The Honda Civic LX Returns for 2023 – The Cheapest Honda Civic is Back
While the 2023 Honda Civic has been a big hit for most, many were left lamenting the loss of the cheapest Honda Civic trim. Well, it’s time to celebrate — Honda has brought back the Civic LX for 2023. That should be a welcome sight to new car buyers as it puts the Civic in more competitive territory.
What features are in the cheapest 2023 Honda Civic?
In 2023, the cheapest Honda Civic will be a feature-light model. The new Civic LX will feature manual seat adjustment, manual climate control settings, and no split folding rear seats. In addition, the leather-wrapped steering wheel disappears, replaced by a vinyl-upholstered wheel in the cheapest new Civic. Finally, steel wheels with hubcaps replace the base alloys from 2022.
How much will the 2023 Civic LX cost?
The upside of losing all that standard kit is that the 2023 Honda Civic is now cheaper than last year. The Civic LX has an MSRP of just $24,545, making it nearly $1,500 less than the next-highest Sport trim, according to Car and Driver.
The cheapest new Honda Civic retains driver assistance technology
Critically, one feature that made it into 2023 Honda Civic LX is the Honda Sensing suite of driver assistance features. This means every new Civic will come with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking capability, and pedestrian detection. In addition, the cheapest new Honda Civic will feature adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and a rearview camera.
The new base Civic trim keeps Honda competitive
In previous Civic generations, the base LX trim was one of the most popular models. That made it all the more confusing that Honda decided to axe the base Civic model with its latest generation. However, the low starting price of competitors like the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra have forced Honda to bring its cheapest Civic back to the market for 2023.
Rising new car prices and interest rates mean that buyers are trying to find cheaper new cars. For now, it looks like that trend will only continue throughout 2023. That meant that Honda couldn’t afford to be priced nearly $2,000 above its closest compact competition. With the new Civic LX starting at under $25,000, it is still above similar Toyota, KIA, and Nissan models. However, it is much closer than when the Sport trim was the base model.
Eliminating features helps Honda avoid chip shortages
Some of the features left out of the 2023 Honda Civic LX will also help Honda keep up with demand through chip shortages. By ditching the tech needed for power-adjustable seats and automatic climate control, the new Civic LX will be easier for the Japanese brand to produce, giving it an edge in today’s competitive car market.
Overall, the lower price and greater availability of the cheapest 2023 Honda Civic should make a big difference over the course of the year.
