Are Old Honda Civics Still Good Cars, & What's The Cheapest You Can Get One?

The Honda Civic has long been a beacon of inexpensive, reliable transportation. Available throughout the years as a hatchback, coupe, sedan, and even as a targa-top convertible, the Civic is as versatile as it is popular. It's been in production, in one form or another, for over 50 years and Honda has sold over 15 million Civics worldwide since its debut in the early 1970s.

The Civic is currently in its 11th generation, with the current model being offered in a four-door hatchback body style and as a sedan, with a number of trims to choose from. There are various powertrains available too including the high-performance Type R and soon-to-arrive Civic Hybrid, whose fuel economy estimates are impressive. 

While there's a lot to like with the current model, not everyone is in the market for a new car. So, we're going to look back in Honda's history to see how far you can go if you're shopping for a reliable Civic. The good news is that you've got some options.

Civics built before the year 2000 are amongst the cheapest Hondas you can currently get your hands on. Unfortunately, it isn't easy finding a reliable older Civic from that time that's still in good condition. Vehicle maintenance history on older vehicles can be hard to find, too, and replacement parts for when something inevitably breaks may be out of production.

Then, there's the issue of modification. In the 90s, many Civics were powered by the ultra-popular B-series engines, which were desirable for their fuel efficiency, reliability, and ease of modification. So, while a quick Craigslist search will likely turn up all sorts of pre-2000, sub-$2,000 search results for Civics in your area, you run the risk of purchasing a car that's been poorly maintained or extensively modified. 

Tracking prices for this era of vehicles can be difficult too. With many of the sales of older cars happening between private parties, it's hard to estimate what a good price. Some rare, low-mileage examples of late-90s Civics have sold on auction sites for more than $50,000, but your neighbor might have one that's been under a tarp for decades that they're willing to get rid of for $500. 

With all those caveats for Civics built before the year 2000, we recommend sticking to newer models. Sure, there are some gems out there, but shoppers who aren't mechanically inclined should tread very lightly.

From its debut in the 1970s, right up until the year 2000, the Civic went through six generations of design. The seventh generation Civic launched in 2001 and lasted about four years. At launch, it was available as either a coupe or a sedan, and most models were powered by a naturally aspirated 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine. Unfortunately, the 2001 Civic is a model you should steer clear of. Complaints to NHTSA were particularly high with the early seventh-gen Civic, and several powertrain issues were reported.

As with the pre-2000s Civics, prices are hard to estimate with the seventh-generation Civic based on their age, but average sale prices are currently hovering above $5,000 with standard Civics at dealerships. Shopping on sites like Craigslist will get you cheaper options from private party sales, with prices averaging around $3,000 in national searches, but mileage and vehicle condition vary wildly. If you're looking for ultra-cheap transportation, this is potentially a good starting point, but there's a lot to look out for when buying a used car from this era. If you are careful with your purchase, however, you could find yourself in a decent vehicle.

Honda announced the eighth-generation Civic in 2005, with much sleeker styling than the previous generation and a new 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. More desirable models like the efficient Civic Hybrid and high-performance Civic Si increased the appeal of the lineup as well, with unique powertrains that offered impressive fuel economy and additional power over the standard model, respectively. If you're looking for a Civic that was built during this era, prices become a bit easier to predict.

Private party sales of the eighth-generation Civic are currently averaging around $5,200 in the United States (prices will vary by region of course). Dealerships are currently selling eighth-gen Civics for around $9,000 depending on equipment and mileage. Still, you should probably steer clear of the earlier eighth-generation models, specifically 2006 and 2007 model years, as they both received a high number of complaints according to NHTSA. 

From 2008 to 2011 however, complaints appear to drop considerably. This makes the later model years in the eighth-gen Civic lineup a bit of a sweet spot for cheap transportation. They're old enough to have relatively low prices, but new enough to come with some modern equipment like side curtain airbags and advanced anti-lock brakes.

The ninth-generation Civic was relatively short-lived, lasting just three years from 2012 to 2015. The 2012 models debuted with a number of trim levels including a sedan and a coupe, a high fuel-economy version called the HF, the sporty Si, an updated Civic Hybrid, and a Natural Gas powered model. This generation of Civic wasn't well received. Many outlets, like Car and Driver, were disappointed in the lack of driving feel the ninth-gen Civic provided, even if it was more refined than previous models.

As you've likely figured out at this point, newer Civics tend to have average prices that are higher, and that's definitely true of the ninth-gen Civic. Average private party sales creep up a bit higher, around $8,000 depending on mileage and condition, while dealership prices are closer to $14,000. A number of Civics from this era are still available with low mileage too, with lots of examples for sale that have under 50,000 miles on the odometer. Of course, the lower mileage vehicles tend to be priced a bit higher than average. If you're willing to sacrifice a bit of driving excitement, this generation of Civic could be a good buy.

Buying a used Civic that was made in the last few years is probably your best bet when it comes to mileage, condition, and reliability. But as newer cars, the 10th and 11th-generation Civics aren't old and they aren't that cheap. There are a number of desirable trims for both generations, with lots of modern tech and safety features, but all that new gear will cost you.

The 10th-generation Civic lasted from 2016 to 2021. The Civic's 11th-generation started in 2022 and it's still on sale today. Average private party sale prices for the 10th-gen Civic are around $14,000, while dealership prices are, on average, priced above $21,000, depending on trim, mileage, and condition of course. Predictably, 11th-generation Civics are more expensive, especially with the newest high-performance Type R in the mix, bringing up the overall average price. Private party sales on sites like Craigslist hover around $20,000, while used prices from dealerships are typically above $20,000, often averaging above $26,000.