The Honda Civic has been restored to its previous glory

In 2016, Honda unleashed its new 10th-generation Civic sedan to rave reviews - even taking home the crown as the 2016 North American Car of the Year. It was a refreshing return to form for the Civic after the steady selling, but critically panned, 9th-generation model.

Last year, Honda sold nearly 367,000 10th-gen Civics in the US - making it the second-best-selling car in the country. And for good reason- it's comfortable, roomy, loaded with tech, and incredibly fuel efficient. In fact, a few of my friends were among those who bought new Civics last year and are absolutely head-over-heels in love with their cars.

However, I for one, was never truly smitten with the new model. Perhaps its the lackadaisical continuously variable transmission (CVT) that muffles any and all dynamism from the driving experience or the infuriatingly ill-conceived infotainment system or even the oddly proportioned rear end styling.

You see, when it comes to Civics, I'm a traditionalist. That means I'm partial to one with a peppy four-cylinder engine, a lively transmission, and nimble driving dynamics wrapped up in a user-friendly package.

Recently, Honda dropped off the latest variant of its hot-selling compact - the Civic Sport - for Business Insider to check out.

Our Civic Sport came with no optional extras which meant the $22,135 base price is also out as tested price.

Here's how it fared.