2005 Best Overall Value

2005 Honda Civic Sedan
Best Overall Value--Compact Under $16,000

An impressive all-around package, the Honda Civic sedan carries over largely unchanged, having received an exterior freshening for '04. Offered in six trims, the Civic sedan range now includes DX, VP, LX, GX, EX, and SE models. Starting on the budget end of the spectrum, the DX and VP trims have few standout features, but offer the sound engineering, tangible quality, and long-term reliability for which the Civic has long been known. These base models feature a 1.7-liter/115-horse I-4 capable of 32 mpg city and 38 mpg highway, just like the popular midlevel LX. As with other Honda models, the LX trim designation carries with it air conditioning, core power features, AM/FM/CD stereo, and body-colored molding. The GX is a special, low-volume natural-gas variant, appropriate only for select markets with proper refueling infrastructure. Typically the range-topper, the EX trim brings a 1.7-liter/127-horse I-4 and an expanded list of amenities, such as power moonroof, and several detail items like illuminated ignition switch and rear cupholder. The real story this year is the addition of the SE trim level. This Special Edition sedan boasts a leather-wrapped steering wheel, trunk-mounted spoiler, aluminum wheels, SE badging, and a special stereo with an in-dash CD changer, MP3 playback, and an auxiliary input. The yardstick by which other affordable compacts are measured, the Civic line again claims Best Overall Value honors in a total of three categories.