- Honda is shifting its goals with 2023 models like the CR-V and Civic, dropping the base LX model and forcing potential buyers to step up to the next-highest level.
- For the Civic sedan and hatch, that means getting into the more expensive Sport model.
- Pricing now starts at $25,745 for the Sport sedan ($2,100 more) and $26,545 for the Sport hatchback ($1,900 more).
- The Civic sedan retains its upper-end trims, while the hatch also loses the mid-range EX-L option.
As cliché as it is to say, “cars are getting more expensive” (hot take, I know), that’s really the elephant in the room when it comes to the 2023 Honda Civic lineup. Like the CR-V crossover, the long-standing base model LX is out the window, so folks looking to buy in at the value end now have to shoot for the more expensive Sport instead, whether it’s the sedan or the hatchback.
Most automakers are changing things up in the wake of supply chain shortages. Honda, for example, still enjoys strong demand, but is fighting headwinds actually shipping enough cars to dealers to actually meet that demand.
While a low starting price can entice buyers to shop for your car, you also have to thread the needle to shift production toward the cars people actually buy. And unfortunately, while the Civic LX was relatively cheap, few people actually outright buy (or finance) one with their own money.
Pricing updates throughout the 2023 Honda Civic lineup
If you are a more value-oriented buyer, your new “base” option is the $25,745 Honda Civic Sport. If you want the hatchback version instead, tack on another $800 to the starting MSRP. That’s a couple thousand more than what the 2022 lineup offered, though you do naturally get more equipment for the money.
You get 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels, for a start, as well as a chrome exhaust finisher and “Smart Entry” as well as a walk away auto lock feature. A slightly more powerful 180-watt, 8-speaker audio system also comes standard on the Sport (compared to a 4-speaker system in the LX). You still have a 2.0-liter engine with 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque paired to a CVT, but the Sport adds paddle shifters and drive modes to the equation.
The 2023 Honda Civic EX and Touring remain for the sedan models, complete with a more potent 1.5-liter turbocharged engine putting out 180 horsepower. The hatchback, for its part, loses the LX and the mid-range EX-L, leaving only the Sport and Sport Touring as your choices. Simpler, yes, but potentially more expensive depending on where you may have been shopping before.
Again, anecdotal information suggests folks weren’t really buying the LX en masse anyway. That said, it’s still a bit unnerving to see even your “economy” cars like the Honda Civic top the $25,000 mark. But hey, you’re still saving quite a bit of cash over, say, a CR-V EX — that car now starts at $32,355.
