2019 Honda Civic 1.5 Turbo Review - The Engine To Have - New Motoring

We've driven the new Honda Civic a lot over the last 12 months, but not much time in the 1.5 litre turbo. So, what's it like?
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[@drd6416]

For those considering a civic.... Bear in mind 1.0 has a cambelt and costs over a grand to replace. The 1.5 has a chain and is almost indestructible..... and far cheaper if you ever needed to fix that. Great solid review here, and why i got my 4th civic (9th honda overall)

[@malachymoreland7417]

Thank you for this comment, I'm thinking about getting a Honda Civic, and this will influence my decision

[@theweeknd2725]

​@@malachymoreland7417Normal civics are fine now, literally all of them have been replaced for timing belts due to large scale 1.0 recall (including mines) & they're all completely fine now. Honestly the 1.0 Turbo is an excellent engine, and feels quick! there's a price leap between 1.5 & 1.0 and if you're getting a decent 1.0 well equipped. I think that's a LOT of value of money, still a lot of fun to drive & still VTEC Turbocharged creating same power as the old 1.8, the 1.0 in this gen mk10 🔥

[@malachymoreland7417]

@theweeknd2725 Thanks for your input, I genuinely appreciate it. I'm still in the process of saving up, and I had my mind set on the 1.5, but now you've made me consider getting the 1.0 instead. Thanks a lot 👍

[@theweeknd2725]

@@malachymoreland7417 1.5 is even better if you're able to get that, but if you aren't able to afford a 1.5, the 1.0 vtec turbo is a good engine too 👍🏻 just make sure the mileage is alright, not too high (less than 40k is what I prefer if you want more of a new car experience, but that obviously depends on you) & just make sure the timing belt recall was done. I am sure all 1.0s have been recalled for that, but I think 2019s+ or some didn't get the recall as they were later models & hence fine 😄

[@akie64]

Great review and spot on. I drive the same trim level (RS) and colour in New Zealand, got it new July 17 and still love it. The engine is brilliant a great chassis to match. I can honestly say, I love everytime I get in and drive it and always look back at it when parked. Keel up the great reviews.

[@carldawson4858]

straight talking, no bull. Thanks

[@LolekBezBolkaShow]

Really enjoyed watching your review.

[@ClearVista]

Im looking at getting a new car and the Civic is currently the top of my shortlist.

[@islandon22]

I concur with what you observed. We have a 2020 Civic Sport Hatch and 2020 Civic Coupe EX (6HP Less). We are very satisfied with the very quick acceleration, excellent interior accoutrements (for this price point), the 36 mpg mixed driving and unexpectedly precise handling. Not too excited about the coming Civic, though. It's why we bought these two now.

[@hondamanvtec2894]

Finaly bought this car last friday....love it 👌

[@cribscian]

Mine's on order. Counting the days down 🤣

[@soulboy5700]

Got mine last last week and I absolutely love this car. So relaxing to drive 👍

[@tomdyer6277]

Looking at burying one soon just waiting for the price to drop a bit

[@benttwig33]

@@tomdyer6277 i cant find them anywhere

[@beardywally]

Looking at one right now. Are you happy with it.?

[@strachansdroneservices4870]

I got the exact same motor sport+ in sonic grey. I regret not buying the Type R but hey ho. This is a superb motor. 0-60 comes up a lot faster than that, around 7 secs or slightly under. This car is simply amazing for the money. Ive owned a lot of cars this is my 14th Honda and it is top of the tree. Even better than a Audi TT etc.. superb car.

[@stevevater8598]

Very good review, I can see you as Matt Watson's co presenter soon (I did type partner first but I thought I'd better change that oops )

[@scalereality4840]

Awesome review!

[@sonh788]

That 1.5 turbo is an absolute sleeping rocket. If u want the type r but cant afford it or get insured.... the 1.5 is the one to have. And its quite economical too. Surprisingly economical but not surprising because honda

[@mohamedkanu9633]

Do 2015 Honda Civic ex or lx have turbo?

[@arny960]

are they cheaper to maintain ?

[@petewebb6952]

Good review thanks. Helpful to compare notes. I’ve had one for 5 months now. I think it’s a keeper. I was thinking of changing to a Mazda MX5 RF, or a Mini Cooper S convertible; but for overall practicality and enjoyment this is good. As you say “a good all-rounder”.

[@DGKonkrete]

The Nissan Sentra SR Turbo is a way better all around buy. It's similarly priced to the civic but that's the only thing similar between these cars. The Sentra has 15 more horsepower than the Civic. Plus Nissan added a upgraded suspension. When the Civic was still a concept car the horspower specs on it weren't out yet. Everyone was talking about how the Civic will have 215 Hp and will destroy the nissan Sentra turbo. but that's not the truth. Now we know that the Civic actually has considerably less horespower than the Sentra . The Civic comes with basic suspension as well. I was going to get he 1.5 Civic because I believed what everyone was saying about how the Civic will put the sentra to shame. My buddy has a Sr turbo sentra and after he let me drive it I fell on love with it. The Civic Si 1.5t is underpowered and overpriced, and to top it all off shitty suspension

[@gaurapms]

Great car and video you should have more subscribers

[@krzysztof2454]

I have previously model civic ,but this one is fantastic 👏

[@tabban21]

Good video. Subscribed. What trim was this ?

[@1218821]

love my 2019 sports plus , only missing thing is HUD

[@watsonjason1981]

thats what I had through Mobility Red 1.5 litre engine that was a good car it was leased for 3 years

[@AndrewKNI]

Great review. I think your model was the Sport Plus. Fantastic car.

[@afrank3029]

Andrew K. UK Just it had no sunroof ..🤔

[@user-ne6cz7kh6f]

I have same car with no sunroof..where i can got orginal sunroof for it please help 😭

[@AndrewKNI]

I would contact the Honda dealer or look for an independent sunroof supplier and fitter.

nice review. f the haters talk about height. its a car review

[@mohamedkanu9633]

Do Honda 2015 civic lx or ex have turbo?

[@darrenhollebone6550]

are the LED headlights any good?

[@jayh240]

Is there any cabin noice in honda civic?

[@retrospect3-2-15]

How many mpg does it do?

[@FR-ku2bb]

Nice review! Right color, right engine too. I did a test drive last week but i'm a little bit disappointed about the Hp sensation on the throttle. It starts pushing over 3.500 rpm, below it is lazy. Anyway really nice car and nice review. Well done!

[@DGKonkrete]

The Nissan Sentra SR Turbo is a way better all around buy. It's similarly priced to the civic but that's the only thing similar between these cars. The Sentra has 15 more horsepower than the Civic. Plus Nissan added a upgraded suspension. When the Civic was still a concept car the horspower specs on it weren't out yet. Everyone was talking about how the Civic will have 215 Hp and will destroy the nissan Sentra turbo. but that's not the truth. Now we know that the Civic actually has considerably less horespower than the Sentra . The Civic comes with basic suspension as well. I was going to get he 1.5 Civic because I believed what everyone was saying about how the Civic will put the sentra to shame. My buddy has a Sr turbo sentra and after he let me drive it I fell on love with it. The Civic Si 1.5t is underpowered and overpriced, and to top it all off shitty suspension.

[@andrew21030]

I'm torn between an fk2 or a sport plus in this model where both are similar money It's either having a quick car or one with a 5th seat, radar cruise control, heated seats and sunroof but I know I'll live in regret if I go for either knowing I'll be missing out on something

[@penman8985]

I’ve heard that the cambelt on the 1 litre is not very reliable. The 1.5 is the one to go for. Simon

[@AnilPatel-sd4nt]

Excellent 👍

[@dazspurs9899]

Can he see over the steering wheel?

[@markuspekkonen9452]

Daz Z .164cm i think.

[@danitimnev2102]

I believe he is looking through the steering wheel hole at the top

[@yanksng6287]

Thats what I was thinking too

[@nudgenudgewinkwink3212]

@@yanksng6287 My first reaction too!

[@bluepilltaker]

Lmao same thing I was thinking

[@DiogoFernandes-tg5cb]

For the same price there are other alternative models to consider?

[@Jacob011]

If it is the "engine to have" then I would expect you tell me how reliable it is.

[@TheFluffyWendigo]

I own one in that exact color in the US and I baby the crap out of it. I don't go over 55 MPH it gets only 93 octane and I don't drive it in winter. This car is my baby and the service manual lies next to my desk top. Pro washed once every month etc.

[@lv.99mastermind45]

I use maguire's for cleaning on mine (it's black). I also suggest using a lower octane fuel. In mine, 93 ran the engine too hot, and it wasn't burning fuel very well

[@SB-dw8vx]

Never going over 55mph is prob bad for your car... You need to properly break in your car. Google it for more info

[@b_nast19]

@@lv.99mastermind45 dude chill it's a Civic lol

[@jondonnelly4831]

what a waste

[@jamiep61]

Great Video Review. Interior quality could be better and I don't like the outdated Infortainment system. I think Honda needs to think about creating a All New Infortainment System

[@Monkiimagic]

The Infotainment is poor but as it has Android Auto and Apple play I never use the Garmin built system.

[@callum4035]

How is the infotainment system outdated and poor. It’s barely any different to what other cars have now. It’s a brilliant system, im a Honda technician so I think I know

[@Monkiimagic]

Because it is compared to other manufacturers systems, it's slow and badly designed. I've been working in IT for over 20 years so I know GUI's and what makes an easy and accessible system compared to a clunky and over complicated one, Oh and I have owned Honda's for over 15 years so know their systems very well. The current Garmin platform has been in their cars since the 9th Gen and while it has been tweaked and had Android Auto/Apple Play added (which I use all the time)... it's dated. Honda need to develop their own and just integrate Google maps into it, it's already using Android as the systems platform so it would be easy and far easier to update and keep fresh.

[@callum4035]

Monkiimagic but it isn’t though. I work on these everyday and other cars systems ARE NOT THAT DIFFERENT. End off,it’s a good unit. The old old Honda connect system was quite poor and slow

[@Monkiimagic]

In IT "not that different" can be the difference between amazing and rubbish whether you capitalise it or not. I currently have a brand new Honda Civic Sport Plus, before that an FK2 Type R, before that I had a 2016 EX spec CRV and before that a FN2 Type R. You might be a Honda technician but I am an experienced Honda owner for over 15 years and an IT professional with over 20 years of experience using GUI's on hundreds of pieces of software. Honda's infotainment system is not that easy to use, the menu's are all over the place, it looks dated and it lacks customisation. The current Garmin based Honda Infotainment is still lagging behind it competitors whether you think it is or not. Perhaps as a technician you should be testing rivals systems and passing the information back to Honda so they can improve theirs. Is it the worst? No, not by a long shot, in fact it's latest version is much improved (especially with the introduction of Android Auto and Apple Play which I think will ultimately replace manufacturers own systems soon) but it is not as good as the market leaders which is who Honda should be looking at for inspiration.

[@sammgaming676]

I really want to know how tall you are...... Also nice vid

[@richmiddleton3282]

@3:43 I love it

[@ap1hondaking]

Nice!

[@mikelee1923]

This is a great no bullshit English review that should be applauded for being totally honest. I have brought this car not on this review but on many during the Covid epidemic and click and collect so listen and learn.

[@gingerkyriakos6968]

it does not replace 1.8 at all. 1.8 match is 1.0 T. I raced 1.8 with 1.0 and it was pretty even match, even at very high speed. 1.5 T, on the other hand is quicker than 1.0 t but only at over 130 km/h. I raced 1.5 T with my 1.0 and althought the other driver thought that it would be a piece of cake to overtake me it took him quite a long straight to do so. Only when we were driving over 130 km/h the power of 4th gear took the advantage for 1.5 T and he overtook me quite easily.

[@usbsol]

Interesting 🙂

[@raymondannalls8408]

Needs to raise his seat higher, excellent view of the dash .Good review.

[@thanasisconstantinou7442]

Excellent review. Very nice interior but horrible exterior design, especially on the back. Can the new civic compete with rivals like vw golf in terms of ride quality and suspension comfort? Keep on doing great reviews.

[@thanasisconstantinou7442]

It's very unique indeed!!!!

[@DGKonkrete]

@Donovan Miller The Nissan Sentra SR Turbo is a way better all around buy. It's similarly priced to the civic but that's the only thing similar between these cars. The Sentra has 15 more horsepower than the Civic. Plus Nissan added a upgraded suspension. When the Civic was still a concept car the horspower specs on it weren't out yet. Everyone was talking about how the Civic will have 215 Hp and will destroy the nissan Sentra turbo. but that's not the truth. Now we know that the Civic actually has considerably less horespower than the Sentra . The Civic comes with basic suspension as well. I was going to get he 1.5 Civic because I believed what everyone was saying about how the Civic will put the sentra to shame. My buddy has a Sr turbo sentra and after he let me drive it I fell on love with it. The Civic Si 1.5t is underpowered and overpriced, and to top it all off shitty suspension

[@febweb17]

I bought the Civic LX automatic in the Sedan form and it looks so much better than the RS, and etc, because the rear end is tapered. I would not have bought the vehicle with a rear end that looks as if a Japanese school kid, let loose with a colouring in book and crayons, had designed it The sedan looks like a small and very streamlined Mercedes, I have seen several reviews of the Civic from the UK but none on the sedan, why is that?

[@tony997.1]

How much is 40 miles per galon in liter per 100 km?

[@noki448]

Is cca 7l 100km

[@AE-xy6wj]

1.5 oil dilution

[@fatwalletboy2]

Good clear review......in profile the civic looks ok but front and rear ends look a mess......trying to do sporty when the words civic and sporty dont really go together unless youre talking type Rs. From the back youre gonna have people look and think youre pretending to be in a type R.. this mid range model should be far more subtle. The front end looks so wide.......the engine might be good but the looks not so much.

[@DGKonkrete]

No the engine sucks. It's new never been in any other model, so it hasn't been proven

[@magnuspersson1433]

This colour really suits the Honda Civic.

[@Toolace]

This is my 2nd favorite color of it, my favorite is the one that I have personally, which is the Midnight Navy one.

[@mohamedkanu9633]

@@Toolace yo do 2015 Honda Civic ex or lx have turbo?

[@Toolace]

@@mohamedkanu9633 Sorry if this isn't the news you want to hear, but nope, they don't. The 2015 civics are the last model year of the 9th generation civics. 2016 starts the 10th generation civics, and it may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure all variations of 10th gen civics offer a turbo/vtec version expect for the LX (according to some internet searches). Good luck finding what you're looking for!

[@Toolace]

@@mohamedkanu9633 Personally, mine is the 2018 Honda Civic EX-T which has the 1.5L turbo/vtec engine along with a few other upgrades above the base Civic.

[@mohamedkanu9633]

@@Toolace oh ok thank you I thought 2015 is 8th generation

[@Fonias26]

I am between two completely different cars Civic Sport 1.5T auto & Qashqai 1.3T N-Connecta. Both in offer and i like both ! But One is sporty one is family, one is SUV one is Hatch.. Damn, whats your opinion ?!

[@wakapelojones835]

you will be surprised the amount of boot space the civic has and interior leg space also

[@THXnDTS]

I have excatly these two cars you have mentioned, and they are night and day diffrence in every aspect of the game. If you want some information about these two feel free to ask.

[@mohamedkanu9633]

@@THXnDTS I have question about Honda 2015 civic lx or ex have turbo 1.5?

[@THXnDTS]

@@mohamedkanu9633 I have Honda Civic 1.5 2SV SPORT LE SV. Made in England, bought it in Europe, Croatia.

[@mohamedkanu9633]

@@THXnDTS I will try get Honda Civic 2016 ex I only have 10k rn I had to get 12k

[@milesdaugherty6263]

Is this the one with 158 hp

[@wyhop6071]

In the US, my 2019 Honda Civic EX 1.5 Turbo has 174 hp.

[@desmondobrien68]

On Carwow just offered this car in red brand new for just over £18000 in SR trim

[@richardbaker696]

Desmond really? I must try that as for that I'd take one over a focus any say

[@Galacticmaster]

anyone have an idea of the mpg they get with a 1.6 d tech?

[@steviefn2typer]

65-70mpg easy

[@Galacticmaster]

@@steviefn2typer what down hill

[@steviefn2typer]

@@Galacticmaster I own the mk9 with the same engine, never falls below 60mpg unless it’s doing a dpf regen then it’ll drop to 57mpg

[@Galacticmaster]

@@steviefn2typer what type of roads ?

[@steviefn2typer]

@@Galacticmaster I do 15k miles a year bud, all sorts of roads, motorway, back roads, A roads, the mpg is phenomenal, free tax too and Honda reliability makes it a no brainer for me

[@paulpaul9567]

Is it a vtec?

[@ethanpunto9222]

Yes

[@ishaqballut6839]

I own one but it’s not the sharpest looking in all honesty

[@ivanisization]

What hight are you? Damn i hit the sealing at 6.1

[@wyhop6071]

I was wondering about that too. Now I realize he’s an adult but he looks sooo young!

[@samrobles1650]

how much does it cost

[@tristana1148]

Sam Robles got my hatch ex t with coated wheels for 24

[@imconfused9004]

Around 12 Iphone Xrs

[@ljakrtsh1]

How big is the difference in fuel consumption between 1.5 and 1.0 engines in real world driving

[@Yakito666]

Its such a frequent question yet no clear answer. My local dealer says 1.5 can do about 40mpg even if you are having a bit of fun in it.

[@Monkiimagic]

I get an average of 47mpg out of mine and give it some beans from time to time... mostly drive in eco mode though as traffic in the UK is so stop start these days.

[@drd6416]

I drive on A and B roads, mostly at 40 to 50, some urban crawling, and when the roads are quiet, giving it the beans..... rarely get below mid to high 40s. Aircon will reduce it though. Haven't been for a motorway run, but I'm betting it'll be pretty good. Ive swapped from a very clean and economic 5 cylinder v40 to a 1.5 sport and am smitten

[@Oxaen]

Oops someone forgot the babyseat.

[@soulrappaful]

Who put the todler on driver seat?

[@morry1076]

Shame there was no comment on the price of these, Honda are looking for ridiculous money for this spec. Quick check of Autotrader as an example and some are up at the 26k point which is farcical. Other than that a really good review:)

[@heros2110]

The competitors in Germany (Focus, Astra, Golf etc.) are all same price to more expensive. Civic Prestige 1.5 is 32k Euros, Astra 1.6 is 36k Euros. The Civic uses regular fuel, the Astra needs premium fuel. As an example.

[@adequatedust]

Nice car but have to worry about the turbo 1.5l engine. Many problems with oil dilution from the direct injection here in North America and China stopped in March 2018 allowing the import due to problems and Honda seems to be dismissing the problem and telling you to not take short trips and allow car to warm up before driving.

[@THALYRIKALONE]

John Fountaine being a turbo engine, in theory, you should always let the engine warm up. This reminds me of my 1997 Suzuki tl1000s sport bike problem with gas in oil. It requires warming up the bike before riding.

[@Stringwar]

Updates have stated that it's to do with extreme cold weather which you experience in the USA. Whereas here in the UK it's just 10deg C (50F) all year round!

[@bikeman123]

@@Stringwar 10 deg C all year round in the UK? You're either kidding or you need to get out more.

[@Stringwar]

@@bikeman123 Sorry. I was rounding down. Average UK temp is about 13degC. So yeah, most of the time it's jacket weather. It's 14th July today, the height of summer and it's 21C (69f).

[@bikeman123]

@@Stringwar and this weekend its forecast to be 25c maybe 27c, quite a bit more than 10c I'd say

[@rama6maiden]

I own one and i hate it. 3 wheel alignments later on a brand new car i still shit my self driving faster than 130km/h. Steering horrible amazingly horrible and i can say that i have driven alot of cars but my civic takes the Price.

[@rama6maiden]

Lucky you.

[@GuyX2013]

Are you old enough to drive?

[@morry1076]

Further to my comment, you could have a Leon 300 Cupra for similar money, why would you bother with the Civic?

[@ljakrtsh1]

Morry 10 because civic is better

[@heros2110]

1) Honda makes 344 engines to the first engine failure. Volkswagen, including Seat, makes 51 to the first engine failure. -> Reliability 2) The Cupra is a "naked dog" for the same price compared to the Civic as a Sport + or a Prestige when it comes to features the cars have. 3) At least in Germany, Honda offers better warranty conditions than VW or Seat. And you'll need that on the EA888 engine, i'm afraid. I don't know about the UK speed, but our 2.0 TSI tend to have issues on clogged/broken piston rings and they use quite a bit of oil, 1 litre every 2,500 miles is considered low to normal oil consumption on those. And since Honda can make lawnmower and boat engines that are idiot-proof, i would guess they did a good job with the 1.5 turbo as well...

[@Monkiimagic]

Reliability for just one of many reasons.

[@nicolafertin3154]

@@Monkiimagic heard this isn't a very reliable engine because of oil dilution .. unless you keep your nose on it. Our do long drives

[@Monkiimagic]

@@nicolafertin3154 Had no issues with any of mine but some can use a little oil... to be honest no matter what car you own it's worth checking the oil levels. I think the current (FK2 FK8) Type R's turbo can be prone to burning off a little oil when it's been worked hard and not allowed to cool down with a normal drive but I think Honda have built in something to reduce/stop that.

[@TherymasterWidnes]

The infotainment system in this heap, sums up this car in a nutshell. It’s woeful!

[@bonedeth925]

This guy needs a phone book to sit on so he can see over the steering wheel.

[@pt8333]

At what point did it become legal to drive a car as a minor?

[@shoopyman72]

It seems like an excellent car however this is a 1.5 L Turbo way too much power this engine will barely lasts a hundred thousand miles if you're lucky this is going to be a huge issue in the next two to three years when people start having engine problems. I own an LX with a 2.0 in the 6-speed manual and I tell you what I've drove both in the 158 horsepower engine is plenty powerful and fun really within a half second in the quarter mile. And gets better fuel economy because it doesn't have to use premium and will last 300,000 miles.

[@Stringwar]

People in the UK dont put 100k on their cars normally. Average mileage is about 9k per year.

[@drd6416]

With that comment I'm going to suspect you know nothing about engines or the engineering prowess and expertise of Honda. This engine is basically the same engine that was presebt in the original civic from the 70s, albeit with substantial technological advances and materials to keep up to date. The engine is a very strong unit and can easily be tuned to over 300bhp with no issues, not that most would want to) As for higher mileage, ive had 4 fn2 civics petrol diesel and auto, stuck over 130k on them without a peep. All looked after and driven as they should be.

[@johnstonstix]

Buddy, you need to sit on a phone book or something.

[@SuperKiko112]

you sit quite low.. get smth under you

[@repairaholic4858]

Surprised you can see over wheel 😂

[@694069406940]

YEP ricer car what is it meant to be what is up whit that rear end so much ricer going on ugly ass thing

[@dazspurs9899]

What has gone wrong with civics since 2011? They have got bigger and uglier

[@gsheverything_2716]

Lie