Hey everyone, first post here seems like a great forum.

quick background on me-17, long island,NY, currently drive a 99 Rodeo suv, ride/race quads and dirtbikes(own a 2005 honda trx450r quad), college next year.

Within the next year or so i will be in the market for a new used ride and im having some trouble deciding what's right for me. I want something that will be more fun than my current ride, able to save some some gas money, and look/sound good while doing it without being in the shop monthly. I was pretty set on getting a motorcycle to get around town and commute to college but after being on the road for a year now, i see first hand how bad some drivers are and im not sure im ready for the risk of riding a bike yet. After thinking hard about the streetbike idea, i began thinking about a car instead. I have never been a car guy....always was into big trucks but in reality, a lifted v8 truck just isnt the sensible thing to get.

Recently i began getting into the vdubb scene and got a big crush on the 1.8t jetta wolfsburg. I was almost fully set to save my money up for the jetta until i started researching into them a bit more. Like most people know, VW are notorious for being expensive to fix and there was just one too many common problems with the dubb that would add up.

After canceling the vw idea, i pretty much physced myself out of the car scene because i didnt like any other car...now here i am asking about the civic. I really dont know much about them other than the fact that people in my town love to rice the crap out of them(probably the reason why i never looked into them). However after browsing through some 7th gen. pic threads i was suprised to see how good they can look with minor mods(wheels,exhaust,tints,springs). What i am wondering is....does the civic sound like a good choice for me? I definitly want a 5spd....something with alittle snap but nothing crazy, and overall something fun to get me around without killing me on gas and repair bills. I know my Honda race quad has been great to me, and i can't say i have heard a bad rep from honda like vw has, is this true? If i picked up a newer used civic, threw some wheels, a non ricer exhaust, some tints, and maybe some suspension, would i have a fun, reliable car capable of saving me some gas?

sorry about writing an essay, if anyone made it through, any advice or insight would be awsome.

thanks alot

heres a pic of me on my honda

 

civics are cheap to own and easy to mod. pretty much sums up everything.

 

Civics are fun to drive. My 97 EX has a sports car feel.

 

ya id say civic will be good for ya..
very good milage.... just try not to buy one thats been raped already!



MPG is the main reason i bought my civic... tho i wish i bought a manual BUT for my daily.... a auto was more practical... i just figure ill buy a manual hatchback for a second civic eventualy... that will be my little fun toy...

 

How quick and how much are you looking to spend? You sound just like my buddy (but where in are 20s). He has a honda CBR 954; Hates having it because for one; no buddy can drive in jersey and two, its raining right now. He looking into a car just like you but he narrowed it down to two. A rsx type s; and a prelude. both have the "vtec" fun and are good on gas. He did really want a firehawk, very fast and nice looking. But then came up the question about gas and being in the shop, lol.

good luck.

 

sounds like the civic is the right choice for you since they are great on gas and you can mod them pretty easily with not a lot of money. 7th gens are good cars, if you want to get a something with a little snap look into the SI models. a good SI is from the years 99-00 though, so its only a 6th gen.

 

I'm about five steps ahead of you. I had an explorer in high school and loved riding dirt bikes. I traded work for a street bike, thinking that it would be great to have in college, but that really didn't work out for long distances, and would be accosted to no end on campus

I always liked my first car, which was an accord, and so I started looking at my friend's civic. I ended up with a 97 EX last summer, and while it's seen it's share of problems (the majority of which was caused by vandalism or bad shop work), it's been an excellet college car, which I am very happy with.

I'm starting into the mods...beginning with a Cold Air Intake and some strut bars. Later, I'll work out some kind of exhaust system and some brakes. Then finally, the suspension. I'll probably get the scratches and dents fixed, but leave the paint and exterior stock. I don't really like flashy cars because they get me into trouble. All of this is possible in college. I promise you...it just takes longer.

Good luck, and make sure you do good research on Civics before you buy one. Know what you're looking at when you're looking at it.

 

Probably just a tad bit biased asking that sort of question on this forum. I just bought one and I love it, I say do it.

 

On that note,what about us older dudes! So many websites,Edmunds for example,tout Civics as "a great first car," "a great car for your off to college kid," I'm 43 yrs old and these repeated comments make me feel like I'd be a wuss to get a Civic as my primary/only car! Grrrr... Does anyone think Civics are REAL cars EVEN for grown ups??What's the deal man?Truth is,by and large,when I'm in a parking lot,all I see getting in/outof Civ's are women and college age people! Sombody say somethin'! lol