I Needed a Car Quickly, Here's What I Bought and Why

Author's Rating:

Pros: gas mileage, handling, price, reliability, features

Cons: visibility, size (I'm tall)

The Bottom Line: 
If you need a reliable vehicle that really does get well over 30 miles per gallon, the Civic is a quality choice.

Author's Review
I was recently in need of a new vehicle due to some massive coolant system issues I had with my old Chrysler. Thus, armed with a sizable amount of internet research and my trusty Consumer Reports Buying Guide in hand I headed down to my local Honda dealer. I have long heard the rumors that Honda makes a great car, and being that I needed to make a buy quickly (my trade-in Chrysler literally wouldn’t make it to work and back), I thought the Honda Civic might be the way to go. Of course, the fact that Consumer reports has recommended this vehicle amongst the highest in class in fuel economy and reliability didn’t hurt either.



Reliability and fuel economy are important to most people, but to me these facets were of prime importance. I drive 2 hours daily (at least) for my job and may put 40,000 miles on this car yearly. Thus, it was certainly important for me to not guzzle gas and make sure that I purchased a vehicle that would last me a few years without difficulty. After a fairly low-pressure encounter with a friendly and knowledgeable salesperson and a test drive, I decided that the Honda Civic LX would serve me well and decided make my big purchase. Thus far, I have been generally satisfied as you will see below.





Gas Mileage



As I stated, this is of paramount importance for me due to my lengthy commute. Honda boasts that this Civic will average close to 30 MPG in the city and 40 on the highway. I have found this to be fairly accurate and will say this is one of the finest cars for gas consumption (or lack thereof) that I have ever driven. Generally speaking I am getting about 430 miles out of each tank and a tank is costing me between 28-30 dollars at $2.77(and rising) a gallon. Some of my drive is on the highway and some in the country, so I cannot tell for sure if Hondas mileage claims are completely accurate, but I seem to get well over 30 miles a gallon and I am satisfied.



Reliability



I have 3,000 miles thus far on my Civic LX, so it probably comes as no surprise that I have yet to come across any difficulties with reliability. Certainly, any consumer would hope to get 3,000 miles without problem. So being that my personal experience doesn’t say much, I will say that Honda has a great history in this department and the Civic came to me highly recommended by an individual who has 220k miles and counting on a 2000 version of the vehicle. Further, all buying guides and consumer reports I read indicated the 2006 Civic to be at, or near, the top of the class for reliability. In crash tests the vehicle has also performed well and ranks among the finest. With the curvaceous front-end design it would appear that animal-striking might be an issue; but I have yet to hear any negative reports on any such difficulty. All in all, I’ve heard that if you change the oil regularly and perform scheduled maintenance you should be good to go for quite a while in the Civic.



Styling



I have found that the new Civic meets my expectations for style. In the front it is quite curvaceous, modern and reminds me a bit of what the front end of a space ship might appear to be like. The rear is small and slightly boxy, but still sleek enough to please the discerning eye. Generally speaking, the car is smaller than what I am used to driving, but does not appear to be overly compact when viewing it from the side. Interiorly, I find the Civic to be equally pleasing. The version I have is black on the outside and cream/tan on the interior. The colors match up well for my tastes and I have even heard reports that some versions/color combinations have been oversold and a waiting list is forming. Thus, Honda seems to have matched color combos as well as can be expected.



Comfort/Roominess



This car comes in the class of Small Sedan and I would say that this summation is fairly accurate. I am 6ַ, 200, and I fit in the drivers’ side fairly well. My personal comfortable driving position does indeed put the seat as far back as is possible, but I do not have a problem per se with driving space. I will not say room is ample by any means nor can I spread out, but I do fit and am reasonably comfortable and can safely maneuver this vehicle. I would; however, say that if I had another 40 pounds on me or 3 inches of height that I might have some serious trouble as space isn’t abundant on either side. The passengers’ side seems to be of the same size and I have had individuals in each side of the rear seats without complaint. Overall, I have been in much larger vehicles and certainly would not classify this Honda as roomy, but generally it gets the job done. I will say that the front seats are a bit too rigid and there is not enough flat cushioned room in the middle to comfortably support the shoulders of a broad-shouldered man. Generally my shoulders are pushed up on each side because the seat size is not what I’d like. Please note that smaller people will probably be comfortable and not have this trouble.



Power



This vehicle comes equipped with a 1.8-liter, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine. I have automatic transmission and obviously the option to go with manual is also available. I find that acceleration is adequate for most any usual driving occurrence. Let’s put it this way, I’ve driven everything from a Ferrari to a 90’s Geo Tracker and would say the Power on the Civic falls somewhere in the middle of the road, but will get the job done for everyday normal driving.



Safety



Luckily I have not been in any accident to test these features, but it is important to know that my LX (MSRP 17,860) came equipped with the following safety upgrades.



• Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags (SRS)
• Front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)
• Side curtain airbags
• Active head restraints
• Outboard Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
• Immobilizer Theft-Deterrent System



Neither I, nor anyone else I have heard from has had any problem with these when necessary and I have learned that they all have worked well in crash tests.



Handling



I have noticed the handling on the Civic to be very nice for a car in this price range. It is extremely maneuverable and fits in and out of some of the smallest spaces I have seen. The turning radius is also excellent. I will say the ride is somewhat bumpy, but then again, for under 20k I didn’t expect it to be as smooth as silk. Braking seems adequate and does what is expected, even on sudden stops in heavy traffic. For this price, again, I am satisfied.



Controls/Features



Controls on my Civic are really self-explanatory. I did not personally go through the manual thoroughly and I’d say within 20 minutes I knew how to use all my dashboard options. All standards are present such as heat, AC, defrost, heat positioning (upper/lower body), etc… The speedometer and odometer are both digital and an oil life meter has even been digitized for the owners use. The CD player is easy to use and the speakers adequate on the factory system. The steering wheel is adjustable, which I enjoyed because of my large frame. There is no degree by degree climate control on my model but seats are easily manually adjustable and Power Windows easy to use. 2 cup holders are provided as well as 2 other small compartments for storing change, etc. In short, Honda has really made the most of the space they have with the Civic LX.



Visibility



This is the one area where I am somewhat disappointed. Both front and rear visibility are adequate; however, I find that over-the-shoulder checking is less than satisfactory due to large columns being present between the front and rear seats. Basically when merging you have to rely more than I would like on your mirrors. I always liked to double-check my side situation to be completely sure no other vehicles were present. I do have power mirrors on my version and have found this to be helpful and reliable thus far. All in all, I just wish I had more of an unobstructed view when merging.



Warranty



The factory warranty is 3yr-36,000 miles which isn’t great. An upgrade to 5yr/60,000 miles was available to me for around $1,200 extra, but I did not take it do to the vehicles predicted reliability and the amount of miles I am sure to drive each year. All in all, I have seen better warranties, but I am hoping the Civic will perform up to its’ ample reliability scores.



Summary



Thus far, I’m happy I went with the Civic. It looks good in my estimation for a small car, is easy to use, predicts to be reliable, the price was right and the handling and power are adequate. Further, and perhaps most importantly in this national economy, the gas mileage lives up to its billing and is very solid. 3,000 miles in, I’m happy. Also, please note that the vehicle is available in EX and DX as well as a coupe and the price may range from 13k-24 depending on the features included and the dealership markup.





Features on my version are as follows (LX):



1.8-liter, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine
• Drive-by-Wire Throttle System™
• ULEV-2 (Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle)
• 5-speed automatic transmission
• Control-link MacPherson strut front suspension
• Reactive-link double wishbone rear suspension
• Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering
• 16-inch wheels with full covers
• P205/55 R16 89H all-season tires
• Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags (SRS)
• Front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)
• Side curtain airbags
• Active head restraints
• Outboard Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
• Immobilizer Theft-Deterrent System
• Integrated rear-window antenna
• Body-colored power side mirrors
• Body-colored door handles
• Power door locks with auto-lock feature
• Cruise control
• Air conditioning with air-filtration system
• Map lights
• Floor mats
• Power windows with auto-up/down driver's window
• 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, WMA and MP3 capability and speed-sensitive volume control (SVC)
• Maintenance minder system



Happy car-buying!