The humble Honda Civic may well be the most controversial car on this list. When the new Civic came out, many journalists accused it of not changing or innovating enough. I can understand the rationale behind that argument, but that doesn't change the fact that the Civic is hands-down the most comprehensive compact car on the market. You can get a sedan or a coupe; a high-fuel-efficiency version; a high-performance version; a leather-lined version; a hybrid version; even an alternative-fuel version that runs on clean natural gas. And whichever Civic you choose, you're virtually guaranteed years of trouble-free motoring. I don't blame Honda for sticking to a formula that works, and I wish other automakers offered this much choice in their own compact cars.
Read more: 2012 Honda Civic review
Next: Hyundai Veloster
