Buying Honda Civic 2nd hand - advice needed!!

Dagon

I've finally decided on getting a Honda Civic. I posted a while ago about different cars, but the Civic seems to make the most sense. I'll be going for a 98, 99 model, for less than €7000. Just a few questions:

What is the difference between the different models available? 1.4, 1.4i, 1.5VTEC, type R, ERK?

I know the VTEC engine is livlier, but would it really make a huge difference? I ask because at the moment I'm on the verge of splashing out on a 1.4 Civic with a really good mileage (15,000) and am wondering if I should hang about and wait for a 1.4i or a vtec model. Also, the problem I find with a lot of second hand civics with Vtec or Type R is that the ****e has been driven out of them by their speedfreak owners - not a good second hand purchase!

I'm also considering a saloon - pref 1.5 VTEC, or 1.6. but I have heard that they can be sluggish because of the size?

My dream Civic is the Coupe, but I find them hard to get. And when you do find one, it's likely to have been owned by a boy racer who has rallied the ****e out of it, or else it seems to have a very high mileage!

Also, when buying private, how can you find out if the mileage has been tampered with? If there is a FSH, is this unlikely?

thanks for any help. I'm quite new to the whole business of car buying.

528i

Hondas have got to have the worse reputation of car ever, have you thought about the unwanted recognition from every syringe toting scrote & boy-racing skumbag most every day of the week ? being accosted in supermarket car-parks by skinheads from unfortunate backgrounds whose vocabulary is limited to words like 'savage, bud, beleedin & wicka' , what about a nice a corolla or megane instead ?

samo

I have a 98 Honda civic saloon 1.5 Vtech and its a great car, really economical but the handling (especially steering) is excellent, very light, flies around corners!

It handles very well on the motorway and would realistically get approx 300 miles to about 33-34euro. Overall very happy with it and you can normally pick up a saloon with a good few extras such as elec windows, sunroof, CD etc. The saloon is less boy racer style as well and nice spacious.

I also had a Honda civic hatchback (3 door) 1.4I from new 6 years ago - in comparison it was every sluggish and it felt as though there was a lull in 2nd gear, I dont remember fuel being as good either as our current 1.5. Have since driven 2 other 1.4's and felt the same thing, that it definitly wasnt as powerful as the 1.5 V-tech. The base model hatchback is also a bit sparse - dont think it even had airbags in the 1.4.

Also - if you check the 5 door hatch, its a dead ringer for the Rover 214/414 (? cant remember now) - it was made by Rover at the Swindon plant in the UK and is identical bar Honda badge etc! There were also recalls due to various issues with alternator etc which has also affected my saloon, in the process of getting it sorted at the moment but affects the headlights when driving (causes them to dip and dim intermittently) and can cause car not to start if radio or lights left on without engine running so do your checks on the service history

If the mileage is around the 60k mark, check the timing belts been changed as a pricey job otherwise, you can normally get more choice privately buying them and better spec etc, like I say just check the service history and dont unduly worry about high mileage they can take a bit of abuse! Its a nice car and I would definitly try a 1.5 yourself because having driven both 1.4 and 1.5 it does make a big difference (to me anyway!)

JB123

528i wrote:

Hondas have got to have the worse reputation of car ever, have you thought about the unwanted recognition from every syringe toting scrote & boy-racing skumbag most every day of the week ? being accosted in supermarket car-parks by skinheads from unfortunate backgrounds whose vocabulary is limited to words like 'savage, bud, beleedin & wicka' , what about a nice a corolla or megane instead ?

Trolling well today 528 boy why dont u stick to the glanza forum.
Dont bother with the irish Hondas they all get trashed.Get your self down the docks and get an import they are much better looked after and faster.Check out these guys www.finemotors.ie

Con9903

Don't go for a civic. go for something less common like an MG ZR

AlienGav

Also, you might want to consider a Corolla 20v 1.6. They're easier to insure, only slightly, and have more poke than the vtec! Toyota all the way!!

BrianD3

I'm also considering a saloon - pref 1.5 VTEC, or 1.6. but I have heard that they can be sluggish because of the size?

Generally the saloon model of family hatches is very little heavier than the hatch. This is also true for the Honda so the performance of the saloon and hatch is almost the same.
1.5 LS 4 dr 0-60 in 10.4 top speed 119
1.5 LS 3 dr 0-60 in 10.2 top speed 117
1.6 VTi 4 dr 0-60 in 8.1 top speed 134
1.6 VTi 3dr 0-60 in 8.0 top speed 129

Saloons are probably less likely to have been thrashed. However springs/shocks in the saloon may be different (more comfort oriented) so handling may not be as sharp as the hatch. Honda experts will be able to answer this

BrianD3

kleefarr

You should be able to find a few pointers here... Honda Revolutions. Just head for the forum and have a browse.

Zascar

I've had 2 Civic's and I love them, great cars. I have a 1.5VTi that I got from the docks, I would recommend jap imports over Irish cars as they have a better spec and more extras. The 1.5 VTi is far quicker than the 1.4. Mine redlines at 7,200rpm, but totally pulls through the revs much quicker and smoother. Very economical if you keep the revs down and great fun to drive if you want to give it a squeeze.

If you are into pimping you can get practically anything for a civic, so different to when I had my first one and there was practially zero mods availible. Lately they have kinda got a bit of a rep with the scumbags, but I'm not one so i don't give a sh1t.

Ratchet

528i wrote:

Hondas have got to have the worse reputation of car ever, have you thought about the unwanted recognition from every syringe toting scrote & boy-racing skumbag most every day of the week ? being accosted in supermarket car-parks by skinheads from unfortunate backgrounds whose vocabulary is limited to words like 'savage, bud, beleedin & wicka' , what about a nice a corolla or megane instead ?

spot a troll

jayok

Despite the misgivings about the Honda Civic, the fact remains that for their class the generation you are looking at (6th gen) had "the" best handling available (all round double wishbone suspension) and fantasically light engines (aka fuel economy). It was available in the following body shapes with the following engines on the Irish market the Jap imports vary a little.

2 dr (Coupe) - 1.6 105BHP, 1.6 SOHC VTEC 125BHP
3 dr (Hatch) - 1.4 90BHP, 1.5VTEC 115BHP, 1.6VTEC 110BHP & VTEC 160BHP.
4 dr (Saloon) - Same as 3 dr
5 dr (family hatch) - 1.4 90BHP, 1.5 95BHP, 1.5 115BHP, 1.6 VTEC 110 and 160BHP, and 1.8 VTEC 175BHP

So there's *loads* of model / engines available. I owned in my time 3 of the 6th generation. 1.6 Coupe, 1.4 and 1.5VTEC hatchback all Irish models. By far the best was the 1.5 hatchback. Nice bit of poke and great fuel economy. Never drove the ****e out of it like other suggested and had a FHSH on all my cars. If you shop around you will get one with a FSH. Recently I seen a 1.4 for €3k with 80K miles on it an a FHSH.

If you can all all get the 1.5 VTEC engine - it's superb. Doesn't have the insurance loading of the 1.6 and pokier than the 1.4. Very hard to get in the 3dr (honda ireland only brought in 120 of them) but the 4dr is very common and could be a good buy - as it's normally a family saloon it usually won't be loaded with crap.

As for the tarted up image - all cars suffer this. But there's a lot of Civics out there that are factory standard and not knackered up.

Off the topic, probably what pisses off most BMW 528i drivers about Civics is at 1/5th the cost the Civic is probably faster and definately more reliable! If you can live with this...

RicardoSmith

Honda are nice to drive and very reliable. Check out any reliability survey. Especially compared to german manufacturers. Disadvantages are, high insurance, expensive parts, expensive to buy and dealers are expensive. Use to be a real target for thieves. Not sure what the new ones are like. Most of the older ones you can steal very easily. Which is one of the reasons for the high insurance.

bazz26

I fully agree with the favourible comments about the Civic. They are a great car. My old man bought a 2003 1.4S 3dr hatch a couple of months ago and has nothing but praise for it. I have taken it for a spin a couple of times and it brought back fond memories of the Accord I had a good couple of years ago. The build quality of the Civic is excellent, the handling is very tidy and the 1.4 holds it's own very well while returning good mpg. Very well equipped with air con and side air bags plus I like the position of the gear stick located on the dashboard rather than on the floor.

Yes the Civic reputation is a little tarnished by the boyracer crews but then again look at the amount of tarted up 10 year old 316s or 318s going around with 18" rims and their €40 "M" badges on the boot. Also look at the number of 520s with the M-Tech kits, does this tarnish the rep of the M5?

Con9903

jayok wrote:

Off the topic, probably what pisses off most BMW 528i drivers about Civics is at 1/5th the cost the Civic is probably faster and definately more reliable! If you can live with this...

I have to step in here. First off I don't like BMW's, I would much prefer to drive an integra or something like that. but this is a world in which you get what you pay for, and the BMW is a vastly superior car. What probably pisses them off about civics is the fact that one almost hit them on the motorway whilst speeding well over the limit. Still I won't condemn the civic, as its a car with lots of potential, be it track or car show.

irlirishkev

I have to hop on the bandwagon here and agree with what's been said. I love Honda Civics. I do however cringe when I see the scummers driving around in their modded 'cars'...

My first (owned) car was a second hand 1991 1.3 3dr Import Civic. It was great. low and wide, it gripped the corners like nothing else, and when you put the foot down it gave more you were expecting.
Then in 2003, some nice joyrider scum of the earth nackers decided to drive into it while it was parked outside my gaff.

I used the opportunity to upgrade to a 1995 Civic Coupé lsi. This is the most comfortable car I've ever driven. Fully electric, all the extras, lovely acceleration, great handling (especially for a long car), and very reliable.

Anyone I've ever spoken to in the motor trade has complimented Honda and their engines.. They just go on and on and on.. Honda know how to make cars. Get yourself a Civic

K.

ciarsd

i know of a very clean low mileage 1998 Honda Civic Saloon (1.5 Vtec) for sale. Was owned by an older man from brand new. Full service history/NCT and most definitely not been driven within an inch of its life. It is totally standard (obviously) with E/M, E/W, E/SR etc etc. Oh and it has the original Honda VTec alloys on it.

PM me if you want a contact number to get a look at it

RicardoSmith

Con9903 wrote:

I have to step in here. First off I don't like BMW's, I would much prefer to drive an integra or something like that. but this is a world in which you get what you pay for, and the BMW is a vastly superior car. What probably pisses them off about civics is the fact that one almost hit them on the motorway whilst speeding well over the limit. Still I won't condemn the civic, as its a car with lots of potential, be it track or car show.

Whats vastly superior about BMW when its always worse in any relaibility test you read? Worse on fuel economy, more expensive etc. BMW are nice cars but it they have their faults like any other make. More so than Honda in fact. You buy BMW for the image, and that they are rear wheel drive with a big engine with lots of torque out front. There are in a different sector of the market.

Yes no BMW drivers ever speed... :rolleyes:

Dagon

Thanks to everyone for contributing to this debate. Now I'm pretty clean on the differences between the different Civics. And thanks for the link to Honda Revolutions kleefar.

Samo, you've kind fo told me what I wanted to hear, because right now I'm looking at a black 1.5VTEC saloon. It's being sold by a Honda dealer (in Castlerea Roscommon) so I should have the full warranty and service.

Only problems:
- 100,000 miles on the clock
- Apparently the previous owner is the dealers daughter (who has since, he tells me, gotten herself a Coupe) but when I ask him about the service history, he is a little indefinite (i.e. No proper service history) - I assume this is because the garage itself would have serviced the car whenever necessary for his daughter. This sounds like it could be a very good thing - they may have treated the car very well and given regular services. On the other hand, there is no guarantee (no FSH) of this. What do you think is most likely? Do dealers usually take care of their own cars, seeing as they have free access to garage?

Of course the obvious answer is to go and have a look, check it out, drive it. And I will, but I'm not an expert on cars, so I could quite easily be sold a Turkey!

Con9903

most people that own BMW's are middle aged people that rarely speed. BMW is all about luxury and performance

528i

I think bmw's are generally driven by a more intelligent clientele, and are therefore much safer than your typical honda being driven by a mindless fool at speeds in excess of the legal limit.

RicardoSmith

Con9903 wrote:

most people that own BMW's are middle aged people that rarely speed. BMW is all about luxury and performance

528i wrote:

I think bmw's are generally driven by a more intelligent clientele, and are therefore much safer than your typical honda being driven by a mindless fool at speeds in excess of the legal limit.

Thats some quality gibberish :rolleyes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/motorsport/767712.stm
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1518775,00.html

http://www.jdpa.com/studies_jdpower/pressrelease3.asp?ID=2004037

RicardoSmith

Dagon wrote:

Thanks to everyone for contributing to this debate. Now I'm pretty clean on the differences between the different Civics. And thanks for the link to Honda Revolutions kleefar.

Samo, you've kind fo told me what I wanted to hear, because right now I'm looking at a black 1.5VTEC saloon. It's being sold by a Honda dealer (in Castlerea Roscommon) so I should have the full warranty and service.

Only problems:
- 100,000 miles on the clock
- Apparently the previous owner is the dealers daughter (who has since, he tells me, gotten herself a Coupe) but when I ask him about the service history, he is a little indefinite (i.e. No proper service history) - I assume this is because the garage itself would have serviced the car whenever necessary for his daughter. This sounds like it could be a very good thing - they may have treated the car very well and given regular services. On the other hand, there is no guarantee (no FSH) of this. What do you think is most likely? Do dealers usually take care of their own cars, seeing as they have free access to garage?

Of course the obvious answer is to go and have a look, check it out, drive it. And I will, but I'm not an expert on cars, so I could quite easily be sold a Turkey!

I've had a mixed experience with Honda dealers. One was good one was so awful I wouldn't trust them with my bicycle. Regardless if some one is indefinite about any details of a car. Walk away. Either their trying to mislead you, or they have no interest in the car which mean it won't have been looked after well.

If you need expert help to check a car. Get the AA to do it for you.

samo

my 98 Saloon has done 80K and was bought at 45K 2 years ago, once it was cared for it can handle high mileage. To be honest mine didnt have a FSH and has been serviced by us since then every 6 months. My reasoning on the FSH is that having since got info off boards and checked into it since it appears there was a recall on certain Hondas around this year due to a fault on the alternator.

I suppose its wishful thinking but if it had been serviced by a main dealer this would have probably been caught under warranty and I wouldnt be paying to get it fixed 6 years on but then overall the car has given very good service and certainly wouldnt change it!

Regardless of whether you go for this civic - do try and hold out for the 1.5 vtec. Good luck

By the way - this looked good on carzone.ie

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=211036

if you can down to Cork!

Ratchet

samo wrote:

I suppose its wishful thinking but if it had been serviced by a main dealer this would have probably been caught under warranty and I wouldnt be paying to get it fixed 6 years on but then overall the car has given very good service and certainly wouldnt change it!
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=211036

if you can down to Cork!

We had a 13 year old jap import car with known fault and Honda did supply the part free of charge. It will cost us 380yoyo's to buy part at the time

Not everybody will do it.

Toyota & Honda are solid cars, I did buy all my cars from buy and sell without service history. If you know what to look for you can snap real bargain.

Last Honda integra about 2 years . Car was 1995 model , 10 months in the country had 40K kms and only did cost 3200yoyo's, which was some bargain two years ago.

jayok

Hey Dagon,

With regard to FSH on the car at 100k miles it would be something I would be pushing for. If not a full histoty at least one for the last 2 years.

Can I ask how much this is costing and the year? I know there are bargains to be had on the 4dr 1.5 iLS model. Just wonder if you are getting the best one?

J.

Dagon

Just after finding this:

Honda Civic Coupe - 1.6L
77,000 miles
Irish Car - full Honda service history
Immaculate condition - no mods (no alloys, sports kit, etc.)

It's being sold privately, but the guy selling it didn't own it, he got it from dublin and he's doing a bit of dealing I think.

Should I go for it? Can a full Honda service hostory be faked?

Thanks for opinions guys - will give a full report with photos when I DO eventually get a motor

RicardoSmith

Of course it can be faked. Just get a proper check done on the car.

Con9903

RicardoSmith wrote:

Thats some quality gibberish :rolleyes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/motorsport/767712.stm
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1518775,00.html

http://www.jdpa.com/studies_jdpower/pressrelease3.asp?ID=2004037

ouch british articles, and there was me thinking we lived in Ireland :rolleyes:

RicardoSmith

Con9903 wrote:

ouch british articles, and there was me thinking we lived in Ireland :rolleyes:

Ireland? More like fantasy land.

So "most people that own BMW's are middle aged people that rarely speed..." only applies in Ireland then? Any particular other sterotypes you'd like to include? :rolleyes:

Con9903

I was referring to Ireland in particular yes, but it does apply in other countries. See you have isolated 3 particular articles on this "information super highway", You expect these three articles to prove that the majority of BMW drivers are people that speed? I think not. If I could muster the interest I'm sure I could find a couple (thousand) of articles to "prove" (the way you did of course) that there are plenty of civic drivers that speed and drive wrecklessly.

Ratchet

Con9903 wrote:

I was referring to Ireland in particular yes, but it does apply in other countries. See you have isolated 3 particular articles on this "information super highway", You expect these three articles to prove that the majority of BMW drivers are people that speed? I think not. If I could muster the interest I'm sure I could find a couple (thousand) of articles to "prove" (the way you did of course) that there are plenty of civic drivers that speed and drive wrecklessly.

i would say that there is more BMW drivers done for speeding then civic drivers
I always see speeding mercs and BMWs specially on the straight car and driver are wouldn’t know what to do when comes to fast corners.( they are some exceptions like M3 )

However, I am sure civic drivers crush cars more often