The Honda Civic is known to be a reliable compact car. These small cars can be seen on just about any road in North America. Honda Civics are also known to be a budget-friendly vehicle, both as far as price, and fuel economy.
So, Civics are inexpensive, reliable, and popular, but are they fast? What is the top speed of a Honda Civic? How fast can it accelerate? Is it faster than other similar cars? Let’s find out!
The Honda Civic is a fairly fast car, especially for its price and in its category. The top speed of all 2020, 2021, and 2022 models of the Honda Civic is estimated at 137 MPH (220 KPH). This is considered quite fast, and is achieved mainly due to its praiseworthy power-to-weight ratio.
There are two types of engines in the 2021 Honda Civic; a 1.5L Turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, or a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. Both of the engines can reach the same speeds, though the Turbocharged engine does accelerate a little faster.
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What is a Honda Civic’s Top Speed?
The top speed for the 2020 and 2021 Honda Civic is estimated at 137 MPH or 220 kilometers per hour. The Civic sports a powerful engine for its size.
Depending on the trim level, 2021 Civics have either a 1.5L Turbocharged 4-Cylinder engine (the Touring, EX, and EX-L) or a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine (the Sport and LX). Either way, the estimated top engine speed for all models is the same.
Previous years’ models may have slightly different top speeds. Here is the breakdown:
| Model Year | Estimated Top Speed |
| 2020 | 137 MPH |
| 2019 | 137 MPH |
| 2018 | 130 MPH |
| 2017 | 125 MPH |
| 2016 | 125 MPH |
| 2015 | 155 MPH |
What is the Honda Civic Sport’s Top Speed?
The 2021 and 2022 Honda Civic Sport models have a sportier trim package than standard Civics and a more responsive engine. It has a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 14 engine, with 158 horsepower, and 138-pound feet of torque. However, the estimated top speed is the same as the rest of the models at 137 MPH.
Honda Civic Hatchback
In 2022, Honda introduced the redesigned Civic Hatchback, a sports version of the Civic that is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 180 horsepower, and 177-pound feet of torque. This vehicle accelerates quicker and is more responsive than Civic Sport. Its top speed is estimated at 139 MPH.
Honda Civic Si
This is definitely the sports car of the Honda Civic line. The 6-speed, manual transmission car does not come in an automatic transmission option. It has a Turbocharged 1.5L 4 cylinder engine with 200 horsepower and 192-pound feet of torque. It goes from 0-60 MPH in a zippy 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 143 MPH.
Are any of these models really a sports car? No. However, they have been reported to handle well, accelerate faster than a standard Civic, and have responsive steering. With larger, alloy wheels, and a spoiler, they both look the part of a slightly sportier Civic.
How Does the Honda Civic’s Speed Compare to Other Cars?
There are several comparable compact cars on the market today, as far as size and price go. The Honda Civic is one of the faster cars if we compare all of them side by side.
| Car | Estimated Top Speed |
| 2020 Honda Civic | 137 MPH |
| 2020 Toyota Camry | 135 MPH |
| 2020 Toyota Corolla | 112 MPH |
| 2020 Hyundai Elantra | 132 MPH |
| 2020 Mazda3 | 131 MPH |
How Fast Can a Honda Civic Accelerate?
Top speed is one thing, but the ability to accelerate quickly is also important to many drivers! After all, that 0-60 MPH benchmark is a standard test for cars everywhere. The 2020, 2021, and 2022 Honda Civic has a 3 out of 5 acceleration rating from Consumer Reports.
The 0-60 MPH acceleration for the 2021 Honda Civic ranges from 7.2-8.0 seconds. The Touring, EX, and EX-L models with the Turbocharged engine accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 7.2 seconds. The Sport and LX models came in a little slower at 8.0 seconds.
How Does the Honda Civic’s Acceleration Compare to Other Cars?
What about the other cars on the market? How quickly can they accelerate, and is the Civic any better or worse? If you look at other similarly sized cars, the Civic definitely wins the race to 60 MPH. The only car that comes close is the Mazda3. Here’s how they compare:
| Car | Acceleration from 0-60 MPH |
| 2021 Honda Civic | 7.2 seconds |
| 2020 Toyota Camry | 8 seconds |
| 2020 Toyota Corolla | 10.4 seconds |
| 2020 Hyundai Elantra | 9.9 seconds |
| 2020 Mazda3 | 7.7 seconds |
Final Thoughts
If you care about speed in your daily driving car, the Honda Civic may be the car for you! It has proven to be more quick and responsive than other similarly sized cars on the market today. Happy driving!
