Honda’s popular Civic, one of the best-selling cars in America, rolls into 2009 with numerous mid-cycle changes but continues to offer compact car buyers a wide range of choice. Consumers can choose a sensible sedan or sporty coupe, an inexpensive model without air conditioning, a luxury model with leather and navigation, a performance model designed to go fast and corner hard, or a fuel-efficient hybrid capable of 45 mpg on the highway.

Here is a summary of changes to the 2009 Honda Civic:
• Stability control is now standard on EX-L and Hybrid, in addition to Si models
• Subtle exterior styling modifications for all models
• New cloth materials and patterns inside the cabin
• New wheel designs for EX, EX-L and Si models
• New LX-S model with rear spoiler, last year’s EX alloy wheels, and “sportier interior styling.”
• New DX-VP model with standard air conditioning and upgraded stereo system.
• Civics with the available navigation system now come with Bluetooth HandsFreeLink wireless cell phone connectivity
• A USB port is now standard on EX, EX-L, Hybrid, and Si models
• The Civic Hybrid can be equipped with leather upholstery, heated front seats, and heated side mirrors for the first time

Honda Civic Sedan buyers can choose between DX, DX-VP, LX, LX-S, GX, EX, EX-L, Hybrid, and Si trim levels. There’s also a GX model that comes equipped with an engine designed to operate on compressed natural gas. The Coupe is offered in fewer trim levels, with DX, LX, EX, EX-L, and Si models available.

The Civic DX is offered with basic equipment and little more. To get air conditioning and a stereo with a CD player, an auxiliary input jack, and MP3/WMA playback capability you need to step up to the Civic DX-VP. The most popular model is the LX, which includes 16-inch wheels and tires, power windows, power door locks, a security system with remote entry, cruise control, body-color power side mirrors, body-color door handles, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, a center console with storage, a sliding center armrest, map lights, floor mats, and upgraded interior trim. The new LX-S model adds to that alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, a chrome exhaust finisher, unique seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Civic GX features the same equipment as the LX, but is equipped with a powertrain that burns compressed natural gas (CNG).

The Honda Civic EX is equipped with rear disc brakes, unique alloy wheels, a power moonroof, a power trunk release, variable intermittent wipers, rear cupholders, a rear armrest, a rear seatback pocket, a 12-volt power outlet in the center console, a 60/40 split folding seatback, a six-speaker audio system with a USB port and audio controls on the steering wheel, and an exterior temperature display. The Civic EX is also available with a navigation system that includes voice recognition, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, XM satellite radio, and a digital card reader. The Civic EX-L is also available with the navigation system, and includes leather upholstery, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, stability control, traction control, and brake assist. Civic EX and EX-L Coupes are equipped with a 350-watt premium audio system with 7 speakers and a subwoofer, but are otherwise similarly outfitted.

The Civic Hybrid includes the equipment featured on the EX model but is the only Civic with a continuously variable transmission, lightweight 15-inch wheels and low rolling-resistance tires, a roof-mounted antenna, turn indicators integrated into the side mirror housings, a rear lip spoiler, automatic climate control, dual rear seatback pockets, a fixed rear seatback, and indicators for the integrated motor assist system, the idle-stop function, and fuel economy. Other changes from the EX model include deletion of the power sunroof, rear cupholders, rear armrest, and rear disc brakes while adding electric steering, brake assist technology, stability control, and traction control. Like the EX, the Hybrid can be equipped with leather, heated side mirrors, heated front seats, and a navigation system with voice recognition, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, XM satellite radio, and a digital card reader.

The Civic Si also uses the EX model as a basis for its list of standard features, but comes exclusively with a 6-speed close-ratio manual transmission, a helical limited slip differential, quick-ratio electric-assist steering, 11.8-inch front disc brakes, 17-inch alloy wheels wearing performance tires, and a sport suspension. Other modifications include a rear wing spoiler, a chrome exhaust finisher, fog lights, aluminum interior trim, red interior lighting, a 350-watt audio system with 7 speakers and a subwoofer, and a tachometer with a rev-limit indicator. The Civic Si is also equipped with sport-bolstered front seats. As with the EX, EX-L, and Hybrid, the Civic Si can be ordered with a voice recognition navigation system, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, XM satellite radio, and a digital card reader.

The 2009 Honda Civic is powered by one of four powertrains. The most common among them is a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder, gasoline engine making 140 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 128 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,300 rpm. This engine is available with a five-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission, driving the front wheels, and is standard on DX, DX-VP, LX, LX-S, EX, and EX-L trim levels.

A version of this engine that burns compressed natural gas (CNG) is offered in the Civic GX, which comes only with the automatic transmission and makes 113 horsepower and 109 lb.-ft. of torque. California buyers of the Civic GX can purchase a home refueling system from the Honda dealer.

The performance-oriented Civic Si is equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 197 horsepower at 7,800 rpm and 139 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,100 rpm, on required premium unleaded fuel. A six-speed manual transmission is the standard, and only, transmission offered on the Civic Si, delivering power to the front wheels.

The fuel-efficient, low emission Civic Hybrid employs a gasoline/electric hybrid powertrain making a combined 110 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 123 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,000 and 2,500 rpm. It pairs a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder, gasoline engine with a permanent magnet electric motor, a rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery pack, a regenerative braking system, and a continuously variable transmission. Dubbed Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), this powertrain is what’s known as a “partial” hybrid. In other words, the Honda Civic Hybrid’s gasoline engine shuts down only when the car is stopped in traffic or at an intersection, when regenerative braking is engaged, or when cruising under specific low-speed conditions. The Civic Hybrid cannot accelerate under battery power and electricity alone like a “full” hybrid can.

Fuel economy across the Civic lineup ranges from a low of 21 mpg in the city for the Honda Civic Si to a high of 45 mpg on the highway for the Honda Civic Hybrid. Our review vehicle had the most common powertrain, a 1.8-liter engine and an automatic transmission, rated to achieve 25 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. We averaged 29.2 mpg in mixed driving.

Standard safety equipment on the 2009 Honda Civic includes dual front airbags, side-impact airbags for the front seat occupants, and side-curtain airbags for front and rear seat occupants. Additionally, the Civic comes standard with four-wheel ABS with electronic brake-force distribution. Civic EX, EX-L and Si models include rear disc brakes, brake assist is added to the EX-L, Hybrid and Si models, and these more expensive trim levels also receive standard stability and traction control. Honda does not offer stability control, traction control, or brake assist on the less expensive Civic models. Furthermore, Bluetooth hands-free wireless connectivity with a cell phone is only available on Civics equipped with the optional navigation system.

J.D. Power and Associates says the 2009 Honda Civic competes against other compact cars such as the Chevrolet Cobalt, Dodge Caliber, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda 3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, and Volkswagen Jetta.