2025 Honda Civic 1.5L E Review

In Malaysia's C-segment sedan market, consumers are increasingly demanding balance — requiring sufficient power, practical space, basic smart features, and reasonable pricing. The 2025 Honda Civic 1.5L E, as a mid-range version in its lineup, garnered significant attention from family users upon its launch on January 9. With 182PS of turbocharged power, the standard Honda Sensing safety system across all trims, and a nearly D-segment wheelbase, the car has attracted great interest. This time, we took the test drive vehicle to evaluate if its performance in daily commutes and weekend family outings matches its positioning.

In terms of exterior design, the 2025 Civic 1.5L E continues the minimalist design style of the eleventh generation—simple, yet not short on distinctiveness. The front features sleek LED headlights integrated with a chrome-accented upper grille, while the lower grille adopts a honeycomb design, creating a neat yet sporty look. The fluid side profile is accentuated by a waistline extending from the front fender to the taillights, preventing it from looking plain. The 16-inch multi-spoke wheels, though not large, are proportionate to the body, making the car less ostentatious for daily use. At the rear, the LED taillights adopt a through-type design, ensuring high recognition when lit at night. A small spoiler on the trunk and a chrome trim below add a touch of elegance to the rear.

Sitting inside the car, the interior layout is rather simple, with the center console tilted toward the driver for ease of use. In terms of material quality, the upper part of the dashboard is wrapped in soft-touch material, providing a refined feel. The door panels include a mix of fabric and hard plastic, which, while not luxurious, ranks above average in this class. For features, the 9-inch floating touchscreen offers smooth operation and supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making daily use very convenient. The 7-inch digital instrument cluster has clear displays for essential information such as RPM, speed, and fuel consumption, complemented by physical buttons for easier operation. The seats are fabric-covered with decent support. The front seats are manually adjustable — while not as convenient as electric adjustments, they are sufficient for daily use. The rear seats feature a 60:40 split-fold design, which expands trunk space when folded. With a standard cargo capacity of 497 liters, the trunk easily accommodates several suitcases, meeting the needs of family outings.

When it comes to space performance, the 2735mm wheelbase is considered long in the C-segment category. An individual standing 180cm tall would find about a fist's worth of headroom in the front rows, with ample legroom. The rear seats are even more surprising; people of similar height enjoy more than two fists' worth of legroom and a fist of headroom. Even with a middle passenger, the floor hump is not excessively high, ensuring comfort on long journeys. Regarding storage space, the door panels' compartments can hold two water bottles, and the area under the center console, while not equipped with wireless charging in the 1.5L E, is large enough to store a phone. The center armrest box also offers significant storage for miscellaneous items. The rear seats come with air-conditioning vents and USB ports, allowing passengers to charge devices and adjust the temperature conveniently.

The driving experience: The 1.5T turbocharged engine delivers power smoothly, with its 182PS horsepower and 240N·m torque being more than enough for daily commuting. At startup, the throttle response is quite responsive and doesn't feel sluggish. The CVT transmission shifts smoothly with almost no noticeable jolts. During acceleration, especially within the torque range of 1700-4500rpm, the power delivery is very linear. When overtaking, pressing the throttle deeply and having the rpm rise provides an obvious sense of acceleration. It also maintains stable cruising at 120 km/h on highways. There are two driving modes, Normal and Economy. In Economy mode, the throttle response is slightly dulled, making it more suitable for city traffic and saving fuel.

In terms of handling, the steering wheel has moderate weight and is quite precise in its directionality, making daily lane changes and turns very agile. The suspension consists of a front MacPherson strut and a rear multi-link independent suspension, tuned more for comfort but still providing reasonable support. When going over speed bumps or bumpy roads, the suspension filters out most vibrations, without feeling too stiff. During cornering, the body roll is not too pronounced, and the stability of the chassis is commendable, instilling confidence. The brake pedal has a linear response, providing proportional braking force based on how much pressure is applied, ensuring stable braking performance for everyday use.

As for fuel consumption, the official combined fuel consumption rating is 6L/100km. From our actual experience, it consumes about 7.5L in congested urban areas, and on the highway, it can go down to 5.5L. Overall, fuel efficiency is commendable and meets the requirements of family users for economy. Noise control is also decent; when driving in the city, road noise and engine noise are not too pronounced. At 120 km/h on the highway, wind noise becomes slightly noticeable but does not affect normal conversations.

Safety features are a highlight of the 1.5L E, as it comes standard with the Honda Sensing safety system, which includes ACC adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-change assist, among other features. ACC is highly practical on highways, as it can automatically follow other vehicles to reduce driving fatigue. The lane departure warning alerts you when you cross a lane line, and automatic emergency braking provides assistance in emergency situations, enhancing driving safety. Six airbags and the vehicle stability system add an extra layer of protection for safety.

In conclusion, the 2025 Honda Civic 1.5L E has distinct advantages: spacious interior, smooth power delivery, fuel efficiency, and comprehensive safety features. Its price of RM133,900 makes it quite competitive in the C-segment class. Compared to other cars in the same category, such as the Toyota Corolla 1.8G, the Civic offers more powerful performance, a longer wheelbase, and a more spacious interior. Compared to the Mazda 3 2.0 High, it has more comprehensive safety features and is more affordable.

This car appeals to a wide range of people, such as families who prioritize space and fuel efficiency, making it very convenient for daily family outings. It is also suitable for young professionals who have just started working, as the power is sufficient and the appearance is modern. For consumers seeking value for money and a balanced performance, it is an excellent choice.

Overall, the 2025 Honda Civic 1.5L E is a well-rounded C-segment sedan with no obvious shortcomings. Its space, performance, and features are more than sufficient for daily needs. Especially in terms of safety features and space, it stands out in its class, making it a top choice for most family users.