Mazda MAZDA3 vs Honda Civic

It’s been almost half a decade since Honda introduced this latest Civic. That’s hard to believe because this car has aged with remarkable grace. After a mild update for the 2025 model year, the 2026 Civic lineup carries over unchanged. It continues to offer sedans and hatchbacks, with or without hybrid power. Sporty Si and performance-tuned Type R variants are also available, but Honda still doesn’t offer the Civic with all-wheel drive. Does that matter? Seemingly not: the Civic is Honda’s second-best-selling car (behind the CR-V) and is consistently the top-selling compact car in Canada. The Honda Civic is assembled in Canada at Honda of Canada Mfg. in Alliston, Ontario.

Verdict: You’ll pay a premium to buy a Honda Civic. In many ways, it’s worth the extra money. In others, not so much. Still, while there are better deals in the compact car class, few are as satisfying to drive, and that’s true even when the Civic is equipped with its base engine.