Honda Civic and car buying dilema. Literally confused

billyhead

Hi,

Would anyone know how reliable the 07 or 08 version of these cars are and what they are like to drive. I heard Honda make good solid well build cars. I am at my wits end trying to decide whether to buy one of these later 1.4 litre models or a Volkswagon Golf or an Audi A3. I am single with no kids and would just need a hatchback car (3 doors). I have around €18500 in cash to play around with and am upgrading from a Nissan Micar (way to small for me). I am 6ft one inch in height you see. Also on emore question say I agree a deal (cheaper then the listed price) to buy a second hand car with a dealer etc and tell them I will drop back with the cash and to collect the car another day. Would some dealers (I know most of them are genuine) fiddle with the car in some way because I would be getting it cheaper then what they wanted. I know a lot of them would be decent but I have practically no experience in buying cars from dealers. I know it sounds like a stupid question. Any advice would be appreciated.

EPM

They are good solid cars but you'll need to drive them for yourself before you can make a decision. The 1.4 in the Civic ain't no rocketship but 40mpg shouldn't be a problem. Also it has a 6 speed box which is handy for the motorway. The 1.8 is a nicer option if you can cover insurance. Take your time anyway. If the Micra will last until the new year there will be more of a choice then with new trade-ins

billyhead

Cheers EPM. Sorry one more car I was thinking of aswell was the Opel Astra however my someone was telling me that Opel cars are very unreliable. I am not sure if this is true

jayok

Well the hatchback 3 door Civic is only available as a 1.8 Type-S. My Dad has one and he loves it. He got it in May 08 for €20k with 10K kms on it it was a Jan 08 one. Tax is €400 odd per year and he insurance is feck all. My Dad is 6'1" and I'm 6'2" and never have a problem fitting in. In fact, I've to pull the seat forward to be able to reach everything. He's get average 40-44 mpg.

Re the reliabiliy the Honda's are generally reliable and an 08 or 07 will come with a Honda warranty that's generally bullet-proof.

The 1.4 doesn't really suit the car as it's a little too under-powered, but it is still fine for City driving.

billyhead

Thanks for the reply. I would be screwed on insurance a 1.8 model hence I will have to get a 1.6 car or lower.

jayok

billyhead wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I far I would be screwed on a 1.8 model hence I will have to get a 1.6 car or lower.

Are you sure re the 1.8?

If you've to got for the 1.4 then it'll be a 5 door Honda Civic. As before are fine cars, economical and the like. Again the warranty is pretty solid.

bazz26

billyhead wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I far I would be screwed on a 1.8 model hence I will have to get a 1.6 car or lower.

Did you look at the Ford Focus? €18,500 will easily get you a 07 possibly 08 1.6 Zetec model like these:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1250772
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1183733

I'd also look at the Kia ProCee'd, good value for the money, almost new and a 7 year warranty to boot:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1226164

Stephen

The warranty is good - 3 years from date of registration, so any of those you're looking at should have plenty of warranty left. It also comes with 24 hour roadside assitance as part of the warranty.

I drive a 1.8 Civic and am very happy with it. If I take it easy I get 40mpg, but I tend to drive it in a bit of a more spirited fashion and use the climate control and stuff which gets me down to about 35mpg over a tank of fuel. I found the 1.4 a bit slow for my liking. The 2009 model has a new 1.4 litre engine which makes about 100bhp as opposed to the 80-odd bhp of the old one, but will probably be too expensive for now.

Also, they have made the 2009 models far uglier looking with the new grille on them. Essentially they've poked some holes in the glass bit in the front where the Honda badge sits in order to provide cooling for the new automatic gearbox they've got
Type S and R still look good with their black grilles.

see here for info: http://www.civinfo.com/forum/2009-civic/18650-all-has-now-been-revealed-2009-honda-civic-facelift.html

billyhead

Thanks Stephen. I like the look of the Ford Focus Zetec cars. Are Ford renowned to manufacture solid cars. Also what is th space like on these if anyone has one. As I said in the Micra I was a little cramped. The car I get would have to be bigger then the Micra.

bazz26

All the fore mentioned cars are bigger than the Micra but the best thing to do is draw up a list and test drive them. See which one you can sit and be comfortable with. The one thing though is that 3 door models of these cars tend to be sportier and have a more sloping roofline meaning head room is tighter than say the 5 door models.

billyhead

I like the look of this Ford Focus car. How much do you reckon I would get it reduced to with cash in hand? Also considering the fact that it will be a year old in 5 weeks.

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1196245

bazz26

The 1.4 in the Focus is sluggish but coming from a 1.0 Micra it will probably feel like a rocket.

I'd say you should be buying that for under €18k straight deal. The best thing to do is test drive it first and then ask for their best straight deal price.

Don't bother ringing garages for their best price as they will not give it over the phone, best dealing with them in person so that they know you are serious about buying.

alias no.9

billyhead wrote: »

I like the look of this Ford Focus car. How much do you reckon I would get it reduced to with cash in hand? Also considering the fact that it will be a year old in 5 weeks.

http://www.carzone.ie/newcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=search&searchtype=advanced&make=Ford&xMake=Ford&Body=&xBody=&model=Focus&xModel=Focus&doors=3&enginemin=1.4&Seats=0&enginemax=1.4&gearbox=Any&fuel=&pricemin=0&showphoto=Yes&pricemax=99999999

Considering they retail for under €23k new and that's before you look to negotiate a discount for a cash sale, find the right ford dealer and you should be getting a new one for €21k cash. For what is essentially a year old car in a stagnant market, if I was in your shoes, I wouldn't offer any more than €17k.

billyhead

Thanks for the advice so far. So if I like it after a test drive I should offer around the 17 mark? They have on the website that it has already been reduced and that it will be sold at web price. I presume they would be flexible

L-M

You would nearly get a 08 demo baseline, maybe comfortline for your budget. Brother in law is 6"5 and often drives the mother golf, plenty of space for even him:D...

billyhead

Just a few other questions abot buying a car from a dealer. Do you usually go check the car out in the dealership then take it for a test drive and pay a deposit and collect it another day. Or do most people if there happy with the deal offered collect it on the day. I am just thinking of whether or not I should get a bus to Navan or a lift of someone and leave my Micra at home. I am due to check out the Ford Focus Zetec car tomorrow.

bazz26

Don't rush into anything, view and test drive the car, if you like it then agree a price with the dealer.

I would also not put a deposit on the car straight away either, think about it, sleep on it overnight and if you are fully happy ring the dealer the following day, give them the deposit via your credit card over the phone. I have done this in the past with no issues. Remember cars are not running out the door at the moment so don't feel under pressure to commit on the spot. It wouldn't be unusual for a salesperson to try and put a bit of pressure on you to commit there and then by hinting that someone else is looking at the car too. If the car does manage to be sold in the mean time don't worry there are plenty more out there to view, it's a buyer's market.

Also if it is more convenient to drive to the garage then do so, you are not including the car in any deal so it doesn't matter what you turn up at the garage. Again it may take the pressure off buying something that you are not 100% sure about.

billyhead

Thanks Bazz26. Thats great peice of mind. I was actually led to believe when people say go to a dealer with cash in hand when buying a car to get a discount they litterally meant have the €18000 in cah or whatever in your pocket. I have the finance available but its in my bank account. Also what do you think I should offer money wise starting out in the bidding. Would €17000 be laughed at?

bazz26

I would ask them what their lowest straight deal price is, making them aware that you are shopping around and work from there. Haggling on the price is like a game of poker, unfortunately it is not an exact science so there really is no text book answer to what is a good price. If you know anyone who has any experience in this area it would be well worth bringing them along with you.

Actually visit more than one garage and compare prices they are looking for similar cars, this is really the only way to know whether you are getting a good deal or not from a particular garage.

Best of luck, let us know how you are getting on.

billyhead

I found the one below a lot closer to home with more or less the same mileage for the same price

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1204706
Also,
This car in Rathfarnham is 1.6 Litre for the same price also with even less mileage.
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1252792
Decisions Decision. I do like a car in black coulour though.

bazz26

More examples to consider:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1221978
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1196243

bazz26

billyhead wrote: »

I found the one below a lot closer to home with more or less the same mileage for the same price

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1204706
Also,
This car in Rathfarnham is 1.6 Litre for the same price also with even less mileage.
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1252792
Decisions Decision. I do like a car in black coulour though.

The last one is the new facelifted model too. Get prices for all of them though and see which one offers the best value.

EPM

on an €18k car at the moment i'd be offering a fair bit less than 17k...