Honda Civic

T

topnotchtouch

New member
Well guys and gals looks like it "may" be time to trade in the Mustang. It is not that there is anything wrong with her, I just can't justify $40 a week anymore for the gas to commute back and forth to work. It doesn't look like things are going to get better any time soon, it looks as though it is only going to get worse :(



Right now I am looking at the Honda Civic. The 2003-2004 LX seems to fall right into the price range I am looking at (under 15K). I am looking for advice on things to look for when I start shopping. Any issues to look out for, common problems?? I would prefer to go with the manual transmission but, according to what I have seen the automatic gets slightly better fuel economy :nixweiss



Any advice you all can offer would be greatly appreciated. I am really struggling with this decision as I LOVE my Mustang but, I do still have other toys.



I am not looking to start a debate here over the merits of different makes and models, just looking for advice on the Civic.



Here are a couple of links to some examples I have seen on Autotrader that caught my eye.







 
Can't go wrong..my mom has that year LX and runs like a top just maintain a honda and it will maintain your happiness while driving it. One thing I think people don't give a fair chance is how they precieve the civic line, its not flashy, its simple and effective everything you need not alot of things you don't, if your wanting allow wheels, brushed aluminum interior, bose stereo, leather seats then a civic isn't for you, if you want a car that does everything you need reliabily day in and day out you can't beat the line...Maybe even consider an Accord used as well for a few more comforts.



You might also consider the 2007 honda fit..its 15,720 which is a little more but its a great car as well.
 
I had a 2001, same body style and all. They are awesome cars! I think the better gas mileage with the automatics didn't happen until the 2006's came out. As far as problems go, there is nothing you have to worry about. If you want to have a little fun in the car get a Progress rear sway bar assembly. It comes with a thick bar AND a lower tie bar as well. Best bang for the buck I did to my old ride.

The only bad thing about the Fit's are they don't get as good as gas as the Civics do.
 
I've had a 1999 Civic and had a loaner '02 Civic. They were so noisy, I only had the '99 for about four months - I couldn't stand it any longer. The loaner had ~4k miles and was just as noisy. I also didn't like the "hill climb" automatic in the '99; it wouldn't shift if I wanted it to going up hill and would downshift too soon going down hill.



I guess what I'm trying to say is to get a good test drive in before you buy.



I'd also consider a slightly older Accord (even if it's more "stripped").
 
Danase are you sure about the MPG? My window sticker is 38mpg and I'm getting 35+ barely broke in and I'm not driving it to nice..what does the civic average?
 
My recommendation would be to be very careful of the price of used Hondas. They barely depreciate and sometimes a brand new is only a couple thousand more. I guess it depends on how strict your budget is and what exactly your looking for. I just bought my wife an 06 Accord a couple month ago and the dealer had a 2004 (two years old) and it was two thousand dollars less the brand new one. Either way a Honda will last you forever if you change the oil in it. Good luck with the search and sorry to hear about the mustang!
 
are you selling the mustang?

how much will it cost you to get into a civic?

you may save 20$ a week and spend $5000 to get a civic
 
atticdog said:
are you selling the mustang?

how much will it cost you to get into a civic?

you may save 20$ a week and spend $5000 to get a civic
Click to expand...



I know I had thought of that. I believe I will save more than the $20 a week as my insurance will be cheaper. I am also counting on things like less frequent tire changes as my BFG KDWs only last a year before they need to be replaced. I think we are headed down a long road of high gas prices and I mean years. The Mustang also has nearly 80K miles on it. If I go through with is, I would rather trade it now while it is still in great shape.
 
So at 300 miles a week and avg 20mpg for mustang and 35 for honda...you will save 20 bucks a week in gas...Now you are likely gonna be paying $300 a month in a new car payment. So for save that extra $20 a week is gonna cost you an extra $200 a month...If you are going through tires every year then there is a reason you are spending lots of dollars on gas...Lift that foot up a little and you could save you some dollars in the tank and on the pavement...
 
Bob,



I think thats a pretty wise decision to trade the stang in for something a little more conservative. I never really was a fan of the Civc, but they really grew on me. From all the Civic owners I know they've had really no problems. I think as long as you get a good condition used one, you'll be fine. You seem to be very careful and attentive to car maintence, as I'm sure most of us are. As long as you treat it good, I can't see you having too many problems.



I would opt for the 5 speed for two reasons. The first is Honda clutchs are extremely easy to use, and makes the drive a tad more exciting, then an Auto, even though your still in a 4 cylinder car :o .

The second, and probably more important reason is...



MSN Autos (2003 Honda Civic) said:
An occasional problem on this vehicle is failure of the second gear clutch in the Automatic Transmission. This will cause the Automatic Transmission to slip or the check engine light to illuminate. Also when the Automatic Transmission is rebuilt or replaced, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software will need to be updated. The costo replace the Automatic Transmission is estimated at $1800.00 for a remanufactured Automatic Transmission and $318.50 for labor. The cost to update the PCM is estimated at $65.00 for labor. All prices are estimates based on $65 per flat rate hour and do not include diagnostic time or any applicable sales tax.
Click to expand...
 
runnerbl said:
So at 300 miles a week and avg 20mpg for mustang and 35 for honda...you will save 20 bucks a week in gas...Now you are likely gonna be paying $300 a month in a new car payment. So for save that extra $20 a week is gonna cost you an extra $200 a month...If you are going through tires every year then there is a reason you are spending lots of dollars on gas...Lift that foot up a little and you could save you some dollars in the tank and on the pavement...
Click to expand...



Actually there will not be a car payment. I will be paying that extra 5000 or so in cash. I have not financed our last 2 cars and no I am not a drug dealer or anything like that :D



I am not a leadfoot either, at least on my commute :D My Mustang is a GT with a thirsty V8 and 20mpg is rather good for my combination highway/city commute. The GT is rated at 18city/25highway and my commute is roughly half highway and half city. I spend as much of of the commute as possible on cruise control. I keep the car in top condition mechanically, maintain my tire pressures and drive the car on my commute for optimal fuel economy. The 20mpg average I get is all the car is capable of, the highest I have achieved is 21mpg.



I know you are trying to help and I appreciate it but, I have already looked at all the angles and am comfortable with this decision if I do go through with it.
 
Civic does the job it was built for very well. I think you will be very pleased with it as long as you keep an objective view of the car. Obviously the ride, power, confort, handleing, etc are all far less than the Mustang. But, it is an economy car.



Good luck.
 
atticdog said:
you can get a new civic LX for 17,500

test drove one today nice car!
Click to expand...



Thats what I mean...why pay 15K for a used car when you can pay 17,500 for a brand new car with a full warranty on it. Is it really worth that extra $2500? Maybe it is if you paying cash, but I would much rather have a new car knowing that I can put 200K miles on it without a problem. Just my $.02....again!
 
Hm... same situation I am in. But going from a Legend to a M3 isn't such a bad thing either. I would take the honda civic in an instant. Couple of reasons... There are many parts out there incase you do get into a struggle. Warranty will be new, and better so you don't have to worry about it. Newer car= more efficient, thus better fuel economy. The only thing i can't see owning is probably a hybrid. Even though the car is really good for fuel, the extra cash doesn't seem to justify the price for the car. If you need to get point a to point b... civic is the perfect car. If you want to get to point a to point b with some speed, get the Civic Si. The new ones are speedy little things, and they're actually pretty fun to drive (you can floor it and still get 20mpg hahaha)
 
I own a 2003 Civic LX Sedan, so I can offer you some advice and share some of my thoughts.

Here is my car:

Civic_Side2.jpg




I really like the car, but it had to grow on me. When I added the aftermarket wheels, It jumped up twenty notches on my "I really like my car" scale.



The Good:

Drives well, can be driven "spiritedly" with the manual transmission, great gas mileage, cozy for the passengers (even the ones in the back seat), reliable, Nice exterior color, the dashboard is simple, but very cool (2003 and up), etc.



The bad:

Car is dead quiet when driving slowly, but is noisy like crazy at highway speeds. There is not enough isolation. This probably bothers me more than anything else. And it's not just b/c I have noisy tires. The car is just a flat out noisy vehicle. This wouldbe reduced somewhat if I removed my roof rack, but it doesn't approach the quietness of the corolla I used to own.

The stock stereo is lousy, and due to its position and angle in the dash, most aftermarket stereos will be completely unreadable in direct sunlight.

There are times where the whole dash assembly will creak when driving on slightly bumpy roads, especially in the winter.

The Interior besides the dash is somewhat blah.

The headlights are not bright enough. this car is crying for HID's.



That's all I can think of right now. Overall, I really like this car and would buy it again in a heartbeat. It has been a really great car for me. I love it much more now with my aftermarket stereo system (new component speakers, head unit, amp, & sub) and aftermarket wheels.

I'm just waiting till I have some funds lying around to buy a rear spoiler, b/c I think it completes the look of this car.



Please feel free to ask me anything else about this car and I will do my best to answer you.

...I think I would sell it for the right price as well.
 
dmxsoulja3 said:
Danase are you sure about the MPG? My window sticker is 38mpg and I'm getting 35+ barely broke in and I'm not driving it to nice..what does the civic average?
Click to expand...

Sorry I missed this.

Yeah, the Fit gets worse and the new autos are the only ones, as far as I know, that get better than the manuals. The first month I had my Civic my dad and I went on a little vacation and we did the whole gas average deal and I got 38 on the noes.

www.7thgencivic.com is another good site.
 
What about taking the 5K and buying a beater--that way you could keep the mustang.



For 5K you could get a *really* nice beater--low mileage, well-maintained, one owner car. An older civic would be perfect--they last forever.
 
ebpcivicsi said:
What about taking the 5K and buying a beater--that way you could keep the mustang.



For 5K you could get a *really* nice beater--low mileage, well-maintained, one owner car. An older civic would be perfect--they last forever.
Click to expand...



I have thought about that as well but, that would add the expense of another vehicle to insure. Even if I drop the Mustang down to an occaisional driver it defeats the purpose of what I am trying to do.



I still haven't decide for sure I am going to do this. I very well may take the money I have or at least some of it and put it into my motorcycle that I am refurbishing and get that back on the road sooner than I had planned. Before I started working on it, I was riding it most every day to work.



I would like to keep the Mustang but, I think if a great deal presents itself on a good used Civic and they will give me what I want for the Mustang I will likely jump on it. I have even been leaning towards the 2006 Civic as I really like the new styling. The 2006 is a bit beyond what I originally planned but, we will see. At this point I am being patient. I am in no hurry to make a decision here.



 
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