[islero]

In case anyone started doubting, its not for me, its for my brother, who lives in the states.

It is time for a first car, and his choices are the above mentioned two after narrowing down his choices.

So can anyone throw more light upon these two cars, we know about their looks and power, but can anyone tell more about practicality, reliability etc and other intangible factors, which will also matter as much as looks and power in the long run. TBHP-ians in the states, I mean espeically you.

Cheers,
Islero

[avkurian]

I don't think you can compare the two head-to-head. Like apples and oranges, as they say.

One is American muscle, the other is Japanese technology.

I am quite sure the Mustang would be more expensive- both to buy and to own/maintain. The Civic would give you more affordable power, but cannot be seen in the same league as the Mustang.

It all depends on budget, attitude etc..

Personally, i would say if you got the moolah, go with a brand new Mustang. Looks like a dream! Or if budget is a consideration, then ideally go in for a used Civic and do it up to your heart's fill..

Am not 100% sure about the US, but in most parts of the world, the more powerful or luxurious the car, the more its resale value drops. In that case, it may be more economical to run a Civic for a few years, and u may lose less percentage than on the Mustang. But Mustang being American, you may have a good market for it there.


Hope i've managed to confuse you some more! If you're looking at a new Civic, would also recommend the new Mazda 6 or 3. The 3, slightly cheaper than Civic, gives you more toys. You also get kits for these rides now, so souping up won't be an issue. Or else, go the road less taken, spend just a bit more, and get a Subaru. These rides kick some serious azz..

Cheers!

[anarchist]

Fords Mustang anyday dude

[aah78]

Originally Posted by islero

It is time for a first car.

but can anyone tell more about practicality, reliability etc and other intangible factors, which will also matter as much as looks and power in the long run. TBHP-ians in the states, I mean espeically you.

your brother has a choice between a RWD V8 (as you mentioned GT) and a FWD 4-cyl - which will make a big difference depending on which state he lives in. if it's a northern / snowy state then he'll find the FWD useful to handle in snow. RWD is useless in snow unless he fits snow tyres during winter months.

the Mustang GT starting from a price of $26k has a mileage estimate of 17 city / 25 hwy while the Civic Si Coupe starting from a base price of $20k has a mileage estimate of 23 city / 32 hwy.

as someone has mentioned previously, the Civic will definitely have a higher resale than the Mustang, however, that also depends on which state he's located in.

regarding maintenance issues - other than gas (petrol) price, the initial maintenance for a brand new car also depends a lot on what kind of warranty is offered by the company, and how long your brother plans to keep the car. if he plans to keep the car for 3-4 years (or he doesn't drive around too much) then he really should worry only about fuel costs as most companies offer a good maintenance package (3/4 years or 40k/50k miles).

only when the warranty period ends will he really have to worry about maintenance costs but being Ford & Honda they won't be as expensive as you'd expect from a higher segment car - ofcourse, Honda will be marginally lower than Ford.

both cars are pretty reliable but from what i've heard. ask him to check out reviews on edmunds.com, cars.com & Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com).

[Shan2nu]

Considering it's gonna be his first car. I think he should go with the Civic. It's easy to drive, a lot more predictable, more FE, easy to maintain and fetches a better resale value.

Mustangs are for people who like muscle, period!! There's no other reason for buying it.

Shan2nu

[amit]

Thats a very weird comparo! One is a pure muscle car and the other is a boring family run about. Thing is no one in North America buys a Civic because it's a great drivers car. It's a car for someone who wants to go from point A to B. Thats it! If it's a snowy area and your brother has never driven a car in the snow then FWD will be better. Not much of difference in insurance between these two cars though I'd guess Mustang will be more on insurance. For a first car, I'd say go for the Civic. Unless your brother has always had a thing to own a Mustang someday. If so, I believe you only live once. Go for the Mustang then!

[prasadee]

I did own a Mustang convertible for 3 years, its a great car for the price.
The good - Lots of raw power, great engine roar, lots of after market parts available, cheap spares, and a cheap car that comes with a lot of standard options that is fun.

The bad - Very steep depreciation (I lost 65% of the value in 3 years), low gas mileage, and a very common car.

I have had a Civic sedan as my commuter car for the past 3 years.
The good- Very reliable, very refined, and crisp, the SI is very sporty, loads of after market parts, favourite amoung tuners, best resale value.

The bad - expensive car (when you add all the optional stuff), expensive to maintain, & a very common car.
A more realistic comparison would be
Mustang with the GTO/solstice
or Civic Si with the Scion TC
Its hard to compare a jap with an american car

[prasadee]

Originally Posted by amit

Mustang will be more on insurance.

Not really, I had a Red Mustang convertible, and I paid the same insurance my X-roommate paid for his Honda Accord. (both same age, similar profile)

And, I would not classify the Civic SI as a boring commuter. It is a different animal. It can defintely pack a punch. It is a peppy little guy and has a great power to weight ratio. Checkout the review here. If you have Speed OnDemand you can checkout the review there as well.
http://www.caranddriver.com/previews...-civic-si.html

[prasadee]

Originally Posted by aah78

the Mustang GT starting from a price of $26k while the Civic Si Coupe starting from a base price of $20k

I agree, but when you add up all the options, and you consider the dealer discounts on the Mustang, it probably will come out cheaper. The Honda stealers usually have very limited number of cars that are not Accords, and Civic sedans, and they would want to sell it at close to MSRP price. I have had it with the Honda stealerships - they always want a premium , I faced this when I was in the market for an SUV, I looked at the CRV, & I ended up buying a Toyota 4Runner that was much bigger, and powerful, but cheaper than the CRV because of dealer discounts.

[cheap_deal]

Originally Posted by aah78

RWD is useless in snow unless he fits snow tyres during winter months.

i think the same goes for FWD too. need snow tires to drive properly in snow. i personally prefer a RWD car in the snow (getting the back out is so much more fun )


even if the mustang works out cheaper to buy than the civic si, your bro will end up spending quite an amount on running costs like gas and insurance (God forbid the high rates if he is in the 16-25yrs category drivers )

[DaPilot]

Islero: I think aah78 summed it up pretty well.

IMO the two cars fall in different league, both have there pro's and con's I think your bro has to decide on what he wants... if he is a car enthusiast then its definitely Mustang else for all practical reasons it has to be Civic... Civic imo is the best in its segment.

And yes if he lives in area where it snows then mustang is one of the worst cars to drive in... I can guarantee you the car will skid of the road without snow tyers (even with snow tyers it’s horrible)... but this issue is not contained to mustangs... any rear wheel car performs poorly in snow especially on inclines.

Insurance again will totally depend on where he lives... if he lives in north east then he can expect very steep insurance quotes... insurance in US is more dependent on the area then the car.

Again the two are in different leagues... but if i have to choose between the two for practicality, relaibilty, intangible factors then I would go for Civic its the most practical car when you look at factors like insurance, gas milage, price, and dependability

[condor]

While the general thoughts are that the Mustang is a muscle car, and the Civic is not so much, pls remember that the Civic in question is not the regular Civic. This Civic-Si is very sporty, very fun - esp the hatchback. And you'd be surprised with the pricing of this model.

Between these two, as a first car, I'd go with the Civic Si - it is good & reliable [honda genes], and lots of fun. The hatchback was one I had an eye on, and would still take one if I am in the situation.

Originally Posted by cheap deal

i think the same goes for FWD too. need snow tires to drive properly in snow.

South of AWD's and 4x4's, FWD's are good enough for snow driving. Even a novice driver will be able to get thru, as long as he doesnt do anything stupid for the conditions. Chains are no fun - getting them on and off, and cannot drive too fast - it's a pain.

Regarding costs and pricing, a good product will sell itself, doesnt need that extra push in the form of discounts etc. And for those who have follow the pricing of cars in the US -esp the Big 3, you have seen how the discounts make their mysterious appearance at certain times of the year. The extent of these discounts makes one wonder if they are making good at other times - or if they are over-priced. OT, you'd have also heard about the huge benefits that were negotiated with UAW some years back, and the burden that this has been having on the Big 3.

So Islero, even if your brother is in a place where it snows, the Civic Si is a good choice.

[amit]

I would not classify the Civic SI as a boring commuter

Oh! my bad..Sorry! I thought it was the Civic and not the Si being considered.

the Mustang GT starting from a price of $26k. the Civic Si Coupe starting from a base price of $20k

Why not take a very serious look at the new VW GTI? It starts off at $21,990 and every auto mag has rated it as a far better car to drive then the Si. I have driven the GTI and boy does that car rock! and it also comes loaded with a lot of standard features.

[Shan2nu]

How expensive are the Subaru Imprezza and Evo 8, compared to the Mustang? These are cars worth owning. AWD means that you get better blowing acc off the line, without any of the oversteery bit. And they're perfect for snow driving.

Shan2nu

[F50]

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

How expensive are the Subaru Imprezza and Evo 8, compared to the Mustang? These are cars worth owning. AWD means that you get better blowing acc off the line, without any of the oversteery bit. And they're perfect for snow driving.

Shan2nu

Well, the base Mustangs starts from $19k and top line goes till $31-32k
Impreza STi for $33k and Evo 9 for around $33k. For more info log on to Yahoo Autos. They have this fantastic thing of Owning Cost of 5yrs gives you a rough idea how much you gonna spend in 5yrs.