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AUTOMOTIVE NEWS SERVICE
USED CAR REVIEW

HONDA CIVIC
 1995-2005 

By EWAN KENNEDY
14 November 2005

Honda Civic is a fully imported Japanese car that has been held in high regard on the Australian used-car market for many years. Unusually for a small car, it has a fair degree of prestige and is much loved as a second car by the wealthy amongst us. Which results in quite a few that have always been serviced by the book and which have never done any down and dirty work.

The little Civic is very easy to drive with its low-set windscreen making for excellent forward visibility. The low-line window theme carries all the way around the car so parking is much easier than average. Honda has moved away from its low-waistline theme in the latest models, sold since October 2000, so it isn’t quite as good as it used to be in this respect. 

Handling and ride comfort are generally good on smooth roads. But bumpy secondary roads in the bush can cause roughness at times as the Civic has a relatively short-travel suspension system. Later models are better than the older ones, but we feel they could be better still. Try for yourself if you know you will be driving on rough roads at times.

Engine sizes are 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 litres in the older models, increasing to 1.7 litres in the current versions. Some older engines come with Honda’s race-bred VTEC variable valve control system. This has become standard pretty well throughout the Honda range, though there's less emphasis on performance and more on low emissions these days. The semi-race Civic VTi-R, sold from 1996 until 1999, is even quicker than the standard VTi and is a delightful hot four for the hard driver. 

Five-speed manual gearboxes are standard in most models. Automatic transmissions are offered in all except the economy Civic VEi and sporting Civic VTi-R. The automatic fitted to the VTi is an interesting continuously variable transmission. Honda calls it MultiMatic and it operates well, with plenty of performance and good fuel economy. The rest of the range have a conventional four-speed automatic transmission.

A fascinating variant is the Civic Hybrid. Introduced to Australia early in 2004 it’s less specialised than other hybrids so is more favourably priced. It has significantly lower fuel consumption, though it will take tens of thousands of kilometres to break even on the price of petrol. Even more important in the minds of caring individuals is that is has significantly lower pollutants from the exhaust.

Accessibility to the mechanical components is about average for a car of this size. Civic isn't overly complex and most good amateur mechanics can do a lot of their own work. The only real exceptions are the VTEC engines, which should probably be left to the professionals. 

Repairs, servicing and spare parts can all be expensive and some parts on older models can be hard to get at times. Honda has worked hard with its spare parts network in recent years and things have improved considerably on the later Civics.

Insurance costs are generally reasonable, with few companies making any real differentiation on premiums for the sportier versions of the Civic.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Bodywork should be undamaged and free from rust. The lower areas of the doors and guards and the sill panels are the most likely to suffer from corrosion, but it’s not common unless the car has been poorly repaired after a smash. 

Check the condition of the paint for signs of fading on the horizontal surfaces, bonnet, roof or bootlid. This is much less of a problem on later Civics than on older ones, but we still see neglected cars with faded paint from time to time.

Make sure the engine starts promptly and responds quickly and positively to the throttle. If possible arrange to start it when it’s cold after an overnight stop. Any engine that hesitates when revved suddenly should be treated with suspicion.

A worn engine will smoke from the exhaust when it is driven hard after a period of idling. 

A conventional automatic transmission should be crisp in its changes and not hold onto any gear for too long. A continuously variable automatic transmission feels different in its operation so have an expert drive it if you are not confident it’s working correctly.

The clutch pedal should be smooth in its operation. All manual gearchanges should be light, positive and quiet. Problems will show up first on fast downchanges, usually when going from third to second in a hurry. 

Make sure the brakes pull the car up without any pulling to one side and that no one wheel locks while the others are still rolling freely.

CAR BUYING TIP
Shop around for a few weeks before getting serious about buying a used car. That way you will get a good feel for the market and the prices being asked.  

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