When you are shopping a new Civic sedan, the LX is the budget-friendly one and the Sport is the sharper-looking one. Both use the same 2.0-litre 4-cylinder and the same CVT. Honda Canada lists a small edge for the LX.
The numbers
From honda.ca Civic Sedan specifications, city / highway / combined:
- Civic LX: 7.3 city / 5.7 highway / 6.6 combined.
- Civic Sport: 7.5 city / 6.0 highway / 6.8 combined.
That is 0.2 L/100 km. On 20,000 km a year it is a small fuel bill, not a reason to skip the Sport if you want it. It is still a real difference from the same engine.
Why the Sport uses more
It is not a different engine. It is the hardware around it.
Wheels and tires
The LX rides on smaller, lighter 16-inch steel wheels. The Sport steps up to larger, wider 18-inch alloys. Those wheels add unsprung weight and rotational inertia. The wider tires add rolling resistance. The engine spends a bit more energy getting the Sport rolling and keeping it there.
Curb weight
The Sport also carries extra equipment, a dressed-up cabin, and the bits that come with the firmer suspension tune. More mass means the same 2.0-litre works a little harder.
What I tell buyers
If the goal is the lowest fuel use and the lower price, take the LX. If you want the look, the larger wheels, and the sharper drive, the Sport's fuel gap is a small price. Civic Hybrid is a different car: 4.9 L/100 km combined, if the payment still works.
Henry Chen, 647-523-6878, Maple Honda, 89 Auto Vaughan Dr, Maple, ON L6A 4A1.
Book a Civic test drive or text 647-523-6878 and say LX or Sport.