We traded in the 2012 Honda Accord EX for the Civic EX, shaved $98/month off our monthly payment and picked up almost 10MPG.
The new Civic has almost all the same features we liked in the new Accord or Crosstour but for many thousands less. We first started looking at it as a smart compromise but after driving the new Civic, we didn't feel like we were compromising at all. They are not the same car they once were.
I almost walked out on the deal a few times but every time I got up to leave, they magically found a little more wiggle room. We ended up signing for $3800 less than the first deal they laid in front of us so I would say my negotiating skills are getting better.