Acceleration
According to Honda, the Honda Civic 1.8 S is able to complete the 0-100 km/h sprint in 10.4 seconds, while the turbocharged version completes the same 0-100 km/h dash in just 8.2 seconds.
Engine Performance
With a generous 220 Nm of torque available from just 1,700 rpm, acceleration is effortless.
The Honda Civic 1.8, on the other hand, has sufficient grunt for day-to-day driving conditions.
Transmission Performance
The CVT-type automatic is smooth, though for heavy-footed drivers, the CVT's delay to imitate a downshift may dampen the driving experience.
Steering and Handling
Similar to the Honda HR-V RS, the Honda Civic is also equipped with a variable-ratio steering rack.
While it sounds good on paper, at times the Honda Civic's steering lacks proper road feedback that robs away from the otherwise decent driving experience.
Despite that, the steering weightage is on point, not too heavy or too light.
If driving dynamics is your top priority, check out the Mazda 3 instead.