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Honda Civic

1457910

Comments

  • yoredyored Member Posts: 12
    Pretty close to that purchase...even rethinking the two week Irish vacation in August with a drive up to Nova Scotia in a new Civic.(I am in NYC).And do some cycling.

    Here's the point, recently returned from Florida and as New Yorkers are when returning from another state/city combination that doesn't "ask" for 8 1/4 percent sales tax; if I am really serious about this, and what I'd save in sales tax alone would pay for a nice vacation, should I seriously consider traveling out of state to purchase a new Honda? If so where would be good prospects? .... i.e. : New Hampshire has no sales tax....is this commonly done?
    Secondly, I have mentioned cycling: suggestions for most favored bike transporting systems for these cars...two door hatch civics...
  • radoutlawradoutlaw Member Posts: 3
    hi everyone,
    I'm interested in the DX hatchback and need a few questions answered. How is the acceleration and pick-up? I do a lot of camping with one other person and will have a tent and basic gear like that- prob 300-400 lbs- how does the civic handle the extra weight? (I really wish they still made the CRX) :( Also, I live in a high honda theft area (near Boston) any suggestions on alarms or anti-thefts devices? I've enjoyed reading these posts. Thanks for any help you can offer.
  • washtimwashtim Member Posts: 16
    Dunno if it works the same way out East, but New York is likely to get its sales tax money when you go to register the car.
  • steve05401steve05401 Member Posts: 50
    hi-- question, please. i own a '97 civic cx h/b, auto, air, after-market cruise (best $250 i ever spent! :)) and a kick-butt Alpine/Boston Acoustics/Kenwood/JBL etc etc system (amp, 6 speakers, subwoofer, yadda yadda yadda). has 32000 miles (bought 6/26/97). can't wait to get out of it is the problem! never should have bought it, but was thinking "frugal frugal frugal" at the time. unfortunately, i loooooove to drive, and, even though it's got a decent amount of pep for its 106 hp and automatic transmission, it is a s-n-o-r-e....... i've never tried to sell a car before, but i'm pretty sure i could get about $10600 for it (based on KBB), versus about $7700 as a trade-in. my question is: how tough do you think it'd be to sell this particular car? also-- and this is what i think is going to kill me--- two weeks after i bought it, it was broken into (to get stereo). entirely new right door, and even though the paint job was quite good, when you examine it carefully, you can see a couple very small paint ridges at the end of the door. ugh.

    please share your thoughts. i've enjoyed reading your postings over the past few months. (oh yeah.... i want out of the civic so i can buy a used '98 accord coupe 4-cyl 5-speed! or should i blow the bucks on the 6-cyl auto? and WHY WHY WHY won't honda give us a 6-cyl 5-speed??) thanks.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Selling that hatchback won't be a problem, but, be careful how you price it. If a brand new one is only a few bucks more people will buy one of them instead.

    Right now you are also competing with factory sponsered 3.9 - 4.9 and 5.9 financing.

    Good Luck!

    Oh, Honda thinks the market for 5 speeds with a V-6 would be a very small one. I agree.
  • rcruzrcruz Member Posts: 5
    I bought a 98 Civic DX HB last June. The Owner's Manual limits total cargo/passenger weight to 850 lbs. With my family & luggage, we have carried a maximum of about 650 lbs on several long trips. Under that load, I have found the Civic to be responsive and to have good pickup and acceleration. The Civic is not a sports car, but it has sufficient power for everyday use, and I am quite satisfied with it.
  • radoutlawradoutlaw Member Posts: 3
    Hi, thanks for the info- it was just what I was looking for. My main concern was carrying cargo and having enough power to move the stuff along :) But it sounds like you have no problem with it. Thanks again for answering my concerns.
    >> a good article on the virtues of hatchbacks from the mining co- check it out

    http://automobiles.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa042799.htm?COB=home&PRM=H4T
  • mznmzn Member Posts: 727
    Great link, radoutlaw! Thank you!!

    carlady/host
  • jdelayjdelay Member Posts: 5
    Hi! I am new to this forum, probably because I dont have a car yet ;o). I want a small car, so I am looking at the VW Beetle or the Honda Civic DX HB. My main concerns are safety and fuel efficiency since I may end up moving to Europe in the near future... The VW seems to offer much more for the price (I know it costs more, too), but I am afraid it will consume too much (it is rated 24/31 mpg)... I would drive it mainly in the city. Another concern is that I have heard that the American Honda does not have the same quality finishing as the Japanese Honda...

    Any comments, experience, etc?
    Thanks
  • mznmzn Member Posts: 727
    jdelay, you might want to check out our VW Golf or Honda Civic DX Hatchback topic.

    carlady/host
  • glengleglengle Member Posts: 57
    To answer your question, I drove the 1999 Civic Si last week. My 1999 Dodge Ram is falling apart at 2000 miles, so I'm going to dump it in favor of a second Honda (also have a 1999 Accord EX-V6).

    The Civic runs strong, and engine sounds are sweet - like a large displacement bike. The handling was also much better than the EX. Other than that, it felt like standard-fare Civic, which is not a bad thing.
  • pam2pam2 Member Posts: 185
    JD,

    I have a 1996 Civic DX hatchback and get 30 to 34 mpg regularly. It's a 5-speed, so that helps and also makes it have more power for driving.

    As for the quality, I think the Civic hatchbacks might be built in Japan. I could be wrong. Isellhondas... do you know?


    Pam
  • mikyonmikyon Member Posts: 4
    Has anyone else here had a problem on Honda's web page with the "customize your car" option? I go to that section to add some accesories to a DX HB, but NOTHING WORKS. I've used it before and it worked well, but in the last three weeks I can't get it to work. Also, I was quoted a price of $13,000 for a DX HB 5-spd with air and in-dash CD. Good price?
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Most are built in Canada. BTW, how is your boyfriend doing selling Hondas?
  • alextalext Member Posts: 63
    The customize your own section in the Honda website can be pretty slow at times. Or sometimes not work at all. Usually it's just a little busy and you may have to reload it.
  • aceroneacerone Member Posts: 12
  • iwphilliwphill Member Posts: 48
    I have a 98 Honda Civic DX hatchback, that I bought just over a year ago. It ran pretty well at first, but at 6000 miles, the headlights started flickering, and the idle was uneven. I took it to the dealer to replace a defective alternator. That fixed the headlight problem, but it started running worse at about 10000 miles, and the gas mileage was in the upper 20's (supposed to be in the 30's). I pulled the plugs to check them, and they were burned (heavy carbon deposits). The dealer said that it was related to the defective alternator. So I replaced them with platinum plugs. That picked up the mileage, but the car still doesn't seem to have the umph that it should.

    Has anybody else had this much trouble with a Civic? This is my first Honda, and I'm not very impressed so far. I keep hoping that each problem will be the last. I love the capabilities of this car (I've even been able to put large furniture in it - couldn't do that with my last car, a Toyota Corolla). Anyone else have similar problems? Is this just a fluke? Thanks!
  • sunpakoasunpakoa Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1995 Civic hatchback and LOVE it. Haven't had one single problem with it. Hold on while I knock on wood. OK. :-) Anyway I am unimpressed my Honda's new models, it seems they are being more cheaply made than before. I feel fortunate to have a '95 model because I think they went downhill after that. Sorry for all the trouble you are having, I don't know of anyone else having this trouble. It's sad too because Honda's have the cleanest exhaust systems of any car I know of which is great for out environment.
  • paul45paul45 Member Posts: 1
    I have an '84 civic without a tach. Can anyone give me a rough idea of the top speed of this car? Also, are there any performance mods for this generation civic? And could someone tell me what double-clutching and heel-and-toeing mean? Thanks
  • danielldaniell Member Posts: 128
    I have a '98 CX hatchback auto, bought it new. The mileage I get is lower 20s (city driving) and 30s on the highway. My car works generally fine, but there are a few things that annoy me:
    - I think that the motor vibrates to much at iddle, I can feel it on the steering wheel. When AC starts, the whole car shudders.
    - rattle in the back when it's cold.
    - also, when it's very cold, if I try to start the car one or two hours after I drive it, I need to crank it 5-10 seconds. This never happens when the engine is fully warmed up or totally cold. I had it left in a parking lot for 15 days when I took a longer trip and it started right away.
    - finally, a really weird thing: somehow the male and female couplings on the driver's side safety belt don't fit (or there is too much friction), and when I bend forward it releases the belt with a clunk-clunk-clunk sound.
    I greased the couplings and it has improved a bit. The dealer refuses to see a problem here.
    Anybody had similar problems?
  • iwphilliwphill Member Posts: 48
    sunpakoa

    I'm glad that you have had very good luck with your '95. I forgot to mention before, but the latest thing is a squealing sound when I warm up the car in the morning, especially after it rains. It goes away after a couple of minutes, but it sounds terrible (almost like a bunch of birds trapped under the hood screaming to get out). I called the dealer, and they said it's likely to be that the belts. Sounds weird to me, but I guess I'll have to take it back to the dealer....again!
  • mznmzn Member Posts: 727
    This is interesting feedback. Most of the Honda posts that I recall in Hatchbacks are focused on Honda's reliabilty.

    carlady/host
  • jenevievejenevieve Member Posts: 11
    miykon: wait a second, how did you get "customize your car" to give you a dx hb with a cd player? i was under the impression that you really can't get them with any amenities at all.
  • pam2pam2 Member Posts: 185
    He gave up selling Hondas after about 2 months. The dealer wasn't the most ethical.
  • baiyubaiyu Member Posts: 1
    Can I change a manual 90 Honda civic to automatic? Generally how much that costs? I am in Pennsylvania.

    Thanks.
  • heyjheyj Member Posts: 1
    hello all - I'd be thrilled to gain any insight on the following...



    1 - I hope to buy a 99 Civic DX Hatchback...has anyone actually found out how much all the options really cost. I've seen A/C for $1,100 - $1,400 in the DC area. Some one here mentioned it really only cost the dealer $600.



    2 - Why are there so few 99 Civic HB at the dealers now - is it that popular or something else?



    3 - is it really a good idea to wait until the end of the month to buy a new car?
  • olegphilolegphil Member Posts: 30
    Probably more that a 90 Honda Civic with automatic :-(
  • rmoyarmoya Member Posts: 11
    I have a 1992 Civic CX
    It has been a great car, other than a few minor repairs, no big deal. In the last year I have begun to hear a nasty grind on the front discs when I brake hard. I know everyone will say its the brakes but I just changed them out and most recently checked them, and they have plenty of pad left as well as the disc has no scratches. It is a horrible grinding sound that seems like it causing major damage but I have none that I can see.
    Anyone have a clue what it may be?
    Caliper? Wheel bearing?
    Any help is greatly appreciated?
  • dae3dae3 Member Posts: 55
    Heyj,

    Hatchbacks aren't very popular so dealers don't stock many. You should be able to negotiate a good price because they will just want to get rid of it. Don't let the dealer tell you otherwise.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Sorry, dae3, but hatchbacks are not a big profit cow for Honda. They do sell well to the folks who like them. I wish we had a couple of dozen on the lot right now!
  • mznmzn Member Posts: 727
    isellhondas, what cars don't sell well to people who like them? :-)

    carlady/host
  • jenevievejenevieve Member Posts: 11
    isellhondas: maybe you can enlighten me--why, oh, why don't they make civic hatchbacks with any features like cruise or power windows and locks??? i mean, i know it's supposed to be an inexpensive car, but can't they even have them as options? no wonder they don't sell very well!!! who wants a car these days without at least a few amenities? i know you can get them added after-market, but when i went to talk to the honda dealer here in austin, they said that they themselves thought that was sketchy and didn't recommend it. not to mention the fact that i see civic hatchbacks EVERYWHERE, so i don't know where they got the idea that people don't like them. i, for one, love them, and would definitely buy one, except for the features issue. even the old '87 accord i drive now has power options, and i'm just not willing to regress and go without them. not making them with options because people don't buy them is just a self-fulfilling prophecy, in my opinion. and that really is my favorite of all the hatchbacks i've seen. such a sad situaution. :(
  • sevenseassevenseas Member Posts: 44
    To brakes, Maybe this can help....Keep track of how long it takes to replace the pads. For example, if you normally replace every 30,000 but now every 10,000 then you may have a defective brake assembly. Otherwise, maybe the grinding sound is the pads themselves just wearing normally.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Back in the seventies and eighties, everybody bought hatchbacks. It just seems like that market has almost died.

    Oh, they do sell, but not nearly as well as coupes and sedans. As far as a well equipped hatchback? I guess the brains at Honda just don't think there would be enough of a market for one.

    Hatchbacks were really intended as entry level (read, cheap) transportation. folks looking for this don't usually want all of the bells and whistles.

    We would sell a few, but probably not enough to justify building them?
  • newbouldnewbould Member Posts: 7
    im looking at the civic EX and HX coupe (5-speed)...is the power difference noticeable between the two? Also, i was told by a honda dealer that as far as "college grad" dicounts....there is only a 400 w/ 3.9 financing on civics. Is this offer available on any accords? Thanks
  • dae3dae3 Member Posts: 55
    I wasn't making saying that civic HB's in particular were unpopular. I was saying that Hatchbacks in general were not as popular as other body styles.
  • john2001john2001 Member Posts: 5
    I presently own a 1993 CX Hatchback. I have 100,000 miles on it and it runs great. I really love this car and enjoy driving it. It handles great and is easy on the gas. When my current honda wears out which I am hoping won't be for awhile I plan to buy another hatchback.

    I really wish Honda would bring back the Hatchback Si. I am sure it would be a big hit with younger people. I see so many Honda's all type (Civics, Accords) customized.
    I have not really followed the New Si coupe they just brought back, but who knows maybe they will do the same to the hatchback. I know if they do, they can count on me to be first at there door to buy one.
  • gomerpylegomerpyle Member Posts: 1
    Howdy, all. I'm seriously considering buying a '99 Civic HB (CX or DX) as my very first car (awww, cute), but I have a few questions.

    1) Would I be able to save a reasonable amount of dough (say, $500+) if I waited until the 2000 models reached dealers' lots?

    2) The feature list for the CX on Honda's website doesn't list a radio/audio system of any kind. Is this actually the case?!?!?! I didn't think they sold cars without a radio these days.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
  • jenevievejenevieve Member Posts: 11
    gomerpyle: yes, i share your shock at the existence of new cars w/o radios. i was poking around the honda's used lot the other day and saw a not-very-old model civic hatchback with no sound system of any kind!!!! i asked the (hispanic) salesman incredulously, "who buys a car without a radio?!?" to which he replied with a completely straight face "orientals." you can interpret his racial stereotyping/generalizing as you wish, but I still say: NO WONDER THEY DON'T SELL ANY HATCHBACKS IF THEY DON'T OFFER THEM WITH ANY OPTIONS!!!!
  • hhh125hhh125 Member Posts: 1
    I don't think you'll save much by waiting for the 2000 models. The 2000 Civic will be virtually identical. Now, if it was going to be redesigned, then I would say wait, but the redesign for the Civic won't come until 2001. Go ahead and buy now! The reason they don't put a radio in it is:
    1) It helps them keep the sticker price down.
    2) Honda accessories are marked up 40%, so why put a $200 radio in a car and up the price by $200 when you can try to sucker someone for $400 out of it when its an accessory!! Leave the crappy Honda radio out of it and go to Best Buy and get a real stereo!!
    Good luck!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    A Civic CX hatchback is what it is and nothing more. It is a bare bones, el stripo car with no extras. If you want more, you'll have to step up to a DX as most people do.

    CX's are often sold as delivery cars for couriers, etc. These drivers aren't paid (I guess) to listen to a radio.

    You get what you pay for!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    WE DO SELL EVERY HATCHBACK WE GET IN! PEOPLE THAT WANT A RADIO EITHER HAVE ONE INSTALLED OR THEY BUY A DX INSTEAD!! :)
  • jenevievejenevieve Member Posts: 11
    sorry, i didn't mean to shout. i was just excited, you know? :) just frustrated because i really want a civic hatchback, but i won't go without cruise or power windows and the like. c'est la vie.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    To have aftermarket cruise control and "Mickey Mouse" aftermarket power windows installed if you really have to have them.
  • igloomasterigloomaster Member Posts: 249
    Hello there. I plan to purchase my second Civic Hatchback in September of this year (my first Civic was a 1990 model, and I praise that car to the heavens). I am going to go with the CX Automatic, because I LOVE the simplicity of that car. I will be adding A/C for my wife, as I am not in charge of anything. I already have a radio that I will be installing. Here's my question: How much will I be able to knock off of the MSRP, realistically? I understand that there's about $650 worth of profit built into the difference between Invoice and MSRP. I also have found the section in the Edmund's site that speaks of Dealer Holdback, and that Honda has a 2% of MSRP Holdback. Has anyone been able to purchase their CX for less than MSRP? All I get from Honda dealers is that there is "no profit in the CX, so there's no negotiating". If they are getting the 2% holdback, then they should be able to split the difference between Invoice and MSRP, and come up with a fair deal based on just over $300 profit, no? Also, I can't seem to find anywhere on the net what the INVOICE price is for Honda Air Conditioning. Most dealerships are charging between $1000 to $1200 for A/C. Is this fair? The last car I bought was American, and the A/C was $700. Is this commonplace with Honda to expect to pay over $1000 for A/C??

    Help! Help! Please and Thank You!
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    I remember I visited the dealer in late Aug. '96 to get a '97 model but they weren't in yet. They did have deals on the '96s though because of dealer incentives. It looked as though Honda was helping them get rid of the '96s to make room for the '97s. So look for "dealer incentives" in that particular section of EDMUND'S. Do it about every week and I bet you near the end of the month or beginning of Sept. you might see $300-$500 dealer incentives on the Civics.
    Another big factor that will determine how much off sticker they will trim, is on how much you 're financing. If you walk in and tell them that you 're paying cash for the car - you 'll pay sticker! They don't want to hear the word cash. They want you to finance so they can make money off the interest. So unfortunately the more $$ you finance the better the deal you 'll make. And whatever you do, don't buy the extended warranty!!
    even if they start at $1,100 and come down to $600! If they can't back their cars up for 100K miles then tell them they shouldn't be selling them. Besides, you 'll never get to use it. Repairs on the Civic usually start well after 150K mi. Most of the stuff that goes, like brakes, brake rotors, hoses, light bulbs, muffler, exhaust, (even clutch), they consider maintenance and are not covered by the extended warr.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • zuzu1zuzu1 Member Posts: 2
    I bought my '90 civic used in '95. Shortly after that my check engine light would come on very regularly at the same point in my commute. I took it to my mechanic and they said my ECU needed to be replaced. I didn't buy that and took it to the Honda dealer service people. They said my ECU was just "sensitive" and not to worry about it. I didn't really buy that either. The problem seemed to go away until recently. I started having trouble getting the engine to crank when I was stopping and starting the car alot. I took it to the shop and diagnosis was the ECU had gone bad. The car won't crank at all now. Anyone else have this problem?
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    well, the car is 9 years old and it's possible now that the ECU is really bad. Good thing you didn't replace it back in '95! You went 4 more years on it so that was a smart decision. See if you can find one from a junk yard or used. Don't pay for a new one. They 're a lot of money.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • mznmzn Member Posts: 727
    Good advice only1harry! You are right to suggest that buyers check the dealer incentives listings on regular basis. Things can change quickly in the auto marketplace so it's always a good idea to keep on top of current information.

    When it comes to buying cars, information is power! Why not use it to your advantage?

    carlady/host
  • amandacamandac Member Posts: 1
    I'm also looking at buying a Civic Hatchback, a DX. The dealer wants $1400 for air conditioning! There's no way I'm paying that much! I got on Honda's website a few days ago, and found that Honda lists A/C as costing $799, and $999 installed. I found this under the *customize your car* section; it came back with these estimates at the end, after I'd added A/C as an optional feature. So, I printed the page out, and I'm going to take it to the dealer when I go to negotiate. $1400..that's ridiculous (even if it has been about 100 degrees here everyday for the last two weeks).
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