I purchased my 2001 Honda Civic EX in the Fall of 01 as a replacement for a 91 Honda Civic hatchback with well over 180,000 miles. This is my third Honda.

Overall, this is a great car for the money.

Fuel Economy -

The gas mileage this vehicle gets is nothing short of astonishing. I have recorded highway mileage as high as 43 mpg. That's right, 43 mpg. My regular average with a good mix of city and highway driving is 33-35. With the 13 gallon fuel tank, there is a good range on this car. As a plus, it takes regular unleaded fuel (87 octane minimum).

Handling -

The car handles nicely, but the standard (Firestone FR690) tires are all but dangerous in wet weather. Be careful. I am looking forward to a replacement set of stickier tires. On the positive side, I have almost 65,000 miles on the original treads.

The car seemed to lose it's ability to absorb bumps a little quickly, otherwise, the car is very quiet on the highway.

The car handles fairly well in the snow - I have driven it in snow over 6" with little problem.

Engine -

The larger engine on the EX is plenty speedy, but engine noise is quite harsh at higher RPM's. The engine is so quiet and smooth at idle it is often difficult to tell if its running.

The air conditioning does seem to place a strain on the engine.

The 5 speed manual is pure silk, wonderfully designed and smooth.

Honda specifies 5W-20 oil for this car; a grade that is rarely found at Jiffy Lube or other fast serve oil change shops. Most Honda dealers have a $25.00 quick change oil service and use the correct oil and a Honda filter. I recommend that route.

There is an air conditioning filter that requires changing every 30,000 miles. As an FYI, the major service every 30,000 miles runs about $350.00.

Interior -

I have never owned a car with such a nicely laid out interior. Knobs are large and easy to reach, dials are easy to read and everything (except for the cruise control "on" switch which should be on the steering wheel), is in the right place. The stereo (CD) has excellent sound quality and volume for a stock unit.

The air conditioning works well, but seems to take a long time to get the interior cold. It also does not work very well at idle. The back interior windows tend to fog during rainy weather and are difficult to defrost even with heat and AC on. The heat will burn you it's so hot (nice and warm).

Visibility is good, but there are two definitive blind spots in this car-look over your shoulder.

The interior fabric is sturdy but nice to the touch. Very good quality. I find the seats comfortable on all but the longest trips.

Safety -

I was rear-ended in this vehicle by a car traveling well over 15 mph and the impact caused only $500.00 in damage. The crash test ratings tell the truth. This is a safe, strong car.

Problems -

This is the third Honda I have owned where the brake rotors require frequent resurfacing from warpage. The dealer keeps telling me I am too hard on the brakes (not at all), but I think it is a material/design defect. If you notice pulsation during hard or high speed braking, this is the problem. Expect to pay about $140.00 to have the rotors turned-the dealer has only covered this under warranty

There are some creaks and vibration noise in this car in cold weather which can be quite irritating. I have actually had to turn the radio up to keep from going insane at times. Sometimes a good slam of the fist in the offending area will stop the noise temporarily, but this is very rare for Honda.

Summary -

All in all, I would recommend this car to anyone, and hopefully Honda has worked out some of the bugs since 01. The few bugs are easily outweighed by the positives. Honda's are hard to beat.
Amount Paid (US$): 15,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: EX 5 Speed