The Honda Civic has been around since 1973. It has always been known for its’ fuel economy. Making it the Honda Civic has been one of the most popular compact cars sold in America.
I remember back in the early 1980′s a close friend had a fleet for four Honda Civic’s. They were used in his business of serving court papers all around the San Francisco Bay area. The cars were not very comfortable, but they were great on gas mileage and maneuvering in and out of traffic.
Today’s basic Civic comes with 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine producing 140 horsepower. It is attached to a five-speed manual transmission. For those who cannot drive a manual transmission there is a five-speed automatic available.
The Si is powered by a 2.0-liter. Delivering to the wheels 197 horse-powered engine by a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission. In between the basic and high end model is the GX with under the hood a little smaller by a 113-hp 1.8-liter engine that runs on clean-burning compressed natural gas.
EPA-estimated fuel economy is 40 mpg city and 45 mpg highway. However, MPGomatic.com tells quite a different story. Mostly because it breaks down the mileage rating by model and year. Scanning over the various model show quite a wide range from 21 mpg to 44 mpg. The variation is all from model year, engine size and type of transmission.
You can get into a new Honda Civic for around $23,000. A five year old model will sell for between $8,000 and $13,000. The biggest difference in price comes for the amount of features in the particular model you are looking to buy.
Automotive.com reports recalls for every years since 1984. HondaProblems.com show the 2001 model is the worst for transmission problems. Making other issues like car stereo light and exterior brake light switch seem only minor. That is a bad track record.
Bottom-line: The Honda Civic would be a good car if I was doing a lot of running around town, and did not need much storage space. The Civic would also be a consideration for commuting to and from work. I would stick the base model and manual transmission.
