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Honda Civic 2005 and earlier

1525355575879

Comments

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    We didn't take it as a trade in. It's just sitting here waiting for the lease company to pick it up. It's not ours.

    Backy...well, either way, those miles are a killer but, yeah, I'm surprised they don't just buy rther than lease.

    It's probably just easier for them.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    ... for a business is a write-off for expenses. That's the only reason I could think of.
  • azaharchukazaharchuk Member Posts: 22
    Hey,
    I just bought a used 2002 Civic DX Coupe from a private party here in Arizona. I paid $10,500 for it and the car just turned over 10,000 miles. No tax and no dealer fee. The only optional items it has is A/C and tinted windows (a MUST in Arizona!). I am going to use the car primarily as a commuter car as I recently took on a new job that requires a 35 mile trip. It will be my second car (other car is a 2002 Ford Expedition - had it only 10 months and already have 23,000 miles on it!). Although I really had my heart set on an Si or EX, I think I will be happy with the DX, especially considering the price I paid for it.

    Here are some initial observations:

    PAINT: My DX is Silver in color, and the quality is fine. I have read comments from other owners of silver Honda's who have had problems with paint quality (shading, chips, etc.). No paint problems here.

    TIRES/ROAD NOISE: My DX has the standard Firestone tires, which I have heard are known to be noisy. The car itself is fairly quiet, however, you do here some road noise coming from the tires. Overall I must say that the car is pretty quiet inside. I plan on upgrading the tires & wheels fairly soon. Those plastic wheel covers need to go! Considering getting some new 14" or 15" factory Honda Alloy Wheels ($350 - $500 on EBay). I have heard that the Yokohama Avid Touring tire is a good tire. Any comments on upgraded tires???
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Congrats on your new car. I have heard not so good things about the Avids from several people. Check out TireRack.com (there is a link on this page actually) and read some consumer reviews before buying.
  • slickracerslickracer Member Posts: 38
    I drove my 2003 EX from the dealer straight to Firestone and had the tires upgraded to the LH30. I am very impressed with them, especially on wet roads.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    on my 2003 Civic Coupe. I have also driven Dunlop Sport A2's, Bridgestone 950's, so I have a little experience with tires. The FR690 (is that the exact model) is poorly rated on Tire Rack, but keep in mind that the Firestone with this model designation is custom designed with input from Honda to meet Honda performance specs. Although I was originally going to upgrade fairly soon, I now have 9,000 miles on the Civic and the tires have been good in rain and shine. I may put Kumho's on when I replace tires, or Dunlops, or just shop around at 30,000 miles or so.

    I actually think the stock Honda wheel covers look ok. Sometimes aluminum wheels actually weigh more than steel wheels. Most aftermarket wheels are now made in China; I am not sure I trust the ultimate quality and safety of aftermarket wheels anymore (except for the very premium makes). I am sure Honda brand wheels are fine, but sure wouldn't buy a DX and then spend the price differential between a DX and an LX on wheels ($1500-$2000 was what you mentioned).
  • gbriankgbriank Member Posts: 220
    200 miles after purchasing a EX, had the Firestones pulled off and replaced with Dunlops. I knew the Firestones were rated poorly, especially in the wet. Just before changing them out, we had a huge rainstorm here in Dallas and talk about hydroplaning! We have since had a similiar storm, so I took my car down the same street as before and had no problems whatsoever. Best $$$ I have ever spent!
  • azaharchukazaharchuk Member Posts: 22
    There are a few sellers on EBay selling factory 14" & 14" HONDA OEM Alloy Wheels for $350 - $450 / set (brand new). Add an additional $50 or so for shipping. I have read some good things abouth those Kumho tires. Tire Rack is selling them for $33 - $36 a piece.

    Originally I had wanted an Si or EX Coupe, but the DX price $10,500 (for only 10k miles) was hard to pass up. For this reason I don't really mind paying $600 or so for new alloy wheels/tires.

    I really enjoy driving the Civic. It has a real sporty feel to it. The interior/seats are awesome. I still can't beleive its an economy car. I just think the stock wheels don't do justice on the DX/LX. I do think the plastic wheel covers look OK on the EX however.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I just got rid of my abysmal Dunlop SP Sport A2s that were installed brand new on my 2000 Protege ES only 20,000 miles ago. I had read the reviews of the tires at Tire Rack and thought I had a winner. And yes, they initially were the quietest, most rain-friendly tires I'd ever owned.

    For a very short time.

    The tires wore unevenly and wore out very prematurely. I fought with Dunlop over the warranty (50,000 miles treadlife), but they insisted that I had an alignment problem even though their own local dealer did a four-wheel check and everything came within specs. I finally ditched the tires in disgust for a set of BF Goodrich Touring T/A VR4s based on the real-world experiences of a few friends with the same car I have and the same tire.

    Funny, since the SP Sport A2 is a new tire, it seems the reviews I read at Tire Rack a year ago were all first impressions. Going back and reading them lately, I've seen quite a few of the early praisers come back to add that they've turned out to be short-lived, uneven-wearing, and some of the poorest tires these folks have ever owned.

    Take note, Dunlop. You've got a shoddy tire.

    And good luck, Brian. Even rotating mine every 5,000 miles and keeping the car in perfect alignment, the insides of all four tires were worn to flat bald in 19,000 miles.

    Meade
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    I run these on my 2001 VW Golf, non-turbo. On mountain roads they make a fair amount of noise around curves. Not howling, but a low moaning. I have put 16,000 miles on them and they are wearing perfectly. The handling is good, but nothing special. About as good as the stock Goodyear LX's they replaced - I had expected an upgrade.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Mine looked fine too until they hit around 15,000 miles. Come to think of it actually, they looked fine until the car was up on a lift and only then did I see how much more they'd worn on the inside of the tread. But go back and read the Tire Rack reviews and you'll see many owners who've said the same thing -- the tires do great until they've got 10 or 15 thousand miles on them, and then it's a race to the treadwear indicators!

    You'll see. I guarantee it!

    Meade
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    I had fairly good experiences with the A2's. Although we've never really kept a car long enough to know for sure whether they were long-lasting. Best tire so far has been Michelins. 40,000 miles on a set of MXV4's that came stock on my 99 Accord EX and they had at least 40% tread-life left.
  • ranger96ranger96 Member Posts: 16
    How much should I offer for a new 2003 honda civic LX(COUPE) with automatic transmision and with no options.
    MSRP 16,300
    Dealer Markup 2,995
    Total 19,295

    Should I offer $500 below MSRP?
    This is my first time buying a new car.
    THANX
  • mattpdxmattpdx Member Posts: 41
    Um, you can get a WAY better price than that! Shop around! I went to www.collegehillshonda.com and offered 15795 and got a counter offer of 158895 and that was for an EX coupe!!! Don't let them screw you over! :-(
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    For sure you can do MUCH better than that. I don't know where you live, but in my area the Edumunds.com TMV price for this car is $14,718, which is actually a little below invoice. Run the TMV numbers for your area and it will give you a ball park to start in. Civics are fine cars, but this is a buyer's market and there's lots of strong competition out there. I can't believe some Honda dealers are still playing the "ADM" game.
  • ranger96ranger96 Member Posts: 16
    THE DEALERSHIP IS IN HAWAII.ONLY 1 AUTOMATIC COUPE. MSRP 16,300
  • hanerhaner Member Posts: 1
    I've got a 03 LX Sedan (Japan) and even when the fan is totally off, driving at highway speeds, I still feel air coming in from the vents. Is this normal?

    TIA
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    I've read that Hawaii prices are a world unto themselves.
    In the course of another discussion, I did some net research and found that you can ship a car from the mainland for about $2K.
    I'm curious. What's TMV for your area?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Please take off your Caps Lock.

    In your situation, where there is only one automatic LX Coupe, you want to be sure the dealer knows that you are not in love with the Civic LX Coupe and that you are shopping several other car models, which have lower prices and greater availability than the Civic. Now, that may or may not be 100% accurate, but the one thing you don't want the dealer to know is that you have your heart set on that one Civic Coupe. Then they have you by the, well, you know; you have zero negotiating leverage at that point.
  • ranger96ranger96 Member Posts: 16
    The TMV price is 15,000 in hawaii.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Yes, it's normal for air to come through the vents if the fan is off and you have fresh air selected. Since the main vent is left open to outside air when in fresh mode, the faster you go, the more air will be pushed inside the car. The air should stop coming in if you select recirculate.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    Something's weird; MSRP here (TN) $15,470. Plus, there's $500 dealer cash. Invoice is $14.1+K, and TMV is $14-K.
    Were it me and were it TN, I'd offer $13,650 and walk if they came back higher than $14K, making sure they had my e-mail addy and asking 'em to email if they can do better.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    My car started out with Michelins and they were pretty good tires. I got 30K out of them, then decided to sell the wheels. They still had adequate tread left on them though, and these were 17" tires, so I was fairly impressed. They are a little pricey when new, but the adage, 'you get what you pay for' comes to mind.

    Kumho tires are pretty good from what I hear as well, although I don't have any first-hand experience with them yet.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    A buddy of mine gave up on his '91 Escort wagon finally (with almost 300K miles!) and bought a new 03 Civic LX automatic sedan. He's had the car for about 4 months now and has about 20K on it (he took it cross country when he first got it), and he loves the car. I noticed, though, that he locked the car with the key when he left it. He said he has to do that every time. Is this true? I guess a keyless entry system would be the only answer to solve this?

    BTW, the Civic's dash looks really cool at night when it lights up too, just like the VWs kinda. Nice touch.
  • dudkadudka Member Posts: 451
    he can also lock the car by pulling on the drivers inside handle and presing the lock button, while the door is open.
    Honda has had "dumb-proof" lock since the early 80's. In order to lock the doors form inside while the driver's door is open one needs to pull on the inside driver's handle and activate the lock. Most people lock their keys inside by pressing the lock button while they are getting out, forgetting their keys either in ignition or on the seat. Honda thought that by making people lock their car with keys they will be less likely to lock them-selves out, but by pulling on the door handle de-activates the "dumb-proofing"
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    My VW was the same way. You could only lock it with the remote or the key when exiting. But the Honda doesn't have standard remote, and I would think it would become a pain where a pill can't reach eventually...
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    It's actually pretty simple. You pull on the handle and press the lock button. Keyless entry is a pretty inexpensive add-on if it's that much of an inconvenience. Besides, if you spend $25,000 for a Civic like you did for your Jetta you could have 2 Civics and 2 keyless entry systems or just buy a Civic EX (which has standard keyless) and pocket the extra $9000 :)
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Just another way to support their fat profit margins...they build an admittedly good car, but some of their profit enhancing tricks are a little sleazy.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    You can get keyless for $120 on www.handa-accessories.com. On a Lancer ES you have to buy a $500 package to get rear headrests. Mitsubishi took away the valet key on it's models in the name of cost-savings. You have the option on the Civic of paying $120 for keyless or moving up to an EX where you get just about everything you could ever want on a small car. In some cars you don't have the option of getting a safe, reliable car and even if you did it would cost way more than $120.

    So I guess you are saying that not getting keyless on a car is cost savings so do you think that the Civics 5 star rating and good side-impact ratings were free? Not to mention they increased the size of the Civics engine but increased the MPG. Then they developed a suspension that allowed them to give the Civic a flat floor in the back. Then they reduced gap tolerances to an insanely low number when the 96-00 Civic was already better than most. And you are complaining about keyless entry?
  • port_48port_48 Member Posts: 27
    In my quest to be the cheapest fellow around, I bought the DX with hand crank windows, etc, etc. One of those etc is the meter group, aka gauge cluster, only including speedo, temp, and fuel. I've found meter group for LX/EX which includes the tachometer. Does anyone know if this is functional replacement? Looking at the Honda FSM it shows 2 connectors going into the cluster. Do these connectors include the tach signal and if I remove the existing cluster and replace with one including the tach will the tach work? Also, can I get the odometer reading on the new cluster to match what the existing one reads?

    Thanks,

    Wm
    2002 Civic Sedan DX
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    I think you can replace the gauge cluster but that will kill your cars value because it will be true miles unknown. The mileage won't match and anybody who looks at the car will know it's not the original cluster.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    Got this feature on my '03 Sentra and it's a nice extra to have. I think eventually all car makes will have this little "extra" as standar equipment on all trim levels as more people desire it.

    The Sandman :-)
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Well, both of ours cars have this and, for me, anyway, I could care less about it.

    The one for the Accord has had a dead battery for a month...ho hum...

    I mean, I've got to have the key out anyway in order to start the car!

    But, I guess it's a big deal for some people!
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    mainly because it helps to prevent scratches from errant key placement.

    ~alpha
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Isellhondas: You would think differently if you were trying to unlock your car in a dark area. Nothing worse than trying to find the keyhole and scratching the paint all up in the process. And than of course there is the danger of being bent over trying to find the confounded thing while someone approaches you from behind...
    Keyless entry is a godsend. I would never buy a car without it.
  • osum02osum02 Member Posts: 29
    I went onto the College Hills Honda website and it stated there would be a freshened restyling for the '04 MY Civic. It also states there's 2 new colors, Fiji Blue Pearl and Magnesium Metallic. Can anyone describe what Figi Blue and Magnesium Metallic are? Are these colors replacing some current colors? One thing I heard from a reputable source recently is that the Civic EX Sedan will have alloy wheels standard for 2004 just like the EX Coupe has for '03. Also does anyone know at what point will the changes to the '04 Civic be made public? In recent years the Civic is usually in the back of dealer lots at the middle or end of August.
  • bjk2001bjk2001 Member Posts: 358
    micweb:
    Keyless is nice to have. I personally like it. But some people could live without it to save a couple hundreds bucks, also some other people think power window/door is not necessary either. FYI, some other much more expensive cars than Civic LX, like Toyota Avalon XL $27K Highland SR5 V6, don't come with Keyless entry either.
    Regards,
    bjk
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    She thinks it's a very good thing, especially the safety issue. With 2 teenage daughters driving, it's a G-dsend just for the peace of mind. Will the '04's finally have this feature across the whole line? The Sentra, Corolla, and the Protege all ahve this on most of their lines, so it'll only be a matter of time before Honda follows suit.

    The Sandman :-)
  • jeff186jeff186 Member Posts: 95
    Supposedly, there will be a Value Package model in '04, though I don't have the details.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    It's fine that you have to take the key out to start the car, that makes sense. But throw in a bag or three of groceries and two toddlers, and you will be begging for keyless entry...
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Or how about a briefcase, a gym bag, clothes on a hanger, and wet sloppy winter stuff on the ground (as in I don't want to set anything down in it while I unlock the door)? Before I bought my current car, I thought keyless entry was a non-essential feature too; now I wouldn't want to live without it.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Um, but don't you still have to have a free hand to grab and pull the handle?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Try this test: take in hand a PC bag weighing 20-25 pounds, a stuffed gym bag, and a suit on a hanger. And the remote. First, try pressing the remote button to unlock the doors, then lift the handle on the back door with one finger (which is all you'll have free). Place stuff in back seat. Close door, open driver's door. Next try unlocking the driver's door with the key, which takes an entire free hand to grab the key and turn it, while juggling all the stuff, keeping it out of the mud/slush or off the car. Which is easier? Now try the same thing (to vocus' earlier post) with a couple of heavy bags of groceries, or maybe a bag of groceries and a small child, in your hands. See why remote locking is a very good thing?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I definitely have to agree with you on that one. You can never have too many free hands when dealing with one toddler, let alone 2! :)
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Which, by the way, came on at only 8,000 miles (supposedly the service interval is 10,000 miles; I do almost all freeway driving, so it's not my driving habits!).

    BTW, I have been gettin 3,000 mile oil changes at the dealer's drive through lane. I guess they haven't been resetting the maintenance indicator light.

    I have a 2003 Civic.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    If your Civic is the same as my 02 SI and my 03 Accord then all you have to do is have the car completely off, hold in the select/reset knob (should be just right or left of your odometer) and while holding in the select/reset knob turn the key to the "on" position. Keep holding the select/reset knob until the light resets. I don't think I had to turn the car completely on to get it to reset in my Civic but I did in my Accord so if it doesn't reset in the "on" position, restart the procedure and turn the car completely on.
  • bjk2001bjk2001 Member Posts: 358
    You guys are killing me. LOL. Keyless is nice to have but not a necessity. How did people survive all those years without keyless entry? It just unlock the door won't open it for you. Would you want to have keyless driver side power door as standard too? Keep in mind it's not hard for a professional thief to grab your keyless entry code.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Thanks. I will try this tonight. I am assuming the "select/reset" knob is the same knob that resets the odometer mileage?

    Funny that Honda doesn't document this in the manual...

    At least it's simpler to do than the hoops Chevy owners have to go through, with their stereo controls, to reset their reminders....
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    It's on page 62 of my '02 Civic Si manual.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yeah, it's funny how "nice to haves" can become "necessities" once you get used to them, isn't it? My first car didn't have a radio, power steering, power brakes (power anything), no carpeting, and 4-55 A/C. My next car got an AM radio, carpeting, and power brakes, and I swore I'd never do without a radio again. The next car had an AM/FM stereo cassette--from then on I had to have a stereo. Two more cars later, I finally got a car with power steering, plus A/C (moved from Minnesota to Houston), power mirrors, adjustable lumbar support etc. From then on, I had to have A/C--even when I moved back to Minnesota. A few years later I got my first 4-door car, a '88 Civic LX, and it had power windows and locks. Of course, they now became a necessity in any 4-door car I would own in the future. Years later I got my first taste of keyless entry, in a '99 Caravan, and saw the value of that. Maybe it demonstrates that we don't realize what we are missing until we've actually experienced something.

    Re the "keyless driver side power door"... have you noticed that keyless power doors are becoming an extremely popular option on minivans? I don't have it on my minivan, so of course "I don't need it." But if I get that feature on my next minivan, I'm sure it too will become a necessity.
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