Hey Civic fans.Here's what.I had a '95 accord V-6.No problems.I simply sold it and bought a '96 VW Passat GLX.I am basically happy with the VW.However,I miss the Honda reliability! I am seriously considering a Civic. I have heard very bad stories about the Civic's air condition systems. As I am in NY and may move soon to Florida,AC is a HUGE concern for me. I have also read on Edmunds.com that the Civic engine is "peppy??" It is only a V-4 127hp.How "peppy" can it be? Please educate me and don't hold back!Thanks.

It's and L4 not a V4, and yes, they can get quite "peppy" if you've got the right motor. For even more "peppiness" engine mods add a lot to the "peppy" factor. :D

with a few hundred bucks in bolt-on parts, it will vastly out pep your v-6 accord. and the AC systems havent given me too much trouble. get a lower mileage one and it shouldnt be a problem for quite some time.

Okay...you guys are car savy and I am not at all.I intend to buy an off the line Civic EX and leave it that way.Will it still be "peppy?"I just hate when I can't pull onto a highway fast enough or weak passing power.Would you say a regular Civic has sufficient power for this?

Thanks,

What do you mean by "not too much trouble?" I heard the Honda AC systems are weak particularly when it is extremely hot/humid out?? True? I would like to think that in typical Honda style,the AC could run all day every day with no problems.That'show the engines run.Why not the AC?

The AC unit for the civic is somewhat faulty as in it takes a bit of time to kick in. i got a 96' Civic LX sedan and i love the AC unit man. so freaking cold during summer time and I live in Texas! As for the "engine" for Civics I have to agree that Civics were built for reliability and not so much power. 127 horses for an EX model doesn't even cut it. I mean it would be sufficient on downhills and straightaways but uphill damn it's slow. Also consider getting a 5 spd. if u get an auto it will be a bad choice especially with a civic. happy civic hunting.

-B

get an si and youll be happy. As for the A/C, I've never had any problems with mine. Although I never use it cuz i drive with the windows down.

the only problem with the AC might be the stupid R-134a refrigerant the government has us using now. chemically, its no good past 105 ambiant air temperature. so you will have about the same effectiveness from any modern car. and a stock ex is no beast, but it will get you on the freeway nicely.

I have a 94 Civic EX. It has a 1.6L SOHC VTEC which the EX shares with the SI. It actually is pretty fast, I was suprised! The reason for that is mainly that the car is lightweight. As for me, my car has 209,000 miles on it and the A/C still works awesome! I think it's just a matter of some work and some don't work right. The reason for this is back then the A/C systems on them were dealer installed, not from the factory. Basically, you get some random guy in there who doesn't know what he's doing and you have bad A/C

I have a 94 Ex and so far i have no problem with the ac. And i agree that civic were built for economy and reliablity not hp. If you want to get on the highway fast you should get a 5spd then.

an SI is way overrated. if u want to get a civic to experiment on get the Civic EX.

-B

Im a fan of both VW and honda. I own a turbo jetta, and a honda civic. Id have to say both are really fun to drive. however germans dont know jack about building cars that last. and getting parts for VWs is alot harder, especially if you have to get em shipped from germany.

however germans dont know jack about building cars that last.

FINALLY someone sees the light...

Okay,I was definitely thinking of the EX.However,now I am not sure it is any different than the the LX or DX.I mean we canot be talkin' prestige when we're talking abou a Honda Civic period!Right? Also 127hp is 127hp wheather the trim is a little nicer or not.Well...the EX coupe boasts a nicer sound system.I'd have to compare the 4 VS 6 speakers anyway. I typically drive a very short distance back and forh to work.It is not worth having a 5 speed manual for my needs.

ex is a good choice man. diff. is that ex has the sohc vtec engine or preferably called the D16y8 engine instead of the D16Y7 engine which is just the regular sohc engine in all LX and DX models. so the ex pretty much has "extra" added to it. the reason why i say get a 5 spd is because no matter what distance u drive auto sucks period. unless u have a 350Z or some really sweet ride then get a 5 spd. Even if u drive a few miles back and forth to and from work u still want the 5 spd because it allows u to take advantage of the higher RPMs and won't leave u a sitting duck when u start from a halt position. many ppl that have Civics prefer 5 spd because they say auto gives u a lack of "performance" for the Civic.

-Byron

yeah, the ex has 127 hp, and the lower models have about 106, so there is a bit of a difference, but the ex does weigh more, so the difference isnt too much. though the ex is a better daily-driver/commuter since it comes with all the power option and everything.

Thanks Byron,

I probably should have admited that I don't drive a stick!LOL! It doubt it would cost me too much efort to learn though.

BTW...what do you Civic guys have against the Accords?A new Civic these days costs as much if not more than some 240 hp beefy V -6 Accords.Is it all about low gas milage?

E

Thanks,

Any idea what the 2006 Civics will be like? I saw photos somewhere..they look like sporty hatchbacks.I would guess they might have some more juice under the hood??

haha. 2006... haven't even considered looking at that yet but yea man.... 5spd isn't too hard to learn. took me about a good week or so before i got the feel for it. once u learn it, u will never forget it. It's like riding a bike man. Just gotta make sure u time the clutch and gas perfect. Have fun.

-B

:D yeah... I mention 2006 because for the life of me,I don't get why Civic,with all its "lead compact carness" doesn't throw in a few more horses...even like 147hp or something.I think that is perhaps the one major drawback or Civic-POWER!

haha. dude if civics could get 147 HP suzuki, toyota, KIA, and mitsubishi would jump out their pants.

-B

ummmm, 99-00 si? anyone? 160 and tunable to all hell......and accords are ok, but i like driving small cars.

SIs don't count as civics saccion LOL.

-B

what do you Civic guys have against the Accords

Nothing. But they aren't as much fun...

I guess...which brings up the question;how would you rate Civic against,Sentras andCorollas?(decent hp here) the Setras have 165hp and a sport type with...175 I think.So,why would these companies freak if Civic jumped up to 147 or whatever?

Where does the "fun" come into play? I am only seriously asking.I had a '96 Accord V-6.It was an excellent/dependable car.I would never call it fun though.I want to but right no I cannot see what is perhaps the worlds most "basic" little car as fun. I would imagine a VW 1.8T GTI as a fun car.Forgive me!!(clearly not as dependable as a Civic though)

BTW,anybody regard the Civics as "more reliable" than the Accords?What about in the snow?

Also,Honda boasts the CRV as basically a Civic.CRV has 160hp!!What's the problem with making a 160hp Civic EX,never mind the Si??

dude. crv is so not civic. and i can't believe crv went from 140 to 160 HP. that's improvement. LOL. first of all VW GTI is not worth it. VW in general isn't really worth it. from the poll taken last year 3 of VW cars rated top 10 worst cars of the year. GTI was one of them. second a 160 HP civic ex would be cool but wouldn't be possible. Civics are designed to be SOHC and not DOHC or else the "reliability" that everyone talks about wouldn't really exist. plus DOHC takes up more gas than SOHC unless u get fuel management even then i dunno. nissans and toyotas are sweet cars, i'm not complaining but honestly sentra isn't worth it unless u get the SE-R and corollas are 130 HP no matter if u got type s, LE, or CE. and that's not much better off than civic at all. it all comes down to personal preference dude. ever since i started to drive i wanted a civic. to this day i still prefer civic over any other car in the world except skyline. hee hee. but it's ur choice. civic is a good car... but not the BEST. i don't think any car is the BEST. all cars have flaws. there will never be a "perfect" car.

-B

I love Nissans myself. Who made the 300ZX? Nissan. Who made the 180SX? Nissan. Who made the 240SX/Silvia? Nissan. This list goes on and on, but most importantly, WHO THE **** MADE THE SKYLINE???? Well, it's still Nissan, kids.

As for Toyota, they're pretty ****in' dependable, but if you really break it down and compare, they're pretty much just overcomplicated Hondas. They did make some good'uns too, though. Corolla GTS/Trueno, Supra (a bit overhyped... just like Mazda and the rotary engine), MR2/Levin, and early model Celica GTS's. Unfortunately, a lot of the newer ones ain't exactly what you would call pretty (Corolla S's piss me off...)

It is true that VW was rated as the least reliable car manufacturer by Motor Trend... kinda sad really. But hey, it's German.

What do u think of Acuras ans Subaru? Apparently,Subarus are extremely tough and reliable.I think they are tooooo expensive and their gas milage is poor.They are cool cars though.Acuras are pricey but being virtual Hondas,I have to assume they are also very reliable?Perhaps it depends on the make.

Oh yeah..if you would not mind,in layman's terms,why would SOHC VS DOHC affect reliabiltiy? I don't know what either of those stand for. I mean,the old Dodge Darts are still running!!I don't imagine they have SOHC!!LOL!Just kidding in as far as my own ignorance humors me!

lol yeah. I have a 94 EX coupe with a 5 speed manual. I didn't drive a stick at the time I got it either but now I can drive it no problem! People make it sound a lot harder than it really is so they freak out. Like they freak out thinking that they can't roll back an inch the first time they're on a hill, when there's nobody behind them! I would just get a long hill that's not very steep like someone's driveway or something that's on a slant, then roll back while adjusting the throttle just right before letting off the clutch. Gradually work up to bigger hills, but you'll see what I mean about how easy it really is once you get it down.

My car actually does have quite a bit of pep for how little HP it has. I can be going 25 in say third going into a corner, then I downshift at the apex into second and gun it out of the corner. FUN! Once, I thought I should see what this thing can do, so I gunned it. Pretty soon it was 60, 65, 70, 85 MPH on a pretty short strip of road! 85 on a short road is good enough for me especially since I don't race.

Also, SOHC means Single OverHead Cam. DOHC means Dual OverHead Cam. Either one of them is reliable.

SOHC stands for single over head cam and DOHC stands for Dual Overhead Cam. So like u know how AEM and Spoon, and all those other big name performance part companies make lighter and virtually more awesome cam gears? Well, cam gears are for the engine. Single over head cam is only one cam gear while Dual Over Head Cam is two... so obviously DOHC is going to be more powerful than SOHC, but reliability i'm not so sure... all I know is DOHC gets less MPG (ROFL...) than the SOHC because it takes up more gas for more power. plus we're talking two cam gears here... so wouldn't it be costly to replace both of them for a DOHC? on a side note Acuras are like "upgrades" of Honda. they are a honda brand and they have some awesome cars so Acura wouldn't be bad to invest as well. Subarus are nice... but they are damn expensive if u ask me, just like the Lancer EVO generation although these cars are SWEET. can u imagine 273 ft lbs of torque? damn.... that's some hardcore accelerating.

-B

What do u think of Acuras ans Subaru?

Love 'em and love 'em...

Apparently, Subarus are extremely tough and reliable.

They are tough and reliable, but only if you take really good care of them (we get more Subarus in for regular maintainance/broken timing belts than anything else). To their credit, they are built very solidly (think Volvo) and they are sooooo simple to work on.

I think they are tooooo expensive and their gas milage is poor.

Well, for the extra money, they are very nice cars. The reason their gas mileage doesn't compare to other imports is that they use H-O engines.

Acuras are pricey but being virtual Hondas, I have to assume they are also very reliable?

You got it. Not only are they incredibly reliable and efficient, but like it or not, the newer models are setting the bar for companies like BMW and Audi higher than they are used to. And just a heads-up: Acura IS the make...

all the Acuras we have ARE hondas in Japan. no virtual about it, US is the only ones that have Acura. it feeds the American sense of self-importance we get from driving something "better". and corollas are 130 HP no matter if u got type s, LE, or CE. and thats not true anymore. now there is the 170 horse 'Rola XRS, so dont jump the gun on one unles you got some ish in your sohc civs. and Honda doesnt need to put out huge numbers to impress people. the cars tend to be lighter than the competition. so the performance is closer than it should be. and why doesnt the SI count?i mean i dont like the new SIs as much as the old ones, but it is still a decent little car. and it runs about the same as the 175 horse SE-R. and the older 99-00 si with the b16 LOVED mods. i dont get why you guys wont consider the si when comparing civics to the competitions best. the base model lancers and sentras are VERY comparable to civics.

dude saccion i'm just playing. i'm not a hater of civic SI but i don't consider them same level as civics. they are like upgrade. and corollas with 170 HP? damn... japan is getting up there.

-B

i see what youre sayin, its just not fair to compare the SE-R to the EXs. i mean, if you look at the same respective trim levels, they are really close, and the civ is usually lighter too, so performance is VERY comparable.

I almost bought a 97 200SX SE-R. Pretty nice little car and it was quick. I like mine better though!

I really wanted a Subaru 98-2001 Impreza RS coupe, but for the hard-to-find 98, the NADA value is $7,000. A bit over my budget. I had to settle for a FWD car, although I'm not a real lover of front wheel drive... It's kinda weird seeing smoke coming from the front tires while the rear ones do, well, nothing. I like 4WD or RWD! I don't know why, I just do but my Civic kinda changed my outlook on all of that!

The new Subie's are awesome. I got a ride in a new STI going full out on the street that goes around the lake. Lots of hills, turns, and a big straight. Revved it up, let the clutch out quick and lit up all four tires! As I was being sucked to the back of my seat (wow it has a lot more power than I thought!) and watching the needle quickly raise up to right around 90 MPH, I was pushed forward by heavy braking and downshifting going around a pretty heavy corner. When the tires skidded, I knew that there should be some quick counter steering and gunning the throttle to put repeated friction on the road to regain control. Sure enough. We came out of that corner so fast and flew up over the next hill going around another corner and then back to the house. That was seriously the fastest car I've ever been in. They advertised that it was a bit faster than a porche boxter, and WOW they were right! I thought that the Porche was pretty quick!

yeah, the se-r is one of the other FF i would/have considered. i test drove one and it was awesome. almost as fast as an si, but a lot more low-end grunt for daily driving. and comeon, its an sr20......

Buy a civic.

hey...

you or anyone on here ever feel too small on a windy highway,like getting pushed around by the wind or 18 wheelers?? This is one of the resons I was wondering if EX had enough juice to bolt away from trucks should the need arise. As far as size..well...I will have to deal with it like everyone else when I get my firs Civic!

LOL. civics are small, in comparison to other cars that's good because that also means civics are lighter than other cars. take for example my car... it's a sedan civic but it weights 2600 more or less. my friend has an acura and it weighs well over 3000 lbs. 2600... 3000... 2600...3000.... i think i know what i would pick.

-B

My Civ weighs about 2100 with me in it...

damn, and i thought mine was light. mines 2265 without me at full street trim and a 1/4 tank. i gotta start drilling holes or something.....

4G, baby... I did take the back seats out, but that's only about 30 pounds. It's nice, because when I'm hangin' out with people, I can always get out of driving...

Hey VTEC,

Pardon my ignorance please.Do today's EX's come in VTEC? I saw a Civic the other day with VTEC in huge bold lettering on the side.Is this plain 'ol fanaticism or is there a sligtly more hot stock VTEC Civic make available this year? Thanks

All Honda EX trim model come with Vtec engine from Civic to Pilot and so on. And all Si come with Vtec too.

Chances are you probaly saw a Civic Si coupe or you probaly saw a ricer.

Ummm...naagh,I am pretty sure it was a Civic coupe.Aren't the Si's a totally different shape? What's a "ricer?" Plus someone on here was saying that the Si engine could be "swaped' to the Civic. The motor is a different story apparently. Embarrisngly, I do't think I know the diference between a motor and an engine! Feel free to explaine in laymen's terms if you'd like. Thanks!

Well, 99.4% of the time, when someone says motor, they mean engine.

LOL!! Abuse accepted.

It's that you were commenting to me in the "New Member Area" under the topic "VTEC???," that all VTEC SOHC -engines- would not come with a DOHC -motor-. My fault but not knowing there seemed to be a distinction between motor and engine. Got it now. I like cars but don't know jack about them mechanically. I have actually tried to find some basic informative classes on auto mechanics to no avail. Ha ha...that is the main reason I love Honda. I never have any trouble with 'em!

Oh, sorry. I wasn't trying to make fun of you or anything. I guess I do use the two terms fairly loosely with each other, so I can understand why it might have come across as two different things.

86.3% of all statistics are made up on the spot.....:D

LMAO!!!!


Are they now? ;)

i was impressed...99.4% :D

Yeah, that other .6% is when people are talking about electric motors... then it only works one way.

Civic SI around the year 96 - 00 i believe come in hatchback or coupe. SI Hatchback are much more common than coupe.

lets face it....does vw have a site devoted to it like this?

Ummm....I really don't know,maybe. I know there are tons of VW fanatics,VW magazies etc. Fact is I am no VW junkie either.I only have one and it's my first.I have only had one Honda also, a '95 Accord. I think the VW GTI 1.8T's are awesome fun cars. I understand they handle way better than any stock Honda. I also accept that VW will likely never be as reliable as Honda. I really don't plan on any extremely aggresive cornering anyway. It is nice to have some tight handling on the highway though. Annnnyway,I am not on here to pump up VW's.They seem to have their strenght in performance not reliability.Honda seems to have the exact reverse reputation.Not so?? I think eventually I will get a Civic EX.Coupe or sedan...I'm not sure. The coupe is a little lighter and perhaps therefore a tad quicker. Coupe might be the move.

Definitely coupe. I too think GTI's are fun cars (though you'll notice I'm not the biggest VW fan), but I would argue against GTI's handling better than Civics. Though it's true that I haven't driven any 6 or 7G's to really test them out, I'm damn sure a stock 4G (and maybe 5G) hatch will outcorner a GTI (as long as you put some decent tires on it...)

And as for performance, Honda's (engines) are some of the most high-performance mechanical creations of the times. If you compare them to other engines of their size, output, and efficiency with anything else, they are far ahead of the curve in performance (though it's not the kind of "performance" you would normally think of). If Honda wanted to, they could build an exotic or supercar that would put most of today's dream machines to shame. But that's just not what they're about.

Oh, and I'm not trying to impress my mindset on anyone and everyone; a lot of this is IMO (except the handling thing ;)).

By a "hatch" I guess u mean the Si? If so then VW has the VR6 GTI...I think it's called the GR or something..I forget.It has 200 or more horse and comes with 17in wheels.I would guess it can handle way better then the GTI 1.8T's. Then again..Honda has the 2000S.
But seriously,u think a stock Civic EX coupe can out handle a GTI VW? I'll take your word for it as u seem to have the experience.It does not seem true though. GTI boasts handling while Civ boasts the best compact in its class.TOTALLY different,no?

well, a stock ex will handle close to that of the gti, but you have to change the tires. honda still markets their cars to the general population, so the tires they put on them from the factory are made for decent wet/dry/snow traction without being great at anything, and also, they are a hard compound tire to increase wear time. if hondas came from the factory with the tires you find on Evos or STIs, they would easily outhandle the GTI. but, apples to apples, you should compare the GTI to the SI coupe circa 99-00. IMHO it is the best civic america has ever had, and will probably be for a long time. but the true power of a honda comes with tinkering. ive tinkered mine to the point that im going to start attending events with the evo clubs and im hoping with the turbo kit and track tires i can hang with them. but damn, track tires are expensive, just to wear them out.

Well, by hatch, I didn't specifically mean the Si, just any 4 or 5G hatchback.

What tires would u recommend I get on a Civic? I would think 16 ins would be plenty? What brand? Also, I'm thinking that such tires would not be too good in the snow,right? Thanks.

Okay...Grrrr...I don't know this jargon,sorry. What does 4Gor 5G mean? Also, why is a hatch any different performance than a sedan for example?

The G sinply refers to the generation (4G = 4th generation = 88-91; 5G = 92-95). The reason the hatches have better handling is they are generally lighter, with shorter wheelbases and lower centers of gravity.

but i can attest to the fact that a coupe can be made to handle very well;) as for tires, if dry handling is the most important feature, then you have some good possibilities.
Dunlop FM901
Yokohama Parada Spec II
Falken Azenis Sport
and Azenis RT-615
Toyo Proxes T1-S
Proxes 4 (kind of outclassed in this group, but still a great tire.)
Nitto NT555
BFG G-force TA kd and also for wet traction too, the kdw and snow also, the kdws.
im sure people can add to this list, but IMO, this is the cream of the crop, ive seen and experienced many of these, and they are head and shoulders above others for dry traction. if you need a balance of wet and dry, go for the BFG G-Force TA kdw or the bad-ass Goodyear Eagle F1 D3, which should afford good all around performance, along with the best wear characteristics of this group. expect to pay a premium for most of these tires, though the Falken Azenis Sports are arguably the best deal. though its said that the wet traction is downright dangerous.

It's obvious that there is something good about Civics. Where I live there are many Civics that roam the streets. There are enough upgrades you can do to these cars to give them xtra horsepower without breaking the bank.

... in what state do u live? Here in NY Civ's get ripped off a lot! U have tis problem?

How badly would extra hp affect the mpg?

hmmm... go easy on the techno terminology but what was/is so great/different about the '99 coupes as compared to '04,'05 ?

they redesigned the engines and suspensions, and it wasnt nessesarily an improvement. (in 01)

I read this forum and got interested so I registered. I just wanted to say that when comparing hond civics to other cars you should remember that there are more bolt on performance parts available for the civic than any other car out there. A civic is cheap and easy to add some horses to and some hp upgrades can actually boost fuel mileage. A good intake and nice exhaust can quickly bring your civic to life.:eek:

Cool.How much might such an increase in hp and exhaust improvement etc cost? Are we talking like...2 grand?? Thanks.

Hmmm... What was the first year they came out with the 1.7L 127 hp that we have now? I am trying to see what the best year for a used Civic would be. Thanks.

well the average exhaust lis like $600. A decent intake should run you $150- $300. The HP increase should be a max of 20, correct me if im wrong. But never the less, you WILL notice a boost. Like sacicons told me a great thought awhile back, 20 hp to a light wieght car like a honda makes a big difference compared to a heavy domestic.

BTW, where do you guys get those expressions from... you know the ones that have a smiley face holding a sign that says bad idea and stuff.


never mind i figured it out

thats a little steep for the exhaust and intake. but its close enough. and figure about 10-15 hp, but yeah, youre on the right track.

Yeah, I was going to say something about those prices...

its not all the way out of the ballpark, but if you plan for that, youll have a little left over.

Yeah, but a quality intake shouldn't run you much more than $150 and certainly not close to $300. But yeah, plan to spend way too much, and you'll be pleasantly surprised when you end up with a couple hundred dollars more than you thought you would. :D

Thanks y'all. How far back would you guys recommend for a used Civic? I am assuming that the latest engines are the best yet. Therefore, I guess the first year that the current technology was available would be the move. What year was that?

nothing over a 100,000 miles.

U jokin' around? I seriously can't tell. 100,000K seems crazy to me. Anyway, what about the year? Has Honda Civic ALWAYS had the EX 1.7L 127hp SOHC engine it does today? Also, doesn't excessive milage tend to relect on the performance of any engine? How often do you replace your timing belt?

I adhere to slightly more Honda-esque standards, so I don't give a **** about the mileage; that's one of the least important things to look at when buying a used car...seriously. You just have to know how to spot a well-maintained car that won't give you grief.

100K on a honda isnt a big deal, but dont plan on boosting it for long without a rebuild. and DONT buy one thats already been modded if longetivity and low-maintenance are high on your list.

Yeah, I guess pretty much any car I buy I end up rebuilding anyway for the sake of reliability. My friend has a '92 sedan that he bought with 192k on it, and all it's needed in 5 years is a routine TB change. And all the Civics I've owned have had at least 160k.

That's good news! I won't be rebuilding jack anyway because I don't have those skills. What is your oppion on "certified used Honda?" This seems at least much better than a used car lot. I personally would not know how to distinguish a redone odometer from a correct one.

So if I buy one and then modify it,chances are it won't last as long? If yes,why? Would you not be moding it with Honda parts? Sorry if that's a stupid question! [&:]

The only things I generally know to look for are a really well maintained cabin,clean trunk and hopefully a good VIN report. If I pop the hood I'm lost anyway. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

These are some basic tips when buying a used car:

1) Always ask why the person is selling the car
2) Ask if it's been in any accidents/check for body damage (should be pretty obvious...)
3) Check the tread on the tires
4) Ask about major maintainance/overhauls
5) Even if you're not motor-savvy, there are a few things you can look for under the hood: Old/cracked hoses and wires, obvious oil and coolant leaks (basically, any loose fluids that you can see under the hood shouldn't be there...).
6) Try **** out (pretty much anything electrical)
7) Ask about when the last routine TB/clutch replacement was.
8) TEST DRIVE, TEST DRIVE, TEST DRIVE!!

I'll add more if I can think of anything else (I probably forgot something).

TB is timing belt, just in case. but get the carfax. and its not the mods that hurt the longetivity, its the modder. a lot of people half ass things, then sell the car when it gives them nothing but problems.