Honda Civic 2016 review
Overview
The 2016 Honda Civic is the launch year of the tenth generation — the final Civic built at Honda UK Manufacturing in Swindon before the plant closed in 2021. Production started in September 2016 and UK forecourts saw the first cars in late March 2017, so a '2016' Civic is a launch-year, first-registration car. Eight UK grades spanned the range: S, SE, SR and EX on the 1.0-litre turbo, Sport, Sport Plus and Prestige on the 1.5-litre turbo. Our core spec is the 1.5 VTEC Turbo in Sport trim with the six-speed manual, listed at £22,470 new.
The engine is the reason to buy one. The 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo produces 182PS and 240Nm (220Nm with the CVT), covers 0–62mph in around 8.2–8.5 seconds with the manual gearbox, and officially claimed 48.7mpg combined with 133g/km of CO2 on the NEDC test — VED Band E, or £130 first-year rate. It is a Euro 6 petrol, so it is fully ULEZ-compliant. The 478-litre boot (1,267 litres with the seats folded) is genuinely class-leading, and every grade gets the Honda Sensing safety suite as standard — the car earned five Euro NCAP stars in 2017. The 1.5 uses a timing chain, so there is no belt change to budget for, and Honda's 3-year/90,000-mile warranty backs it up.
Buy with your eyes open, though. The 1.5 turbo suffers from oil dilution on 2016–18 cars — real, not a US-only myth: fuel finds its way into the oil on short trips in cold weather, so check the dipstick for a rising level and sniff for fuel. Honda issued a software reflash that reduced but did not eliminate it. The air-con condensers are weak and vulnerable to stone damage (Honda has offered goodwill repairs — test the cooling before you buy), early Honda Connect head units can freeze or lag, and there were three UK recalls to check: a 2018 side-airbag glitch, 2020 emissions software and a 2020 fuel-pump fault. And if you are tempted by the cheaper 1.0-litre turbo, know that it uses a rubber wet belt running in oil — a documented weak spot in UK owner communities, with replacement quoted around £1,350 and some failures writing engines off. Verify the belt's history with a Honda dealer.
The first-hand angle is this: the Civic X was the last of a breed, and that British-built lineage is part of the appeal — this is a car tuned for the Golf/Focus fight on UK roads, and early cars are finally cheap enough that the Honda reliability halo is doing the real selling. Buyers forgive the spaceship looks because they trust the badge. And here is the contestable bit: the styling remains the most divisive in the class, and Honda's CVT — paddles and stepped ratios notwithstanding — still blunts a genuinely willing engine. If you are buying the 182PS car, buy the six-speed manual. It is the gearbox the engine was designed for.
UK price from: £22,470
Specifications
| Engine | 1.5L 4-cylinder VTEC Turbo petrol |
| Power | 182 PS |
| Torque | 240 Nm (manual); 220 Nm (CVT) |
| 0-62 mph | 8.2–8.5 seconds (manual) |
| Gearbox | 6-speed manual / CVT with paddles |
| Drive | Front-wheel drive |
| Fuel economy (NEDC) | 48.7 mpg combined (manual); ~46.3 mpg (CVT) |
| CO2 emissions | 133 g/km (manual); VED Band E |
| Boot space | 478 litres (1,267 litres seats folded) |
| Timing | Timing chain (1.5 petrol); 1.0 uses wet belt |
| Insurance group | 22E |
| Euro NCAP | 5 stars (2017 test) |
| Warranty | 3 years / 90,000 miles |
| Built | Honda UK Manufacturing, Swindon |
Features
- 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo petrol (182PS, 240Nm); 1.0 turbo and 1.6 diesel also offered
- Six-speed manual or CVT with steering-wheel paddles
- 48.7mpg combined (NEDC, manual); 133g/km CO2, VED Band E — Euro 6, ULEZ-compliant
- Honda Sensing safety suite standard on every grade; 5-star Euro NCAP (2017)
- 478-litre boot (1,267 litres seats folded) — class-leading packaging
- Built at Honda UK Manufacturing, Swindon — the last British-built Civic
- 1.6 i-DTEC diesel option: 120PS, 80.7mpg (NEDC), 93g/km
- Aggressive coupé-like hatch styling with hidden rear door handles
Common parts & prices
| Part | Price (GBP) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Front brake pads (set) | £44.99 | Typical retail range £30–£60; decent aftermarket brands |
| Front brake discs (pair) | £69.99 | Typical retail; check pad/disc wear on test drive |
| Oil filter (spin-on) | £8.34 | Catalogue-referenced; typical retail £7–£12 |
| Cabin pollen filter | £20.49 | MANN-FILTER catalogue-verified (Autodoc UK) |
| 12V battery | £114.99 | Typical-range estimate £90–£140 at UK factors |
| Front wiper blades (pair) | £19.99 | Flat aero type; typical retail |
Pros
- Genuinely quick: 182PS, 0–62mph in ~8.2s, a willing turbo engine
- Honda reliability halo plus Swindon-built quality
- Huge practicality: 478-litre boot and clever cabin packaging
- Strong safety: 5-star NCAP with Honda Sensing on every grade
- Timing chain on the 1.5 petrol — no belt change to budget for
Cons
- Divisive spaceship styling — love it or hate it
- 1.5 turbo oil dilution on short trips: check the dipstick and sniff the oil
- CVT blunts the engine; early Honda Connect units can freeze or lag
- The 1.0 turbo's wet belt is an expensive weak spot (owner-reported ~£1,350)
