Wonderful value
Written: Jan 12 '06
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Pros: Great mileage, good handling, exceptional value for money.
Cons: Slightly underpowered, transmission gear ratios too long.
The Bottom Line: The civic handles well, brakes well, is fun to drive, very reliable, and would make an excellent, fuel effecient car for anyone.
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| redline96lx's Full Review: 1996 Honda Civic 4 Door |
I acquired my 1996 Civic LX Sedan, stick shift, in 2003. It was $8800 tax, tag, and title. A bit steep, but the car was in great shape. Being my first car, I had little to compare it to, but after driving many other cars, I have to say that it had been competitive on many levels. For a 14k car brand new, it does much more than expected. It can handle as well as some very sporty cars, brakes very well because of its light weight, and can jump into traffic with its 5-speed manual transmission.
The engine loves to be revved and so makes the car fun. The transmission is very smooth, and the clutch is firm, so the first time you drive it, you may stall as I did. Because of this though, you can drive it smoothly where it feels like more of a luxury car than it is, or you can drive like your a racecar driver. Because its a Honda, it will put up with your abuse and thrashings. The suspension being a double wishbone makes the car comfortable on the straightaway and corners level. What I loved about this as a first car is how it gives a lot of road responds while not being uncomfortable.
I have no mechanical failures in the two years I owned the car, apart from the modifications I did myself. The civic is very reliable, and very easy to work on, and the replacement parts are not very cheap. Being a Honda, I have had to replace the front axles because the boots are not strong enough. The reliability is fantastic, and maintanence is cheaper than most car. So long as you maintain the car according to what the book says, it will keep on running for at least 300,000 miles.
I have driven an automatic version, and I have to say that it was less fun because it was slower, and since the engine makes just over 100hp and the car shifts too soon, you need to get the car in manual and keep it in high gear when going on the onramp in Atlanta traffic (this is a fast city.)
The car still manages to be competetive as a good used car, but by modern standards, it is a tad slow, and there is a slightly more than expected amount of body roll in the corners for a car with so little weight. One other complaint I had was the fact that the horn sounds too high pitched and weak.
This is a great car in the fact that its fun to drive. Being a sport compact, it does deliver. It handles well, and though the engine is small, it does deliver a good amount of torque and you can bomb around town enjoying jumping through traffic as a nimble, sporty car. And while revving and having fun, you still get your nice 30mpg, though I have modified my car to get more power and 36mpg. Driving with the windows down in the summer, its great, its just great.
If you are a car tuner, or just like to work on your own car, this car is wonderful. I have worked on Fords, VWs, and Toyotas, but nothing is so simple and wonderfully engineered as my Honda. Replacement parts are easy to replace, and there are so many bolt-on upgrades for this car. It had absolutly dominated the aftermarket for the past 5 years at least, so many people refer to civics as "mouldable clay" saying that you can make it into anything you want it to be. I really do like the way it looks, not overly rounded like newer cars, but its not offensivly ugly or terrible, and the body lines are great.
The car is a 4 star frontal and three side side impact, and I have been rear ended. The car may be a compact, but is relativly safe. The only problem is that in Atlanta with so many bad drivers in huge, non responsive SUVs, getting sideswiped by one will result in the car being totaled. Driving with the road response I get, the engine's torque. the precise handling and the good brakes, I do feel that I have control of the car, and thus do feel safe inside it, also knowing I have the build quality of the safest and most reliable car maker in the world as of 2005.
Relative to many other used compact cars, the Civic is fantastic value for money, handles and drives better than most, has better fuel economy than most, and is fun to drive. I would reccomend this as a first car to almost any of my friends and family.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 8800
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1996
Model and Options: LX, manual
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Epinions.com ID:
redline96lx
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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