Honda Civic 2005 and earlier

thel

How does Honda expect dealers to move out the 2003 Civics if they offer the same incentives on the 2004 Civics as they offer on the 2003's?

My local Honda dealer was confused about this. I guess there was a bit of a price increase between the 03 and the 04 but I can't see that being enough to get someone to opt for the 03 with the extra year of deprecitation.

isellhondas

For a Marvel Mystery Oil advertisement.

Heck, it's probably been a month!

Using regular unleaded in my 99 V-6 Coupe. Runs great...use premium if you want to spend extra money without any benefit.

snarks

I don't think people think changing oil at early intervals is waste of money just a waste of time dependant on your lifestyle. No matter where you go you need to spend at least an hour centered around performing the change, paying getting there etc. Honda knows what they are doing making cars obviously and my two problem free Honda's (200k and 300k no oil issues) partially attest. I think oil issues are a rarity on most any car if manual requirements are followed except in the case of Toyota with a design flaw on certain motors (97-2002). I use 5000 miles per change or 6 months. This yields 2-3 per year which otherwise would yield 5 trips to the garage or performing it myself. Like the other poster said, always hang onto your receipts while under warranty and thereafter for the next owner to see how you took care of car.

isellhondas

Just trying to spur sales I suppose during a soft month. Not many 03's left out there anyway.

thel

has a few 03's. Come to think of it, I think they may have more Elements than they have Civics right now. I know they have a bunch of Si's to. Apparantly they are sellign really slowly. The salesmen were lamenting that they wish they were DX hatchbacks, they couldn't keep them on the lot.

backy

I stopped by my local dealer to see the changes on the '04 Civic this weekend and saw many '03s, must have been at least 30 sitting on the front lot (they have a back lot too, didn't go there), mostly automatic EX coupes. They had two '04s out front, an LX sedan and an EX coupe.

crv16

The 03 Civics have (or had) a $500 dealer incentive, on top of the discounted APR financing from AHFC. The dealer should be discounting 03's heavier than 04's, so there should be at least a $1000 differential between 03's and 04's.

I got in almost two months ago, with the 1.9% financing on my 03 Civic EX sedan.

guill

If you don't mind, what brand oil and filter have you used to get to such impressive mileage? I have owned several Honda's, never any problems ... yet I've never kept any much past 100K though I'm certain any Honda would pass that mark with ease. Of course I'm not counting the Honda Passport, the Isuzu 3.2L isn't too bad an engine, just not up to Honda's standard.

snarks

The oil has been 1/2 Valvoline and 1/2 Castrol GTX dino oil with Honda OEM filters or Napa (WIX) filters used. The driving is less city but not pure highway either, a lot of country roads just not constant stop and go. I think most Honda's and most cars go past 100k mark easily, 150k should be problem free also. I plan on keeping the car another two or three years but it really does not owe me a lot being 200k and 8 years old and no significant problems.

guill

Snarks, thanks for your quick reply. What Hondas do you have? Myself, 01 Odyssey and 98 Civic.

snarks

95 Civic EX -200k miles
96 Civic LX -157k miles

and RIP(plow hit it) last winter Accord LXI coupe 320k miles

never any oil related issues

strager

Check out hondanews.com

Sales this October were down 26% compared to last October.

I've always enjoyed driving the Civic (the best handling among small cars), but got tired of the boring evolutionary changes and waiting for a stylish 5 door Honda hatchback. Bought a cool Scion xB instead. I suspect that many Honda owners like me could be defecting. My suspicion is not based on October's sales, but on the fact that Civic sales have been slowly trending down the last 2-3 years. Hopefully Honda has realized that boring reliability doesn't sell as many cars and it helps to have some pizazz. Unfortunately we won't see any different till the 2006 model year.

dudka

I don't think Honda is losing sales because the car is boring. It is quite opposite, it fairly modern, but reliability has gone down the drain. This Civic Si is going to be my last Honda/Acura solely because it has not lived up to my standards. I even told the dealer "It drives like a VW and it is at the dealership as often as my Jetta was" This was the reason I got rid of my Jetta in 99 and switched back to Honda. The 99 civic although did not have to go to dealer for warranty repairs, but it had a nagging sqeak, US built. Then the 2001 CR-V was excellent because it was built in Japan. But was stolen. The 2002 Si, is the best handling civic by far and the the best handling and accelerating car for under $15K (I paid under $15,000 for it) But its UK origin is showing through numerous (6 in last 11 months) visit to the dealership. It is nothing major but, it is a brnad new car from Honda... both driver and passenger windows came off track and chewed up the weatherseal, both driver and passenger handles broke, it still eats oil, hatch was leaking (3 visits for that alone), center vent broke, brakes vibrated at 7000 miles, the list goes on.

anonymousposts

The Civic is only down 3.8% for the year. It's October sales were off but you have to consider that it was one of the few cars without a rebate. The only incentive was 2.9% interest which is not alot when you have similar cars at 0.0% and more than $1500 available in rebates. Not to mention it is in it's 4th year of this model and some people may be waiting to get an 04 with the options of their choice.

imidazol97

A drop in sales is a drop. 3.8 is a lot when the sales should increase each year. Honda could offer rebates if they wanted; they chose not to do so; there was a drop in sales... oh well.

mdriver

Honda has never offered rebates because they think their cars will sell without them. GM thought it could sell cars in the 70s without worrying about competiton. The Civic has evolved into a boring transportational device that offers fuel economy as its only merit. Otherwise it meets or is exceeded by its competition on every other aspect. With cars like the upcoming Mazda 3 that actually offer a little style and driver involvement (the base engine 20 hp more than Civic's top engine) and the new Golf (both with better warranties), it's easy to see the Civic's slide into mediocrity. Honda has targeted a mass audience with the Civic that is older and less interested in a fun to drive vehicle and more interested in an "appliance".

As to the country of origin of the Civic, it doesn't make any difference. The Civic Si doesn't sell well because it's still stickered close to $20k. Nevermind what the actual selling price is, people see the sticker and move on. How can Honda sell this car, when the new Prius sells for just a little more with the CVT. Honda should never have offered the car at that price. It should have been $18k tops. Again, a little arrogance from a company who thinks it can do no wrong. And then, Consumer Reports drives the Si and says on two occasions, that it drives just like a regular Civic. Not exactly a compliment to its sporting aspirations. Read it for yourself in the annual auto edition. That's not me saying that.

snarks

You forget a major merit of a Honda, they are mediocre actually more average to slightly better except in two things: very good reliability and excellent fuel mileage.

strager

When the new Civic was introduced in Japan in 2000, it was supposed to compete head on with the Corolla. What's actually happened is that in Japan the Corolla outsells the Civic by more than 5 to 1!

I'm no fan of the Corolla's driving dynamics but to me it's more stylish than the current Civic. In fact Honda sales overall this year in Japan are down huge, while Toyota is up. My point in mentioning this is that the old Honda formula of evolutionary changes is becoming boring even in Japan. I'm sure Honda has realized that with Nissan and Toyota out with stylish cars like the Prius and G35, they can't afford to churn out dull evolutionary designs any more.

jjpcat

The original tires on my 2k1 Civic are finally coming to the end of their life. I have never dealt with tirerack and thus I would like to see what others say about them.

1. Any unhappy experience with tirerack?
2. Is it easy to find local vendors who can beat tirerack in price?
3. If I order from tirerack, I assume they will ship the tires to my home. So I have to take them to a shop to get them installed and balanced. Would those shops charge higher price or do a lousy job because I didn't buy the tires from them?
4. Tirerack is selling Kumho Touring A/S 795 at $32/each. The user survey at tirerack rates this tire at good-to-excellent across the board.
That's amazing for such a cheap tire. Any comments on this tires?

Thanks.

dudka

I bought from tirerack before and was very satisfied. No one could beat the price, even when I added shipping and installation. I bought Yokohama Avid T4 for $42/tire, at the time for my CR-V. I ordered on Monday morning, had tires shipped to my work, the tires arrived on wednesday. Took them the same night to Costco to have tires installed for $10/ tire with lifetime rotation and balancing. Total cost: $42x4=$168+$30 shipping=$198+$40 installation =$238. I may be off by a dollar or two, as it has been 2 years, but I remember that the lowest "street" price I was given on the same tire was over $400. When I am ready to do my brakes, I will buy my "power slot" brake rotors and "green stuff" pads from tire rack without a reservation.

snarks

Honda is a very small player in Japan but a major reseller in the US, this has been the history in Japan. Comparing sales in Japan is not really apples to apples with the US. Nissan and Toyota are the major seller, whereas Nissan is realtivly minor in the US. That comparison does not really make much sense country to country.

anonymousposts

"American Honda total sales of 1,151,641 are up 9.8 percent for the calendar year on the strength of new models including the Accord, Element, Acura TSX and the just launched Acura TL sport luxury sedan."

The Element, TSX, and TL are higher-profit cars for Honda. The TSX has already met Honda's sales predictions with 2 more months left. The Element has been selling at or near MSRP. The TL's first month set records. The Accord has remained the #2 car in the country without fleet sales, rebates, and only 2.9% financing (which most good credit unions will match) on leftover 03 models. I have seen NO rebates on the Civic and they even increased the interest rate from 1.9% to 2.9% (I know because we bought our 3rd SI on the last day of the 1.9%).

A quick look through the local paper and you will see 03 Protege's selling for $5000 off MSRP, 0% for 72 months on all Chevrolet products, Toyota was offering rebates on both the Corolla and the Camry, the new F150 already has special financing, etc. The list could go on and on. If you compare rebates and incentives Honda probably offers the least among the non-premium brands. Maybe that's why their residual values are tops in the industry, even ahead of Mercedes.

They are still going to sell close to 300,000 Civics. That's alot of cars especially since they are such boring, dull appliances among such superior, exciting cars.

strager

I agree with most of what you're saying, except Elements are selling close to invoice.

Certainly there will always be a good market for Honda Civic appliance cars, but those are going to sell mostly to an older buyer, as Honda is finding out. Boring evolutionary styling has a lot to do with it, imo. Young people want more than an appliance, that's why Honda is considering starting up a division like Scion.

anonymousposts

Elements may be going for close to invoice where you are but when we were shopping in Atlanta just 2 months ago dealers weren't jumping at the guns to sell them at invoice especially for a EX 5-speed 4WD. Part of the reason we ended up with a 04 Accord EX-L.

Economy cars are supposed to be appliances. That's part of the definition of economy. Whether the Civic is an appliance or not is personal opinion. If I were buying a small car right now it would be a Civic. That has been the case since I bought my first Civic at 19. Now at 24 I still think it's the best small car going. Those that want a little more sport with their appliance can opt for a RSX or a SI. Maybe even a Civic with the FP package. vtec.net tested their FP Civic and it held 1.0g in the skidpad, stopped within a few feet of the S2000, and came in at under 8 seconds to 60 with no engine mods, no brake mods, and upgraded springs, wheels, and tires.

elmoblatch1

FWIW-

I asked a few posts ago if anyone here knew that a bulb in fact went there. It turns out that a bulb does go there. Purchased from the dealer for $4. Labor was quoted for 1 hour to replace
(funny how that is always the case ). Replaced the bulb myself & it works fine now.

Regarding tires, I purchased Michelin X tires at a local "warehouse" store. I checked the Michelin website & found out that rebate offers were in play.

Hope this helps.

mdriver

Why would anyone spend 1000s on the FP package when you could simply get the Acura Type S and get the 200HP engine for what would end up to be a similar price. And worst of all, guess what the resale is for a Civic with the FP? You won't recoup any of that FP cost. Did Honda really think they could pull the wool over the eyes of the very buyer who knows what this package SHOULD cost?

As to the comment about the Civic being "the best car going", I belive that is still true, but by increasingly less margins. The Civic used to be the benchmark small car. Now most other small cars have a version of VTEC and offer more power and better warranties. The Corolla (and soon Mazda 3 and new Golf) have certainly taken the wind out of the Civic's sails. The Mazda 3 will offer similar reliability and something the Civic has lost - fun to drive.

justin

i don't see an active Civic Hatch board, but since the mechanicals are identical to sedan...

if looking for a used 96 or 97 Civic hatchback here in the States, what should i know? other than making sure timing belt was changed if over 60k miles, and the normal used car stuff? anything in particular for those Civics in those years? i had a 97 Civic HX, but got rid of it in 99, with no problems except rattles. rattles won't bug me in a 2nd car...

THANKS!

pat

Asking here is fine, but there is an active discussion at this link: Honda Civic (coupe/hatchback)

You might want to ask there as well, and maybe read through the past conversations.

Good luck.

bryan_8_2

HI EVERYBODY I'M NEW TO THE BOARD AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY WHAT'S UP TO ALL THE SEDAN PEOPLE OUT THERE. I DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WAS THIS MUCH SEDAN OWNERS. I'M 20YRS AND I BOUGHT MY CIVIC LX IN 2001 W/ 23,900MI ON IT. IT'S A METALLIC SILVER THAT TURN'S INTO A PRETTY LIGHT BROWN. I LOVE MY CAR. I HAVE NGK BLUE WIRES AND PLUGS- KAMIKAZE RACE HEADERS WITH CUSTOM PIPING WITH A 4.5 OPEN MOUTH MUFFLER IT'S LOUD. YES. BUT MAN THE WAY IT MOVES!- COLD AIR INTAKE-AEM TRU PULLEYS- CUSTOM PAINTED VALVE COVER. OUTSIDE A FACTORY SPOILER WITH PAINTED SIDE SKIRTS. I'M WORKING ON A GREDDY LIP TO PUT IN THE FRONT. AND LIP FOR THE BACK. I REDID THE CARPET. FROM BROWN TO BLACK, IT LOOKS SWEET. I ALSO GOT RID OF THE FAC STEREO. I PUT IN A PIONEER 50x4 CD SYSTEM W/ STOCK SPEAKERS. IT REALLY OPEN UP THE SOUND. I'M ALSO WORKING ON 15IN' RACING RIMS AND DROP OF ABOUT A 1.5IN. WITH EIBACH OR COMPTECH LOWERING SPRINGS. WELL THAT'S IT FOR NOW. I ALSO GET PARTS AS WELL. IF ANYBODY NEEDS ANYTHING. SPYDERMAN_8_2@YAHOO.COM THANKS EVERYBODY.

anonymousposts

Even if you add $3000 to the invoice cost of a Civic EX you will end up thousands less than the Acura RSX Type-S which has it's own FP package available.

thel

I didn't think they did. Tough to compare a sedan with a coupe...

Bryan, tone down the volume a bit bro.

bryan_8_2

what do you mean? i was just saying what's up and just wanted to be part of the group of sedan owners. i was thinking about trading it in and i found this post of sedan owners.

pat

Hi Bryan - posting in all caps is generally considered to be shouting. That's what he meant.

Thanks for taking off your caps lock and welcome.

bryan_8_2

i usually do all this stuff at work so i'm in a rush and usually don't catch myself. thanks for the welcome.

thel

Well I haven't even registered my 04 EX sedan and the wife has already managed to tear off the driver's side mirror by running into a stop sign that was in the middle of the road. Arghh. Cost me about $270.

Other than that the car is running nicely. Incredibly smooth transmission and about 36 mpg. Not the quickest car in the stable but my wife doesn't want/need an exciting ride, its just transportation to her. Me on the other hand...well let's just say that I'm satisfied with my 02 Miata and 04 Matrix XRS. >:D

rnpn4

Just brought my first honda home (I've had 3 toyotas). Its a 03 Civic LX sedan 5 spd I got for $12,900. End of the year seems to be a great time to buy as I originally started out to buy a used vehicle, but buying new at that price with the low financing was much better.

OK, here's my questions about the honda civic:

So far I'm not happy with the mileage, I drive all highway at 32 and 35 mpg so far. My old toyota (tercel) got 40. Please tell me this will improve as it breaks in????

The dashboard light is too bright. I have it turned down all the way and it still reflects in the window way too much. It must be desiged for city living where it never gets dark. My car will be the only light anywhere when I'm driving at night and the brightness is bothering me.
Is there a way to turn it down more?

The dome light comes on when I park the car and remove the key, and I don't want that. IF I want the light on, I will turn it on. Is there anyway to stop that automatic feature?

Otherwise, I think its a great car! Comfortable, fun to drive, and goes up big hills (3,000 foot climb) at 80 mph.

bd21

Your car is rated at 32/38MPG and you are in the ball park. Don't expect for it to improve much with break in and I doubt you will ever see more than 38. It may even be hard for you to achieve 38, it just depends on your driving style. There is nothing you can do about the dash light if you have already adjusted them all the way down. As far as the dome light, you can simply turn it off permanently with the switch next to the light, but then it will never come on unless you flip the switch back on manually. Your choices are either on when your open your doors as it is now or off permanently by flipping the switch. Enjoy your car!

dalaw

In case you don't know, the brightness of the guages can be adjusted separately for daytime (headlights off) and night time (headlights on) driving.

celica115

I will get a LX auto in these two weeks. It is going to be my first Honda ever. ^_^

Is there any change for the 03 & 04 LX? The 03 LX seems like $1,000 less than 04. Suggestion?

How do you break in your Civic? Miles & Speed?

Do you change the oil at the first 500, 1,000 or 3,000 miles?

The dealer offers me 15,200 for a 04 LX Auto. Is that good? Can you share you buying experience?

Luke

dudka

I don't think there were major changes in 2004 from 2003 besides the new headlights. I would insist on a bigger discount for the 2003 LX. I would say the ball park amount for the 2003 LX 5 spd with no option would be in the mid $12K.

All other questions will be answered in your manual. (break in procedures - vary speed for 600 miles, no cruise, no hard acceleration, no hard braking. oil changes - first oil change at 5000 miles)

celica115

Thank you for input. I called the dealer yesterday and there is no more 03 Civic. I gonna call other dealers today.

Is VP (Value Package) = DX?
Anyone has experience with CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)? Good or Bad?

Luke

ncampbell2002

Value Package = DX, you're correct.

Spend the extra 1 or 2 grand and go with the LX. You get standard power windows/locks, and air conditioning is standard. In the value package A/C is NOT standard. It costs close to a grand to have an aftermarket A/C installed and they do not work as well as the factory A/C.

backy

The Value Package isn't exactly the DX. The VP adds automatic, factory air, and a CD stereo, according to Edmunds.com anyway. Edmunds also says the TMV difference in my area between the VP and LX automatic is about $1700. So are the power accessories, nicer interior, bigger wheels/tires etc. worth it to you? You may find resale better on the LX too.

ncampbell2002

Backy is right, the VP for 2004 does come with the standard air. They must have changed it for 2004. Backy does also make a good point about resale though. People generally tend to overlook the plain jane vehicles and go at least something midgrade with a used car. Take me for example. It took 6 months to sell my 1995 Civic that had no mechanical issues and looked good for its age. I also had it priced well below book value, but that was when the Civics had no options on it, not even power steering!

irnmdn

I am close to buying a buying a used 2002 EX Sedan 5 speed from a private party. Does this model year have any issues to watch out for?

celica115

Now, it is difficult to make a decision. I just want a Civic that comes with Automatic Transmission, Air and Power Steering. Money is an issue. Please give me an idea for the following.

1/ Sedan LX (Dealer quotes me $15,200, good?)
2/ Coupe HX (I believe Air can be added)
3/ Coupe LX

The Coupe is $200 more then the Sedan on the insurance per year.

backy

If you don't need the power options and want to spend as little as possible up front, the Value Package might be just the thing. Try out the Edmunds.com TMV calculator in the "New Car" section to get an idea of a fair price in your area.

mdriver

"It costs close to a grand to have an aftermarket A/C installed and they do not work as well as the factory A/C."

Rubbish, A/C installed by the dealer is just as good as factory A/C because it IS factory A/C. I had it installed on a '97 HX and it was the best A/C I had ever had in any car. Pity my '02 EX has feeble A/C in comparison.

celica115

I think it really depends on the mechanic. I have a WRX. I went back to the dealer for the first time oil change. The mechanic said:" Your car is cool. It comes with supercharger". I was so surprise that he did not know it is actually a turbo car. It is very hard to find a good and reliable mechanic today.

By the way, my first Civic should be on the road by this Saturday.

ecofriendly

OK, I know the Civics get great safety ratings, but how well do they really hold up in accidents? I recently hit a raccoon in my brand new 2003 Honda Civic & the car pretty much fell apart on me. ($2000 worth of damage!) Is this normal? I guess I've hit a few in my old Buick, but it never did any damage at all. What is with the cheap plastic bumper on the new Hondas? Why do they make it so fragile? I'm pretty disgusted.