In January, U.S. News published its 2022 Best Cars for the Money Awards. Each year, the authority in consumer advice and rankings reveals the cars, minivans, and SUVs across 11 automotive classes that offer the best balance of excellent ownership experience and long-term value. For the second year, U.S. News presented the awards at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show. Models include industry favorites such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Avalon, and Honda Civic.

U.S. News named the 2022 Honda Civic the Best Compact Car for this model year. How did it earn that award? And who were the runners-up?

U.S. News’ 2022 Best Cars for the Money Awards

For the 2022 Best Cars for the Money Awards, the staff at U.S. News looks at each class and assesses each vehicle to ascertain which has the best combination of quality and value. Reviewers determine quality by the vehicle’s overall score in the U.S. News Best Car Rankings. The overall score comprises reliability information, safety data, and opinions from industry experts on a model’s interior, performance, and reviewer recommendations.

To determine value, reviewers look at each vehicle’s real-time transaction prices provided by TrueCar. They also review the five-year total cost of ownership data compiled by Vincentric.

The 2022 Honda Civic wins among compact cars

Honda redesigned the best-selling Civic for 2022. The compact car performed well in the U.S. News rankings for its polished interior, comfortable seats, and exciting driving experience. Now in its 11th generation, the Civic builds on the solid foundation that has made it one of the best-loved small cars.

The 2022 Honda Civic offers agile handling, a comfortable ride, and good gas mileage. The base engine isn’t anything to get excited about. However, a turbocharged option boasts satisfying performance and power. 

In addition, the new Civic provides generous trunk space, and the seats in both rows are comfortable. When you factor in the impressive list of technology features and its stylish, modern design, it’s hard to find a better compact car.

The new generation also has updated exterior and interior styling, a standard touchscreen infotainment system, and a larger available touchscreen. First-time features include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a Bose stereo, a digital instrument cluster, and wireless device charging.

Plus, Honda expanded the rear legroom in the 2022 model by 1.4 inches. The turbocharged engine got a power boost of 6 hp, and the entire lineup gets better gas mileage by 1 to 2 mpg.

The best compact car for the money

U.S. News reviewers like the 2022 Honda Civic so much they named it number one in three categories: compact cars, hatchbacks, and small cars. They also gave it the 2022 Best Compact Car for the Money Award for earning an overall 8.7 out of 10 based on their assessment of 18 articles of research and data elements from various sources. The 2022 Honda Civic beat out top contenders such as the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla.

For U.S. News, the Civic is the best in its class and offers consumers many options. It’s available as a stylish sedan or a hatchback with a wealth of cargo space. The base model is a good choice for shoppers on a budget, and buyers still get an impressive list of standard infotainment and driver-assist features for that reasonable price. Those looking for more performance can choose a pricier model with the turbo engine. 

The 2022 Honda Civic is feature-packed, fun to drive, and exceptionally comfortable. With the redesign, it does everything even better than before. For consumers looking for a compact car, the new Civic is one to consider.