Description

How Does the 2012 Honda Civic Drive? The front-wheel-drive 2012 Civic has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 140 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission comes standard, and a five-speed automatic transmission is available. The engine is refined and it provides the Civic with adequate power around town and at highway speeds. The automatic transmission changes gears smoothly, and the manual gearbox is a breeze to shift. Drivers will need to select the Econ mode in order to net the Civics best fuel economy. The tradeoff is that this driving mode numbs acceleration and engine response. The Civic Si takes it in a different direction with its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission. This 201-horsepower engine feels brawnier than its power rating suggests, and it confidently hustles the Si up to speed. Regardless of engine choice, the Civic offers some of the best driving dynamics in its class. The Honda remains stable when rounding turns. The power steering may feel a bit light for some tastes, but we suspect most shoppers will find it perfectly acceptable and responsive. The Civics brakes slow the car down assertively, and the suspension soaks up road bumps and dips nicely. Does the 2012 Honda Civic Get Good Gas Mileage? The Civic gets great fuel economy for a compact car. It can hit 28 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway when equipped with its automatic transmission, or 28-39 mpg with the Civic HF. The manual transmission lowers this rating to 28-35 mpg, and the Civic Si returns 22-31 mpg.