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2013 Honda Civic

Lather, Rinse, Repeat
On some level, it's hard to blame Honda for the strategy it took with its new-for-2012 Civic. Executives looked at the key players on the market as the model was being developed, soaked in the growing global economic malaise, and decided that if they wanted to make decent money on their small car, they'd have to find creative ways to take cost out of its build. In light of the financial crisis, consumers and critics would surely understand some belt-tightening in order to secure the company's legendary reliability, resale value and ease-of-use, right?
So Honda took a pass on expensive new technology - more complex transmissions, forced induction, active aero, and so on. And it also substituted in some cheaper interior materials, skimped on sound deadening, creature comforts and found lots of little ways to save money. Surely in a segment where the frankly ancient and moth-eaten Toyota Corolla has consistently ranked among the sales leaders, nobody would care, eh?

Honda builds up new Civic Type R ahead of Geneva debut

It's been a long time coming, but it's almost here. Or almost there, we should say, because it sadly won't be coming (at least in this form) to the United States. We're talking, of course, about the new Honda Civic Type R – a hot hatch we've been anticipating for about a year and a half now through a series of prototypes and concept cars. It's finally set to bow just weeks from now, in final production form, at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. But before it does, Honda is giving us yet another taste of what to expect with a trio of teaser images and some juicy details. That Honda's new hot hatch would be powered by its new 2.0-liter turbo four we already knew, but now the Japanese automaker is telling us that it'll produce enough juice to propel the Euro-spec pocket rocket up to a top speed of 167 miles per hour. In a hatchback. That feat will be enabled in large part by its advanced aerodynamics, elements of which we can begin to see from the teaser images – including a big front splitter, deep side skirts, a giant rear wing and an almost completely flat underbody. It'll also be kept in check by a set of Brembo brakes with 13.8-inch drilled discs clamped by four-piston calipers up front and packed into a unique set of 19-inch alloys. It'll all be wrapped for the show stand in classic Japanese racing white, and we're even given a glimpse inside the cabin, where we can see red-glowing instruments, a red center marker at the top of the steering rim and that +R button we were promised. It's all shaping up to be a rather tempting package indeed, but will have to fend off the likes of the new Ford Focus RS and ever-improving challengers from the likes of Renault and Seat to dominate the European hot hatch scene. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to see in what form Honda brings the fight to America, too.

Best compact SUVs of 2022

Compact SUVs are now the go-to choice for family transportation. Actually, considering how popular they are, they have clearly moved beyond only family duty. With such popularity, though, comes an awful lot of competitors, and it can be difficult to figure out which one might be the best compact SUV for you.  It's important to note that by "compact SUV" we're talking about a specific segment. As we describe in our more comprehensive "Best small SUVs" list, there are also subcompact SUVs that vary widely in size amongst themselves, but are clearly smaller than the SUVs below. Frankly, today's segment of compact SUVs isn't exactly compact — some have more cargo space than vehicles that are considered midsize based on their exterior dimensions. They've all grown considerably over the years. While many lists out there just rattle off every vehicle available in a segment, we thought we'd be a bit more helpful and curate your shopping a bit with the top-recommended choices reviewed by Autoblog. We've included both mainstream and compact luxury SUV choices. Best compact SUVs of 2023 and 2024 2024 Honda CR-V Why it stands out: Best-in-class space; excellent hybrid powertrain; sharp interior style; Honda dependabilityCould be better: No lower-price base trim levels; no sporty or off-road niche models; no plug-in hybrid Read our full 2024 Honda CR-V Review Consider the CR-V the baseline for any compact SUV search, and look extra closely at the superb CR-V Hybrid option. Objectively speaking, it's tough to beat due to its massive cargo capacity, voluminous back seat, strong-yet-efficient engines, well-balanced driving dynamics, competitive pricing and features,  and well-regarded reliability. It's easy to see why it continues to be such a best-seller: for the vast majority of compact SUV buyers, and especially families, it checks every box. That's been the case for many years now, however. The all-new 2023 Honda CR-V changes things up by adding a bit more style and character, particularly in terms of its interior design and how surprisingly enjoyable the Sport and Sport Touring hybrid trim levels are to drive.