Best Oil For Honda Civics In 2022 (2024)

Updated on September 14, 2022

The Honda Civic has been one of the most successful series of cars ever produced, and in 2022 it is entering its 50th year in production.

From the first generation to the latest model, Civic has retained its affordable price, practical design, and most importantly – reliability.The most important step in keeping the Civic well-maintained is to change the oil regularly but also use the right brand.

The Honda manufactured engine oil such as Honda Genuine Full Synthetic Oilis going to be the best option for your Honda Civic.

Picking the oil brand is only half the task, as we need to pick the right oil grade and chemical composition. There’s a lot to go through, but I’ll divide the guide into sections based on model year, generation, and engine type so you can have an easier time navigating the content.

Honda Civic Eleventh Generation (2021 – )

The new Honda Civic is equipped with two types of 1.5L inline-4 gasoline engines, and a 2.0L hybrid with two electric motors. All three engines use the same type of full-synthetic engine oil.

For the 2021 and 2022 Honda Civic models, you need the 0W-20 grade full synthetic engine oil, and Honda Genuine Full Synthetic Oil is the best option. A quart of oil costs $15 and you’ll need 3.7 quarts for the gasoline engine and 4.4 quarts for the hybrid.

Technically, you shouldn’t even be changing the oil on the 2021 and 2022 Civic by yourself as the car is still in warranty, but at least now you know what the dealership uses and you can continue to use the Honda full-synthetic oil once the warranty expires.

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Honda Civic Tenth Generation (2015 – 2021)

The tenth generation did not feature a hybrid engine, but it did come with a 1.6L diesel engine and a wide range of naturally aspirated and turbocharged gasoline engines.

Gasoline Engines (1.0L, 1.5L, 1.6L, 1.8L, 2.0L)

Honda will continue to recommend its own Ultimate full synthetic oilbut if your Civic is not covered by warranty, you’re not under an obligation to use their very expensive oil.

Instead, any full-synthetic 0W-20 engine oil will do. I have recommended Mobil 1 as a good high mileage option, but there are plenty of great and affordable oil brands on the market. You can take a look at the alternatives recommended for older gasoline engines, as the type and grade remain the same.

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Diesel Engine (1.6L)

Honda specifies that the 1.6L diesel-powered Civic requires Honda’s unique Green Diesel engine oil, but its high cost and limited availability open up the room for alternatives. Good quality synthetic 5W-30 or 0W-30 oil will do just fine and cost only a fraction of Green Diesel oil.

The Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic engine oil is one of the best options for diesel engines and costs only $23 for a 5-quart jug, significantly less than Honda’s proprietary oil. If the warranty period for your Civic has expired, feel free to use Valvoline and do the change yourself.

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Honda Civic Ninth Generation (2011 – 2015)

In the United States, the ninth-generation Civic was made available with gasoline engines as well as a hybrid and Gas/CNG version. The two diesel engines were only available in the UK, but we’ll briefly mention them to complete the list.

Gasoline Engines (1.6L, 1.5L, 1.8L, 2.0L, 2.4L)

Regardless of the engine size and powertrain design, the ninth-generation Honda Civics use 0W-20 full synthetic engine oil.

You can pick the above-mentioned Mobil 1 because it’s cheaper, but Pennzoil has been the oil of choice for millions of drivers in the US and it deserves to be mentioned. Rather than synthesizing crude oil, Pennzoil uses natural gas to produce its Ultra Platinum Full Synthetic 0W-20 engine oil.

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Diesel Engines (1.6L, 2.2L)

The 1.6L diesel engine is the same one currently in production and you can use any full synthetic engine oil of 5W-30 or 0W-30 grade. However, for the 2.2L diesel, you are strictly limited to the 0W-30 grade oil, and Castrol Edge is one of the most advanced oils you can get.

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Honda Civic Eighth Generation (2005 – 2011)

The engine options for the eighth generation include standard inline-4 gasoline engines, but also a 1.3L hybrid with IMA.

Gasoline Engines (1.3L, 1.6L, 1.8L, 2.0L)

The gasoline-powered Honda Civic uses 0W-20 grade full synthetic oil, although at the time synthetic blends were also accepted. Aside from Mobil 1 High Mileage oil, I can strongly recommend K&N Ultra Premium full synthetic motor oil because of its protective qualities and excellent viscosity.

The 1.3L gasoline engine with an integrated motor assist (IMA) uses Honda’s proprietary Hybrid Petrol Engine oil. From my understanding it’s nothing but standard 0W-20 full synthetic oil, so you can use any of the options on the list.

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Best Oil For Older Honda Civic

The best option for older Honda Civic models is a high-mileage variant of full synthetic oil. Valvoline makes excellent high mileage oil with Maxlife technology that will keep your Honda protected and last longer.

The Civic has always been a reliable car and models from the last century have started to increase in price, especially those from the golden age of Japanese street racing. By using the right oil, you can preserve the condition of your Civic and consider it as much of an investment as it is a vehicle.

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How To Pick The Right Oil For Honda Civic

The most important part of picking the correct engine oil is getting the oil grade right. The oil type doesn’t play much of a role anymore, as everyone has switched to the full-synthetic oils, or at least the synthetic blends.

Gasoline-powered Civics use 0W-20 grade oil across the board, but you can also use 5W-20 if you’d like. The brand doesn’t really matter, although Honda heavily encourages the use of their “unique” oil brands. To be safe, I’ll give you the Honda Genuine oil part numbers so you can cross-reference the prices and availability.

FAQs

What oil does a 2018 Civic Si take?

The 2018 Civic Si uses Honda Genuine Full Synthetic 0W-20 Oil, but you can use any 0W-20 grade full-synthetic oil that you see fit.

What oil does the Honda Civic take?

All Civics use full synthetic oil, but the grade depends on the model year and engine type. Gasoline engines use 0W-20 grade, but you can also use 5W-20 in some models. Diesel generally runs on 0W-30 or 5W-30.

Like all other powertrains, the hybrids use proprietary Honda oil, but it seems to be the same 0W-20 grade full synthetic oil used in regular gas engines.

Does Honda Civic take synthetic oil?

The answer is yes, but to clarify: the new Civic models are built to use synthetic oil, while the old models are forwards-compatible and can use it as well.

How much oil does a 2018 Civic take?

The 2018 Honda Civic takes 3.7 liters of engine oil in the smaller gasoline engines or 4.4 liters for the larger 2.0L engine.

Can I use 5W20 instead of 0W-20?

Honda recommends the use of 0W-20 grade oil, but you can use 5W-20 if you have milder winters than normal. The 0W and 5W are winter grades and determine how easily the oil can flow in cold temperatures. The 0W has a better flow and can better protect the engine than 5W under the right conditions.

Summary

The vast majority of Honda Civics on the US roads are gasoline-powered and require 0W-20 grade full-synthetic oil. The Honda Ultimate Full Synthetic Oil is the safest choice, but you can also pick Mobil 1, Valvoline, Pennzoil, K&N, Shell, and any other high-quality brand.

Here are other VehicleFreak articles you may read:

How Fast Is a Honda Civic R?

How Many Gallons Does a Honda Civic Gas Tank Hold?

2022 Honda Civic Engine Replacement Cost