New Owners report: Honda Civic MT

alankarm@sancha · 30th July 2007, 07:36

I have now had the CIVIC MT now for about 10 months and the highest I have tested it is at 185 km/hr. Routine drive due to our highway conditions is about 100-110 km/hr max and about 55 -60 km/day avg.

I get an avg. in the range of 12.5 - 13.25 with a/c and 85 - 90% highway. Is this ok? I have done about 17000 km in the Civic and hope to be able to write a long term ownership report on ith soon.

merains · 30th July 2007, 07:58

looking forward for your long term ownership report. me too is planning to buy civic MT in a month's time.has GC been a problem?

ST7677 · 30th July 2007, 10:59

17000km in 10 months... hmm impressive!
Looking forward to your long term report...

crkishore · 30th July 2007, 13:46

i am about to finish 20k kms in 7 months [

]

All the three free services were done pretty decently well, and the paid one too was quite honest. i also went in for a small paint job in between, and that too was finished quite nicely. they did try to sell me some additive for the wiper water, but i didnt approve.

technically, i wonder why we need to get the car serviced at every 5k kms. my santro needs to be peeped in only every 10k kms. the technician at the service centre said that it was more of an inspection.

however, the service reception centre at the dakshin honda in bangalore needs a big improvement. everytime there would be a chaos or a long wait.

i also wonder why honda [or even others] doesnt promote good waxing or self-help cleaning solutions. they could easily sell mini vaccum cleaners, waxing products, etc.

on a personal front, i know that i havent done a good job in keeping the car very neat from the exterior. there are lots of scratches on her, and interestingly all of them came up at 0kmph ! any suggestions to cover them up ? any recommended place for the much talked about 3M waxing?

iraghava · 30th July 2007, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by crkishore

i also wonder why honda [or even others] doesnt promote good waxing or self-help cleaning solutions. they could easily sell mini vaccum cleaners, waxing products, etc.

They are not interested because how will they earn money by selling you over priced services like the Interior cleaning & the fraud they commit under the garb of Teflon coating! They have to fill their pockets too you know!

alankarm@sancha · 30th July 2007, 21:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST7677

17000km in 10 months... hmm impressive!
Looking forward to your long term report...

sory that is 20500 km as of today. delivery taken on 9th october.

alankarm@sancha · 30th July 2007, 21:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by merains

looking forward for your long term ownership report. me too is planning to buy civic MT in a month's time.has GC been a problem?

Off road or on high speedbreakers, the GC is a problem, no doubt about it. But you do not buy the Civic to take it off roading do you? Speed breakers....... be careful of high speeds.

My 1st inspection at 1000 km and 2nd at 5000 km didn't cost me anything except that the car was sent to Jaipur from Ajmer as the only dealer in Rajasthan is at Jaipur. I did not want to get the car inspected at their service camp at Ajmer, but by the full team.

Cost was about Rs.Rs.940/- for Oil and filter at 10000 km. - no labour etc, due to final free service.

15,000 km service cost me Rs. 670/-, for wash etc. and I dont remember what else.

20000 km service now due.

I shall try to give my Long term report in a single piece, but most probably it will be in bits and jerks. I probably will not have the patience to write a big report in a single go.

alankarm@sancha · 30th July 2007, 22:30

They say 170mm GC but with a longer wheel base, the effective GC comes down quite a bit. Not very problematic but annoying at times.

FE approx 12.5 to 13.25 km/l with A/C 85-90% highway. Speed not exceeding 110 km/h but normaly about 100 km/h.

Dont take the car out in the City much so cant comment on the City avg.

Without a/c - winters only for us here in Rajasthan, the FE was about 13.25 - 14 km/l, same conditions as above, but the FE has improved over the last 3-4 months, probably the engine is well settled now.

Use only normal petrol. Tried Speed petrol continuously for many tankfuls (2 times about 4-5 tankfuls continuously) and Power petrol also. no long term or percieved advantage by paying the extra 1.75/- per ltr. Better stick to a reliable petrol pump.

alankarm@sancha · 30th July 2007, 23:20

Here goes my 1st (of the many) parts of my long term report on the CIVIC MT.

First let me tell you that we have had Cars since 1931 (yes 1931), so I would not really like any comments on what I understand and what I dont. I probably dont understand too much about the nitty gritty mainly because I do not have the patience.

My Civic 1.8S MT just completed about 20500 km. So here is a review of the Car at this point. The review may be a bit disjointed and in parts.

1st the looks: Definitely the sexiest car, very impressive. Still draws envious looks and ooohs and aaahs.

Interiors are very futuristic. The beige fabric is already getting soiled. -- ANY SUGGESTIONS. I don't like leather and anyway would not like to use a seat
cover.

Front comfort and legspace is phenomenal. Rear leg space, at minimum is a bit tight. I'm just 5'9". So taller persons may be in trouble, but still better than Octavia or any C car.

The front dashboard area is too huge, due to the high slope of the windshield. It looks as if the. Some may like it, some may not.

A pillar is a bit to obstructive.

The instrument cluster area is nice to look at in the day time--but absolutely phenomenal at night. WOW

They say that the brightnes of the digital cluster can be problematic at night, but you can set the brightness to lessen considerably as soon as you switch on the headlights/parking lights.

The reciprocating ovelrlapping wipers leave a large area in the top centre. The wipers look nice, but on working-- nothing exceptonal.

Can't see the front slope of the car even at the the highest seat setting, and I am decently tall. Have to judge the distance very carefully. The width also takes some time to get used t, especially in the city.

Reversing can be a problem too due to rear end estimation.

Getting in and out of the car not very comfortable for the driver. The drivers legs have to be stretched out to get out, and the seat shifted back.

Deating is definitely better than my OHC with excellent thigh support and better height so knees dont go higher than thighs. Miss a lumbar support.

Enough niches, boxes and cubbyholes for most knick knacks.

Power outlet better than giving a cigarette lighter. (No ash trays also)

Audio controls in rear center arm rest looks like a nice touch - you dont keep looking for the remote. Practically remote probably would have been better as most of the times rear centre arm rest is not being used at all.

My CIVIC has no Auxilary Jack in the music system. The integrated system is just decent but too much of a trouble to change / upgrade on your own or in the market, you have to go to a dealer. Looks really COOL though.

A/C is sufficient even in dry and hot Rajasthan (I'm at Ajmer, the center of Rajasthan)

Doors open solid, feel solid and close with a nice solid thud.

Yhere is a rattling noise from the front passenger window glass when the window is half down. the Dealership says its in every car not just CIVIC. I say this does not happen in any of my other cars.

I have a lot of other cars (3 OHCs, 1 Amby, 1 Cielo, 2-800s, 1NHC, 1 Accent CRDi, 2 Indica, 2 Esteem, 1 Tata Estate, 1 Optra, 1 Corsa Swing. We are a large family living in the same premises.

lamborghini · 31st July 2007, 12:38

Hey ST7677,
nice review.
We're also planning on picking up a Civic AT and i wanted to ask you about your ICE.
Have you changed your front speakers? Also, if you have changed your speakers, what brand were the stock speakers.
thanks.

BEEM3R · 31st July 2007, 13:04

Hey Guys,

Need an honest opinion from you guys. I have a lovely Silver 2003 Honda Accord 2.4 MT. I adore the car, its great to drive, nice and quick. Its been my baby for a long time. I was in University abroad 2002-2005, so I got to enjoy the car only on breaks. I moved back 2006 and have enjoyed the car everyday for the past 1 year. I still have no issues with it, except for the occasional break pads and power steering fluid. But my dad likes to change cars quickly and cannot understand why I still want to hold onto this car. I have two options now. A Laura or a Civic MT. Both are slower than the Accord so Im apprehensive. Though those Mugen kitted Civics look sexy. I already have the Laura, its got a nice RS kit and is a good looking car except its diesel and automatic. What I want to know is if I get the Civic will I hate driving it? Im afraid Ill find it slow. And I dont want to miss my Accord and regret it. My friends tell me Ill hate the Civic after the Accord (power-wise). Please advice!

csentil · 31st July 2007, 20:46

Well the Civic is no Accord 3.0 V6. But its pretty decent. Revs like mad and if you choose your gears rightly can outpace a lot of cars. Take a test drive. Get to Marina or the War memorial roads early morning or late afternoon and let her rip. That would be the best way of determining if its good for you.

ST7677 · 1st August 2007, 14:30

Thanks Lamborgini,
I have a detailed ICE install and you can refer to the following thread for the details... you will like it...
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ask-gu...a-civic-3.html

Posts 488-495 give complete details on what went in and how.

I was told that stock speakers are from Alpine, they are called magnet less speakers, don't know what it means. You can see the pics in the above thread.

Finally congratulations on the decision to go with the Civic.
CIVIC AT specifically is much better than the other ATs, as the engine and gear box are designed for each other and provides very good WHP (Wheel horse power) the transmission loss is very low and the same is apparent on the mileage also.
It was a tough decision to make between MT and AT, and even now I sometimes feel I should have taken an AT.

BUSA · 1st August 2007, 15:50

Quote:

they could easily sell mini vaccum cleaners

I had bought one from Ichibaan Honda for my NHC, needless to say it was total crap, has no power.

anandpadhye · 1st August 2007, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST7677

With renewal of my insurance, I am getting 2, Rs.500 worth gift vouchers which I can use against labor charges during the servicing.

From whom?
Dealer or Honda or the insurance company (BTW, which one)?

30th July 2007, 07:36	#256
alankarm@sancha BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ajmer / Mumbai Posts: 210 Thanked: 3 Times	I have now had the CIVIC MT now for about 10 months and the highest I have tested it is at 185 km/hr. Routine drive due to our highway conditions is about 100-110 km/hr max and about 55 -60 km/day avg. I get an avg. in the range of 12.5 - 13.25 with a/c and 85 - 90% highway. Is this ok? I have done about 17000 km in the Civic and hope to be able to write a long term ownership report on ith soon.
	() Thanks

30th July 2007, 07:58	#257
merains BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: kochi Posts: 105 Thanked: 0 Times	looking forward for your long term ownership report. me too is planning to buy civic MT in a month's time.has GC been a problem?
	() Thanks

30th July 2007, 10:59	#258
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	17000km in 10 months... hmm impressive! Looking forward to your long term report...
	() Thanks

30th July 2007, 13:46	#259
crkishore BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 30 Thanked: Once	i am about to finish 20k kms in 7 months [] All the three free services were done pretty decently well, and the paid one too was quite honest. i also went in for a small paint job in between, and that too was finished quite nicely. they did try to sell me some additive for the wiper water, but i didnt approve. technically, i wonder why we need to get the car serviced at every 5k kms. my santro needs to be peeped in only every 10k kms. the technician at the service centre said that it was more of an inspection. however, the service reception centre at the dakshin honda in bangalore needs a big improvement. everytime there would be a chaos or a long wait. i also wonder why honda [or even others] doesnt promote good waxing or self-help cleaning solutions. they could easily sell mini vaccum cleaners, waxing products, etc. on a personal front, i know that i havent done a good job in keeping the car very neat from the exterior. there are lots of scratches on her, and interestingly all of them came up at 0kmph ! any suggestions to cover them up ? any recommended place for the much talked about 3M waxing?
	() Thanks

30th July 2007, 22:30	#263
alankarm@sancha BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ajmer / Mumbai Posts: 210 Thanked: 3 Times	They say 170mm GC but with a longer wheel base, the effective GC comes down quite a bit. Not very problematic but annoying at times. FE approx 12.5 to 13.25 km/l with A/C 85-90% highway. Speed not exceeding 110 km/h but normaly about 100 km/h. Dont take the car out in the City much so cant comment on the City avg. Without a/c - winters only for us here in Rajasthan, the FE was about 13.25 - 14 km/l, same conditions as above, but the FE has improved over the last 3-4 months, probably the engine is well settled now. Use only normal petrol. Tried Speed petrol continuously for many tankfuls (2 times about 4-5 tankfuls continuously) and Power petrol also. no long term or percieved advantage by paying the extra 1.75/- per ltr. Better stick to a reliable petrol pump.
	() Thanks

30th July 2007, 23:20	#264
alankarm@sancha BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ajmer / Mumbai Posts: 210 Thanked: 3 Times	Here goes my 1st (of the many) parts of my long term report on the CIVIC MT. First let me tell you that we have had Cars since 1931 (yes 1931), so I would not really like any comments on what I understand and what I dont. I probably dont understand too much about the nitty gritty mainly because I do not have the patience. My Civic 1.8S MT just completed about 20500 km. So here is a review of the Car at this point. The review may be a bit disjointed and in parts. 1st the looks: Definitely the sexiest car, very impressive. Still draws envious looks and ooohs and aaahs. Interiors are very futuristic. The beige fabric is already getting soiled. -- ANY SUGGESTIONS. I don't like leather and anyway would not like to use a seat cover. Front comfort and legspace is phenomenal. Rear leg space, at minimum is a bit tight. I'm just 5'9". So taller persons may be in trouble, but still better than Octavia or any C car. The front dashboard area is too huge, due to the high slope of the windshield. It looks as if the. Some may like it, some may not. A pillar is a bit to obstructive. The instrument cluster area is nice to look at in the day time--but absolutely phenomenal at night. WOW They say that the brightnes of the digital cluster can be problematic at night, but you can set the brightness to lessen considerably as soon as you switch on the headlights/parking lights. The reciprocating ovelrlapping wipers leave a large area in the top centre. The wipers look nice, but on working-- nothing exceptonal. Can't see the front slope of the car even at the the highest seat setting, and I am decently tall. Have to judge the distance very carefully. The width also takes some time to get used t, especially in the city. Reversing can be a problem too due to rear end estimation. Getting in and out of the car not very comfortable for the driver. The drivers legs have to be stretched out to get out, and the seat shifted back. Deating is definitely better than my OHC with excellent thigh support and better height so knees dont go higher than thighs. Miss a lumbar support. Enough niches, boxes and cubbyholes for most knick knacks. Power outlet better than giving a cigarette lighter. (No ash trays also) Audio controls in rear center arm rest looks like a nice touch - you dont keep looking for the remote. Practically remote probably would have been better as most of the times rear centre arm rest is not being used at all. My CIVIC has no Auxilary Jack in the music system. The integrated system is just decent but too much of a trouble to change / upgrade on your own or in the market, you have to go to a dealer. Looks really COOL though. A/C is sufficient even in dry and hot Rajasthan (I'm at Ajmer, the center of Rajasthan) Doors open solid, feel solid and close with a nice solid thud. Yhere is a rattling noise from the front passenger window glass when the window is half down. the Dealership says its in every car not just CIVIC. I say this does not happen in any of my other cars. I have a lot of other cars (3 OHCs, 1 Amby, 1 Cielo, 2-800s, 1NHC, 1 Accent CRDi, 2 Indica, 2 Esteem, 1 Tata Estate, 1 Optra, 1 Corsa Swing. We are a large family living in the same premises.
	() Thanks

31st July 2007, 12:38	#265
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,114 Thanked: 5,764 Times View My Garage	Hey ST7677, nice review. We're also planning on picking up a Civic AT and i wanted to ask you about your ICE. Have you changed your front speakers? Also, if you have changed your speakers, what brand were the stock speakers. thanks.
	() Thanks

31st July 2007, 13:04	#266
BEEM3R BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Dubai-Chennai Posts: 311 Thanked: 20 Times	Hey Guys, Need an honest opinion from you guys. I have a lovely Silver 2003 Honda Accord 2.4 MT. I adore the car, its great to drive, nice and quick. Its been my baby for a long time. I was in University abroad 2002-2005, so I got to enjoy the car only on breaks. I moved back 2006 and have enjoyed the car everyday for the past 1 year. I still have no issues with it, except for the occasional break pads and power steering fluid. But my dad likes to change cars quickly and cannot understand why I still want to hold onto this car. I have two options now. A Laura or a Civic MT. Both are slower than the Accord so Im apprehensive. Though those Mugen kitted Civics look sexy. I already have the Laura, its got a nice RS kit and is a good looking car except its diesel and automatic. What I want to know is if I get the Civic will I hate driving it? Im afraid Ill find it slow. And I dont want to miss my Accord and regret it. My friends tell me Ill hate the Civic after the Accord (power-wise). Please advice!
	() Thanks

31st July 2007, 20:46	#267
csentil Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,349 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	Well the Civic is no Accord 3.0 V6. But its pretty decent. Revs like mad and if you choose your gears rightly can outpace a lot of cars. Take a test drive. Get to Marina or the War memorial roads early morning or late afternoon and let her rip. That would be the best way of determining if its good for you.
	() Thanks

1st August 2007, 14:30	#268
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	Thanks Lamborgini, I have a detailed ICE install and you can refer to the following thread for the details... you will like it... http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ask-gu...a-civic-3.html Posts 488-495 give complete details on what went in and how. I was told that stock speakers are from Alpine, they are called magnet less speakers, don't know what it means. You can see the pics in the above thread. Finally congratulations on the decision to go with the Civic. CIVIC AT specifically is much better than the other ATs, as the engine and gear box are designed for each other and provides very good WHP (Wheel horse power) the transmission loss is very low and the same is apparent on the mileage also. It was a tough decision to make between MT and AT, and even now I sometimes feel I should have taken an AT.
	() Thanks