I've been looking at the different generations of Civics and my head is starting to spin. I'll be in the market for a Civic soon, and really am gravitating towards one for the MPG and reliability. I also hear they're pretty straightforward to work on, and parts are readily available. I'll be switching from an '05 Kia (my daily driver) to the Honda. I don't know what generation to go with...but I am looking somewhere in the '93-'00 range. I don't want to go newer than that, because I hate the "space-shippy" look that new cars have, and I want to be able to work on it myself..

I want to get awesome MPG's, but from what I can tell, each generation came with at least 3-4 different types of engines. I don't necessarily need to be fast, and I'm not planning on modding the engine at all. I just want it to be reliable and fairly simple to work on.

So, can you help me narrow it down within that year range? Thanks guys. I don't even dare to ask what the "best" generation would be, because I think that'd be opening a can of worms. I think that with regular maintenance and care, any Honda will last. I have been looking on AutoTrader and Craigslist, but the latter is a bit sketchy because people don't tend to have very detailed records of maintenance/the descriptions also suck. Any recommendations on where to find one in the Atlanta area (as in, forums or the like). I don't really want to get over-sold by a used car dealer..but want something more trustworthy than a 2-line post on Craigslist! Thanks in advance, guys.

 

2 door, hatch back, or sedan? What's your preference? Do you want a sunroof? Power locks/windows? That seems like the best way to figure this out for you seeing as you are not concerned with performance that much.

92-95 Civic VX hatchback is the best for gas mileage for the 5th gens. 96-98 Civic HX coupe is the best for the 6th gen regarding mpgs.

5th gen is 92-95, otherwise known as "EG"
6th gen is 96-00, otherwise known as "EK"

 

I would get a 99-00 Si. If not go with 99-00 2 door EX.

 

The 5th generation DX (or LX, has same powertrain) probably gets the best mpg for being non HX/VX. The HX and VX ones are kind of scarce. Don't buy any Civic with an automatic transmission, the manuals are the only way to go.

Also realize that it is very likely a used Civic will have a different engine than what was originally stock. So check which engine is actually installed.

 

Power windows and doors would be NICE and preferred...

I definitely want a 4-door. I've owned both a coupe and a 4-door before, and I'd never go back to a coupe! I would prefer a sedan, and moonroof/sunroof wouldn't be very high on my "want" list.

Any suggestions as to where to start looking? I've checked the basics..Autotrader, Craigslist, eBay..but I feel like there's gotta be a gold mine of Civics out there that have been babied and are not on those sites.

 

Sedan with power stuff? You are looking at a LX or EX trim. I believe the LX is more common to see in sedan form though.

The cars are getting older, so finding one in great condition is going to be tough, or expensive

My suggestion is to keeping hawking CL, and the other sites, ready to jump on the next deal that comes around.

 

You're probably looking for something like my '97 LX. It has the power options you want, is easy to work on, and seems to be fairly reliable for a 15-year-old car.

Having owned an EG Civic before, I was familiar with them. Like you, I also wanted a sedan, with a 5-speed, but I didn't like the look of the '92-'95 sedans, so I went searching for EK ('96-'00) ones. Plus, I really wanted the OBD-II computer system for easy troubleshooting and daily real-time info via my Scanguage II. As a bonus, in Maryland, there's a lot less hassle getting an OBD-II car through the bi-annual emission tests.

I've had to put some money into it to catch up on some maintenance missed by its previous owners, but it's worked out great. If anything, the green color I ended up with was my least preferred color, but the rest of the car was in good enough shape that I settled.

 

I'm not too opposed to the body style from 93-95..I really want the best MPG's that I can get (without getting one of those hatchback early 90's ones). I've been looking on Craigslist and have found some decent looking ones... I don't know if they'd be good or not? Seem kinda pricey, but I kind of expect that for a Honda!

1995 HONDA CIVIC EX

1998 Honda Civic lx 5 speed!!

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/3160127213.html

I want to know the real-life MPG variations between the 5th and 6th generations...can anybody speak from personal experience?

Right now, my Kia gets about 26 city and and around 28-30 highway. But .. it's a Kia. I'm always fixing something on it!

 

Assuming the engine is in good condition, you will see roughly 25-32 mpg depending on driving habits, weight in the car, etc etc. The 92-95 and 96-00 Civics (except 99-00SI) pretty much have the same motors.

 

DX / LX does get slightly better highway miles than EX due to a lower gear ratio in the transmission. Assuming everything is stock of course.