top 10 honda civics of all timeThe current Civic Type R continues a long line of unique and/or performance versions of Honda's compact car.Many feel the the last few generations of Civic were a return to form with improved style, substance, and power thanks to the addition of turbocharged engines and impressive driving dynamics. As well, the current Honda Civic Type R is easily one of our favorite cars on sale today.But is it the best Honda Civic of all time? That's a tough question to answer as there have been a lot of great Civics over the past fifty years. Still, we have made an attempt to order what we think are the top 10 Honda Civics of all time.10. 1984 Honda Civic Sitop 10 honda civics of all timeAlthough there were some sporty versions of the Civic early on, it was in 1984 that Honda got serious about the Civic’s performance. Only available in Japan, the Civic could be had with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that made 122 HP, which was very impressive for its time. This was also the first time that the Si designation was attached to the Civic.9. 1985 Honda Civic Wagon/Wagovan1985 Honda Civic Wagon1985 Honda Civic WagonAdvertisementAdvertisementA Civic Wagon may not seem all that exciting, but the Wagovan was way ahead of its time. Wearing a taller, five-door hatchback body, the 160-inch-long Civic Wagon could be had will all-wheel drive and seven inches of ground clearance. Sound familiar? That's because this is the basic formula being used today in the super-hot subcompact SUV segment.8. 1990 Honda Civic SiRtop 10 honda civics of all timeIn late 1989, the Civic took a big leap in terms of performance. This was the year that the legendary B16 engine was stuffed into the EF Civic SiR. For those not up on Honda acronyms, this basically meant the Civic hatchback received a 1.6-liter engine that incorporated VTEC to make 158 HP. For a car that didn’t weigh much over 2,000 lbs., that’s a good amount of grunt. And of course, the Civic SiR had the handling prowess to back up this power.7. 2002 Honda Civic Si/SiR2002 Honda Civic Si2002 Honda Civic SiThe seventh-generation Civic didn't include a conventional Si model in North America, so one was imported. Built in England, the Civic Si (SiR in Canada) featured a hatchback body called the EP. Its interior and exterior differed from the regular Civic as did the powertrain.AdvertisementAdvertisementUnder the hood was a KA20 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 160 HP. With a larger engine compared to the previous generation Civic Si, the new car had more torque. But it was also significantly heavier and ultimately slower in a straight line. The car also lost some of the handling magic found in the Civics from the 1990s.Worse still for North Americans, there was a hotter version of the EP hatch, the Civic Type R, available in other markets.6. 1999 Honda Civic SiR2000 Civic Si.2000 Civic Si.In 1998, North America finally received a properly-hot version of the Honda Civic. Carrying the Si nomenclature and available only in a coupe body style, the new sporty Civic came with a B16 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that made 160 HP at 8,000 RPM. At that time, not many mainstream manufacturers were offering North Americans cars that produced 100 HP per liter or a redline that high.AdvertisementAdvertisementMore than just an engine, the Si also received wheel, tire, suspension and bodywork upgrades to make it a proper budget enthusiast machine. The Si could could hit 60 MPH in just 7.1 seconds5. 1973 Honda Civic1974 Honda Civic1974 Honda CivicIt would be hard to make a list of the best Civics of all time without including the original. Taking full advantage of the booming small car market fueled by the oil crisis, the Civic cemented itself as a practical, yet enjoyable small car.When it came on the scene in 1973, the Civic had a handling and fuel economy advantage over a lot of its competition. But more importantly, it proved that Honda was serious about building small cars designed for worldwide consumption.4. 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Editiontop 10 honda civics of all timeFor the 2018 model year, North Americans finally received an official Honda Civic Type R. Powered by a 306 hp turbocharged four-cylinder, the new model was vastly more powerful than any Civic ever offered on our shores. Not everyone was a fan of the angular, wing-heavy body work, but there was no denying the performance.AdvertisementAdvertisementIn 2021, Honda released a very small run of the Type R Limited Edition. Lighter and featuring stickier tires, this increased the car's performance even further.3. 2007 Honda Civic Si/Type Rtop 10 honda civics of all timeFor the 2006 model year, North America received the 197 HP version of the K20 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The car also came with more performance upgrades including a limited slip differential, stiffer suspension, larger brakes and lower profile tires.While North America finally got a near 200 HP Civic Si, Japan and Europe were getting ready for something a little more special. Once again called the Type R, the hot Civic arrived as a hatchback in Europe and a sedan in Japan.The Japanese model was the more potent Type R, with a 222-HP version of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder K20 engine stuffed under the hood. As had come to be expected in a Type R Civic, all the go-fast upgrades were included like a limited-slip differential, larger brakes and grippier tires.2. 2023 Civic Type Rtop 10 honda civics of all timeThe current Civic Type R is easily the fastest and best performing Civic of all time. The power, handling, and composure are incredible, especially for a front-wheel drive car. With the turbocharged four-cylinder now pumping our 315 hp, the Civic can hang with a lot of expensive machinery around the track. The 265 mm wide tires do a lot to help the Civic put power to the ground as well as corner and brake.1. 1998 Civic Type Rtop 10 honda civics of all timeTopping this list is the original Type R Civic – the 1998 model. Based on the EK three-door hatchback, the Type R came with a frantic B16B 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that put out an incredible-for-its-size 182 HP.AdvertisementAdvertisementWeighing around 2,400 lbs, the Type R included a limited-slip differential, a strengthened body structure, a Momo steering wheel and Recaro seats. There was even the option to order a Type R without weight adding devices like air conditioning, power windows, power steering, or the radio.
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