2008 Honda Civic GX: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

The 2008 Honda Civic GX runs on natural gas rather than gasoline and is only sold in California, New York, and to fleets. It is similar to the Civic LX in terms of features, but the GX comes only as a 4-door sedan with 113-hp 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine (the LX's 1.8 makes 140 hp) and a 5-speed automatic transmission. The large tank used to store the compressed natural gas sits behind the rear seat, which deletes the folding rear seatback found on most other Civics. The tank also eats up about half of the trunk space, yet the GX has only about two-thirds the driving range of other Civics. Available safety features include ABS, curtain side airbags, and front side airbags.

COMPETITION

Consumer Guide Automotive places each vehicle into one of 18 classes based on size, price, and market position. Compact Cars comprise popularly priced sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons with wheelbases 99.4 inches or longer.

Our Best Buys include the Honda Civic, Nissan Versa, and Scion xB. Our Recommended picks are the Hyundai Elantra and Mazda 3.

New or significantly redesigned models include the Ford Focus, Mitsubishi Lancer, Saturn Astra, Scion xB, and Subaru Impreza.