n e 1 drive a civic?

ando

Does anyone have a new Civic 1.6 or 1.4 3dr model? I'm thinking about getting one or the other, but was not sure what model to get. Insurance on the two cars for me aint half bad.
Anyway, currently I have a 1.4 Focus which is a tad bit slow in low revs, so I'd like something with a bit more uhmmfff.... Whats the new civic like taking off from the lights and on the motorways? Are they good for overtaking.. IE, at 50mph on the N2 !?!

red_ice

well well well ando, me and you are in the same boat

As you know i had a 14000k focus nicked on me, which i got every penny back on!

I was lookin at a 2000 3dr, 1.4 civic for 10k and my insurance was 3350 tpft. I also found an mk3 2003 civic, silver for 14000 with 4000k on it, which i have no hand shake on, but it looks like im gonna get it in the new year when i should get it for about 12-13k. My insurance on that was 3290(how odd).

My mother has a 4dr civic mk2, which tears along (imo), i just love the feel of it, but im not sure ill get the same responce that the mk3 has.

My sister previously owned a 3dr civic, which i didnt quite enjoy driving around a private estate. For some reason i felt the responce just wasnt the same as my mothers 4dr.

My dad has an e46(i think) BMW m3, which he has had for about 6 month, ive sat in the passenger seat 2 times.

I get all my info on cars from him, and he swears by civics, and to alesser extent focus'. (him being a former head mechanic at brands hatch i think he knows his stuff).

Dont think you can go wrong with one tbh, nice cars imo, easy to mess about with them inside and out too... if your into that stuff

ando

Yeah I heard that the old civics are quite quick, that's the main reason why I was looking at the new civic but I'm not to sure how quick the new one is. I don't really need or want a bomber, just something that will at least slap the micra and corsa boys with Your insurance is quite expensive m8, do you have any NCB? I have 1yrs NCB and got quoted 2500 on the 1.6 TPFT, think it was 2400 for the 1.4

The most I'd do with the car would probably be alloys, tints, rear clusters, lowering and silvertec indicators Would'nt be getting a bodykit

PS, great to hear you got your cash back. Was wondering how you got on

PPS, the Focus is a great car, its just I'm looking around for something different. Was given a 'demonstration' of a 1.8 focus there last weekend.. and boy oh boy do they go when they want to!!! :eek:

Stonemason

Theres alot of it about


I was looking for a civic 1.6 v-tech to.

But ive just spotted a honda prelude 2.2 im thinking of buying.
That said i nearly choked on my coffee when i saw the road tax for it €688) WHICH IS ONLY ABOUT €200 CHEAPER THAN MY INSURANCE !!!!!!!.

Anyone know what the mpg is on a prelude?. ya man reckons its about 35 mpg which is strange coz most civic 1.5/1.6 seem to be about the same.


PS just get a good mechanic to check out your civic before you buy as your in boy racer car country which means allot have be thrashed to ****e

ondafly

ok - the newest model 1.6 VTEC civics - put out a poorly BHP, just under 110BHP I believe. Probably not much different to your focus. An EK Civic (96-01*) 1.6 VTi will put out 160BHP - and has one of the most desirable engines - the b16a DOHC VTEC, second only to the B18C (my engine :-) ) so you'll have heaps of power in that. The EG Civic (91-96) also had a 1.6 VTi same again with 160BHP and same engine.


Above specs are of course Irish/UK models - if your insurance costs allow - I'd go for a Japanese Import, much better toys in those. VTis are known as SiRs , most come with LSD/ABS & if your lucky traction control. Not to be confused are the Japanese VTi s , which are SOHC and put out 130 BHP

Of course you'll find out a lot more from www.jspeed.net - as its simply honda heaven

Prelude MPG would be alot less than 30 I suspect, I'm getting about 32 in my 1.8 Integra. The VTEC engines are extrememly reliable, only things you should look out for are regular oil changes, and the timing belt is done on anything over 10 years, or 60,000 miles.


*Think its 01 could be 2002

jamesd

I drove a 00 1.4ltr civic for a year, Nice car to drive and very revvy.
For €30 it gives 320miles (ish), They are very realible.

Gmodified

New Civic looks like sporty Corolla. I am mad about the Hondas but wouldn't buy new CIVIC. 2000-on 1.6 Vtec sucks

ando

thats probably why the insurance company said to me... 'we won't insure you on any older civic's' !

well then, if you don't like the new civic, what would you recommend that is similar in size and price?

Gmodified

Don't get me wrong. It still ok car. Just when you are looking at performance, new civic doesn't have the same edge as before. (it's my personal view). I have started from mark 1 CRX and followed Honda for a while, I think they are targeting different customer base with this new model and I am not in the group anyway.

Also Honda will not make any additional effort to sell cars in Europe. Officially they are going to concentrate on US and Asia, which is bit disappointing.

x in the city

was reading this post......i was going to buy a prelude once upon a time as well, but the tax and insurance sees to that.
i got a civic coupe now......which i am also trying to sell.!

see my other post, its a 1.6vtec, and it goes like stink! its very easy to pass out cars and stuff, it can easily do 120mph, which is more than enough on our great roads!

hondas are a great car, the only reason im selling is im now officially a student again......

Gmodified

Yeah Civic coupe

just 1 prev lady owner

Does it matter when the current owner does 120Mph:D Good selling point

Ba$tard

Lets go answering

Ando,

The most value for money per bhp is the Civic VTi EK model (1996 - late 01)
1.6 Litre, soft on road tax, cheap and very reliable, economical when driven conservately, I get 35mpg easy. Rare(was 22.5kIR new), mostly Irish cars here, 3 & 4 doors available. I have a 4-door. Audio installs are easy, if a bit cramped.
It really loves a K&N (dont buy anything else) replacement air filter/element. Dont buy the conical (comical) Induction Kit as Honda put alot of thought into the ducing for the airbox with a feed from behind the front bumper.
The rev1 B16A1 gave out 158bhp (160ps ) which lived from 1989 - 1995
The rev2 B16A2 gave out 167bhp (170ps ) which lived from 1996 - late 01)

Or go for the 1.6 Civic VTi 184bhp Or be posh like ondafly with his non-turbo Supra killer, the Honda B18C5. Still the best engine that came out of Honda. The little guy, the 1.5 LSI has 115bhp and 160 lb/ft of torque and comes with dodgy alloys

The proper VTEC engines had 2 timing belts and should definately be changed on time. I changed mine at 43k and soon at 90k. VTECs for screamers drink very little oil compared to all other engines, but should always be kept an eye on, espically if you like lifting the cams every day.

Reason why Focus 1.4 are so dead is the ECU mapping and airflow of the engine, i.e. its made to be economical, 75bhp, compared to the freerer revving 1.4 civics at 90bhp. If i was made to buy a focus, minimus would be the new 1.8, the 1.6 only have 102bhp and are really slow. Not knocking focus, I think they look excellent dressed up.

Anyone know what the mpg is on a prelude?. ya man reckons its about 35 mpg which is strange coz most civic 1.5/1.6 seem to be about the same.

Yer man is having a guffaw. Average mpg on a Prelude 2.2Vti H22C is roughly 22mpg, no matter what year. Drive her hard, into the VTEC notes and you'll get about 18-20. The H22C is very poor in city driving for mpg due to the compression ratio and bore. The 97 onwards model got a remapped ECU and is SLIGHTLY easier on fuel, but not much.


Ando

thats probably why the insurance company said to me... 'we won't insure you on any older civic's' !

Reason for this is that the older Gen-3 civics were extremely quick for their time, and could be stolen extemely quicker without the assistance of an in-build anti-grab immobilser, which came in with the Gen-5 96 EK civics. so, i doubt you'll go for older than a '96(?) so you should be fine.


All in all, it depends on what you want, and how much you want to spend.

When Honda development was moved to USA in 2000, I went nuts as I would know their next civics would be crap and they didnt disappoint. All civic engines, bar the 2.0 VTEC are designed by the largest car market in the world, USA. As their motto is, there is no replacement for displacement (idiots) and effectively ruined an upgrade path for alot of current EK civic owners. The Jazz was the last car to be modelled in Japan. Honda sold out

Stonemason

Ok ive blown out the Prelude after much phoning about the fella i was going to buy it off tells me it a jap import grrrr which stuffed all the quotes id gotten.The car was spotless and going for €2200.Ok it was a 92 reg but still looked damn fine.

I have a question which would be the best buy.

Im looking for a hot hatch im leaning towards a civic H/B it could be either 1.5/1.6 or 1.8 as insurance isnt realy a problem for me.Problem is if you look in buy and sell there are loads.

Im only using it as a run arround so im not going to spend more than €2500 and anything from 92 onwards would be fine.

When i say run arround it must have some uumph coz we have bad roads and slow drivers arround here .

Ba$tard

€2500 and anything from 92 onwards would be fine

Hmm..ondafly....do u think Stonemason would find a hatch 94 1.5 Vti for 2.5k ?
Ok, its 130bhp, but its a hatch, it will be quick, or prehaps an integra DOHC 1.6?
I'd think you would probably.

The prelude wasnt from ballincollig in cork by any chance?
You can get some nice 4-wheel steering 2.2 preludes 90-92 for that money.

ondafly

a friend of mine got a 94 ESi EG Civic recently for a bargain at 2,000. ABS/discs all round, indeed it was the 130BHP d15 engine - but is pretty nippy, and was in great nick.

To be honest, its hard to find an EG VTi or SiR these days for decent money - its one of my dream cars to get an EG SiR II h/b imported from Japan in that lovely blue (g/f has one but it ain't VTEC )

Either was though - an EK or EG VTi/SiR would be an excellent choice - and the spec they get is great - especially the seats.

You could try and find an Si or SiR or again a Type R Integra, but you'll have your work cut out for you, to find an unblemished model , these would be 1.8 DOHC. You can get a 1.6 VTEC called a ZXi - but these are really really rare , most 1.6 Integras are dual carbs pushing out just over 108BHP


@Ba$tard - are you coming along to the JSpeed rolling road at the end of the month ?

PS I only have the B18C in a 95 Si - but its got an AEM CAI

puntosporting

I taught the xsi was the dohc vtec integra and the zxi was the dual carb one?

Stonemason

How the hell is a fella suposed to know what to buy
perhaps one of you might make a list coz i realy dont get all the different letters :rolleyes: .


Ok so far i have seen

ESI

LSI there are loads of this type

SRS

GS

SIR

And a couple of others i cant even remember now!!
Im seriously getting put off by all the confusion :mad:
Anyway thanks for all the help so far:D

PS sorry ando i seem to be highjacking your post :eek:

ondafly

Originally posted by Stonemason

ESI

LSI there are loads of this type

SRS

GS

SIR

[/B]

ESi = 130 BHP , SOHC VTEC , D15 engine, European Model
LSi = Non VTEC, 1.5
SRS = 1.4
GS = Never heard of it
SiR = 170 BHP , DOHC VTEC , B16 engine , Japanese Model , AKA VTi in Europer

more info here

http://www.jspeed.net/TechSpecsJ.asp

and here

http://www.jspeed.net/TechSpecsE.asp

ondafly

ZX = Dual carb
ZXi = is Gen 3 Integra SOHC VTEC from 93 onwards
XSi = is Gen 2 Integra with B16 DOHC VTEC

Sleipnir

one thing to look out for is that with new model Civic , the 5 door is made in Japan but the 3 door is made in the U.K. afaik.
The brits aren't as renowned as the japs for their quality control !

Ba$tard

@Ba$tard - are you coming along to the JSpeed rolling road at the end of the month ?

I'm in Cork. Where's it ? Westward again? If so, I doubt

puntosporting

Aw that clears it up the gen 2 integra xsi is my personal fav bar the typr r of course

RicardoSmith

I found servicing and repairs savage expensive on my CRX. Where do you do to get your honda serviced, especially imports which most Honda dealers won't touch?

ondafly

for very serious work - Rathdown motors , but they know how to charge.
For Bodyshop work - a crowd in Kilkenny, can't think of their name, but its a top class place, massive massive ! good prices too.

Theres a guy in blanchardstown , near the church is supposed to very good with Hondas, drives an Si Integra himself apparently.


Westward is where we're having it again this month - good turn out so far. plenty of VTEC sounds for the day

Gmodified

Ric ,
Mk2 CRX? Engine?

JHMEG

Getting back to the original question!

The current model (ie 7th generation) 3-door 1.6 is quite nice to drive (the dash-mounted gear stick takes a bit of getting sed to). I found it to be much more refined (ie interior panels don't rattle and squeak like they do in the EK and esp the EG, and road noise is not as intrusive any more), and isn't really missing anything. Go for the SE, as it's essentially the highest spec 1.6 you can get.

It's not as revvy as previous generations, and has a more sensibly geared 'box for every-day driving. Alas you won't his 60mph in 2nd gear anymore (maybe 48 tops). Redline is lower too, around 6500rpm, and as such the engine won't scream at you.
One of the consequences of this 'box and the 110bhp is that overtaking is easy and doesn't make the hairs stand on the back of your neck (tho I admit I personally like feeling like every time I overtake it's gonna be the last!). Handling is good too as all models have rear anti-roll bars (only top spec previous generations got them). The McPherson struts at the front have given cause for concern, but you wouldn't notice that the double-wishbones weren't there anymore.

The 1.4 Focus (which I've driven a lot too) is 75bhp by comparison. Gearbox is nice, if a little notchy (did Audi/VW make it? ;-)). Steering is nicer than the Civic (3 turns lock-to-lock and feedback is a bit better), but that's about it. The Civic is a nicer car in every other way.


Finally, not that it reflects much on a car as a whole:
Civic 1.6 0-60mph = 10.2 sec
Focus 1.4 0-60mph= 14.1 sec

PS. The Civic 5-door on the other hand looks like a bus and feels like a bus to drive! Avoid!

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Gmodified
Ric ,
Mk2 CRX? Engine?

16-16i the Irish car 16v - 1600cc - 130bhp no CAT. Was a little rocket ship though quite scary. I test drove a fair few CRX's looking for a good one. Best I saw was an absolute mint SiR with every extra, SR & AC & ABS & full leather etc. But at the time it couldn't afford it. It was the perfect CRX. Every other CRX I went to see had had a hard life at some stage and was tatty. Mine was ok but there were a few little problems with it. In the end I sold the CRX because it got damaged and I couldn't find anyone to fix it, and then the insurance renewal came in at 3K+ and I wasn't going to pay that. I'm sorry to say I got more scrapping it on a trade in deal than anyone was prepared to buy it for. One of the problems I had was that the steering lock was broken in a theft attempt and I couldn't source a replacement even after months of trying.

Stonemason

Cheers for the input lads its made my choosing alot easier.I still have to phone about alot coz people tend to be a little vague with the details i.e FOR SALE HONDA CIVIC 1.5 ,94 ect ect grrrr.

Special thx to ondafly

your list made me feel a little less thick

Gmodified

Hi Ric,
I kind of liked my black CRX. I had more entertainment in old 84 Mk1 CRX but Mk2 looked very nice.
Had to sell it due to insurance. What initially was 1200 punts turned to 3450 at the time . they managed to cancel my insurance due to unpaid direct debit and rest was a history.

It was great little car

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Gmodified
Hi Ric,
I kind of liked my black CRX. I had more entertainment in old 84 Mk1 CRX but Mk2 looked very nice.
Had to sell it due to insurance. What initially was 1200 punts turned to 3450 at the time . they managed to cancel my insurance due to unpaid direct debit and rest was a history.

It was great little car

I've heard the Mr1 was the best handling car of them all. A mate had a MR2 mrk 1 when I had the CRX Mr2 and the comparision between them was interesting. If I had to choose again I'd go for the MR2, twas better handling than the CRX. Never driven a Mrk1 CRX though.

pclancy

I had a 1.3 16v 93 jap import for two years and it was a savage car. Moved very quickly for a 1.3 and was not once in a garage. Had 96,000 mls on it when i sold it and i regret selling it to this day. Great fun to drive. I drove a 1.6vti one day and it was an weapon of a car. Was gonna buy one but said no because i would have definatly killed myself it was so quick.