Rlyss

Hi everyone. I still live at home and our one car (1997 Toyota Camry) is in perfect condition, but is often double-booked, with five drivers fighting for its use on the weekends.

So my dad's been helping me out lately because he knows a bit about cars, and I've settled on a 1995-1998 Honda Civic. We started out at Civic hatchbacks but we decided that the 2 doors would be more hassle than they're worth, so we've narrowed it down to a sedan. I googled it and I'm basically looking at a car like this:

http://images.tcmautonation.com/1HGEJ667XYL029687.jpg

I've got a few questions that I can't seem to find answers to on the web. The Honda websites don't seem to talk much about older models, and the forums I've found are all about ricing it up and modding it, stuff that I don't give a good god damn about, to be honest. If I buy a Civic it'll stay how it is. I know, I'm boring, I want a white sedan.

- Are the sedans noticeably better or worse than the hatchbacks? I want small, but not tiny, and I want four doors. (Apparently Australia only had 4-door (5-door?) hatches in the 2000 model, but they're rare.)

- Do the sedans remain as fuel efficient as the hatchbacks?

I'm looking at 1995-1998 models between $10,000 and $13,000 Australian, which I think is between about $7,000 and $9,000 US dollars.

I've searched the forums here for information about Civics but most refer to the hatchbacks, and I'm wondering if the sedan is a better choice for my needs (more of a family car, no modding crap) in the long run, and if the good reviews for the hatches can relate to the sedans, too.

1slOwCD8

Dont know if this will help, but here is some info/reviews on Civics.



http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/u...ex.cfm/id/2172

pocon1

The Civic will be small enough, but it won't kill you. As far as reliability, nothing changes between the hatches and the sedans except for body style. They really are the same car. According to the link above, the sedan weighs about 100 lbs more, so that doesn't make much difference except in fuel economy. The two extra doors are nice considering how many people are in your family. Finally, a sedan is more likely to have been owned by someone who treated it a little less aggresively than the two door or hatch.

Scooby

Hey!

I have a 97 civic HB. And I have to tell you, if you want some additional space for laguage and etc., sedan is way more practical. Civic HB have very smal trunk. One bigger bag and it's full.

I don't understand your first question. Sedans and HB are made on same chasis. They also have the same engines. Sedans have shorter doors and bigger trunk.

Sedans are as fuel efficient as HB. Mybe HB are little more fuel efficient than sadans. The difference is very small.

I think, sedan is much better choice foru you than a HB.

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Rlyss

Thanks guys, I appreciate it, and the link too.

Does anyone know of a site which can give me a run-down on the names of the Civics? I can't seem to find anywhere which tells me the differences between the Civic Si, GLI, GL, EK, GI, VTI, GXI, etc etc.? I've looked everywhere but like I said, the larger Civic forums I've found are all about modding and don't cater for a newbie. The Honda website also doesn't talk about the older models.

1slOwCD8

Being in the US, ive never heard of some of the names except the Si and Ek. Im guessing it would be like the US's Ex or Lx, the trim level. The Si is a particular model of the civic, usually a coupe with a Dohc Vtec stock. The Ek is just another name for the generation of civic. The EF(88-91), the EG(92-95), and the EK(96-00). Maybe a little confusing, sorry, not the best at explaining.

BoCo

The '95 model is different than the 96-98 models like what's in your link above.

As far as I know, because of the added weight, nothing in the Civic line-up bests the hatchbacks, in particularly the VX model. I have a '95 DX hatchback that gets an easy 40mpg on the highway with huge 215-width 17" tires, and it got even better mileage with the skinny pizza-cutter stock wheels/tires.

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MSD

If you get an older one with an auto transmission, be aware that your car will have siezures while stopped with the engine running. I've seen (felt) it on every automatic Honda I've been in. It's supposedly not a huge problem, just annoying.

shakran

define seizures? Never noticed it in the Legend.

My advice would be to drive a hatch and drive a sedan. Decide what you like better. You're not gonna go wrong with either one from a "is it a good car" standpoint, though you should of course check its history to make sure the previous owner didn't wreck it and rebuild it or something.

Rlyss

We're going back to the car yards this weekend. The car we were interested in (1996 Sedan) was in great condition but it was our first day of looking, so we weren't going to buy it straight away. Anyway, that car probably isn't there anymore, but a new bunch will be.

I've been doing a bunch of research and it seems the 1996 and above models are much better than the 1995 models, so thanks BoCo. It seems the 1996 re-design has a whole load of improvements. This is a car that I won't sell again (wouldn't get more than $5 for a third-hand, ten year old car), so I'll be running it into the ground, but I'll be maintaining it as much as I can. Our current car (Camry) is in excellent condition because it's been cared for.

Some of the pages I've found say to check the stereo/dashboard wiring, since Civics are common for young punk ass ricers, they tend to mess with the electronics. Also to pour water in the corner of the windscreen and see if it leaks into the pedal area, since some are prone to leaks there apparently. I've also seen a couple sites say that the electric windows and mirrors have slow/broken motors but I'm a bit unsure if that's true, since I don't remember a lot of power windows on the Civics that I looked at, but they were a range of year models.

Upholstery, rust, re-sprayed bonnets and trunks, tyre tread, registration, my dad knows a lot about that sort of thing so I'm glad he's there as a buffer between me and a salesperson. (The first salesman we spoke to actually said "The boss is in a good mood", "The hatchback is a woman's car", "The sedan's a much more manly car, the chicks love it", "The color's very masculine" (the car was BROWN).

I'm yet to figure out the point of a carbon-fibre hood (looks like a different colored door on a Datsun Sunny to me), and six huge dials all over the dash measuring oil pressure, but to each his own, I guess

I'll test drive a hatchback for fun, I think, but the two doors aren't so practical for us, so I'll go with the sedan. White, if I can find one. You guys, and some research, have helped a lot in making a decision. Now that I know what to look for I don't want to make a hurried decision and settle that isn't perfect.

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/gener...2/article.html

Scooby

You are right!! Don't hurry! That is the worst thing that you can do when you are buying an used car. Take your time and look the car thoroughly!!

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shakran

A carbon fibre hood is much lighter than a metal hood. Less weight = faster acceleration.

The dials may be measuring oil temp, water temp, boost level, voltage, etc etc etc.


Hondas aren't known for coming stock with a whole lot of specific gauges. Speedo, tach, oil temp, and fuel level is about all you get.

humpy012

my sister has a 97 sedan. It seems to be a really good car with no problems. The car gets great gas mileage (more than 37 mpg on the highway) and has plenty of room for 4 adults. She has a 5spd and it has plenty of power to get around town/pass on highway etc.

Vortex22

The pic in your first post is a 99-00. The 96-98 models have a different front bumper without the two slits on the side. I own a 98 sedan, there is really no difference between hatch/coupe/sedan other than the obvious. Just get the sedan if you want to transport people and don't care about going fast

telekinetic

I just want to chuckle at 'huge 215-width 17" tires'...

I have staggered and tiny 225/215 tires on my car...I'd love to get a a 245/225 setup instead.

Although, since your car came stock with 175mm's...I guess anything is huge

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