Is the civic the best car in it's class?

[coolred]

This is a valid question, I know it's a good reliable car, but does anything compare to it, or outright beat it in the same class and price range give or take a little? I am considering maybe leasing a new civic, or purchasing an older certified used civic. i am looking for an affordable econmical car to drive. I am not worried about how good it is in the 1/4 mile or racing it, as long as it has enough power to drive okay.

Also while I have you in here, I know hondas have good resale values, but check .this comparison from yahoo of a 02 and 01 honda civic EX. the MSRP is 100.00 differant, are those numbers correct? if so how does Honda ever sell 1 year old cars

 

[Rallispec]

i think the honda has the best resale value of any car and great value. however you can better performance for less in other cars.

my old car, a 2000 sentra which i paid just under 14k for i bought it in the summer of 2000--- i just traded it in for my new car and the blue book value for it was only 7000, luckily the dealer gave me a lot more becuase i'm good like that. But i stil coulndt believe it losts nearly half its value in less than 2 years.

as for performace, the sentra GXE (base model) comes stock with 126hp - and is 2-3k cheaper (i think) than the civic ex which has right around that same amount of power. However in terms of resale value it loses a lot. I believe the civic is a better built more solid / finished feeling car though. in terms of reliability i believe theyr'e on the same level.

the toyota carolla is alright i guess.. i dont know enough about it to make any good points about it though.
and the same with the mazda protege, which i test drove and did not like at all.

the honda has the most room iside i believe.. and a lot of good standard features, and i think it did best in crash tests. However in terms of performace i dont believe its the best 'bang for your buck' car. But in all other aspects the civic is a great car. I loved my old 93' DX (my first car) and wish it was still running today.

 

[Instagib]

Honda=good resell value and you can put a crap load of miles on them with little hassle.

 

[RossMAN]

What's up with all the auto threads lately? (not that I'm helping any )

I think there are several best cars in this class depending on what's most important to you.

Overall - Honda Civic
Sporty - Nissan Sentra
Sporty but prone to being a POS - Dodge Neon
Decent good value - Mazda Protege
Most likely to be recalled - Ford Focus
Most reliable - Toyota Corolla

 

[Rallispec]

<< Overall - Honda Civic
Sporty - Nissan Sentra
Sporty but prone to being a POS - Dodge Neon
Decent good value - Mazda Protege
Most likely to be recalled - Ford Focus
Most reliable - Toyota Corolla

>>



I Think RossMan nailed it exactly here.

 

[Atrail]

<< What's up with all the auto threads lately? (not that I'm helping any )

I think there are several best cars in this class depending on what's most important to you.

Overall - Honda Civic
Sporty - Nissan Sentra
Sporty but prone to being a POS - Dodge Neon
Decent good value - Mazda Protege
Most likely to be recalled - Ford Focus
Most reliable - Toyota Corolla >>



^I like it!^

 

[PlatinumGold]

Honda has best resale value in my opinion you also pay the most for a honda also, so i really think that arguement is a wash.

 

[LAUST]

.

 

[coolred]

What happened to your '93, thats not a very old car for it to be not running. Yeah the sentra looks like a good choice, and my girlfriend would prolly like it as it is a 4 door model which makes it easier to get out child seat in the back, but this will be my car and I can get the civic in a 2 door coupe which i like better, so i doubt I will get a sentra, but maybe. I think if I did go 4 door I would probablly opt for the new 2003 civic hybrid, I really wish that car came in a coupe model, I will be all over it. 51 MPG highway is nothing to laugh at. especially considering both of my cars now are lucky to hit anything near 20

 

[coolred]

<< What's up with all the auto threads lately? (not that I'm helping any ) >>



maybe people are looking for new cars with summer sneaking up on us in a few months. I don't know,but I have posted a few car threads, but my reasoning behind mine is the fact that the two cars I have now('89 Olds cutlass Ciera and and '86 mercury Topaz) are costing me an arm and a leg to maintain, so i am looking to get a new or newer car.


Not that I am disaggreeing with you(since your list looks like it seems to be right on the money), but what exactly is your definition of sporty?

 

[Atrail]

I were you, I'd go for that newer notion.
Brand new cars are a bad investment. A well maintained used car is a great
investment and the best way to go IMO.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Personally, I think the Elantra is the best in class.

I would rate the Civic, but its too expensive for what you get. And most Civic buyers will keep it for 10-12yrs, so resale value is moot since they will all cost the same 10yrs from now

 

[Turkey]

Cars are never investments. Getting a used car is usually a better idea financially though, except you never know what you're getting with a used car unless you buy it from a friend. And I would never buy a "sporty" used car, because it has most likely been driven hard.

There are a lot of used cars with high resale values... VW, BMW, Subaru, Honda, Toyota. They all average mid-40% of new value after 5 years.

Another financial hint - don't lease, especially if you're getting a Honda/Toyota/Subaru/Nissan. The only reasons to lease are if you are worried about long-term reliability (not an issue with those 4) or if you just get tired of cars fast (not an issue for people looking at Civics/Sentras). You'll give up your car in 3 years and have nothing, and for no good reason.

I'd go for a Corolla in that group. I've driven Corollas and ridden in Civics, and the Corolla definitely had more room, a more powerful engine, nicer interior, and overall nicer feel.

 

[coolred]

Alright i will give the corolla a look see.

I have pretty much made up my mind to get a certified used car, unless the new civic hybrid grows on me a little more, or if i can get over the electric car look of the insight

By the way does anyone know anything about the CVT transmission? I was reading about it in a honda review on edmunds and they said something about honda incorporating a no creeping something or other, that meant the car wouldn't roll back when stopped on a hill. I know the CVT isn't a manual transmission, and not totally an automatic either really, but i was unaware of it's creeping problem like a manual when on a hill. On the models without this no creep system, how do you prevent yourself from rolling back? just go straight from the brake onto the accelorator?

 

[RU482]

<< What's up with all the auto threads lately? (not that I'm helping any ) >>



Where the hell have you been for the past 2 years? There's always been car threads in OT

 

[Mill]

No.

 

[Huma]

Mazda Proteges are often rated better than civics by car & driver and other mags.

I love our 2001 accord, but I also love our 93 protege which has been a great car.

 

[thedeliman]

couple of points for coolred:

1. 2001-2002 hondas are one of the safest in its class (subcompact?), according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/00031.htm
(others gaining the "best pick" for safety include Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer, and VW new beetle)

2. Resale values:
civic = http://www.edmunds.com/new/2002/honda/civic/lx4drsedan17l4cyl4a/used.html?id=lin0041
protege = http://www.edmunds.com/new/2002/mazda/protege/lx4drsedan20l4cyl5m/used.html?id=lin0041
sentra = http://www.edmunds.com/new/2002/nissan/sentra/xe4drsedan18l4cyl4a/used.html?id=lin0041

3. Power: my 2002 civic LX has 115 hp, protege has (I think?) 130 hp.

4. dealers SOMETIMES sell 1-year old cars, if that car hasn't been moved off the lot, and if it's a stick, or if there's a bit of chipped paint on the bumper, or some crazy thing like that.

cheers,
karl

 

[vi edit]

I'd really look at the protege and Subaru Impreza RS.

 

[coolred]

Thanks guys I will look into those cars


Edit, gave them a look, they both appear to be 4 door sedans, which isn't horrible, but I would prefer a coupe. I will keep looking and if they are that much better then I will deal with having 4 doors.