Civic EX vs. Sentra GXE vs. Elantra GT
Written: May 02 '02 (Updated May 21 '02)
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Pros: Unreal gas mileage, fast engine, smooth acceleration, SAFE, SAFE, SAFE
Cons: Everyone has one and a tad bumpy at times
The Bottom Line: If you don't give this car a serious look, you will regret it.
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| masse78's Full Review: 2002 Honda Civic 4 door |
I had a 1999 Toyota RAV4, but due to some financial downfall, we needed to unload the monthly $440 payment. I was sad to see the RAV go, but was excited in looking at the 2002 models and doing a lot of research.
We knew we didn't want to spend more than $250 a month at the most. Given the price we were willing to pay, that pretty much eliminated all SUV's except for some that we wouldn't even consider due to bad ratings and horror stories. We're also looking to start a family within the next couple of years, so we knew we needed a four-door vehicle...not to mention one with a high safety rating. Those determining factors steered us towards looking at small sedans or compact cars.
Within a couple of days, I had visited every major car company Web site, read countless auto reviews (some on Epinions) and had this year's Consumer Reports in-hand and dog-eared mercilessly. My goal was to narrow the seemingly endless 2002 models down to three cars. Aside from the price and safety ratings, my fiance wanted cruise control and I wanted a CD player, remote keyless entry and ABS. And while we weren't interested in a sports car, we both agreed that we wanted a car with some pep and one that had no problem accelerating with the best of them. Our final three choices? The Honda Civic EX, the Nissan Sentra GXE and the Hyundai Elantra GT.
In the middle of our car hunt we just happened to be going down to Florida for a family emergency. Ironically enough our rental car turned out to be the 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE! While we enjoyed our four day test-drive, I have to say that I wasn't sad to return the car to the rental company. It wasn't a bad car, but I wasn't impressed. On the cosmetic side, the body of the car was unassuming. Not that the Civic is much better, but there is absolutely nothing eye-catching about the Nissan. Another gripe? The air-conditioning (and keep in mind we were in Florida)was very weak. We had to put the air-conditioning all the way to the maximum to keep the interior at a merely comfortable temperature. The sound system was phenomenal and the controls are very easy to reach and to understand. But the seats were terribly uncomfortable. After a two hour trip across the state, my rear end was literally hurting me. Cargo space was plentiful, especially with the 60/40 split in the rear. And there was plenty of space for knick-knacks, even a pop-up compartment on top of the dashboard where you can keep sunglasses and such. The cup holders were also adequate. The car was an automatic (which is what we would buy) and the shift lever was your standard T-Bar shift lever. Leg room could have been a little better for my 6 ft. tall fiance, but head room was A-OK. Acceleration was nice with 126 hp, but the steering was extremely sensitive and the brakes (not ABS on our model as they only come as part of a package) did not make me feel too safe. Finally, the Consumer Reports safety rating was merely alright. For those who don't know, the Consumer Reports analyzes the government safety rating and then gives its safety rating based on the analysis. It scored well in the front crash, the side crash was N/A and the offset crash was good. But satisfaction and depreciation were neutral. So the negatives outweighed the positives in the long run. Goodbye Nissan.
When we returned to NJ, I was dying to look at the Hyundai Elantra. Out of the three of the cars, the Hyundai's body style intrigued me the most. It eerily resembles the Saab hatchbacks (I think it's the Saab 9.5's or 9.3's) which I love, but can't afford. Plus, when comparing the three cars on paper, the Hyundai was unbeatable when looking for the most bang for your buck. Well I fell in love with the car upon first glance. It was beautiful. I was disappointed in the limited color choices, but I did love that body style. The leather seats were nice. I've heard people call them cheap-feeling, but I don't think you could really tell. Aside from which, the nicest thing about having leather seats in that car is that you don't have to pay a fortune to get the leather! I loved how the middle control console was skewed slightly towards the driver, making everything very accessible and making you feel like you're sliding into a cockpit of sorts. The shift lever was neat, too. It was shaped like the head of a golf club and just gave the car a sportier feel. Cargo space was unreal...28.3 cu. ft. to be exact; enough to fit a stroller and my fiance's golf clubs! The car was roomy enough, although the headroom wasn't quite enough for my fiance, but was plenty for my 5 ft. And the price was right. Only thing left was to take it out on the road. It was all downhill from there. Acceleration was the most unimpressive out of the three cars. It boasts 140 hp, but one must remember the car weighs (curb weight) 2,635 lbs. -- which is more than the other three by almost 100 lbs.! Needless to say, we didn't like the acceleration which was a very large negative. The GT model we drove didn't come with ABS (it comes in a package with this model) and you could definitely tell. While there were plenty of nooks and crannies to put things, the cup holders were painfully small. I always carry some beverage with me (usually a 16 oz. bottle of tea) and my bottle couldn't stand upright! It seems like a small gripe, but think of how many trips you're going to be taking and how many beverages you just may drink in the car. It will be very frustrating if you can't put the drink down. Consumer Reports didn't like it, either. With bad reliability, neutral satisfaction and "poor" offset crash ratings, the only good thing Consumer Reports listed was good front crash and good side crash. And finally the salesperson was the devil incarnate. I won't get into it, but let's just say that any negative stereotype you can think of, this guy had it and more! He was so desperate to get that car off the lot, it made me very suspicious.
So with a heavy heart, I headed to Honda. I have to say, I wasn't too excited about looking at the Civic. Sure it had everything I was looking for, but out of the three cars, it was the most expensive and I was sure I would hate having a "cookie-cutter" car. I guarantee you that if you go right now to your nearest McDonald's and wait in the drive-thru, you will see at least three Honda's waiting with you. So I looked at the Civic. Actually, I stared. It was cute...really cute. It had the typical sedan nose, but it also had some nice chrome finishing. The rear was what impressed me. Instead of having round edges, it had sharp, refined edges and was curved ever so slightly away from the rest of the car body with rear lights that wrapped like a sort of squared triangle around the sides. With the sharp edges and curve, it looked like a BMW rear and the lights were reminiscent of some rear lights on some Mercedes. I should also mention that in looking at other sedan models that either just came out or are coming out, the body trend seems to be deviating from the curvy bodies and reverting back to including some sharp, refind edges. If you're going to be driving this car for a while, take comfort in the fact that with this body style, you shouldn't stick out as much from other cars and I guarantee you that 3 or 4 years from now people will have a hard time guessing what year your Civic is. The rear also has some nice chrome finishing right about the license plate. The chrome accents were continued on the inside with the door handles and just added a nice consistency to the car's looks. And they came in a dark green (they call it Clover Green Pearl) which, being a "genius" ("Meet the Parents," anyone?) I would, of course, choose.
The salesman couldn't have been better. He answered my questions with a great breadth of knowledge and he took all of my concerns seriously. If you're looking for a car in the northern NJ area, please check out Mahwah Honda. He also didn't pressure me at all and they were offering a special deal and great lease rates which would actually match my desire to pay no more than $250 a month! And unlike Hyundai, the special deal wasn't going to end that day. In fact, the guy told me I'd have up to a month with this price to make my decision!
The salesman let me take the car out by myself for a test-drive and I put it through its paces. The anti-lock brakes (which come standard with the EX) were unreal. Someone on Epinions explained them as being "able to stop on a dime and give you four cents back" and it's true! They made me feel confident that puddles and snow would not lessen my driving courage. The controls are dead-set in the middle (instead of being skewed towards the driver), but they're very easy to use and still very accessible. While the shift lever wasn't as neat as the Hyundai, it also wasn't a standard T-bar. It looks like a computer joystick and fits the palm of your hand nicely. In conjunction with the shift lever the driver can view what gear they're in by just looking near the odometer. I also liked how the temperature controls were plain-old circular knobs. This makes them very easy to turn and even more accessible because you don't have to slide a control away from your body. The CD player (standard on the EX) also comes with an Anti-Theft system which given how desirable thieves find this car, makes you feel safer when you leave it in the parking lot.
The cup-holders were plenty large enough to hold my tea bottle and, in fact, they're able to hold 20 oz. cups or bottles. They're located below this pop-up compartment and there's something oddly satisfying when you push the door down and watch it pop up and back. Honda also smartly added a cup holder in the rear which helps to minimize interference from rear passengers. Speaking of the rear, it's roomier than prior models because they took out the hump that was on the floor, leaving a completely flat floor and plenty of room for three to sit. There's also a map holder in the rear. Trunk space was more than adequate and the Civic also has a 60/40 split rear seat (easy to fold down) for even more cargo room. There's plenty of space for knick-knacks with the obligatory (now most models have them) coin box located conveniently to the left of the driver. You also get a CD compartment located right below the CD player and plenty of little compartments to fit any and all of your necessities (i.e. sunglasses, etc.) near the shift lever.
The seats are comfortable and they don't hug your body too tightly. The driver's seat has a right arm rest which adds to your comfort. And the driver's seat can be adjusted for height as well. There's plenty of head and leg room and my fiance had no gripes in this department. As well as the coin box being located to the left of the driver, the master control for the moon roof (which tilts and opens full) is located there and the master control for cruise control. Also a side note about the moon roof: the moon roof is covered by a cover that you can manually slide back, but it also automatically goes back if you push the fully open button. The locations of all these important buttons gives the driver true power and is indicative of Honda's being a true driver's car. Of course, it annoys my fiance when he's the passenger because he doesn't have access to the moon roof.
The test-drive was a dream. Boasting 127 hp and a VTEC engine (variable valve timing and lift electronic control)that increases power across the rpm range, you can feel the power as you accelerate. This car has phenomenal pep for a compact car and I have to say that the Civic has the smoothest acceleration I have ever felt. You will definitely have no problem keeping up with the best of them. I also took the car up this very steep, very long hill near the dealership and the Civic ate it up and spit it out. And the top speed is a whopping 150 mph giving you confidence should you decide you want to race...even though we know you wouldn't. Wink. Wink. The steering was perfect. Not too tight and not too loose. I was able to hug the road's curves with the standard 15" sporty wheels and feel completely safe. The ride is a tad bumpy, but the car has no problem flying over potholes and the like. As I'm sure you know, the gas mileage is unreal, boasting 32 city and 37 highway....which my own experience with the gas mileage has not been far off from these figures. And the car is environmentally sound as well being a ULEV (an ultra-low-emission-vehicle) so you can be sure you're doing your part for the environment. The cabin remained quiet (much quieter than my RAV) and it allowed me to easily hear the sweet sounds pumping out of the CD player. With only four speakers, the sounds were still excellent and the bass and treble are easy to adjust and even easier to notice the difference. It's a great sound system. All in all, I loved the test-drive and did not want to get out of the car.
Safety-wise, this car is the creme de la creme. Aside from standard driver-side and passenger-side airbags which are dual-stage and therefore deploy at one of two rates, based on severity of impact, (dual side airbags are optional) all five seats come with 3-point seat belts and the driver's seat comes with a pretensioning system that, in a collision, tightens the belts to hold you securely. The entire body serves as a reinforced safety cage and the doors house dual steel door beams. The Civic also has a built-in front crush zone which progressively folds to help absorb impact and the rear crush zone assures even more safety. This car was rated this year's safest by Insurance.com and Consumer Reports gave it the best front crash rating, a great side crash rating and Good offset crash rating. Consumer Reports also listed it as one of the safest small cars, coming in only second to the VW Golf. And, unlike the Golf, the Civic had "Excellent Accident Avoidance."
Other important things that come standard: remote keyless entry (with a smartly included panic button and a beep that sounds to assure you that you've locked the car), an immoblizer theft-deterrent system, cruise control, a rear window defroster, an integrated rear-window antenna (no more flicking your antenna on the ceiling of those parkades), child-proof rear door locks, a maintenance interval indicator, a headlights-on reminder, and a nice beep with a lighted icon that reminds you to take your key. When you pick up the car, you get two master keys and a valet key. Why is this interesting? Well if you use the master key to lock the trunk and the rear seats (remember they fold down) you then prevent access into the trunk which can then only be opened with the master key. Therefore, you can give the valet the valet key and lock all your shopping treasures and other valuables in the trunk and have no worries. Another smart safety feature? The interior lights go on when you unlock your doors via the remote keyless entry system and if you push the unlock button once, it only opens the driver's side (pushing it twice unlocks all the doors) allowing for the safest possible entry circumstances.
All in all, the Civic had everything we wanted and it came with the Honda name. My father (who is notorious for running cars into an early grave) drove a Honda Accord for the as long as I can remember and turned it in problem-free at the end of his lease. I knew this car was reliable and I knew I would have no worries for as long as I have the car. I also love the fact that I can go 110,000 miles (yes, that's right...go ahead read the amount again) before its first scheduled tune-up (does not include fluid and filter changes). And as far as everyone having one, all I have to say is, "How can so many people be wrong?"
I love my Honda Civic. Memories of my RAV are long gone and I'm looking forward to a long-standing relationship with my Civic. It's smart-looking, a smart-buy and you will be smarter for owning one.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 244/mo.
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: EX, Automatic
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Epinions.com ID:
masse78
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Member: Lacey
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 3 members
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