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When I get the Civic up to 60 or so, the back end breaks out at every corner and I whack a building.
Must be using the cheap Firestones on the game, too.
twist
The last time I went to Jiffy Lube, they started to put the wrong type of oil in and I wouldn't have known the difference if I hadn't been watching. Then, when their worker was pulling my car out of the stall into the parking lot, he started the car, pressed on the gas, and never took off the emergency brake. He revved my engine up and the car didn't move well, so he threw it into park, revved the engine again, then noticed that the parking brake was on. He then let the parking brake out, and revved the engine again, only to realize that it was still in park - he then popped it into drive without letting the engine come back down to idle and wound up basically laying a nice peel in the garage, almost hitting the garage door on the way out.
These guys aren't "experts." They're 16 year olds working a part time job changing oil. That's fine, and for an older car I might take it there, but there's no way I'm letting a bunch of 16 year olds work on a new car I just paid $17K for.
No offense to 16 year olds, of course - if I was in their shoes (and I once was, obviously) then I'd probably be the same way. You only get SO much skill for $14.95.
Best thing to do is look in the manual (a novel idea) and see what is required for the 30k service. Then call the service department and ask them how much it costs to do the following items. For example, I change my own air filter. The garage will charge you for the filter plus half hour of labor. And my oil changes tend not to fall on the required service interval. So some times I may not need to have the oil change.
Follow what is in the manual.
Honda is the winningest make with 3 models on the list including the Accord, 16 times winner in 20 year.
As reported earlier, the new Honda Fit won the 2001 Car of the year (COTY) award in Japan, making it 2 in a row for Honda after winning the COTY last year with the Civic series.
http://www.europeanhonda.demon.nl/hondanews13.htm#c&d
Good luck.
Thanks, Andy.
When parking, you should put your foot on the brake, engage the parking break, shift into park, then release the brake. This prevents the transmission from taking the pressure of holding the weight of the car on an incline.
http://members.home.net/apdougla/cd_changer/cd_changer.html
The link will change when Cox assumes the @Home server. I will re-post when this occurs.
P.S. We purchased the CD Changer at http://www.handa-accessories.com and were very pleased with their service, etc.
After spending over 19,000 thousand for a new car I would expect every dang light on the car to work...
Does anybody know the answer?? sincerely jsaint
If you get the 15" wheels at the DX/LX then you won't spring for the EX. If you get the standard CD, then you might not jump for the cd changer. Marketing ala Honda. People will buy Civics based on the H badge alone. They pull you in just enough but won't give you all, that's extra.
It drives very well, handles great, rides well. Looks good with its alloy wheels and Ruby Red color.
What more could I want, sure the Sentra and Elantra offer more for less money but when it come
right down to putting your hard earned money on the table, what is ultimately better than a Honda?
I realize the exhaust system (especially in northern states using road salt) will not last the life of the car, but I've never seen a 3/4 year old car need a new exhaust. Is it possible that the harsh suspension is shaking my exhaust system to an early grave?
BTW, is it safe to remove heat shields from the exhaust? I've had one adjusted numerous times but it continues to work itself loose.
Shifter sticks in first and clunks into second when cold.
Dash creaks like a car with 200K on it also when cold.
Power windows make interior door panels move in and out. I thought this problem was solved years ago. Previous Civic didn't do this.
Silver paint trim flaking off by power window buttons.
Stereo reception only for the strongest stations. All other stations (which used to come in stereo on previous Civic) are in mono.
Floor mat worn out after 4k miles
Doors have to be slammed to close properly.
Ride quality that is 3rd world. Are there any shocks in the back of this thing? A firm ride that floats over every minor dip - the worst of both worlds.
In summary, this car is a poor excuse for Honda. Honda still builds excellent engines, but the rest of the Civic is marginal at best. Throw in an "average reliability" rating from Consumer Reports, no rebates and it's amazing this car is a best seller. Well, no it's not amazing, the Cavalier used to be a best seller - I rest my case.
1. bouncy, bottomy rear suspension...
2. front suspension clunks over bumps at low speeds
3. rattles...dash, passenger B pillar area and REAR DECK
4. Glued door upholstery is bubbling in places...and getting worse...only solution I'm told is to cut and reglue
5. Heater duct on driver's side blows directly onto my right foot..floor setting seems slow to warm the car
6. High road noise at highway speeds despite Honda's claim to "extensive" use of sound deadening materials...supposed to be quieter than previous models...how noisy were those?
This is my first new car since 1983. I did a lot of research and decided to go with "proven" Honda reliability and resale and wasn't concerned about the new design. What a mistake! I am going to keep this car 1 more year and buy a new Corolla.
1. Rated #1 in quality - JD Powers survey
2. Better powertrain warranty
3. Did not have Firestone tires
4. More horsepower than Honda
5. Tighter turning radius
6. I preferred the design/layout of the dashboard
7. Has an outside temperature gauge
8. Got a much better deal than Honda would give me
I am still a big fan of Honda - my old Civic served me very, very well - but I am extremely pleased with my new Corolla, after almost 10 months it has been flawless - no rattles or squeaks and the car's ride is smooth as silk -
just my 2 cents!
Rattles aside, however, I've found the Civic to be a very nice drive. I chose it over the Protege for its stability, refinement, and noise at highway speeds, and over the Corolla, which I felt had very numb steering at all speeds (something my old '91 Camry had as well). My favorite part of the car is the steering feel, which to me is perfectly weighted -- light enough at slow speeds so that maneuvering is easy, but heavy enough at high speeds so that it doesn't feel twitchy. As for the handling, well, I'm a fairly conservative driver who only drives the car hard on lonely stretches of backroad... Compared with my other car, an '00 Accord, the Civic seems very light and throwable, with some body lean, but it is pretty willing to do whatever you ask of it. Sometimes I think it is a little less capable than the previous generation Civic, but I don't know if that's really what I think, or if it's the brainwashing of the whole strut-vs.-double wishbone debate. And it IS sometimes a jostling ride, especially on pothole-filled roads in the city, but I haven't experienced the floatiness that people have been bringing up. But the Accord is like that to a lesser extent, and I think a lot of the increased bounciness is because of the shortness of the car.
So it's not perfect, but to me it does have an interesting and unique driving feel, even if styling-wise it is one of the most indescript cars on the road. Overall, I'd have to say I'm happy with it, but I pretty much knew what to expect. (Except those rattles!)
One question: has anyone else had this happen? When I brake with constant light pressure on the pedal, sometimes the car will brake lightly at first, then 'catch' and suddenly slow down much faster (this all with constant pressure on the pedal). It's as if the brakes decide suddenly to clamp harder, or almost like the transmission is upshifting, but I don't see any change in the RPM meter. Any ideas?
Anyway, I just thought I would let those contemplating a Civic know that there are other cars out there that are better than the Civic in many areas. Don't buy one without comparing it to other cars and just trusting word of mouth and past reputation, because it is plain to me and by posts on this forum that this car is not at the top of the stack like it used to be. It's still a good car; it just doesn't excel in many areas. These many posts of suspension problems and rattles is quite disconcerting. I didn't expect much out of my 00 Hyundai Accent, but it turns out to have none of the problems everyone in here is complaining about after 21k miles. Honda should be ashamed of themselves! They are going to lose a lot of customers if they keep this up.
To figure out the best price I tried going to Edmunds TMV, which quoted about 17300 + 8% tax and DMV fees ($1700) for a total of approx $19000 out the door. A visit to a local dealer got us a quote of 18600 out the door, everything included. Lastly I emailed several Honda dealers in the area and the best quote received was $18000 total, all charges included! This was about $1000 below the TMV price, and well below Edmunds invoice price........ does Edmunds receive funding from the automakers? I’ve heard people on other boards say they distrusted the TMV and thought it was high, and I now tend to believe them.
. Also have to say that after visiting a dozen various car dealerships in the last 2 months to buy my new pickup truck, and then going to the Honda dealership with my friend, I found the Honda salesmen the most obnoxious and agressive I’ve ever dealt with, they were extremely pushy and rude. Interesting to note that Carbuyingtips.com seems to bear this out, saying the website receives more complaints about Toyota and Honda dealers than any other...... The explanation given was that the Honda dealers know that they have a popular product and can afford to go on the offensive with customers. I'll try to be fair, though, perhaps I just got a bad apple, not representative of other Honda dealers.
Appreciate any thoughts on the subjects above, if the post survives.
Chris
However, I think you'll find folks more knowledgeable about the TMV over on our Smart Shopper Board. You might want to look through the active discussions over there while you are waiting for some response here.
As far as whether Edmund's receives funding from automakers, you might want to check out these resources: Editorial and Business Disclosure Statement and About Edmunds.com.
Let us know how things go for you.
Pat
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Sedans Message Board
Not exactly "dogging" to use your term, but a little too much of a generalization to be taken seriously, don't you think?
NOW: I saw a few long posts suggesting Lancer over Civic. If you know Detriot press has given Lancer the runners up for MOST DISAPPOINTING new enrty n the class award!! Read it on auto.com
Also let me know where you can get the amazing BALANCE that you get in Civic. Price to Content in LX trim (Keyless can be had for $150 installed), The mpg (32-37!!), Quality, Safety, Reliablity, Durability, Ride & Handling, Resale it shines in almost every category & can NOT be matched by ANY competitor OVERALL. Sales figures prove it! Civic did 334,000 sales WITHOUT special fianncing like 0% on Focus & Corolla. 2001 Civic had 3.9 for a month or two in the last month.