3rd Sep 2011, 16:01

There are 3 models:

DX: hard to find base model (no radio, A/C)

LX: most common model (with radio, A/C)

EX (-L) : Navigation, leather, wheels etc.

4th Sep 2011, 13:33

Our experience with Civic mirrors comment 17:00. Very poorly built, as are all Japanese cars. Very unreliable and put together in a very flimsy manner. Plastic fasteners that broke easily, very puny structural members and components that were far smaller and flimsier than on domestic cars of the same size.

I just helped a friend work on his three year old Corolla. Same story with it. It can't be aligned because the suspension has sagged just from the weight of the car. A heat shield bent and was rattling just from splashing water hitting it. The front bumper fasteners were loose and flopping around. The whole car is mostly plastic.

Both Motor Trend and Car and Driver did comparisons of the small cars in this class. Corolla finished dead last in both, and Civic was not tops in either study (one chose the Hyundai Elantra as best pick and one chose the Ford Focus as best overall).

We switched to domestics and have never had a single problem. Our Ford and GM are solid, well-built and totally reliable. Our GM just passed 100,000 miles without a single repair. Not even a brake job yet. We can't afford imports. Repairing cars every week or so is both too time consuming and expensive.

4th Sep 2011, 19:03

Really? Because I also purchased a new 2008 Honda Civic off the lot in 2008. It was one of the best cars I ever owned (I traded it in in 2010 only because I really needed a bigger car). I loved it. It survived a front end collision with a Ford Explorer in '09 (the guy pulled out of a parking lot right in front of me and STAYED in my lane). I will admit, the front bumper was a little loose after that. Well, until it was repaired anyways.

7th Nov 2011, 18:45

I don't know about your experiences with Honda products, but you have to remember these car are for daily drives and to save fuel. Although it may seem these are not the best cars on the market, they are the most reliable cars on the market for the last twenty something years.

I had a 2009 Honda Civic that I traded for a 2011 Honda CRZ.. It wasn't till the government bailed out the big three that they realized that they had to make a better car or truck to sell. People don't buy a vehicle anymore just on the fact it's American made. They buy them for being well built and fuel efficient. A lot of people don't realize that all the new cars and trucks made in America, are using a lot of parts from Japan to make their engines more reliable and gas efficient.

8th Nov 2011, 10:20

My Wife had a 91' Civic that we sold just 3 years ago. The car was almost immaculate and ran perfectly. There are TONS of these from that era on the road still around here.

I would agree with the previous commentator that they're not exactly the most fabulous cars as far as the interiors or their handling. They've gotten some bad remarks in regards to the newest Civic and its cheap interior materials. But that's not why people buy them. They buy them, because like my Wife's car, they will run basically forever with hardly any issues for years and years. They've hands-down got some of the best drivetrains in the biz, regardless of cost.

24th Nov 2011, 15:53

The Chevy Vega WAS an economy car (& for $2,000 new, wasn't such a bad deal for its time).

25th Nov 2011, 23:46

The car magazines and test drivers who write car test commentaries are pretty much of the opinion that the new Civic is "dated" and "unsophisticated". The Civic ranked far below the Ford Focus in comparison tests. It still uses the antiquated 5-speed automatic transmission it has used for decades, while all the competition has moved on to 6-speed units for better mileage and performance.

A national news publication just tested the new CRV (a Civic with a fat body), and declared that it was doubtful if it was up to competing with the sporty new Ford Escape and other more up-to-date small SUV's from Mazda, Hyundai and other car makers.

Before paying good money for a questionable product, I'd read the comparisons in the popular car magazines on these vehicles. All I have read rank the Civic at the bottom of the barrel with the Toyota Corolla. The top picks have been the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Chevy Cruze.

Brand loyalty to a product that has lagged behind in technology, safety and reliability can be rather expensive.

26th Nov 2011, 10:34

13:33 I am the complete opposite. I do not buy Hondas anymore due to severe late model major issues. And we had many Accords, Legends and TLs, which were our worst. Go out shopping for a new car and compare. We do not buy Hondas. We do have 3 Mazdas, all bought this year. My wife and 2 daughters. I drive an Edge SEL.

26th Nov 2011, 19:18

Just what is a "standard option"?

Seems to me equipment is either standard or optional.

Many models that are priced lowest on the model chain, do not come with equipment we have come to expect as standard features, in order to bring folks into the showroom with a model advertised at a very low price. These are usually the vehicles you see advertised in the Sunday papers at prices that look too good to be true. It is a case of you get what you pay for, and if you want those features, you pay more.

28th Nov 2011, 07:03

I have purposely recently bought a couple of very basic, brand new models to upgrade, as soon as I bought new. On both I put in my far superior sound system and aftermarket chrome wheels. Also less trim and side body mouldings for cleaner lines. If you plan on keeping a vehicle a long time, I found that wind up windows have less issues than power window motors going. But I always order air conditioning. The plus on the EX though is the better wheels and the tire's larger diameter.

28th Nov 2011, 11:46

Aftermarket stereos are a pain these days, as the factory ones are integrated so completely into the dash. I would find it a pain to open the glove box every time I want to use the stereo, as that is pretty much the only place to put a stereo nowadays. The factory stereos are so much better than they were in years past, that I feel no need to upgrade that part of any car. You can always add an amp and speakers if you really must have a louder stereo, but how much "quality" do you really need to have in a car? I am very much into high end sound systems at home, and I am usually very happy with any car stereo as original factory equipment.

Another issue in vehicles like Fords with the SYNC system, is that the system is integrated with the stereo, so it is hard to unplug the stereo and replace it.

As far as crank windows go, I have never had a switch fail on anything powered I have owned. I'm not saying it won't happen, but in the past 10 or more cars, I've never had it happen, so it isn't enough of an issue for me to worry about, and not having them lowers the overall value of the car on resale by more than their cost. This has been true on new and older used vehicles I have owned.