Honda Civic 2005 and earlier

civic2001lx

mdriver,

The Elantra is approximately 150-200 pounds (not several hundred!) heaver than a Civic depending on whether one talks about the coupe or sedan.

Also, why does a long warranty mean that a car may be better than another?

mdriver

A long warranty doesn't tell you anything about the reliability of a car. Reliable cars like Hondas have 3yr/36k warranty as do relatively less reliable cars like GMs. Upscale brands that have proven reliability records like Lexus have longer b to b warranties. One could argue the point that Hyundai offers a long warranty because you are likely to need it, or they offer it because they are so confident in their product. Either way, I would take a longer warranty over a shorter one if it comes at no extra cost.

backy

I agree with mdriver, a long warranty tells you nothing about the reliability of that car. Automakers slap long warranties on cars for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the reason is to overcome a perception or history of reliability problems in the past. I think that is the reason behind Hyundai's long warranty, also perhaps the 10-year VW powertrain warranty. But there are other reasons the marketeers apply a long warranty. One is just to obtain some advantage against the competition, like the 7/70 Chrysler warranty of years ago. Or take Oldsmobile. Suddenly, Olds gets a longer warranty, 5/60, than other GM divisions. Does that mean that Oldsmobiles are less reliable than their clones in the other divisions? Of course not. It means that GM is trying to give buyers an extra nudge to buy a car from a near-extinct division.

rgarbaccio

Saw a two-page ad in Time for the Honda Clearance Sale. Does that historically mean anything to the Civic buyers?

vocus

Honda has that clearance sale every year around this time. It usually just means they just have special financing deals on cars. I never remember ever seeing a Civic or any other Honda with a rebate.

vocus

I bought a 2001 Mazda Protege back in February, and am having alot of problems with it. I was thinking about trading for a new Civic EX coupe or sedan. How is the power with automatic and the VTEC? Also, how is the fuel economy? And also, I am 6'3 and am concered about the interior room of the Civic. Thanks for your comments.

justin

Hey everyone. I have a 2001 Civic Coupe EX, automatic transmission. I have a question. When I am in stop and go traffic, I find that I have to put the car in D3. If I leave it in regular D4, the car performs like a manual transmission car in the wrong gear. You know when you drive a manual and you slow down too much without downshifting or depressing the clutch - the car seems to shudder and not like it. My automatic does that. When I slow down, either to a stop or to a steady slow speed, my car refuses to come down from D4. Is this normal for new Civics? When I come to a complete stop after driving on the highway, like coming off an off ramp to a stoplight, the car stops THEN the transmission downshifts. It makes the whole car want to push forward, and it makes a bad grinding/crashing kind of noise.

Could something be loose? Anyone else have this problem?

I am taking the car in on Friday for the gas tank recall - having this checked out as well. Also, any fix yet on the bouncy-ness of the rear end of the car? My car had no CD player or fuel gauge issues, but now the recall and transmission are bugging me. Hope I made a good choice....

mdriver

Vocus, read the last comment by justin and see if you still want to get out of the Protege and into a Civic w/auto. If you are 6'3" you can rule out the Civic EX coupe - your head with contact the mandatory sunroof. You may do better in the EX sedan which has a slightly higher roof. Your best bet is to go with the LX in either case because they have no sunroof.

The problem in the last comment with the Civic w/auto sounds like it might be a torque converter problem. The torque converter acts like a clutch. If it doesn't disengage soon enough as the car slows, you will experience a shuddering and/or stalling.

truckdude1

HI, we just bought a 01' Honda Civic EX two door coupe yesterday. It's Clover metallic green and is so nice. It has a sunroof and all. The motor is nice and sporty and has more than enough pep and gets excellent miles per gallon, well the car only has 113 miles,but we hope for good luck, can you share you experiences with your 01 civic EX with automatic transmissions? thanks..oh we paid $18,950 plus tax and financing, is that a good price,thanks!

justin

vocus just got a new Protege I thought....

I was happy with the Civic until just recently. I am road tested the car tomorrow with the dealer. I will let you know if they find a problem. My car also seems to have developed rattles in the sunroof/headliner area. I hate to say it, but I wonder if these problems are related to my accident from March. When I hit the car and the pole, my back seats came flying forward, and the sunroof shade came flying forward so hard that I had to dislodge it to get it to slide back. I think that the car just absorbed a little too much impact (good for my body - bad for the car). I think maybe the transmission is loose - that heavy piece of equipment under and in the car was also stopped in an instant during the crash. Maybe the actual hardware inside was affected? Who knows.....glad I had that car in the accident (best performing small car safety wise) but I think a car should be rendered unstable after such an event....just my opinion. Since the car was fixed by hand mostly, even though using Honda parts, it can't be as secure and safe as it was when the factory built it.

civic_cx_92

This is the 2.0 liter iVTEC on base RSX...I'd bet the farm It's the same engine that's going into 2002 Civic Si.

87 octane unleaded fuel !

RSX (5-sp. manual): 27/33 mpg, Factory estimate.

160 hp @ 6500 rpm, 6800 rpm redline

141 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm

http://www.acura.com/model_RSX/rsx_spec_results.asp

CTR using the RSX Type S engine sounds logical to me.

This is why I questioned why Honda even bothered with 1.7 liter engines.

CX

bigkahunafl

Go with the EX over the LX, despite one person's opion. It's worth the extra to get the larger wheels, better performance engine (averaging over 35mpg with auto), ABS and other goodies. I have a 2001 EX Sedan and there is plenty of headroom for 6 footers (there is a seat height adjustment). I also like the fact that the mirrors and door handles look better when they match the color of the car. My 2 cents.

bigkahunafl

Now that I’ve praised the EX over the LX, I’m ready to discuss the suspension problem I’m having with my sedan. I’ve had the car in the shop twice for a driver-side suspension noise. First time the dealer couldn’t find the problem until just before I got there to pick up the car. So they needed the car an extra day to investigate the problem. OK, I can live with that if they can fix it. They called me the next day to tell me it was a problem with the strut and it would need to be replaced. This was a Tuesday and the part would not be there till Friday. They returned the car to me and said it would be fine to drive till the part arrives. They told me they would call on Friday when the part arrives so I could make plans for dropping it off on Monday. Well, that Friday and Monday came and went and no phone call from the dealer. I called and they said that they were waiting for a bushing and would call me when it arrived. 10 days later I called and they informed me that the parts were in and they were sorry that they didn’t call. So I took the car in this past Monday to replace the strut. Got a phone call later that morning by the service rep to inform me that it was not the strut but the spring causing the problem (they “just” received a service bulletin about this problem). He said it would be Friday before the spring arrives……..so I’m still waiting nearly one month later to get my suspension fixed. I hope to receive the phone call today from the dealer, but my previous experience is watering down my expectations.

Has anyone else had suspension problems with a 2001 EX Sedan?

bigkahunafl

Sorry about the special characters - learned not to use Word to write postings.

Now that I've praised the EX over the LX, I'm ready to discuss the suspension problem I am having with my sedan. I've had the car in the shop twice for a driver-side suspension noise. First time the dealer could not find the problem until just before I got there to pick up the car. So they needed the car an extra day to investigate the problem. OK, I can live with that if they can fix it. They called me the next day to tell me it was a problem with the strut and it would need to be replaced. This was a Tuesday and the part would not be there till Friday. They returned the car to me and said it would be fine to drive till the part arrives. They told me they would call on Friday when the part arrives so I could make plans for dropping it off on Monday. Well, that Friday and Monday came and went and no phone call from the dealer. I called and they said that they were waiting for a bushing and would call me when it arrived. 10 days later I called and they informed me that the parts were in and they were sorry that they did not call. So I took the car in this past Monday to replace the strut. Got a phone call later that morning by the service rep to inform me that it was not the strut but the spring causing the problem (they "just" received a service bulletin about this problem). He said it would be Friday before the spring arrives.........so
I am still waiting nearly one month later to get my suspension fixed. I hope to receive the phone call today from the dealer, but my previous experience is watering down my expectations.

Has anyone else had suspension problems with a 2001 EX Sedan?

mdriver

civic_cx_92: You don't have to "bet the farm" about the Si engine. We already know it's the same engine as in the base RSX.

It seems that the Si will be too little too late:
Focus SVT will have 170HP and 17" wheels, Sentra SE-R 180HP and I think 17" wheels.

bigkahunafl: The Civic sedan has a little more headroom than the coupe, but a 6 footer may only have an inch or two to spare. The height adjustable seat is a joke. Not only is it difficult to adjust, its lowest setting is still too high, particularly in the coupe. Also, the passenger seat in the coupe is fixed at what seems like a height somewhere between the upper and lower positions of the driver's seat. If your passenger is tall, they will be miserable in the passenger seat. Why Honda didn't design the Civic to have the same headroom as the Focus is beyond me.

vocus

I forgot that I test drove a Civic EX sedan before I bought my Protege, and the leg roomo wasn't enough nor was the head room. Even in the Accord, I couldn't find a comfortable position. I was going to get a Honda for reliability. But also, it seems to me there are problems with Hondas too. I mean, I have some issues with my Mazda, but nothing like the tranny acting funny or the suspension clanking. Maybe I should just break down and go for a Toyota...

carguy62

The brochure I have for the RSX states Premium fuel is required (91 octane). Of course you can use a lower octane fuel but "performance will be affected". I'm pretty sure this was for both the base and Type S engines. I could be wrong and mdriver will be glad to point it out if I am.

plume

Anyone interested in buying a 2001 Civic should know that the dealers are prepared to move the car at cost. I purchased an EX today (sedan auto trans) with side air bags (yes, I decided to buy them) at cost, including mats and flaps at cost. I also ended up getting what I thought was a fair price on my trade. I love the car and hope to get many years of driving pleasure.

This town hall has been very helpful and I will never buy another vehicle without seeking out the opinions of true car lovers.

redly_one

Congrats. Did the same with my 01 sedan. Managed to get ~38MPG on the first tank. I am utterly pleased!!!!!!

chulwoo

Hi,
Unfortunately, I got hit from behind in my 2000 VP and the car got totalled (I got out without as much as a scratch or whiplash, in case you were wondering).
I will settle for a used Integra this time, at least until my insurance rate comes down (I had similar accident 2 month ago, which apparently jacks up the insurance rate even though neither are not my fault)

Anyhow, now I have 2 idle Civic remote transmitter and a friend with 2000 LX without remote. I think I heard I just need to program the remote to the car.

If anyone could tell me how to do it, I'd appreciate it very much.

sobers

Please refer to http://www.handa-accessories.com/

for the remote programming guidelines...

It involves the ignition & pressing of the remote I guess (Not sure)

mdriver

I think the base RXS engine requires only regular unlike the Type S. I think the RSX styling is very nice. Too bad they couldn't give the Civic a similar look, particularly in the rear of the coupe which extends way too far out (massive rear overhang).

bordsource

I'm 6'1" with a 36" inseam. My Civic EX sedan is plenty roomy as far as headroom goes, and legroom is adequate. THe problem is the seat cushion length. The cushion is too short for proper thigh support, and the seat bottom doesn't tilt. It's okay around town, but if you must stay on the gas for long periods of time (1hr+), your back and legs start aching.

jlim1

Plume, you mentioned that you purchased the EX at dealer invoice. Do you know if that was part of the 2001 Honda Clearance program? I test drove an EX sedan on Saturday but I still need to test drive one at another dealership in another city. The salesperson from Sat has called me twice to check if I am ready to come back and negotiate. I didn't ask for their offer that weekend because I haven't gotten my financing done yet. By the way, that EX sedan was the only one left in the lot. The rest are LX and EX coupes. Still doing a couple of window-shopping still. Plus I still need to find the most profitable way of selling of my old car. I get a little cold feet when I'm approaching a point to start negotiating the price.

carshopper40

Congratulations Plume. I can't get an EX at invoice price in the Twin Cities. This weekend I went to one dealer who had no EX's at all. The second one had what I wanted. Armed with all my info from Edmunds (including advice from this board) I tried to get the car at a few hundred over invoice -- no way! They wouldn't deal at all. Told me that they can't keep 'em in the showroom around here. Their final offer was still $1,000 over invoice. I told them I could get an EX through a COSCO program at $500 over invoice and I showed them the quote (I was hoping to get it for less than $500 over).. They were surprised at that but still made an offer that was higher than the quote. I walked out (that felt good). I am going through COSCO now to get the car.

sobers

Here, I helped 2 of my friends to purchase Civic Lx/EX. It was $200 over invoice + $155(keyless on LX) + $180 for mats+Gaurds, $48 docs

laurakat

Hello fellow Twin Cities resident!

I'm not familiar with the COSCO program to buy cars. Is that similar to buying a car through Sams Club? I remember looking at the Burnsville Honda dealership lot a couple of months ago on a Sunday and noticed price stickers hanging on the rear view mirrors that displayed the price of the cars if you bought it through Sams Club. I can't remember the exact prices, but I think they were roughly $500 over invoice for the EX's. How does the COSCO program work? Do you need a membership there like Sam's Club?

Also, were you shopping for a manual or auto tranny with the EX? I'm looking to purchase a manual LX within the not too distant future and was wondering if it is harder to negotiate a good price on the auto tranny Civics.

Thanks and good luck with you purchase!

carshopper40

Laurakat, I suspect the Costco program is the same as Sam's Club -- $500 over invoice. You need to be a member. They work with specific dealers in the area. For Honda's it's Bloomington Honda. I bought my car on Monday -- it was hassle free.

The dealer who would not deal with me was Burnsville Honda, I have nothing against them, they weren't jerks about it, but they were stupid! They let a real sale walk out the door. I've told several people this and they all say, "You mean they let you walk out?"

My car is an automatic. I had the sense that the dealers in the area had more LX's on hand. I have no idea about availability of manual.

sobers

HUmmmm.....I was there from April 98 to April 99!
Really miss those sweet days of winter!!

This is just surprising that Honda dealers are so adament on the pricing. Here 200 over is a standard fare (without any trade-in!) & accessories at cost.

rukeitha

Hello, All! I'm seeking to purchase a Nissan Sentra 2001 GXE, a Honda Civic 2001 LX, or a Mazda Protege 2001 LX 2.0 within two weeks but I haven't quite narrowed it down. I'll take all the advice you can muster.

Thanks in advance for your help.

tim_bittes

Any Canadians comment on purchase price for Civic sedan. My sense from visiting a couple of dealers in Winnipeg is that Honda will not likely come down from MSRP for popular models like the Civic. I am looking at LX Sedan with 5sp. Anyone in canada pay less then MSRP and if so how much??

Also when will 2002 models be available for order?

Final question? Why the difference in models Can vs US. The LX in Canada is way better then US LX. Also Cdn civics seem to have dropped the DX or LX label on the rear of the car (not that it matters to me-just curious).

Thanks
Tim

dave210

I just recently took my son's 2001 Civic EX Auto for a drive, because he reported the transmission was acting funny when going up steep inclines or even slight inclines when not applying the brakes.

Anyway, what I discovered is that while stopped on a slight hill (my driveway) and not applying the brakes, the car just starts rolling backwards IN DRIVE like it's in neutral or something. I tested this again on the hill under a train underpass, and the car just started rolling backwards in drive. No one was around so I just let it roll backwards all the way to the bottom of the underpass, and it was truly as if it was in neutral.

I know for a fact that my Toyota Avalon, Chrysler Town & Country, and my daughter's Volkswagen Jetta all stay put on a hill, even when the brakes are not applied, since I tested all of them.

The Civic is only 4 months old and has only 2600 miles on it. You'd think the transmission wouldn't be faulty, but I guess that's why they have warranties.

My son is going to make an appointment as soon as possible to have them replace or fix the transmission. Has anyone else experienced problems with their 2001 Civic automatic transmissions? Thanks!

jrct9454

Honda sets the stall speed on the torque converter on all their automatics so that indeed there will be free rollback if you don't hold it with the brake. It's the same across the board on all of their cars - the Accord board periodically turns up somebody with this same question about once a month. Nothing wrong with going to the dealer to check it out, but I think you will find that, absent any other symptoms, there is probably also nothing wrong with the car. If all other aspects of drivetrain operation are fine, I predict the dealer will tell you, correctly for a change, that indeed "they all do that".

vocus

Different cars do different things in that situation. I used to have a 1996 Cavalier that would roll back on a hill, but my 2001 Mazda Protege stays put. I think it has something to do with the torque or something like that. Totally normal though.

gasguzz

to add to the above on Honda's tranny designs:
daysailer "Honda/Acura Automatic Transmission Design - Unique?" Jul 18, 2001 7:40pm

epi101

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get a new Civic DX at invoice? Is it possible?

scooter62

I dont know who you dealt with at Burnsville Honda, but I got an LX 5-speed for 14.2K in April. I cant believe they're being so snotty. I talked to my salesman (Mike Burk) a week ago when I had my recall work done (with no hassles; the fuel pump connector was fine but the hose clamps needed tightening) and business was really slow compared to spring. I walked in and said I wouldnt go higher than 14.2 since that was what TMV, CarsDirect and Autobytel were at at the time. They tried to jack it up to 14.9 but I got up to walk out and they met my price. Maybe it's the Honda Clearance thing; the sales are picking up again. Good luck.

civic2001lx

Hi Tim,

Feb 28, purchased @ Tor onto Honda 2001 DX Coupe Auto with security system and carpet mats.

MSRP On-The-Road Cost: $23,856
Dealer Invoice On-The-Road Cost: $22,342

My On-The-Road Paid: $22,223

So I got it below the "dealer invoice". Mind you this pricing could be the effect of Tor onto's many Honda dealerships.

But since the 2002's will be coming out within a few months, the dealer's should be more willing to part with their 2001's.

Greg

laurakat

I haven't really dealt with anybody yet at Burnsville Honda. I took an LX 5spd for a drive a couple of weeks ago, but I'm not going to buy until late August or September. I'll start hammering prices at that time. The sales guy I was dealing with seemed nice. Certainly not snotty. He was new, though. Only been there for a month.

14.2k is a great price! I've kind of figured in my head that I would deal for 14.5k, but no more. One obstacle is my trade. I may just sell it myself when the time comes. It's a '97 Intrepid with 98k miles on it. Immaculate condition inside and out and still shines like new, but a dealer probably won't give me squat for it! We'll see. If the dealer gives me what I think is fair for the car, I'll trade it. Otherwise, I'll walk and sell it on my own. We'll see how desperate the dealer is for a sale, because, who knows, I might just change my mind on the type of small car I want to purchase during the time it takes me to sell the Intrepid? After all, the small car segment does have some competetive choices out there!

lchial

Hello! I'm trying to decide between a 2001 auto CIVIC EX and a 2001 auto JETTA GLS 2.0. Any suggestions?

mpgman

Get the Honda. VWs are beautiful machines IMHO but reliability issues should be a major concern. Consumer Reports no longer recommends Jetta due to that, and that is based on reader/owner responses. Also, the 2.0 is an oil burner from what I understand and is not all that fuel efficient. Want to try something risky? Check out the Hyundai Elantra GT 5 door hatch or the Mazda Protege-5. Then go back and look at the Honda. You might be scratching your head trying to make a decision.

justin

Be sure to drive both of the cars. The Honda gets better mpgs, and should be a little cheaper. The VW rides better, looks better, has a great interior, and just seems...classier.

I know Hondas are supposed to be great at resale time - not sure about VW's anymore. Honda is not what is used to be. Recalls, recalls, recalls.

You can't lose either way. Both are good entry level machines. I had a 99 Jetta VR6 - now have a 01 Civic. Miss the Jetta sorely. But - my car payment went down almost $200/month when I traded the Jet, so there you have it.

tim_bittes

Thanks for the info.

Where did you get the dealer invoice? In Canada that information seems to be rather difficult to obtain without spending $$.

Tim

civic_cx_92

2001 Honda Civic 4 door sedan tested as best pick.

http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_small.htm

mdriver

The Golf resale is actually slightly better than the Civic's. You can check this for yourself by entering a 1 year old Civic and Golf both with the same mileage into your favourite used car price website. Be sure to know the new price of each.

The Civic was the "best pick" for safety, but only in its weight class. The Golf is heavier and this will therefore offset its slightly lower crash score. Also, the Golf has head airbags, none offered in the Civic. If you are concerned about safety, the Golf is the better choice, but I agree, the Civic is a close second if you get the side airbags and ABS.

civic2001lx

Hi Tim,

I was bold enough to just ask the sales rep what the invoice pricing was. I don't think it is secret information and they should be able to provide it to you. It sure helps when you go to different dealers and they try to pull the wool over your eyes...

Greg

mpgman

One area for me where there is no comparison is the front seating. The Golf has it all over the Civic IMHO for seating comfort, adjustable seats for both driver and passenger (height adjustment for passenger too), and legroom. Golf also has an excellent center arm rest/console stack while the Civic is a joke. Also, the hatchback versatility of the Golf can be a big plus depending on your needs.

civic_cx_92

Honda civic EX sedan auto -vs- Jetta GLS

Basic warranty: Honda 3 yr. / 36,000 mi., VW 2 yr. / 24,000 mi.
Gas milage: Honda 32 mpg / 39 mpg, VW 24 mpg / 31 mpg
Honda 127 hp @ 6300 rpm
VW 115 hp @ 5200 rpm
Weight: Honda 2564 lbs., VW 2908 lbs
Rear legroom; Honda 36 in, VW 33.5 in.
TMV:Honda $15,707, VW $16,684
Where made: Honda in USA, VW in Mexico

justin

just a note - I would take any car made in Mexico, especially a VW, over any American Made (Civic). The VW plant constantly and consistantly received praise for how well the VW's are assembled.

Also, yes the VW has less HP than Civic EX, but more torque and lower RPM I believe.

Powertrain warranty - 10 yrs 100K miles for VW
3yrs 36k miles Honda

A lot of VW dealers around here are offering free extended warranties for B2B that double the basic one as incentives. So you get the 10 years on the engine and tranny, and 4 years on the rest.

Also consider a Nissan Altima, 2001. More power, room, and CHEAP.

Just the facts for comparison sake...

silver_bullet

... has been changed for 2002. No more "free" scheduled maintenance, but the basic warranty has been increased -- I believe it will be a 4/50K warranty.