2010 Honda Civic

The 2010 Honda Civic compact sedan/coupe is one iconic car whose reputation is well-deserved. Icons often get complacent after establishing their excellence, but the Civic continues to be a leader more than three decades after its first appearance on American soil. The fact that the current-generation Civic is still one of our top compact-car picks in its fifth year on the market speaks volumes about Honda's commitment to excellence with this bread-and-butter vehicle. Offered in a variety of flavors to suit a wide range of tastes, the Civic belongs on every compact-car shopping list.

Long known as Honda's smallest car, the Civic no longer holds this title, as the company's own Fit and Insight are more diminutive. Indeed, the compact segment has become more of a junior midsize segment in recent years -- the current Civic is virtually the same size as the Accord was 15 years ago. But this pumped-up Civic nonetheless retains the virtues for which it is justly famed: agility, efficiency, comfort and a reputation for reliability. Its only glaring flaw is the unavailability of desirable features like Bluetooth, stability control and rear disc brakes on lower trim levels such as the volume-selling LX.

Learn more about how to get your Civic home, at cartransporters.org.

The better-than-average front seats in the 2010 Honda Civic afford good support and a great driving position, helping make the driving experience enjoyable. Even in base cars, the height-adjustable seats leave great headroom for tall drivers. The rear, however, is less rosy; the rear doors on the sedan are cut narrow at their base, so it's not easy for long legs to clamber in and out. Also, backseat passengers had better not be tall or even average in height, as the curvature of the roof interferes with headroom. It’s the penalty of the rakish roofline. Also, the deeply raked windshield on both the coupe and sedan leaves a lot of unusable room atop the dash.

Side and side curtain airbags are standard equipment on the Honda Civic lineup, along with anti-lock brakes, and overall the news is quite positive on the safety front. The Civic gets four- and five-star results from the federal government, along with all “good" ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It’s also an IIHS Top Safety Pick. And Honda’s VSA stability control system—still a relative rarity in small cars—is included with EX-L and Si models. The feature isn’t offered in more affordable versions, however.