Honda Civic Ground Clearance: What To Know
2017 Honda Civic by Kevauto — CC BY-SA 4.0
Ground clearance, also called the ride height, is the space between a flat surface and the lowest part of a vehicle, excluding the tires.
There isn’t a perfect “one size fits all” measurement for ground clearance. The height varies depending on a vehicle’s purpose. Let’s find out why the brilliant engineers at Honda choose to give the Civic precisely 6.7 inches (171mm) of ground clearance.
The Importance of Ground Clearance
Ride height affects safety, visibility, performance, mileage, and comfort.
Back in the day, most consumers thought ground clearance was something you wouldn’t pay too much attention to unless you enjoyed off-roading. However, it may not look like it on the surface, but ride height significantly impacts a vehicle.
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How Does Ground Clearance Affect Driveability?
High ground clearance is usually preferred by those that drive on rough, dusty, or rocky terrains. This is natural, of course. If you attempted to off-road a vehicle with regular ride height, you probably wouldn’t get very far due to the underbody scraping against the ground and causing damage to various vehicle parts.
Let’s not forget that pavements aren’t so smooth and perfect. Also, if you’ve ever encountered a speed bump or a deep pothole in a sporty vehicle, you know how much of a hassle that can be.
How Does Ground Clearance Affect Visibility?
Ground clearance is necessary because it can help you with visibility. Naturally, sitting taller in a vehicle with a high ride height will help you see other cars on the road, which helps with safety and avoids traffic jams.
How Does Ground Clearance Affect Performance?
There was never publicly shared research about the correlation between ride height and performance. However, more than enough car enthusiasts have lifted their vehicles and claimed that raising the center of gravity results in more body roll. In other words, handling can become a bit tougher.
Additionally, those who raised their vehicles have noticed a slight drop in fuel economy. This is because air hits wheels and tires more than it would on a lowered vehicle, worsening the car’s aerodynamics. This also results in worse performance. However, the numbers are unnoticeable unless, of course, speed is your primary concern.
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How Does Ground Clearance Affect Comfort?
Ground clearance itself doesn’t necessarily affect comfort. On vehicles with high ride height, the suspension system doesn’t need to be rigid, which results in a more comfortable ride. But, the suspension systems on vehicles that are closer to the ground need to be stiffer, and therefore, they’re much less comfortable.
How Much Ground Clearance is Necessary?
As a rule of thumb, vehicles have 4 to 6 inches of ground clearance, and most SUVs have 6 to 8 inches of clearance with adjustable suspensions. Four inches should be enough for daily driving and on paved roads. It’s also a standard height for going through potholes and curbs, but it’s not like you want to.
Lower than four inches, and you’re risking the safety and reliability of your Honda vehicle.
On the other hand, the numbers can be pretty different for off-roading. If you’re going off-roading, you’ll require between 6.6 to 8.7 inches minimum when driving through gravel tracks. A minimum of 10.8 inches and above is a must if you’re looking to trek through a 4x4 tough-graded track or rock crawling.
The Pros and Cons of High Ground Clearance
High ground clearance has its positives and negatives. The question is, what are you looking for in a car? What are your personal preferences?
The Pros of High Ground Clearance
High ride height allows you to travel on dusty, muddy, or rocky roads without damaging the undercarriage of your car. This can be quite beneficial for off-roading, but it will also benefit those who drive only on roads. All of us have hit a deep pothole at one point or another, wondering whether or not we’re going to hear a terrible telltale noise coming from underneath the car afterward. With high ground clearance, hitting a pothole shouldn’t matter.
The higher the ground clearance, the more visibility you have. Being stuck in traffic—especially behind a truck—can be annoying and even unsafe. With higher ground clearance, you’ll be able to see stoplights, upcoming traffic, and upcoming road signs over other vehicles. This is not only useful, but it’s much safer.
As many drivers grow older, they learn to appreciate the higher ground clearances relatively common with modern SUVs. Higher ground clearance means that entering and exiting the vehicle becomes a lot easier – elderly drivers don’t have to worry about pulling a muscle or bumping their heads. Also, there’s an emerging ride height sweet spot where drivers can simply get in and out of the vehicle effortlessly.
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The Cons of High Ground Clearance
The most significant benefit of low ground clearance and the biggest disadvantage of high ground clearance is handling. Cars with lower ride height handle much more smoothly and effectively, but only on smooth surfaces, such as pavement. This is the primary reason why sports cars have low ground clearance.
Additionally, lower ground clearance helps with the aerodynamics of a car. The better the aerodynamic properties of the vehicle are, the better it will perform. Plus, it’s going to save a bit of fuel on top of that.
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Honda Civic Ground Clearance
Honda Civic is your “middle-of-the-road” vehicle for ground clearance.
Depending on the make model year, the ground clearance of a Honda Civic is between 3.9 inches (100mm) and 6.9 inches (175mm). The ground clearance of the 2021 Honda Civic for most trims is 6.7 inches.
How Does Honda Civic Compare To Other Vehicles?
As mentioned above, the Honda Civic is about average compared to other vehicles. This makes sense; Civics aren’t extreme such as sports cars and large trucks.
Compared to the 2021 RAM 2500’s 13.1 inches of ground clearance, a Civic seems to be pretty low, down to the ground. However, compared to some of the lowest ground clearance sports cars, such as the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT’s 3.4 inches, the Civic isn’t so low.
In summary, the Honda Civic is a perfect city car. You might not get the best visibility, but your car won’t scrape. It’ll handle exceptionally well and offers pretty decent performance and fuel economy numbers. For many consumers, the Civic lies right in the sweet spot.
Honda Civic’s ride height might not appeal to you. In that case, maybe you’d want something a bit higher off the ground, such as a 4Runner. Or, perhaps you’re looking for something a bit more sporty, in which case a Mazda3 might be the car for you.
Conclusion
Ride height shouldn’t be the only determining factor in your purchasing decision, but it should be considered. Also, just by looking at a vehicle’s ride height, you’ll be able to determine what the car was truly designed for.
Honda Civic was designed to be an excellent city and highway vehicle that might not be as sporty as some supercars, but it does offer performance, decent mileage, and a fun ride!
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