~Civic: *In-Depth* Evaluation~Just Awesome!!! ( With 12-Month Update!)
Written: Sep 09 '00 (Updated Jul 28 '01)
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Pros: Everything except...
Cons: There are too many of them!
The Bottom Line: Just awesome! Need I say more?
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| frissin's Full Review: 2000 Honda Civic 4 door |
I was looking into buying a new car. My budget: $20,000. (Of course, it'd be just fine if it were under that, too!)
I was in love with the Jettas. But, among my list to look into: (Sorry it's so long)
* Toyota Corollas (too boring)
* Toyota Camry (too grown-up)
* Subaru Outback (too spendy, unattractive interior)
* Subaru Legacy (same)
* Nissan Altimas (too Corolla-ish)
* Mazda Proteges (same)
* Mazda Tributes (not my style)
* Chrysler PT Cruiser (too strange looking for me, a first model year Chrysler)
* VW Jettas (too spendy, sad)
* VW Passats (same)
* VW Beetles (not sensible for the long-term)
* VW Golf ~not yet eliminated~
* Honda Accords (too spendy for necessary features)
* Honda CR-Vs (same)
* Honda Civic ~not yet eliminated~
So, the upshot of this is that, though I had planned on getting a Jetta, it was over $2,000 more than a comparably equipped Civic. Money is money! So, my two prime candidates were the VW Golf and the Civic.
There was a lot going for the Golf (interior design!), but ultimately, I went with the Civic.
Here's my reasoning for my final decision:
*Higher MPG
*Less maintenance (mechanic said)
*Trunk vs. Hatchback-style
*Nice Features for the money (moonroof etc.)
*Better test drive performance
It is, no doubt, the best choice I could have made. Here's why:
Interior: When I first saw the interior of a civic I thought it looked cheap and not very nice, but it really is deceptively luxurious, very ergonomic and well-made. Even the radio controls aren't too fussy (although I wouldn't mess too much with them while driving.) Air conditioning is nice and quick. Doesn't toll on the engine at all. Very nice seats, fully adjustable driver's seat, forward & back, reclining and the seat itself can be angled for maximum comfort. NICE!! Steering wheel is also adjustable so anyone can find a good driving position. Generous headroom even with the AWESOME moonroof which can be tilted or opened all the way without a big hassle. Very conveniently placed cruise control, lovely odometer display. Beige interior is very pretty and soft. Cushy, comfy seats, altough my back gets tired after a long drive. Huge trunk, nice fold down seats that are easy enough to fold. I have no problem riding in the back, there's plenty of leg room. Plenty of neat little storage areas. The cupholders are hard to get to but that's the only design flaw I can think of. Signals/wiper etc. switches are very simple to use. The sound system is great, nice & crisp. I love having the CD player! Impeccable fit and finish. I love being in this car.
Exterior & Ride: Beautiful in plum (REALLY hard to keep clean, shows scratches very easily. Darn!) Looks just great! Nice, bright headlights. Overall, a very attractive car. Ride? Smooth as silk. Handles like a dream. Nice, responsive brakes. Acceleration is great, just enough oomph to conquer any hill without lagging. Great automatic transmission, doesn't toll on performance or fuel economy at all in my opinion. Shifts very nicely. Great suspension, quiet cabin, minimal bumps. My friend who owns a Lexus was very impressed by how nicely it rides.
As you can tell, since you've gotten this far, I can't say enough about this car. You've got the Honda reliability and resale value, in a fun & functional car. A pretty big factor in my decision (next to safety, which by the way is a big plus) was to get a car that would separate me from the crowd and, obviously, this won't be the case. I have to use the panic button on my keyless entry to even find MY civic in the parking lot! So much for turning heads... Any people bent on individuality even in your choice of cars should NOT purchase this car! But since the purchase of a new car is the second biggest one most people make (next to a house) I wanted it to be a good one. And I know it will be. It really is just a great little car. I would recommend this car in a second to anyone who is willing to trade in novelty for a car that IS "Just Awesome!!!"
***** UPDATE!!!!******
*NOTE: You may wonder why just last week, I posted a 6-month update, and now it's 12 months. I realized that it had been longer than I thought. It has actually been a whole year! I can't believe this car is a year old! But anyway, just to rectify that...*
Hey guys! I just couldn't leave you all hanging. So here's the low-down on my 12 months with my Civic. First of all, zero maintenance, minus the oil change that your new car requires after about 4,500 miles. To put this car to the test, I took it on a roadtrip from Eugene, Oregon to Santa Barbara, California. Through which just about all driving experiences were present. Through the mountain passes, the rain, the heat, the downgrades, the curves... everything. I never really had to put my VTEC engine to much use, knocking around town and all, so it was quite a shock and quite a rush to really behold its power. And despite my avid experimentation with this more powerful engine setting, my gas mileage was about 30 or 35 miles to the gallon. Yay! I love the way this car drives, its so smooth, but you still have a really good feel for the road. The cruise control came in so handy, and its relatively easy to use. (Once you figure it out, that is. I had a couple terrifying mishaps, but that was purely human error.)
:)
It did dawn on me that this is a rather small car (as I shared the backseat with another grumpy roadtripper.) But we were able to fit all 5 suitcases in the trunk. I didn't even have to use the spiffy fold-down seat to accommodate 2-weeks worth of dirty clothes for 4 people. Quite a feat for such a compact car. (You know, one that actually fits in the lane?)
I *love* the way this car drives. It has a great turning radius, perfect steering. The brakes aren't too touchy, but allow perfect control of the car.
As far as the engine goes, it has nice pickup. Zippy. I can't even begin to fathom how many cars I passed on that trip. So it's quick enough for me anyway (as while driving on curvy inclines I saw the odometer rise alarmingly past 95 in a 65 zone. Shame on me!) It can be sluggish, but when the VTEC kicks in, you can definitely tell. So basically: It has good engine performance unless you demand a 400 hp gas guzzling monster. Which most of us don't.
It has moderate wind noise at high speeds. I think the only way you can escape this is by going to a $50,000 Lex or something, which I wasn't prepared to do, and few of us are. But it still wasn't bad, really. Plus, with the sound system to cover it up, you have nothing to worry about.
After a year, you can really test out the sound system. Here's what I thought about that:
Wonderful!
It has such a good sound, not tinny at all. (Unless it's on the lowest bass setting, but that's the idea.) I always have the bass on the highest setting, and it is just great. It's better than my CD player at home. (Sony 51-disc major performance monster that cost $500.) It fills the car completely with such rich sound, it's great! And it never skips, of course.
I can't express to you how much more appealing this car is simply because of the moonroof. Back when I was still deciding, this feature cinched the decision, because it is just so nice to have. I could have gotten the Golf, but only without one, so I got the Civic. I'm very, very glad I made this decision for 10,000 other reasons (10 billion maybe), but I'm just here to tell you this:
If you want a moonroof, you'll find it's a good investment to go the extra mile (or even go down to your second choice) to get one.
It lightens up the whole interior of the car, making others seem cave-like and dark. It lets the hot air out of your car without allowing wind into the car. (I don't know how this works out. Aerodynamics, I suppose.) It's just a little luxury that goes a long way, and I suggest you try it.
It took this 26-hour roadtrip to realize that long-term driving isn't that comfortable. For me, anyway. Maybe I hadn't configured the seat properly, or maybe it's because I was stressed out by bad driving conditions, but after about an hour, my back got really stiff and I had to pull over and shake it out for a while.
I was so worried that a year of being exposed to the elements would ruin my car's paint job, and there'd be chips, dents, scratches, etc. But after a thorough washing, I was amazed:
a) because that was the first time I had really scrubbed off the bug carcasses (ALL of them!) And it looked brand-new. I'm used to a handful of bugs on my grill, it had become part of it. Without it, it looked sooo new!
b) because, after a year, many roadtrips, many hot days in the sun, much downpour, everything, the only signs of use were a few scratches on the hood from the cats that slept on it! It was just astonishing. It looks like I hardly took it out of the garage.
And the same goes for the interior, minus the dash. The dash tends to be damaged easily. My stupid dog, (actually she's a perfect angel baby most of the time, except when she sees a cat) lunged at a cat walking by outside as I was driving, and she scratched up the interior a bit.
But other than that, with no special treatment, no armor-all, nada, the beige cloth interior looks immaculate. The upholstery is still so soft and cushy, and it tends to repel stains naturally, since I haven't been able to find one. The only signs of all the Taco Bell, Kool-aid and other messy things is on the floor pads. (Whew! What a good investment! I highly recommend them, even if you're dumb like me and forget to have the dealer throw them in, and buy them yourself!)
Best of all: It still smells like a new car. Mmmm... new car. Yuuuuum...
Bottom line:
Even after 12 months, 6,000 miles, 6 billion bug carcasses splattered on the windshield, a fair amount of cat scratches on the hood (stupid claws!) and many alarming human errors, this car is still not only up and running, it's still pretty in Plum.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 16,450
Condition: New
Model Year: 2000
Model and Options: EX Auto... yummy
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Epinions.com ID:
frissin
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Location: Oregon
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
I love you all! Mwah! Mwah! (kisses)
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