1998 Honda Civic EX 1.6 VTEC from North America

Summary:

Economical, dependable, great car all around

Faults:

Wife broke drivers side door handle off in well below 0 temps 2 years ago, speedometer works 1/4 of the time, then it's stuck on 20 mph. No matter what speed you're going, that's it!

Seats are a bit uncomfortable after 500 miles, but I have back problems.

General Comments:

Extremely good gas mileage for the power you get, 127hp/ 40 mpg on a road trip to Seattle going 80-85.

Very clean running engine. I put in only synthetic oil, and 4000 miles later it's insanely clean and has used maybe 1/10 of a quart.

I am not a fan of auto transmissions, but this one shifts excellent for the application.

Maintenance on this car is simple as pie. It takes less time to change the tranny fluid than the engine oil, and the superior design of the Honda transmission makes this possible.

Can't go wrong with this purchase, this thing is as reliable as my Chevy K1500; dependability and beyond.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th April, 2009

1998 Honda Civic DX 1.6L SOHC from North America

Summary:

Dependable, good on gas

Faults:

Believe it or not, nothing has actually gone wrong with it.

The car has a metric cluster in it, which I have to change soon as I live in the US.

It gets great gas mileage (I have gotten pretty close to 40mpg).

It starts when I turn the key and stops when I hit the brakes.

General Comments:

I have been very satisfied with the car, there as of yet, nothing has gone wrong with the car. It runs like a top, a little touchy on the clutch, but it goes.

It's not a speed demon by any means, but it does get good gas mileage.

The only thing that bothers me is the seats; I just wish they weren't so hard.

Aside from that, it's a great car and I can fill it for less than $20, and now you know it's good.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th December, 2008

1998 Honda Civic EX Vtec 1.6 from Colombia

Summary:

Great car

Faults:

Rear noises began a few months after I bought the car. I took it to the dealer and he replaced a couple of bushings, but the noises continued. I had to go back to the dealer again, and he replaced the other couple of bushings of the rear suspension.

The car had to be tuned up, and now it's great on kpg. 41 kpg in the city and more than 50 on the road.

General Comments:

Excellent car, reliable. Great on fuel consumption. Very comfortable and excellent quality.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th December, 2008

1998 Honda Civic CX Hatchback 1.6 from North America

Summary:

Good value if maintained

Faults:

Water pump, starter, muffler, drum brake pistons replaced in 2007.

Speedometer stuck at 30 km/h in 2005.

Aerial stuck in 2003.

Gasket around right tail light went and allowed rain water into the hatch in 2001.

Recall repair done on the ignition switch, and the warranty was extended to 7 years on the manifold.

General Comments:

Generally a reliable vehicle that has started in all weather (+35 to -40 Celsius)

Purchased new in 1998 I am still on my original battery, lights, rear brake pads (!), and clutch.

Okay on fuel and inexpensive to maintain over the 10 year period. This car isn't bullet proof, but it hasn't had any catastrophic faults.

Speedometer will sometimes work at highway speeds, but mostly dances at 30 km/h. I was quoted around $500 to replace the cluster, but I do not think it is a worth while repair. I am guessing I have about 230,000 km on the car, and I intend to drive it into the ground.

Wind noise around the door window seals is fatiguing and there is a lot of road noise throughout the car. Not ideal for long trips or high speed travel if noise bothers you.

Tasteful interior design that still looks good presently. The dash and seat materials have not split or worn through, and the carpet is still in good condition.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th December, 2008

18th Dec 2008, 22:11

You are lucky to have gotten a rare good one. My experience with the Civic was a nightmare from day one. It started totally falling apart at 40,000 miles and was sold to a junk car dealer at 100,000. Probably the worst vehicle I've ever been cursed with. I now drive reliable domestics.