Honda Civic 6th Generation Facelift
The sixth-generation 1996 Honda Civic received a minor facelift, focusing on less-sporty styling, but it was also endowed with more power.
Written by Jason Tushinski
Reviewed by Jessa Claeys
The 1996 Honda Civic was the first model year of the Civic’s sixth generation. Its changes compared to the previous generation were more akin to a Botox injection than a full-fledged facelift. The Civic received a more subdued exterior look, more standard safety equipment, and more power under the hood.
Most cars undergo facelifts every year, with new elements added to freshen things up. But sometimes a vehicle gets a major facelift (have you seen the new Bronco?). The sixth-generation Honda Civic, which debuted in 1996, received the former—a nip here and a tuck there for a rather minor overhaul compared to the 1995 version.
If you’re curious about the exact changes the ‘96 Civic went through, you’ve come to the right place.
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Was the 1996 Honda Civic redesigned?
Yes, the 1996 Honda Civic was redesigned—but the changes were minor. Honda, being the attentive, customer-focused company that it was back in ‘96, was responding to customer complaints that the 1995 Honda Civic was too sporty.
You read that right—too sporty. So, being the dutiful, crowd-pleaser that
Honda
was (and some might say still is), the carmaker embarked upon a slight reimagining to make the 1996 Honda Civic appealing to the masses.Now, despite customer demands to tone down the Civic’s vibe, Honda actually pulled a fast one by making the ‘96 Civic look less sexy (which we’ll get to below) while simultaneously adding a bit more power under the hood.
The 1996 Honda Civic was equipped with a slightly more powerful engine than the ‘95 Civic in two out of three available body styles. Both the ‘96 Civic sedan and coupe featured an
EX
trim with inline-four-cylinder engines boasting 127 horsepower, which surreptitiously added two more horses than both the 1995 Civic EX sedan and coupe.The 1996 Civic hatchback was also slightly redesigned, but its designers are apparently the only ones who got the less-sporty memo. The 1996 Civic hatchback featured two fewer trims than the 1995 Civic hatch—both the VX and Si trims were dropped.
The most powerful hatchback engine available became an inline-four-cylinder with 106 horsepower. Compare that to the 1995 Civic hatchback, which offered an inline-four-cylinder with 125 horsepower. A less sporty 1996 Civic hatchback? Mission accomplished!
1996 Honda Civic vs. 1995 Honda Civic: what changed?
Aside from the re-tuned engines, the 1996 Honda Civic line was most notable for its cosmetic changes, as well as a few other minor structural changes.
Styling
As mentioned, Honda heeded its customers' demands to make the 1996 Honda Civic less sporty. It did so with a host of cosmetic changes. These included adding a front grille to the Civic, using sheet metal contours to give the Civic a more square-like frame, and swapping out the 1995’s rear tail lights for bigger and more visible taillights.
For the hatchback, Honda did away with the two-piece body that was the 1995 Civic hatch and replaced it with a one-piece shell—similar to swapping a bikini for a more demure one-piece.
Safety
The 1996 Honda Civic benefitted from its more business-like approach with the addition of standard dual airbags and antilock brakes on its EX trims, while they were optional on the
LX
trims. Pricing
As the 1996 Honda Civic, the first in the Civic’s sixth generation, received just minor changes, its prices were only slightly higher than they were the year before. Here’s a sampling of the original pricing for the 1996 Civic, in all three body styles, compared to 1995:
1996 Honda Civic EX Sedan: $16,280
1995 Honda Civic EX Sedan: $16,200
1996 Honda Civic EX Coupe: $16,280
1995 Honda Civic EX Coupe: $14,030
1995 Honda Civic DX Hatchback: $11,100
Should you buy a 1996 Honda Civic?
Potentially. See, here’s the thing—the 1996 Honda Civic is old, but according to Hot Cars, the sixth-generation Civic has a reputation as an affordable, easy-to-repair, and fun-to-drive car.
Still, even though you can find a 1996 Honda Civic on the used car market for a song (in the range of $1,500 to $2,800), how much should you trust a car that’s more than 25 years old? In short, it depends.
When you’re looking at buying a used car, give it a thorough once-over before plunking down your hard-earned dollars—no matter how cheap the car is listed. To start, here’s
what to look for when buying a used car
:- What condition is the car in (both exterior and interior)?
- How many miles are on the odometer?
- Do you have access to the vehicle’s repair and accident histories?
Not only do you want to make sure you aren’t wasting your money, you want to make sure a used vehicle (no matter its reputation) is safe to drive. Of course, you’ll want to get
car insurance for your used car
, as well.How to save on insurance for your Honda Civic
No matter which model year of the Honda Civic you drive, you’re going to want to protect your vehicle. Using
Jerry
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* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
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