This asymmetric three-door splits into two personalities: buy the base 2.0L and you get a buzzy economy car that looks quick but drives like it's apologizing, while the Turbo and especially the N deliver genuine hot-hatch thrills that embarrass cars twice the price. The 2013s grenaded engines with rod knock and bearing failures, avoid completely. Later first-gen models (2015+) and the second-gen (2019-2021, now discontinued) are far more solid, but every year suffers from comically persistent horn failures that need replacement after replacement, even under warranty. If you're considering a 2015+ Turbo or any N, commit to 4,000-mile oil changes and accept the horn lottery, you'll get a legitimately fun driver's car for used Civic money. Skip the base model unless you need cheap transport and nothing more.
Toyota built this full-size sedan to outlast your mortgage, owners routinely push 300k, 400k, even 486k miles before anything critical breaks. It's a Camry stretched to Lexus proportions, sharing the ES platform but costing thousands less, and the hybrid models deliver shockingly good fuel economy (40+ mpg) for something this spacious. The catch: Toyota discontinued it after 2022, so you're shopping used-only, and the older generations that dominate owner forums come with age-related quirks like seal leaks and the infamous 2008 dashboard melt. If you want a highway cruiser that'll run forever and don't need the latest tech, this is one of the smartest used buys in the sedan graveyard, just budget for the fact that even Toyotas need parts when they hit drinking age.