First things first, I apologize if this is in the wrong forum, but here goes:

Right now I drive a 2005 Kia Optima 4cyl with 137k, which has been a great little car over the years. However, in a few years when it does finally bite the dust, I am going to go with a Civic. My parents both drive Hondas and have over 160k on theirs, and they have been extremely reliable vehicles. I have been looking at the different generations of Civics, and it is all a bit overwhelming. I want the best mileage, but I also want something that's going to last me at least 5+ years, if I keep up with it mechanically. I also would love for it to be easy enough for me to work on.

The Kia has a DOHC motor, and I just replaced the timing belt and crank shaft position sensor, and I only consider myself a novice mechanic. I'm mentioning this because I don't know if I should go with a Civic with a SOHC, DOHC, or V-Tech engine. The most important thing to me is gas mileage. I want it to be able to "get up and go," but my wild days of speeding all over the place are over. Is there one generation which is more reliable than the others? Is there something in particular I should be on the lookout for? As of now, I've just been keeping an eye on the local Craigslist ads. It does seem like Honda is overpriced because everyone wants one right about now. Any tips on getting one at a fair price?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

For more recent vehicles, my vote goes with 7th, which I now own (2005 Civic LX). I had a 1996 Civic hatchback which I never cared for all that much, though I kept it nearly ten years. This car, I loved from the first day, and I'm keeping it until the wheels fall off. Other than that, I really liked the Civics from the late '80s, but that goes back quite a ways, now.

 

I do like how some of the 7th gen Civics look; I'm just weary of getting a 2000+ because of the "spaceship" look of newer cars. Someone on another forum said that the side safety crash ratings go up a bunch for the 7th gen vs. the earlier generations, which would be a huge plus. I want this thing to LAST, and I want to be able to do all of the maintenance on it. Also I want to be able to replace head gasket/timing belt/whatever else goes wrong with it. Never again will I pay a mechanic to do something like that--it's all a great learning experience. And the most important thing would be MPG's..I've been noticing that people with 1993's, and 1998's seem to get extremely good gas mileage, whereas the newer models are getting like high 20's, low 30's?

 

"best generation"? That's a loaded term. Any one of them is the best for something. It depends on what your needs and goals are. Do you plan to modify it? Or just drive it? 6th generation Civics (96-00) are pretty good. 5th generation Civics (92-95) are really starting to show their age, but they can be maintained and still run well. One of my friends has a 4th generation Civic (86-91) with 320K miles on it. He still gets 30 mpg.

7th generation Civics are sleeker and a little more modern, but their transmissions are their weakness. They just don't last.

 

Well I will be getting a 5-speed; does the transmission comment apply to those as well? I would want to get great gas mileage, and don't need to really modify the car. I would just keep up with maintenance and replace parts as needed. I definitely want the gas mileage, reliability, and decent room. I just hate the spaceship look of new(ish) cars!!

 

The 5th and 6 gens are the best.

 

I vote 5th and 6th gen.

+1 parts availability
+1 aftermarket support
+1 easy to work on...as long as you have tools
+1 doesn't take much $$$ to look real nice or to make it somewhat fast

7th gens imo are just ugly

8th gens imo are right there with 7th gens, and the more I look the more I come across 06-09 civics and random overheating because of a cracked block(manufacture defect)

9th gen, ugliest of them all

 

i'd vote 4th, 5th and 6th.
mainy because i have a 4th gen and they will last until the chassis rust out. that was the bad part, easy rust. they are stupidly light, and easy to work on. not much for electronics or emissions to deal with if you ever want to swap to something with more power. mechanically, they had no big issues. main relay and faulty coils are most common. that's honda for you though.

5th and 6th i consider almost the same... i want one. either one. whichever i find in better shape. i like the hatches on the 5th gens more than the 6ths. 5th gens are lighter. the hatchback is lighter than the 4th gens IIRC.

new honda is garbage. anyone who knows anything about honda can agree on that. post 2000 is useless as anything other than a daily driver. even then, they have more issues than their classic counterparts.

i'll agree, the brand new generation, looks exactly like the previous generation... just slightly more ugly, and slightly smaller. the Civic is no longer true to its purpose. it is no longer a fun to drive fuel efficient small vehicle. it is a big boat now. true story.

when i get a brand new car, I won't be looking at Honda! I'll be keeping my 4th gen for my project, but I'll be looking at a Subaru BRZ. =D

 

I might look toward a 5th or 6th gen if I had the mechanical skills to keep up with the needs of a car that old, but sadly I don't.

I was initially offended by the sheer size of my 7th gen, but have gotten used to it. I find that seven years in, the car's styling still passes for close to new; that, combined with the remarkable body integrity means that I can keep it for a good long time to come without it looking like an old car. Mechanically, it has been trouble-free so far, but other than chronic rust on my '88 CRX (and an A/C condenser that caught more than its share of rocks), my previous Hondas all got through this age with no mechanical issues as well.

I've thought about it a lot, and except for the sheer fun factor associated with the CRX, this 7th gen Honda is perhaps the single best car I've had in my life, and I've had a fair number of cars. No rust, no mechanical issues, classic styling, super comfortable, reasonable gas mileage, great in the snow, little road noise, and a pass-through trunk for carrying stuff.

After dating this car for seven years, I'm ready to make a long-term commitment.

 

I must say Civics are great little cars. They are decent looking, relatively quick for what they are, and have outstanding gas mileage. I have owned a 7th(2003 Acura 1.7EL), an 8th(2010 DX-G Sedan), and a 9th(2012 LX Sedan) generation Civic, and so far my favorite is the 9th. In my opinion, the 7th gen Civic was the last "REAL" Civic, because the 8th gen moved away from the traditional civic design for one that resembles a spaceship more than a compact car. The 7th gen Civic was also the last to use Honda's famous "D" engine that has been used in all previous generations. I definitely preferred my 7th gen over my 8th, so if you do not want to get a newer Civic, I suggest the 7th generation (2001-2005). If you want a newer Civic on the other hand, I suggest the 9th gen (2012-). It is the most refined Civic yet, has IMPECCABLE gas mileage (due to it's new "ECO" mode), and Honda's new i-Mid system is a great touch. If you get the 5-speed manual, it is a quick little car.