The revamped 2012 Honda Civic lineup revealed at NYIAS

"The all-new Civic builds on the popularity of the previous generation with a complete technology makeover, higher level of refinement and style while improving its position as an excellent value," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The Civic offers the most diverse model lineup in the industry to best meet the needs and preferences of individual customers."

Whatever the varied needs of the commuter, there would indeed seem to be one to fit the bill. Even if you bought a Civic sedan last year, this year’s model, equipped with automatic transmission will get 8 percent better fuel economy than the one you’re driving. The same is true with the Civic coupe and the rest of the lineup gets even better mileage yet.

The Civic Hybrid promises an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 44 mpg city, highway or combined. The Civic Hybrid is also introducing the latest generation of the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system – now with a lithium-ion battery for the first time on a Honda hybrid vehicle.

The Civic HF, debuts as a value-saturated, high fuel-economy sedan with an EPA estimated economy rating of 41 mpg at highway speeds, among the highest for a conventional gas vehicle with an automatic transmission.

The 2012 Civic comes with several new technologies and features a 5-inch LCD intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID), providing functionality to numerous optional features.

All the new 2012 Civic models, with the exception of the Civic Si, have the Eco Assist system that can enhance efficiency while giving the operator feedback for a more efficient personal driving style.

Safety remains a top concern and the new models feature a wide variety of standard equipment including Honda's exclusive Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE) body structure for frontal collision energy management and vehicle-to-vehicle crash compatibility.

Standard safety equipment includes the new Motion Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS) system, a bevy of advanced airbags and a 4-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.

The 2012 Civic is expecting high scores in both the federal government's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluations.

Further, it is not only reassuring but gratifying to know 95 percent of all Civics sold in the U.S. are built in North American at facilities in either Greensburg, Indiana or Alliston, Ontario.

Looking for a reliable, more economical ride to and from work or school? You’ve got a lot of homework to do, but don’t leave this iconic line out of your comparison.