I bought a 2006 Civic EX Coupe

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Patman

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I was originally thinking of maybe getting a 2012 Hyundai Accent, but then decided I didn't want to get myself into debt (after just finally getting out of debt when I recently sold my house), so I just did a deal today on a 2006 Honda Civic EX coupe! I couldn't resist this car, it was exactly the color I wanted, and with the 5 speed automatic and I also wanted the EX model too (adds a power sunroof, premium sound with subwoofer and steering wheel controls and 4 wheel disc brakes, in addition to having all the usual stuff like air, cruise, power windows, etc.) They were asking $9900 plus $450 to certify it, and I got them down to $9300 including the safety cerfication. The car drives nice and is in really good shape (a couple of minor dings and scratches but nothing I can't live with, and the interior is mint) and has 79,000 miles on it but still drives like new. It's also a one owner car (they traded it in on a Mercedes at this lot)

I will be keeping the Corvette but now will only drive it on nice days, so definitely no more snow and ice, and not too often will it see the rain!

I figure it will cost me about $100 a month to insure it, but I will easily make up that amount in what I save in gas. I ordered a Scangauge, so I'm gonna hook it up in the Civic and I'm gonna see if I can get 45 MPG on the highway at a steady 100km/h. (I can get 32 MPG+ in the Vette, so I'm sure 45 will be easy for the Honda)

I pick the car up Wednesday afternoon, so at some point next week I will switch it over to Toyota 0w20, not sure on the filter yet (M1 or Fram XG probably), and also not sure on the intervals I'm going to go with yet. I may follow the oil life monitor or I may just go further than it suggests and go even longer and do one year intervals, depending on how my UOAs turn out.
 
Wow, I just bought the same car w/manual trans about 4 wks ago. Mine had 115K on it. I get 34mpg driving around combo highway/city driving.

I love the car! Great choice...
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Nice + way to stay outta debt!
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But, someone's gonna ask so it might as well be me, did you see/get the maintenance records including oil & filter brands used??
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I have a 2007 Civic EX as my daily driver and its been a great car with zero problems at 104K miles. Just regular maintenance and tune ups. Car insurance is cheap so are the small tires. I average 40 MPG on the highway with the A/C blasting.

Quote:
$9000 for almost 6 years old Civic !!! Used Civic resell value is so high.

Civics hold their value pretty good over time, I wounder why ?
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
$9000 for almost 6 years old Civic !!! Used Civic resell value is so high.


That's one thing that puzzles me, because even though they are very reliable cars, they have also been the best selling car in Canada for a long time now, so you'd think with such a huge supply of them on the used car market that the prices would be lower (the auto trader site is PACKED with used Civics here). The price I paid is a lot less than a lot of dealers want for them, I've seen a few dealers asking almost $15,000 for the exact same car! (with a lot lower mileage though) I can't imagine anyone paying $15,000 for a 2006 coupe when the base price on a 2012 coupe is just $3000 more up here!
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette

Civics hold their value pretty good over time, I wounder why ?





Get ready, the anti "Nippon" herd will be in any moment to burn you at the stake for that comment...

I say great choice Patman. The only negative about the newer Civics is the automatic trannies don't seem to be as reliable as other makes/models, so keep up the fluid changes like a good BITOGer!
 
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Nice + way to stay outta debt!
thumbsup2.gif


But, someone's gonna ask so it might as well be me, did you see/get the maintenance records including oil & filter brands used??
wink.gif




Because it was traded in at a used car dealer (that sells mainly high end luxury cars) I don't think those records will be available to me, but I'm hoping when I peek in the glove box they might be there!

For a while there I had myself convinced that I needed a 2012 Accent, they are very nice and have a lot of nice features that I wanted, but at the end of the day I had to tell myself that this was just going to be my second car, so to spend $17,000 plus tax plus interest for that just didn't make financial sense at this stage of my life. I want to have extra money in my pocket so I can take my new lady friend out to nice places
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For those of you with 06+ Civics, what kind of oil consumption do you see? With my ex-wife's 2000 Civic it didn't use any oil at all until 80k, and then all of a sudden it started using a lot and now it uses about a quart every 2500 miles! (she's lucky I still top it up for her every once in a while otherwise it would run bone dry on her!)
 
This is the reason why.

Shrinking Supplies Mean Bye-Bye Used-Car Bargain

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/business/24auto.html


Off Topic:
Just this past month 2 different people stopped by my house, knocked on my front door and asked if my Civic was for sale. It didn't have a for sale sign and was dirty from not being washed in 4 months, bugs splatted on the front bumper.
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Its not like I had it parked in front of my house all shined up nice and pretty looking for a buyer.
 
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Originally Posted By: Drew99GT


I say great choice Patman. The only negative about the newer Civics is the automatic trannies don't seem to be as reliable as other makes/models, so keep up the fluid changes like a good BITOGer!


I was going to try to work a trans fluid change into the deal, but then I figured I'd have no proof that they actually did it, and with the right fluid too. So I'll pop into a Honda dealer very soon and get them to do a change. It shifts very nicely though, which made me happy since I've read some horror stories on the Civic forums over the last few days. If I had gotten the Accent it was going to be a manual to save myself $1200, and I really have been wanting a manual once again, but in all honesty I'd rather have a manual trans as my weekend car not as my daily driver. I still lean on the side of wanting my car to do the shifting for me most of the time. So maybe a few years down the road I'll trade my 98 Corvette for a newer one with a manual trans.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
This is the reason why.

Shrinking Supplies Mean Bye-Bye Used-Car Bargain

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/business/24auto.html


Honda and Toyota have had high resale for a while now, even prior to our economic downturn. It's partially the quality of the car, and partially the consumer viewpoint on the quality of the car. No doubt that Toyota and Honda are good manufacturer's and produce some of the more reliable automobiles. But there is not enough difference between them and the other better auto manufacturers to warrant them being so much more. And it isn't because they are worth that much more KBB value, it's because dealers and private sellers try to (and succeed) at getting top dollar for Honda and Toyota automobiles.

Not trying to entirely derail this thread. Congratulations on the new ride Patman. I like the color as well and I'm sure it'll give you many problem free miles. And it definitely is confusing how people accumulate dents and scratches and other damage to their cars. I have not had any damage to a car under my ownership, yet I prefer to buy 1-2 year old used cars and always fail to find one without some kind of imperfection. It doesn't bother me either, they're usually so small that no one actually notices them (aside from me).

It's great to hear you're getting the transmission fluid changed. Every person I know that owns a Honda treats it like garbage, so I wonder how much that factors into the transmission failure rate.
 
Originally Posted By: cmf


It's great to hear you're getting the transmission fluid changed. Every person I know that owns a Honda treats it like garbage, so I wonder how much that factors into the transmission failure rate.


I think it's also luck of the draw too. My ex wife's 2000 Civic has almost 125,000 miles on it now, and it has only had one transmission fluid change it's entire life (I think I had it done around 50k) She doesn't baby that car by any means, she mashes the gas pedal off every light (which is why she only gets 22 MPG!) and slams on the brakes at the last second when she's stopping. But yet that Civic has been very reliable (other than the oil burning), with it's only major repair being a cracked exhaust manifold. I bought the car new in October 1999, so it's coming up on 12 years old soon. The reliability of that car was a major factor in my decision to get another one.
 
Congrats Patman! Love the color....


Around here that would be a good price too..I just saw a 2004 Cavalier 2dr like mine w/85k going for 8000 on a used car lot here...crazy!
 
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Congrats Patman! Love the color....




I just wish the color looked as vibrant in person as it does in the pictures! I knew exactly what the color looked like in person before I saw the car though, as someone at my work has a 4 door in that color, and it's more of a light blue than a bright blue. Most pictures I see on the internet of this color make it look a lot brighter than it really is. It's still a very nice color though!
 
Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: cmf


It's great to hear you're getting the transmission fluid changed. Every person I know that owns a Honda treats it like garbage, so I wonder how much that factors into the transmission failure rate.


I think it's also luck of the draw too. My ex wife's 2000 Civic has almost 125,000 miles on it now, and it has only had one transmission fluid change it's entire life (I think I had it done around 50k) She doesn't baby that car by any means, she mashes the gas pedal off every light (which is why she only gets 22 MPG!) and slams on the brakes at the last second when she's stopping. But yet that Civic has been very reliable (other than the oil burning), with it's only major repair being a cracked exhaust manifold. I bought the car new in October 1999, so it's coming up on 12 years old soon. The reliability of that car was a major factor in my decision to get another one.

Dang.......sounds like my daughter........When I bring up the crazy driving she gets defensive. I drive the complete opposite.
 
Nice car there, patman. Good call on the fluid change. It's so easy on Honda automatics; just drain through the drain bolt and refill. Do it multiple times to get more of the old fluid out. I think most of Honda's automatics from around 2004 and newer are at least on par with their peers.

Congratulations again. I'd say 45 mpg should be doable with it, with a light foot. The key I've found with my two: don't baby it up to speed. Accelerate with 1/2 throttle or more, and don't let off until you get to cruise speed. Honda's automatics are not as quick to upshift as others, so babying it just wastes fuel and rpms.
 
I picked up a Quaker State (Purolator) oil filter this afternoon, so that's what I will use on the first oil change, since I figure I'll do another one in the late fall anyhow, and it should only have about 5k on it. Then at that point I'll run a filter more suitable for longer intervals, like the Fram XG or the M1 filter. I do think the Toyota 0w20 will be a perfect choice though, considering it's only about $5-6 a liter here (compared to $8-12 a liter for the other off the shelf synthetics!)
 
Nice car! I wish mine were that new!

I don't know that your 45mpg expectation is realistic. I've got the '99 EX, manual, four door model and running on the highway I am consistently getting 37-38 mpg. If my commute wasn't half freeway at 70 mph I would be closer to 40. Maybe that slightly larger engine will help? Here's my stats:

http://www.fuelly.com/driver/bcaleem/civic

Good choice, I'm sure you'll be happy with it. BTW, I run PP for 10K miles and it's doing great.

Clark
 
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