The Honda Civic has been one of the world’s most popular vehicles for decades now. Offered in a multitude of body styles and trim levels, the Civic Hatchback is the sporty, zippy brother that stands as the most versatile of all Civics. But the 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback may also be the most expensive Civic of them all. What do hatchback owners get with the extra cost? And is the 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback worth the extra money?

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback: affordable or expensive?

The new 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback has a starting price of more than $22,000, but with five available trims and a variety of options, it’s not the cheapest option in the segment. Many rivals in the segment offer cheaper starting prices, and the Civic Hatchback is even more expensive than other members of the Honda/Civic family.

In fact, according to Cars.com, the hatchback variant of the Civic is roughly “$700 more than what you’d pay for the base Civic coupe and $1,900 more than what you’d pay for the base sedan.”

But that’s just the difference in Civic base pricing. With five trims of the Civic Hatchback available, base prices can range from around $22,000 to more than $28,000. In an ultra-competitive segment that’s very differentiated by price, the 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback isn’t the most affordable option. But does extra money make the hatchback extra good?

What the extra money gets you

The 2019 model year brought changes to both the Civic sedan and coupe, so Honda focused on upgrading the hatchback for the 2020 model year. According to MotorTrend, the updated price reflects an improved and updated Civic Hatchback. Updates include brand-new styling and a sharper appearance, with new wheels, improved headlights, and a revised grille. 

While LX, EX, and EX-L configurations come standard with an automatic transmission (CVT), Sport and Sport Touring trims come standard with a six-speed manual transmission – a rare occurrence in today’s market.

According to Honda, every Civic Hatchback comes standard with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine that makes up to 174 hp in CVT variants and 180 hp in manual transmission models. Special-production “Type-R” models will make more than 300 hp.

All 2020 Honda Civic Hatchbacks come with 60/40 fold-down seats in the rear as well as Honda’s suite of standard safety features and a multi-angle rearview camera. With the rear seats up, you’ll find a decent 22.6 cubic feet of cargo space. Store the rear seats away and you’ll get an impressive 46 cubic feet of cargo space. The base LX comes standard with a 5-inch LCD screen, while other trims get an upgraded, 7-inch touchscreen.

Is the Honda Civic Hatchback worth the money?

The experts at Cars.com couldn’t find much to dislike about the new 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback, claiming that it “continues to balance a firm but comfy ride with quick responses that make darting through traffic a breeze.” The turbocharged engine is peppy and perfectly paired to the transmission, which is refined and smooth. Even Consumer Reports experts think that out of all Civic options, “the hatchback is a compelling choice.”

Though you may pay a little extra for the hatchback, you gain a ton of extra cargo space. But that extra money will also get you better savings at the pump, with fuel-economy ratings that rank better than most of the competition.

According to Honda, CVT hatchbacks earn up to an EPA-estimated 31 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, while manual transmission hatchbacks earn up to 29 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

Zippy, fuel-efficient, and spacious, the new 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback is both a daily driver and an adventure seeker.