The Honda Civic has been around in some form or another since way back in 1972, and at last count, there were no fewer than 11 generations of the car. The 2005 Honda Civic was significant, though. This was the year that the eighth-generation Civic arrived, and it was very different to what had gone before, and would set the tone for several Civics to come. Where previous Civics had been conventional, sensible and perhaps a bit stuffy, the Mk8 was all sharp angles and aggressive features, making it look quite futuristic and edgy, both inside and out. However, it still had sensible appeal, too, with brilliant reliability, and a big boot and clever rear seats that made it one of the most practical cars in the class.

Strengths:

Futuristic design still books fresh
Impressively practical
Great reliability record

Weaknesses:

Terrible rearward visibility
Rather fussy dashboard design
Limited engine range

Is the 2005 Honda Civic better than the 2005 Ford Focus?

These two are very different cars. The Civic is a stylish car that also manages to deliver big on practicality, reliability and build quality, but is rather so-so on the road. The Focus, meanwhile, is merely average in the areas where the Civic excels, but it’s absolutely brilliant to drive. So, which car suits you best depends on what your priority is.