2012 Honda Civic Available Soon

The redesigned Honda Civic includes sedan and coupe versions and two alternative-fuel vehicles - gasoline-electric hybrid and natural-gas powered sedans. 

2012 Civic Coupe

While the natural-gas model will have limited availability and is intended mostly for fleets, the hybrid is a consumer vehicle that anyone can buy.  With the remake, the hybrid gets its first lithium-ion battery pack, an upgrade from the nickel-metal-hydride battery that has been used in previous models.

EPA estimated combined city/highway for the hybrid will be 45 mpg, which is up 4 mpg from the previous generation.  There is also a new high fuel-efficiency gasoline-only model, the HF sedan, which Honda says will have highway mileage of up to 41 mpg.  The regular sedan and coupe models will have the same 1.8 liter engine with highway fuel economy of 39 mpg.

There are also two performance variants - the Civic Si sedan and coupe. These models trade fuel economy for power and come with a 2.4 liter four cylinder engine rated at 200 hp.

If you are in the market for a new car, price is certainly a concern.  But what about resale value or the perception of the brand you are considering? J.D. Power and Associates issued studies that look at why consumers avoid certain brands and why they remain loyal to brands.  The study found that a bad prior experience with a brand or a poor perception of a manufacturer's reputation is a more important reason for avoiding a brand than it was in past years. 

2011 Honda Accord

Why do consumers remain loyal to manufacturers?  In the study, more people said a fun-to-drive vehicle is the reason they are staying loyal to a brand. Fewer said they were loyal due to the resale value of their vehicle.

Honda and Ford tied for the highest rank among brands in retaining owners with retention rates of 62 percent.