim at their United States productions.

With the weight of the economy falling on them, Honda decided to not increase quality standards as long as they were affordable and efficient on fuel consumption. This led to a lot of unhappy Civic owners chastising Honda for the shoddy quality and questionable intentions. When Honda revamped their production standard, they redid the interior and exterior of the car for model years 2013 and 2014. The uptick in quality with Honda’s manufacturing produced what would be the best year for the civic: 2014.

You can find a 2014 Honda Civic for around $15,000.

2015 Honda Civic - $13,000

For 2015, Honda took a new approach of introducing a global platform that would create a united Civic.

Honda practiced the common approach of targeting certain countries with cars that they felt best suited their customers. For the tenth generation, they normalized and stuck to an iteration to sell to a region when they may have originally opted for a more custom tailored approach. With fewer moving parts to keep track of, the company could work more in line with itself and focus on quality, leading to a great start for Honda in the form of the 2015 Civic.

You can find a 2015 Honda Civic for approximately $13,000.

Sources: KBB, Edmunds, Vehicle History