Measured by the hardware, little has changed on the Civic for 2005. There are a couple of new paint colors and a Special Edition package at the high end of the line-up. On the other hand, price increases are so modest that they haven't kept pace with inflation, and the Civic had significant changes inside and out for 2004.

Few carmakers offer the range or diversity Honda builds into the Civic line. There are sedans, coupes and a hatchback, with an emphasis on either features and convenience, performance or fuel efficiency and low cost of operation. All are notable for their excellent fuel economy, free-revving engines and solid handling, including the electrically assisted Hybrid. Up-level Civics come with powerful VTEC engines that deliver brisk acceleration. The Si hatchback is the flagship performance model, and a favorite among young enthusiast drivers for good reason. All provide superb comfort for front-seat passengers.

Three specialized Civics are designed specifically to minimize environmental impact and deliver better fuel economy than all but a few cars currently available. The most extreme is the Hybrid sedan, which gets up to 51 mpg with help from an electric motor that never needs to be plugged in. Owning and driving a Civic Hybrid is just like life with a regular Civic, almost. The Civic HX coupe gets 44 mpg on regular unleaded. There's also a Civic GX sedan that burns natural gas; Honda claims it has the cleanest internal combustion engine in the world.

Subtle styling changes were made for 2004 when bumpers, hoods, headlights and grilles on the coupe and sedan were redesigned to emphasize a baby-brother resemblance to the slick, smooth Honda Accord. The sporty Si hatchback was trimmed with new head- and tail lamps. All Civics were improved with less visible updates that reduced noise and vibration inside.

Nearly four decades after its introduction, the Honda Civic can rightfully be called an automotive icon. It remains one of America's best-selling small cars for good reason.