>>17225671996-2000 was EK civics, even mid-trim versions of them are relatively refined modern cars, with decent power and safety features.
It's past the gens of true classic shitbox aenemic rattlyboys, the EF and to a lesser extent EG
I've been on a road trip in a friends mid-spec EK and it was comfy as fuck. No problem overtaking or cruising. Just quantifiably better than an even older true shitbox. They're good for travelling on the highway, at speed. Presumably by 'civic' you mean clapped out lowest spec civic from the 1980s?
I also dispute the fact you can't tow with a civic, or any shitbox, too. They should have a towbar for a bike rack and it will very happily tow a small trailer of green waste to the dump and stuff like that.
I also dispute that it's useless offroad. I commuted 30 miles each day on gravel roads for a job for a few months in a WAY shitter car, a 1984 mitsubishi galant, and it was fucking fine. There was even a creek to ford and that was fine too.
