Thom Blackett’s Advice about the 2006 Honda Civic:
This scribe is putting money on the idea that most buyers will opt for this car because of its name and where it comes from – a Honda factory. They don’t care that $20,000 buys more driving enjoyment, or more room, or better looks, or a better warranty. It’s a Civic, a model that has been owned by everyone’s family member at least once in the past few decades, and it’s built by Honda, a company synonymous with rock-solid reliability. That fact alone should move tens of thousands of units.

If you need more reasons to look at the Civic, consider that it gets 33 mpg in mixed driving (that’s our actual test figure, not one of those pie-in-the-sky EPA numbers), has a comfortable and spacious cabin, comes fully-equipped with a navigation system and a power sunroof for just a hair over $21,000, is backed by a five-year/60,000-mile warranty, and comes standard with front-side and side-curtain airbags. From a practical standpoint, the Civic sedan is a no-brainer, but if driving fun and less funky styling are tops on your list, consider the Civic Si or one of the lesser-known competitors.

Brian Chee’s Advice about the 2006 Honda Civic:
Few things are as spectacular as an automotive editor on fire for a car. When we get it into our heads that a car is good – nae, great – we will go to great lengths to promote it. The 2006 Honda Civic, with its futuristic style and super-efficiency, is an excellent example of journalistic love run amok: listen to the editors around here and you’ll think that the Civic is going to save the world.

Not quite.
A good car, yes. Good enough to be Car of the Year. But like that nasty little tick your friends ignore, there are a few issues with this newest darling that creep up on drivers slowly, until the day comes when they look at their pretty little Civic and think to themselves, gee, maybe I shoulda bought a Kia. Okay – maybe not, so much. But buyers of the Civic, while loving the room, the interior layout and the efficiency of the powertrain, will not be thrilled with the environmental chaos of all that glass, a parking brake from hell or the utter lack of fun in the powertrain, courtesy of a killjoy automatic transmission. Overall, however, the value of the Civic is beyond reproach: for less than $20,000, you will hard-pressed to find a better proposition. Sometimes, however, even a masterpiece takes a little getting used to.

Ron Perry’s Advice about the 2006 Honda Civic:
Come on, it’s a Honda, where can you go wrong? There may be a few nit-picky things I don’t like about the car but as an overall package in this price range it is a contender that is near impossible to top. Quality, reliability, comfort and good fuel economy are all reasons to buy one. If I was restricted to this category, I would most likely be driving a Civic – but it would be a five-speed manual.

Christian Wardlaw’s Advice about the 2006 Honda Civic:
The 2006 Honda Civic is a smart choice. It’s roomy, fun, comfortable (except for that darned parking brake handle), stylish, fuel efficient, and if history is any indicator, durable. Plus, the Civic is a safe car, getting a Gold Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Our EX test car didn’t have navigation and carried a sticker near $20,000, which is high for a small sedan like this. But sometimes you do get what you pay for, and the Honda Civic is well worth the price of admission.