Five-Point Inspection: 2013 Honda Civic Sedan

1. Premium interior, better materials

The 2012 Civic featured cheap, flimsy plastic materials. Some surfaces were grainy, and not pleasant to feel or look at. Touch points and knobs were also made of cheap feeling plastic. True, the Civic is a cheap car, but Honda should’ve at least tried to dress it up a little bit. Competition from Dodge and Hyundai offering far premium looking interiors as well as better feeling fabrics and surfaces simply outdid the Civic.

For 2013, Honda follows in the same mindset as its competition. The Japanese company now goes a step beyond what other compact cars offer. The Civic’s leather surfaces (when so equipped) feel better than what’s usually offered in the compact segment while the standard cloth is upgraded too. Dark, shiny plastics, replace the grainy hard plastics of the old Civic while the eco-styled beige dash top has been replaced with a black surface with a more premium feel. Add on minor trim upgrades like brushed aluminum and chrome bits as well as textured control knob grips and the new Civic’s interior is decidedly upscale.