Cars

Best Overall Car: 2025 Honda Civic

The 2025 Honda Civic is a Canadian-built car that offers a winning blend of driving dynamics, practicality, powertrain options, and user-friendliness, a combination that has propelled it to the top. The Honda Civic has been voted as the Best Overall Car in the 2025 AutoTrader Awards by our jury of experts, meaning it got an overwhelming number of votes because it sets the bar so high for its segment.

Our panel of more than 20 of Canada’s top automotive experts looked at every car sold in Canada before voting on the best one. The Civic also won as the Best Small Car in this year’s awards (marking a four-time win for the popular nameplate), but to win as Best Overall Car is an even bigger feat. This award applies to the entire Honda Civic lineup, which includes the sedan, hatchback, hybrid, and even performance models.

The Civic, built in Alliston, Ont., gets a refresh for 2025 and that includes the return of its hybrid model, which comes in both sedan and hatchback configuration. The automaker expects the hybrid powertrain to account for 60 per cent of overall sales.

The non-hybrid Civic sedan and hatchback models use a 2.0L four-cylinder engine that makes 150 hp and 133 lb-ft of torque, mated to an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT). The new-for-2025 hybrid combines a 2.0L engine with a self-charging hybrid system that uses an electric generator motor that supplies power to the drive battery, and an electric propulsion motor that drives the wheels. 

It can drive on gasoline, electricity, or a combination, as can the Toyota Corolla Hybrid and Prius, and the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid. However, the Honda’s system produces a combined 200 hp, which is more than any of those finalists, along with 232 lb-ft of torque. And with a Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) fuel efficiency rating of 4.9 L/100 km in combined driving, it’s almost on par with the Corolla and Elantra at 4.7, and the Prius at 4.8 L/100 km.

The 2025 Civic refresh also gave it some styling updates, including its fascia, grille, and taillights. The top trim has Google Built-In, which is the first time it’s available on a Civic. Pricing starts at $29,370 for the gas-only sedan, including delivery, and $35,130 for the Hybrid, which comes in upper trims.

Our jury liked the cabin, with its upscale look, comfortable seats, and user-friendly controls. While many automakers are centralizing their controls in touchscreens, which can be distracting when you’re trying to accurately tap them while driving, the Civic uses physical buttons and knobs for many of its climate functions, which is much easier. When you do access items in the infotainment screen, it’s easy to navigate the intuitive menus and simple icons.

Our judges also thought highly of what the Civic’s like behind the wheel. AutoTrader Editor-in-Chief Jodi Lai said that, “The Civic sets the benchmark for driving dynamics in this segment, not because it feels like a sports car, but because of its refinement and composure.” She added that the “chassis is expertly tuned to balance comfort and performance,” and that the car has “a planted and confident feel on the road.”

Storage space is good, including small-item cubbies in the cabin and trunk space in the sedan or the cargo compartment in the hatchback. The Civic has a considerable number of standard or available features, including premium items such as an auto-dimming mirror, upgraded stereo, navigation, and leather upholstery, along with several driver-assist technologies.

It takes a lot to win Best Overall Car, and our judges say the Civic has what it takes. It’s a well-rounded vehicle with great driving characteristics, a functional interior, and an available hybrid, whether you prefer a sedan or hatchback. The 2025 Honda Civic has earned our Best Overall Car crown.