Sometimes when you’re caught up in the whirlwind of domestic life, keeping things simple is of the utmost importance. And that captures the essence of the Honda Civic.

This latest Civic—the 11th generation, in fact—has a single engine option (unless you opt for the Type R hot hatch), a single body style (a five-door hatchback), and two trim levels. But rather than thinking of this limited choice as restrictive, recognise it as simply covering all the bases you need for a family car—and one for which fuel efficiency is a top priority. Below the bonnet you’ll find a 2L petrol engine—although as a hybrid car, the Civic’s engine is supported by an electric motor and small battery pack. This allows for some electric-only driving, reducing fuel consumption and emissions without requiring you to plug in to charge. It’s a similar principle to the hybrid setup of the Toyota Corolla, a key rival of the Civic. If you’re looking for a family car that can travel on electricity alone, you’ll need to check out more expensive plugin hybrids, including versions of the Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf and Škoda Octavia.

But before we delve too deeply into the Civic, let’s check in with its key stats.

Equipment, options and extras

The Honda Civic’s range begins with our recommended Sport trim. It’s packed with all the essentials: privacy glass, parking sensors, 18in alloys, climate control, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, wireless phone charging, and all the infotainment goodies you’ll ever need. But if you really want to splash out, the Advance trim adds a panoramic glass roof, heated steering wheel, upgraded audio system and synthetic leather upholstery—although for our money it’s not worth the premium.

Costs, insurance groups, mpg and CO2

As an outright purchase, the Honda Civic sits at the pricier end of the family car class, costing more than its competitors the entry-level Volkswagen Golf and the BMW 1 Series M Sport. That being said, while the Civic is predicted to depreciate faster than those two rivals, it’s also predicted to hold its value better than pretty much every competitor. What’s more, there are lots of tempting PCP finance deals available if you know where to look.

Then there’s the Civic’s efficiency. Its hybrid tech enables it to average 60mpg, although for balance it’s important to note that its rival the Toyota Corolla is even more frugal, at an astonishing 50mpg. And as for the Civic’s plugin hybrid competitors, they can travel even farther, and on battery alone. As if that weren’t enough, they also boast lower company car tax rates.

Reliability

The Honda Civic comes with a 3-year or 90,000-mile warranty. That’s not so handsome a deal in contrast with any Hyundai, for example, with which you get a 5-year or unlimited-mileage warranty, or any Kia, which comes with a 10-year or 100,000-mile warranty (if you service your car at an approved centre).

The Car Planet verdict

There’s little to fault with the Honda Civic—and that in itself is high praise of any car. It does the job of a family car quite competently: it drives well, it’s practical, and it’s cheap to run. And while some of its rivals do have more rear seat space and are quieter overall, the Civic compensates for these slight drawbacks by being highly efficient and generously equipped.

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