Faults:

Car broke down at traffic lights about 3 months ago. The engine just died and engine wouldn't turn over, turned out to be the distributor. Pretty amazing that only one break down has happened in the whole time I've owned it.

The rear window defrost button's light has died.

Gearbox sometimes has trouble getting reverse - may take a couple of attempts before engaging.

General Comments:

I had a lot of trouble parting with my last Alfa, it was so much fun to drive and make such a wonderful sound. But by the time I had finished with it, first gear was gone, second was going, and there was a lot of rust that needed fixing and would have cost thousands to get to the standard it needed to pass its WOF. So off I went to the local Honda dealer where a fresh from Japan Honda Civic was gleaming at the front of the yard. And basically it was between this Civic and a similarly specced automatic, but I insisted on the manual and haven't looked back since.

I was looking for was something that would be reliable and economical, ultimately this car has surpassed my expectations and it's amazing reliability and fuel economy make up for its deficit in character. I can easily get 500ks out 33 litres (15km per litre) of fuel with mixed driving, without even trying to drive economically. And the fact the only time I've had to take it to the garage until my break down was for scheduled servicing is just a testament to its astounding reliability.

Performance isn't that lively until you get fairly high into the rev range, but for everyday driving it's usually fine. The ride is probably my least favourite part of the car. It's O.K, but you can feel virtually every bump in the road which can get annoying.

I don't know if it's the carbed or fuel injected engine (all it says on the engine block is 16 valve), and since it doesn't say anything on the back apart from 'Ferio' I don't know which specification it is.

The only 'modern' car amenity this baby has is air conditioning. It lacks electric windows, mirrors and cup holders, but its simplicity means that there's nothing to really go wrong.

Comfort is acceptable for up to an hour, but the lack of a foot rest, and the firmness and lack of support from the seats can make your butt a wee bit sore.

I'm more than happy with this car, and will probably continue to drive it til it dies or is uneconomical to repair. Which means probably in about 50 years ;)

Faults:

Radiator replacement at 200K.

Nothing actually "went wrong" mechanically or electrically with the car other than expected maintenance such as exhausts, brakes, lights etc.

General Comments:

I enjoyed the reliability of the car, which is why I bought it in the first place. If you're into car stuff, I replaced the motor with a DOHC model (b16a2 for those who are technical). But if you put aside the reliability factor the car is actually rolling tin can.

This Civic is pure junk and pathetic in many aspects. The ride quality of the car is very poor, it handles horribly in all conditions. I upgraded the suspension however this review is about the STOCK civic.

On the highway the car is very shaky and has a very uncomfortable feeling.

The seats are absolutely horrible to sit on (had to upgrade to integra seats)

When the AC is turned on the entire car shakes, you can feel it especially in the shifter. It's a very annoying feeling while driving.

Ground clearance is way too low, you're a snow plow whether you want to be or not.

Crash tests are very very poor. Don't expect this car to hold up in any crash situation. On a side impact it will crumble and fold like a cheap accordion.

I could go on more but I'll stop. I recommend this car because of its engine alone. Honda does make a very good motor, but everything else (even on their new cars) has a very cheap feeling. Gas mileage of the civic was 34/38 MPG (city/highway).

There are many die-hards on these cars, but I have no brand loyalty to them. Although I do recommend it to anyone. I sold the car and bought a truck. You can really tell the difference in build quality between the two. The honda is just not a "solid" car no matter how much you argue on it, this is a fact and people need to realize this.