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Honda Civic vs. Saturn
DocArtemis
Member Posts: 1
I'm going to be test riding hatchbacks this week.
All of the "search" profile tests that I take keep
returning the Honda Civic and the Saturn models.
My key preferences in cars is reliability,
drivability, utility. I'm the kind of person who
buys a car and then keeps it until it dies. (I've
owned two cars since 1973, both hatchbacks!) I
haven't looked at cars since 1986!
The Hondas are highly rated and I'm not at all
familiar with the Saturns. Are the Saturns
reliable cars or are they American cult cars?
I'm curious to learn more about these two models
and would appreciate your sharing any of your
research/experience. Other suggestions are surely
welcome!
Thanks in advance
DocA
All of the "search" profile tests that I take keep
returning the Honda Civic and the Saturn models.
My key preferences in cars is reliability,
drivability, utility. I'm the kind of person who
buys a car and then keeps it until it dies. (I've
owned two cars since 1973, both hatchbacks!) I
haven't looked at cars since 1986!
The Hondas are highly rated and I'm not at all
familiar with the Saturns. Are the Saturns
reliable cars or are they American cult cars?
I'm curious to learn more about these two models
and would appreciate your sharing any of your
research/experience. Other suggestions are surely
welcome!
Thanks in advance
DocA
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
If you keep a car until it dies, you'll only own a Saturn for a couple of years!! I've heard nothing but bad things about those cars - from the no-haggle price being a way to force buyers into paying MSRP no matter what, to the poor performance and reliability. I have a friend who traded in her Saturn after less than 40,000 miles because it was beginning to rattle and shake.
I've owned Hondas for many years and have always been extremely pleased with their performance and reliability. Right now I own a 1996 Honda Civic DX Hatchback that I bought used a couple of months ago. Only 24,000 miles on it when I bought it and in perfect condition. I would expect this car to last as long as I care to own it.
The drawbacks to the Civic hatchback are that they don't have any extras (no power windows or doors, etc.) and the engine is only 106 hp. This is OK in a 5-speed manual transmission like I have - I don't have any trouble at all with it. But it might be sluggish in an automatic. The new hatchbacks have power steering on all DX models, whereas the 1996 that I own doesn't have power steering on the 5-speed (only the automatic).
I hope this is helpful to you. Good luck!
I think that a high resale value is also an advantage to having a Honda.A lot of domestic automobiles don't hold their value.
I have a personal phobia about being in a car accident and not being able to get out through a window because the power system is dead. But that's just me. :-)
carlady/host
ABS availability is also a factor depending on what you are driving on.I've read that ABS doesn't work well on ice or gravel.
True that the Civic EX has 127 hp, but I believe Doc is looking specifically at the Civic Hatchback which is not available in the EX. He would have to live with 106 hp in a hatchback.
Rankled. "I think that vehicle crash ratings are important in deciding which car to buy. You might want to look at Allstate or State Farm insurance before you buy as they show which vehicles have insurance surcharges based on their claims experience."
Better yet, in my opinion, pick up the Consumer Reports "Preview '99" that rates cars according to:
"Govt front-crash test"
"Govt side-crash test"
"IIHS offset crash test"
"Injury claim rate compared with all cars"
"Injury claim rate compared with 'category' cars"
I'm not sure if surcharges would not also be a result of higher theft claims, e.g. Honda Accord and Civic are among the top5 stolen cars in Canada. (you can make a ton of money without even trying to sell it as a car, just sell the very expensive parts, grind off the VIN and dump what's left at 3a.m.)
The 106 hp really isn't that bad. My beau has the 1997 EX with 127 hp and we can't tell a whole lot of difference between them. I have to downshift into 4th gear sooner than he does to climb hills, and my 2nd gear corner turning isn't as strong. But the acceleration is fine and there are nothing but freeways here - no problem there.
The air conditioning doesn't have a lot of impact on the power and pull of the car, but it takes about 4 mpg off the mileage. I get about 32 without the a/c and about 28 with it.
I wouldn't mind trading it on a new 1999, though, to get the power steering in a 5 speed. Plus, I really like the purple better than my red.
In order to pick the lock with handheld computers, the car should be equipped an infrared locking remote, which is a very rare thing on the US market. I seriously doubt that any of the cars you are shopping for (neither Civic, nor Saturn) have remote locking, let alone the old and cumbersome infrared remote locking.
Relax, will ya?
One thing that I haven't been able to resolve satisfactorily is the supposed new and better reliability of American made cars. Many folks are saying that they are much improved over the 1980's. But my concern is that there hasn't been enough time to really test the reliability of these new American cars. I would be very hesitant to purchase one until I'm comfortable with the reliability.
Any thoughts from anyone else?
As for the Saturn hatchback, it may be hard to say how good it is since it is a brand new model. I think that most new products typically require at least 2 to 3 years to get the bugs worked out through improvements. In contrast, the Honda Civic DX hatchback is a proven product.
RE: ABS on ice. Well, any ABS system will actuate on ice, the problem is you still have little traction - whether the tires are rolling or locked. Unfortunately, just about the only solution there are chains or studs. Oh well, so much for high tech solutions. :-)
What did you think it was??? Fuschia?
carlady
I'm going to have to strongly contest that statement.
Sorry, but Civic resale is much better!
I realize some Saturn owners have had very bad experiences; but that's true of all car makes and models. I know a few Honda Civic owners, and of those three(3) have had utterly destructive engine problems. On well-maintained vehicles that weren't driven any harder than I've driven my vehicles. So long as there aren't endemic problems, or you aren't dealing with a truly brand new model, it often seems to be Luck Of The Draw.
My 2cents, and worth every penny you paid. :-)
Most of the time if someone wants to steal your radio, cd's, phone, etc., you will come back to your car and find a window missing (along with your possessions).
I do not have power steering on it and I don't need it either. Mine handles fine without it and turning is not a problem.
I have had very good luck with my Honda. 100,000 miles on it and still running like new.
If you are not sure, test drive one with power steering and one without and see which one suits your taste.
The Civic tried to give me a concussion while exiting the driver's seat after a test drive. (I try to avoid buying anything that whacks me in the noggin under normal operating conditions.) The driver's seat felt cramped, and the interior materials looked pretty cheap. A short female friend who tagged along for the ride thought the Civic felt just about right.
The only way to get a decent engine in a Civic sedan is with the EX trim level, which comes with a mandatory sunroof. Even less headroom!
The Saturn SL2, on the other hand, had plenty of room inside. More peppy and fun to drive than the Civic, slightly better materials inside. It's also much less expensive than an Accord, and everyone (but EVERYONE) I've talked to who actually owned a Saturn thinks it's an awesome car. The only complaints have involved road noise in previous model years.
I'm waiting for the Saturn dealer to call me back on that SW2 I want to buy...
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
I would really love to have power steering in my car, especially when pulling into a parking spot. Also I think the rear windshield wiper is invaluable in a snow storm. I can't do without it now. There is a $1,400 difference between the CX & DX which I think is significant and not justified. I can see maybe $1K at the most!
Powersteering, rear wiper, AM/FM (no cassette), cargo cover and a couple of light indicators do not add up to $1400!! When I bought my '97 DX it also came with better cloth seats while the CX had a mix of vinyl/cloth. At the time the difference was about $1200 so I figured it wasn't that bad.
What I really don't get is why they don't put a low fuel light indicator in the CX. How difficult can that be? or how much can it cost? $10 maybe?
Oh, another reason I bought the DX was because of the remote trunk release which the CX still doesn't have. I really wanted the CX for its price but was forced to buy the DX because of all the little things the CX lacked that pissed me off. I don't think Honda could have gone any cheaper on the CX. At least they don't have 13" wheels like the '96 models did! '97 was the first year for 14" wheels in the CX, DX and LX.
Believe it or not I waited 4 months to get my Civic because I had read that the 97s were coming out with 14" rims!! How weird is that? If I hadn't read that article I 'd be driving a '96 model with bicycle wheels.. :-)
I would definitely go for the DX if I had to do it all over again - mainly for the power steering and all those other little options that would annoy me if I didn't have them. The stock AM/FM is ok but you got plenty of room to put in a CD player and it's all prewired for you. I also think the Civic has great cupholders! You can even put a Snapple or 24oz bottles in them with no problem and they 're not in the way of anything! Great design.
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Between these cars I would get the saturn. Don't listen to these people picking on american reliability. They are the same people who wouldn't have looked at a foreign car twenty years ago then they really were better. Live in the present.
The saturn will probably be a bit cheaper, and has more interior for both cargo and passenger. Plus, maintenence and repairs are a *lot* cheaper, as is insurance. The car is as relaiable, and IMO, more fun to drive with a better interior.
Also, according to The national highway and traffic safety administraition www.nhtsa.com
The 2000 Saturn S series received higher safety ratings then the honda civic. The Civic received below average test scores in side impact crash tests, you have a 1 in 4 chance of serious injury in a Civic 2 door , vs a 1 in 7 chance with a Saturn. The Saturn S series 4 door sedans also received 5 stars from the Government in frontal crash tests for driver and passenger, the Highest rating possible.
The 2000 Saturn S series was also named best overall value of the year , its 7th year in a row to receive this award by the way from Intellichoice, www.intellichoice.com for providing high resale value, low ownership costs, low insurance costs, and above average dependability.
Also according to JD Power & Associates , Saturn consistently receives higher ratings then Honda ever dreamed of accomplishing by means of Customer Satisfaction with sales, service. They ranked 6th in the most recent study and often ahead of so called luxury cars costing thousands more.
Future products from Saturn will be better then ever, since they just received 1.5 BILLION to improve their current manufacturing facilitys and come out with new products faster, including a SUV, A new Small car, A possible Minivan and a Hybrid Pick up truck , Saturns idea of what a Pickup Should be.
In the end, unlike many Honda owners who often seem a tad snobby, like "my car is better then everything made in the world" I take a "Real World approach. Often supporting my reasoning with facts instead of just saying "this is better because I said so". Every informed consumer has the right to make their own choice in every purchase they make, and intelligent people realize what are opinions , and what are true facts. Enjoy your honda
When you look at all crash tests together, you will see that the Civic 4 door and the Saturn 4 door got equal ratings in the side impact (3 stars). The Saturn received one extra star in the full frontal collision, but it was deemed less safe in the offset impact. So, all in all you could say the Civic and Saturn are on equal grounds safety wise. I wouldn't put too much stock in the head-on government tests though. Those are rare compared to offset impacts.
Oh, by the way, the Jetta has now surpassed Saturn as the highest rated small car in government crash tests. 5 stars in head-on and 4 stars in side impact, not to mention the second highest rated car in the offset impact. The Jetta is the all around safest small car you can buy today. Go VW!!!
The high resale thing troubles me, I never see Saturns with high miles selling the way I see Hondas with high miles selling. If Saturn's got the quality why don't people want them when they're high in miles?
Oh, and as for the quality of Honda going down over the last 4 years. Can we chaulk that up to the good ole U.A.W.? Funny how quality goes down when 70% of the car is being built in North America!
Well, keep in mind, that saturn have been sold for only 10 years now, so it's unlikely that there are *too* many 200K mile ones.
Unfortunately, good products aren't the ones that always sell. Beta was better than VHS, but VHS won. And people still buy coffee over cappucino even when they're the same price. ( i'm not trying to say either car is either product ).
lngtongue: i don't know how you are saying saturn and civic are equal in safety, as there are several tests showing saturn is better and one showing civic is better. Also, look at:
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ictl/ictl_4dr.htm
and
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ddr/ddr_4dr.htm
saturn comes out with lower injury,death,and theft rates.
To be fair, each car has some really good points about it, and it depends on what will be more important to you. The civic will have better resale, particularly at high miles, I bet the civic will also still be a little more reliable. The saturn will be safer, have lower insurance(death,injury+theft rates), and cheaper regular maintenance(no timing belt, valve adjustments, etc). The civic gets 3mpg better in the city, the saturn 3mpg better on the highway. The interior space seems almost identical.
As an earlier posted said, there's no saturn hatchbacks ( score one for the civic ) so it's a bit of a moot topic overall.
dave
Rob Fruth - Houston, Tx
http://freeweb.pdq.net/rfruth
1981 Raleigh for commuting, errands & fun
1997 Trek 2300 for real fun !
2000 Civic DX hatchback