Honda Civic Coupé / Saloon

Sleepy

I'm looking at buying my first car at the moment and am thinking of a late 90's (98/99) Honda Civic Coupé/Saloon. Just wondering if anyone out there has owned one before that'd have any advice on them? I'm not overly knowledgeable about cars but I've heard the Honda rates well in terms of reliability and they're not nearly as ugly as most of the cars in the same price bracket.

I'd be going for the coupé rather than the hatch in the belief that the coupés are less likely to have been driven to pieces by boy racers, is this mis-guided?

I'd be using the car mainly for inter-city driving (mostly Dublin to Galway and back).

Any advice? Is there anything I should be aware of before buying one of these or anything I should be on the lookout for when inspecting them? Am I going for the wrong car entirely?

Anan1

Sleepy wrote:

I'd be going for the coupé rather than the hatch in the belief that the coupés are less likely to have been driven to pieces by boy racers, is this mis-guided?

I'd imagine that the hatches are generally harder-driven than either the coupes or the saloons. Bear in mind, though, that this may or may not apply to any particular car. As always, look hard at condition, history, and the person selling you the car. Personally, I'd take the saloon. They're a lot more practical than the coupe, and cheaper too. In practical terms, this means you'll be able to buy a better one for the same money.

Sleepy

Thanks for that Anan1, I didn't realise there was a difference between the coupé and the saloon! Think I'll definitely go for that. I'm at the end of the market where I have to make every euro count in the initial car-purchase.

Any advice regarding the day to day running of a civic saloon? Are there any known problems with certain parts wearing out after x thousand miles etc?

5500

Just because a car looks like its been owned by a "boy racer" it doesnt neccesarily mean it's been ragged.Chances are it has been serviced more often and looked after more than the middle aged farmers wife who ploughs her car thru the fields:D


What size engine are you looking at?If possible go for 99+ as they had a facelift,(different headlights,grill bumper,colour coded and no rub strips on bumpers)

Coupes are generally more sought after as there a nicer looking car and can be expensive.Its hard to find one in a 1.4 too,ive only ever seen 1 of them the rest are 1.6 sohc's or dohc vti's.If its the vti your after then i would consider looking in the uk as there alot cheaper to get there.

I get 300 - 320 miles from 40from city driving in the 1.4 saloon,thats including all the extra weight from the kit,ice and wheels.

I change oil and filter every 3000 and have never had a problem with it at all.

Sleepy

Ideally I'd be looking for the 1.4 though if it came down to a choice between a 1.4 and a 1.6 of similar prices where the 1.6 was in better nick, I'd go for the 1.6.

I've nothing against modded cars eireal but given that I'll be using this car primarily for work, I really need. What I'd be more worried of is some wannabe that bought a civic cos they're a 'cool' car and drove it into the ground...

Good to hear positive reports back, know of any negatives involved in the car?

Wolverine_1999

eireal wrote:

Just because a car looks like its been owned by a "boy racer" it doesnt neccesarily mean it's been ragged.Chances are it has been serviced more often and looked after more than the middle aged farmers wife who ploughs her car thru the fields:D

I'd have to agree with you in one instance in relation to farmers, or even some people who just don't care about their car. But I've generally found that the reasons why boy racer cars are serviced more is because they drastically need it! Doing donuts and hand brake turns does have it's negative effects on a car after all.

So overall I've have to disagree and say that boy racers do not respect their car in the manner it should be used.

In relation to the topic in hand, first time car would indicate to me 0 ncb, maybe full licence and male driver? Insurance is going to be huge on a civic. So shop around for insurance BEFORE you shop around for an actual car!

wailers_irl

hi sleepy

my friend is currently selling his honda civic coupe, its a from what i have seen. it is 96 or 97, red colour coded (he had door handles and rub strips sprayed) alloys, he is looking for around 6K dont know much TBH. i can try and get you some pics and more info if your interested??he aint a boy racer by the way!!!!!!

5500

Only negative i can think of is there's not really any fancy interior gadgetry in them and they tend to be abit plain inside.

In saying that they can be picked up with leather interior,arm rests,rear parking sensors ect but there just a little harder to find.To my knowledge neither the 1.4i in hatch or saloon or 1.6ils in the coupe are loaded by insurance so that shoudlnt be a big problem.

Sleepy

Thanks anyway wailers_irl but I'm just investigating a few different makes and models at the moment, not ready to take the plunge just yet!

eireal, fancy gadgetry isn't a priority for me in the least, I'm just looking for something reliable, reasonable safe and not too ugly. A cd player is about the height of gadgetry I'd want and that can be fitted in any car cheaply enough.

Sounds like the Civic Saloon is exactly what I'm looking for