New Owners report: Honda Civic MT

sandeep108 · 10th November 2006, 12:16

My experience with honda always has been that any niggling issues that do arise (and the civic has it's fair share, being a new and latest model in almost all respects, especially technological) mostly get sorted out by them with minor inconvenience to the owner.

The reports I have heard about civics are:
1. Engine mount clunking noise - no other effect.
2. Security system problem - major irritant.
3. Door lock jamming.
4. Dashboard creaking - minor irritant.
5. Headlight mis-alignment - minor.

Mostly they are getting fixed as and when parts are available, owners complain or when being serviced.

Any other issues anybody want to report?

Plus side is honda suspension and handling - great.
FE - great.
Interiors - great
Power - great

iraghava · 10th November 2006, 14:15

A bump in the bumper simply shows that the bumper is doing the job it's supposed to do i.e. absorb the impact. As for build quality yes the German cars are more solidly built than their Japanese counterparts but Japanese cars have much superior Reliability than European cars. And this is supported by almost all major researches/studies.

As for the pic Busa you find a Civic with a dented bumper standing next to an Octy and you find that an example of the comparative build qualities? How is that?

Did you see the two cars going through the same impact and the Civic as a result having a bump in the bumper and the Octy had no marks? Did you do a standardised test or were sitness to it?

As a personal request please stop this Civic bashing. We understand you don't like the Civic & try to find every oppurtunity to degrade it but it's getting very tiresome now. You've been doing it ever since you started the thread. Please find something else to bash.

BUSA · 10th November 2006, 17:04

Guys i am not saying Civic is bad but all i mean to say (not wrt to the pic) the build quality of the Octy is much better then the Civic, period.

coolmastdude · 10th November 2006, 19:32

It is but obvious that the build quality of European cars is much better than Japanese cars... but among Japanese cars, the Civic has a much better build quality & fit n finish than any other Jap car... if you compare it's build quality with cars like the Corolla... the Civic is miles ahead! In fact, the build quality of Civic is even better than Accord...

Vid6639 · 10th November 2006, 21:17

coolmastdude you are absoultely right. The civic does feel very well built. Much better than the corolla and also the accord. The doors are heavy and close with a nice thud. Overall very good build quality.
I wouldnt mind trading build quality for reliability any day. Whats the use of the car of having a well built car if it's gonna be at the garage more often.
The skoda has It's fair share of problems and the spares costs are exhorbitant.

So what mileage are you getting from your car and overall how is it so far. Do you have the AT or MT.

ST7677 · 10th November 2006, 23:32

Quote:

Guys i am not saying Civic is bad but all i mean to say (not wrt to the pic) the build quality of the Octy is much better then the Civic, period.

Yeah looks like you want to put 'Period' after most of your statements. i.e. you just want to state what you want and do not want to listen to others

Anyway, people by and large agree that Octavia has a good build.
But Octavia has it's own share of Build quality issues like rattling door, short suspension life etc. Unfortunately if your car happens to have a rattling door it is extremely difficult to fix it...
Imagine having a brand new car with a rattling door :(

Rudra Sen · 11th November 2006, 07:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by BUSA

Guys i am not saying Civic is bad but all i mean to say (not wrt to the pic) the build quality of the Octy is much better then the Civic, period.

What's the idea of getting into this kind of comparison?
This thread is about a new car buying/experience. Owner has taken his time to select his choice and that's his choice.

BUSA, let's not get into this again. We've seen this before and that didn't give us a positive feeling.

Boom Shiva · 11th November 2006, 15:10

Not so long ago, Rs.15 lakh RS was being compared with Rs.15 lakh Accord. Now it's being compared with Rs. 12.5 lakh Civic.

I think that's a compliment to the Civic.

And to second SupremeB, the black Civic looks hot!

BUSA · 11th November 2006, 19:09

Quote:

the black Civic looks hot!

I agree totally, i find STs colour and the black one to be the among the best for the Civic. White doesnot look so nice though.

coolmastdude · 11th November 2006, 20:11

vid6639, I have the AT version in Habanero Red. It's giving me a mileage of about 13 on the highway and 11 in the city.... a fantastic car overall.... I thank my stars that I chose this car over the RS... it doesn't lag behind the RS in any aspect... except a bit in the initial pick-up (but that is understood since the RS has a 20 valve engine, and moreover where are the roads to experience that rush of adrenaline on a regular basis)... in fact I find the build quality of the Civic almost as good as the RS... just one drawback - due to the long wheel-base (which has been engineered to increase cabin space- and it does) one has to be careful over sharp speed-breakers lest you hit the underside... but overall a FANTASTIC car considering all aspects - looks, road presence, engine, suspension, handling, build quality, snob value, and of course the big 'H'.
Anybody fitted xenons on their Civic? Please suggest whether it is worth it?

sandeep108 · 13th November 2006, 11:18

11 in the city? You got freeways in Nainital or what? In Mumbai most Santros average 9-10. A 1.8L auto giving 11? It is great if it is.

ST7677 · 13th November 2006, 14:27

Quote:

It's giving me a mileage of about 13 on the highway and 11 in the city....

Hey Coolmustdude, is it by mistake your highway mileage leaked into City mileage while calculation? Just curious. Coz the highway mileage looks low while City mileage looks high...
and usually the difference between the two is more significant.

And yes you are right, it is one hell of a car...
Infact, I was just reading lately that few models of Civic are back ordered in US

alankarm@sancha · 13th November 2006, 22:56

I bought a MT Civic in Bloish Siver (Most common) colour. Red was nice but would have been too loud in the small city where I live. My driving is mainly Highway and about 2000 km a month. That's about the distance the distance my car has gone till now.

The speed has till now rarely exceeded 100-110. Initially the Tyre Pressure even after the PDI was 40 instead of 30. This gave a FE of about 13.75 with AC in the 1st 2 tanks, but a bad and jumpy ride. After the pressure was brought down the ride improved tremendously but the FE dropped to about 13.35 in the next 2 tanks. City mileage I can not state as it has not even done a total of 100 km in the city. My OHC 2000 gives me about the same mileage, so I feel that the Civic is doing a better job.

But in road gripping I must say that none of these 2 match my 1996 Cielo (Can u believe it?), Kahte hain na car road se chipak ke chalti hai. I and my family do know somewhat about cars since we have had cars since about 1931 (yes!! 75 years, my great Grand Father and Grand Father loved them) and have owned a lot of what are today Vintage and Classic cars, in the past. In fact the Opta that I have has a better ride quality and sitting comfort than the Civic. But bought Civic due to image & FE.

Another thing that I dislike is that the Civic has a built in (behind the dash) 6 CD changer. Which, though very decent in itself, does not allow for an upgrade to DVD. If this can be done by a third party, without any warranty isuues, please let me know. And also which head unit systems can be installed in that case. I want LCD screens also to be installed. Going through the only dealer in Rajasthan may be very expensive.

sandeep108 · 14th November 2006, 13:11

OHC 2k giving only 13 or so on highway? Should be around 14 at least and closer to 15. Civic 13-14 on highway should be ok. Re: tire pressure, I have noticed that almost all new cars come with very high initial tire pressure - even my Swift had 40 or so and I was wondering what was wrong when TD car was so smooth. I believe it has something to do with tire set-in. Re: road grip... not too sure about vs Cielo, but do get the alignment checked. Bad alignment can lead to reduced grip/bad ride. Cielo was a lower car. Civic is actually designed for 155mm GC and 205 tires, but for Indian roads, they have increased to 170mm and 195 tire size with higher profile. These changes are sure to adversely affect the grip/handling.

For better efficiency / highway, you can always keep tire pressure a few psi higher than recommended.

coolmastdude · 14th November 2006, 13:41

Hi All!
Most of my driving is between Nainital and Dehradun, which is about 350 km (40 kms of hill roads and 310 kms of highway). I drive with A/c on all the time and get a FE of almost 13 overall. While driving within Nainital and suburbs, I get an FE of about 11 (due to cramped roads, the AT shifts down frequently). Hope this clarifies my earlier post.
BTW anyone fitted xenons on their Civic? Please update.

10th November 2006, 12:16	#106
sandeep108 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,050 Thanked: 302 Times	My experience with honda always has been that any niggling issues that do arise (and the civic has it's fair share, being a new and latest model in almost all respects, especially technological) mostly get sorted out by them with minor inconvenience to the owner. The reports I have heard about civics are: 1. Engine mount clunking noise - no other effect. 2. Security system problem - major irritant. 3. Door lock jamming. 4. Dashboard creaking - minor irritant. 5. Headlight mis-alignment - minor. Mostly they are getting fixed as and when parts are available, owners complain or when being serviced. Any other issues anybody want to report? Plus side is honda suspension and handling - great. FE - great. Interiors - great Power - great
	() Thanks

10th November 2006, 14:15	#107
iraghava Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bhaiyyaland Posts: 8,033 Thanked: 265 Times View My Garage	A bump in the bumper simply shows that the bumper is doing the job it's supposed to do i.e. absorb the impact. As for build quality yes the German cars are more solidly built than their Japanese counterparts but Japanese cars have much superior Reliability than European cars. And this is supported by almost all major researches/studies. As for the pic Busa you find a Civic with a dented bumper standing next to an Octy and you find that an example of the comparative build qualities? How is that? Did you see the two cars going through the same impact and the Civic as a result having a bump in the bumper and the Octy had no marks? Did you do a standardised test or were sitness to it? As a personal request please stop this Civic bashing. We understand you don't like the Civic & try to find every oppurtunity to degrade it but it's getting very tiresome now. You've been doing it ever since you started the thread. Please find something else to bash.
	() Thanks

10th November 2006, 17:04	#108
BUSA Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,130 Thanked: 20 Times View My Garage	Guys i am not saying Civic is bad but all i mean to say (not wrt to the pic) the build quality of the Octy is much better then the Civic, period.
	() Thanks

10th November 2006, 19:32	#109
coolmastdude Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: Nainital Posts: 16 Thanked: 0 Times	It is but obvious that the build quality of European cars is much better than Japanese cars... but among Japanese cars, the Civic has a much better build quality & fit n finish than any other Jap car... if you compare it's build quality with cars like the Corolla... the Civic is miles ahead! In fact, the build quality of Civic is even better than Accord...
	() Thanks

10th November 2006, 21:17	#110
Vid6639 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,730 Thanked: 43,483 Times View My Garage	coolmastdude you are absoultely right. The civic does feel very well built. Much better than the corolla and also the accord. The doors are heavy and close with a nice thud. Overall very good build quality. I wouldnt mind trading build quality for reliability any day. Whats the use of the car of having a well built car if it's gonna be at the garage more often. The skoda has It's fair share of problems and the spares costs are exhorbitant. So what mileage are you getting from your car and overall how is it so far. Do you have the AT or MT. Last edited by Vid6639 : 10th November 2006 at 21:18.
	() Thanks

11th November 2006, 15:10	#113
Boom Shiva BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,055 Thanked: 18 Times	Not so long ago, Rs.15 lakh RS was being compared with Rs.15 lakh Accord. Now it's being compared with Rs. 12.5 lakh Civic. I think that's a compliment to the Civic. And to second SupremeB, the black Civic looks hot!
	() Thanks

11th November 2006, 20:11	#115
coolmastdude Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: Nainital Posts: 16 Thanked: 0 Times	vid6639, I have the AT version in Habanero Red. It's giving me a mileage of about 13 on the highway and 11 in the city.... a fantastic car overall.... I thank my stars that I chose this car over the RS... it doesn't lag behind the RS in any aspect... except a bit in the initial pick-up (but that is understood since the RS has a 20 valve engine, and moreover where are the roads to experience that rush of adrenaline on a regular basis)... in fact I find the build quality of the Civic almost as good as the RS... just one drawback - due to the long wheel-base (which has been engineered to increase cabin space- and it does) one has to be careful over sharp speed-breakers lest you hit the underside... but overall a FANTASTIC car considering all aspects - looks, road presence, engine, suspension, handling, build quality, snob value, and of course the big 'H'. Anybody fitted xenons on their Civic? Please suggest whether it is worth it?
	() Thanks

13th November 2006, 11:18	#116
sandeep108 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,050 Thanked: 302 Times	11 in the city? You got freeways in Nainital or what? In Mumbai most Santros average 9-10. A 1.8L auto giving 11? It is great if it is.
	() Thanks

13th November 2006, 22:56	#118
alankarm@sancha BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ajmer / Mumbai Posts: 210 Thanked: 3 Times	I bought a MT Civic in Bloish Siver (Most common) colour. Red was nice but would have been too loud in the small city where I live. My driving is mainly Highway and about 2000 km a month. That's about the distance the distance my car has gone till now. The speed has till now rarely exceeded 100-110. Initially the Tyre Pressure even after the PDI was 40 instead of 30. This gave a FE of about 13.75 with AC in the 1st 2 tanks, but a bad and jumpy ride. After the pressure was brought down the ride improved tremendously but the FE dropped to about 13.35 in the next 2 tanks. City mileage I can not state as it has not even done a total of 100 km in the city. My OHC 2000 gives me about the same mileage, so I feel that the Civic is doing a better job. But in road gripping I must say that none of these 2 match my 1996 Cielo (Can u believe it?), Kahte hain na car road se chipak ke chalti hai. I and my family do know somewhat about cars since we have had cars since about 1931 (yes!! 75 years, my great Grand Father and Grand Father loved them) and have owned a lot of what are today Vintage and Classic cars, in the past. In fact the Opta that I have has a better ride quality and sitting comfort than the Civic. But bought Civic due to image & FE. Another thing that I dislike is that the Civic has a built in (behind the dash) 6 CD changer. Which, though very decent in itself, does not allow for an upgrade to DVD. If this can be done by a third party, without any warranty isuues, please let me know. And also which head unit systems can be installed in that case. I want LCD screens also to be installed. Going through the only dealer in Rajasthan may be very expensive.
	() Thanks

14th November 2006, 13:11	#119
sandeep108 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,050 Thanked: 302 Times	OHC 2k giving only 13 or so on highway? Should be around 14 at least and closer to 15. Civic 13-14 on highway should be ok. Re: tire pressure, I have noticed that almost all new cars come with very high initial tire pressure - even my Swift had 40 or so and I was wondering what was wrong when TD car was so smooth. I believe it has something to do with tire set-in. Re: road grip... not too sure about vs Cielo, but do get the alignment checked. Bad alignment can lead to reduced grip/bad ride. Cielo was a lower car. Civic is actually designed for 155mm GC and 205 tires, but for Indian roads, they have increased to 170mm and 195 tire size with higher profile. These changes are sure to adversely affect the grip/handling. For better efficiency / highway, you can always keep tire pressure a few psi higher than recommended.
	() Thanks

14th November 2006, 13:41	#120
coolmastdude Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: Nainital Posts: 16 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi All! Most of my driving is between Nainital and Dehradun, which is about 350 km (40 kms of hill roads and 310 kms of highway). I drive with A/c on all the time and get a FE of almost 13 overall. While driving within Nainital and suburbs, I get an FE of about 11 (due to cramped roads, the AT shifts down frequently). Hope this clarifies my earlier post. BTW anyone fitted xenons on their Civic? Please update.
	() Thanks