This is not true in the United States.
What can beat a Civic?
- Thread starter The Critic
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This is not true in the United States.
I agree with Chris Meutsch. I, too, have a 2001 Civic that I purchased brand spanking new. Within the first 3,000 miles I noticed a rattle in all 4 doors, and the dash. The dealership pretended to do something about it, but utterly to no avail. The car is very reliable, but from time to time the rattles really get under my skin.
I test drove a 2006 Civic and the interior seem to be of higher manufacturing quality than in 2001.
For me - the Civic certainly has more "styling appeal" than the Corolla, but I suspect the realiability of each is on an even par.
Semper Fi
I test drove a 2006 Civic and the interior seem to be of higher manufacturing quality than in 2001.
For me - the Civic certainly has more "styling appeal" than the Corolla, but I suspect the realiability of each is on an even par.
Semper Fi
Does the Sentra carry more than 3 qts. of oil now?
Another vote for mazda 3. You can get a fully loaded '06 for
btw, I believe 5sp in the 2.3 is 26/32 for '04-'06& 26/33 for '07 tho @ expense of 4hp.
If you're ready to buy new generation Mazda and Civic test better than old generation Corollas, Sentras. But if you aren't a today's buyer its reasonable to expect 2007 Sentra, 10th generation Corollas and even Mazda next gen Focus to be close to or beat Civic in all your criteria.
I just purchased a 2007 Mazda 3i (manual trans) last month, after testing the Civic and Corolla. The 3 completely blows away the other two cars in many categories. The interior of the Civic felt cheap to me. The Corolla was underpowered. As mentioned above, the styling and handling of the Mazda 3 feel European. This car is just plain FUN to drive. And I squeaked out 36 MPG for my first tank of gas. Granted I'm in 5th gear by 40 MPH.
The ride is smoother than my Taurus, but the car can attack corners with the best of them.
I got a moonroof, 6 CD changer with MP3 capability, auxilary jack for my iPod, cruise, power windows/doors, air, etc (basically everything but leather and power seats) for a hair over 16k. You can't beat that.
I got a moonroof, 6 CD changer with MP3 capability, auxilary jack for my iPod, cruise, power windows/doors, air, etc (basically everything but leather and power seats) for a hair over 16k. You can't beat that.
Great question.
I bought a used (4300 miles) 06 EX 4dr for 16,500.
I have been absolutely amazed at this vehicle.
Lowest mpg is 31, highest is 41.6
Car may cruise 80 mph the easiest of any vehicle I have owned.
The vtec is dual stage and is relatively amazing to experience.
Only downside is the lug ~1400 rpm.
I have been tempted to add another Civic to the fleet...they are that good.
I bought a used (4300 miles) 06 EX 4dr for 16,500.
I have been absolutely amazed at this vehicle.
Lowest mpg is 31, highest is 41.6
Car may cruise 80 mph the easiest of any vehicle I have owned.
The vtec is dual stage and is relatively amazing to experience.
Only downside is the lug ~1400 rpm.
I have been tempted to add another Civic to the fleet...they are that good.
Depends 0n if you need a new car. You can get a 1 year used reliable Mazda 6 for up to 20% less. More car and $4k buys lots of gas. This isn't a reference to you but I always laugh at people that panic at gas prices and buy a new car to "save money".
Ex Mazda owner I can tell you that even though Mazda builds excellent car, they fall short of the Honda in many aspects, most important being engine, apart from Mazda's rotary, nothing from Mazda comes close to Honda in terms of refinement, performance or reliability.
Well, I was hyped for a new Civic but got the RSX instead. It had more to offer, best of all was some decent r/s driver's kneeroom. On the RSX, it's open space on the Civic, it's a hard E-Brake handle. I have a love/hate relationship with my car, but I know it will be there for me reliability and economy wise. Power is just ok, but the handling makes up for it. A Jr. Ricer mobile, I would not recommend buying one used...except for mine! I actually wish I looked harder at Accord Coupe before buying my RSX. If you can live w/o a sunroof...Accord Coupe is a SERIOUSLY nice car for the money.
on the corolla being easier to work on, cheaper, more reliable, getting better gas mileage, etc.,
all i gotta say is some of you guys are just making sh*t up.
all i gotta say is some of you guys are just making sh*t up.
The Mazda 3 feels European because it and the Ford Focus share the same chassis as the Volvo S4.
Any Civic is hard to beat for the $$$.
I just think the 2 door Civic is kind of ugly
I just think the 2 door Civic is kind of ugly
LT4 Vette,
"Hard to Beat" are the key words here! But it can be done if only other MFG's want to pour enough money into their products like Honda does. Well rounded is what Honda automobiles have always been about. Not perfect, but very nice. What makes Honda's so stunning are the things that most drivers wouldn't really know or care about. How can a company make an engine so emission friendly and still get such good MPG and make the POWER that it does? They're not the fastest cars in class but, far from slow. This is a well rounded engine. How can a company make a car so light in weight and still make it feel so solid and substantial? How can a car company make a car so small and still keep it roomy on the inside and comfortable for it's size? Many cars are small on the outside and roomy on the inside but are they as comfortable as a Civic? Are the seat angles just right with no pinch points and proper lumbar like a Honda? Are the controll in the correct places like in a Honda? Most are getting better. Do the controlls have the consistant feel of quality like a Honda? Most compact cars look and feel cheap on the inside. Honda's consistantly look better(even if not the best). Ride comfort and handling ballance. Most cars have one or the other. Typicley, Honda's seem to always give the customer the better of both, even if not the best of each. Honda's use less sound deadening insulation than other MFG's. They bend and crease their metal and the body structure in such a way that the whole car becomes sound absorbing. Not as quiet on the highway as other cars in it's class but, quiet considering how little insulation exists in their cars, which helps to keep their cars lighter than most. Amazing engeneering, high quality, reliability, better materials(head gaskets, wheel bearings, engines, interior materials, etc.) is what Honda cars are all about. Other than Toyota, name another car company that has done all of these things and more,....Sooooooooo consistantly for the past 30 years! Many MFG's hit the target for a while but, they never seem to keep it going on like Honda. IMHO, right now, the Mazda 3 is this car. It has a little more of what I like in a car and, everything else is good enough(even if not as good a the Civic in other areas).
"Hard to Beat" are the key words here! But it can be done if only other MFG's want to pour enough money into their products like Honda does. Well rounded is what Honda automobiles have always been about. Not perfect, but very nice. What makes Honda's so stunning are the things that most drivers wouldn't really know or care about. How can a company make an engine so emission friendly and still get such good MPG and make the POWER that it does? They're not the fastest cars in class but, far from slow. This is a well rounded engine. How can a company make a car so light in weight and still make it feel so solid and substantial? How can a car company make a car so small and still keep it roomy on the inside and comfortable for it's size? Many cars are small on the outside and roomy on the inside but are they as comfortable as a Civic? Are the seat angles just right with no pinch points and proper lumbar like a Honda? Are the controll in the correct places like in a Honda? Most are getting better. Do the controlls have the consistant feel of quality like a Honda? Most compact cars look and feel cheap on the inside. Honda's consistantly look better(even if not the best). Ride comfort and handling ballance. Most cars have one or the other. Typicley, Honda's seem to always give the customer the better of both, even if not the best of each. Honda's use less sound deadening insulation than other MFG's. They bend and crease their metal and the body structure in such a way that the whole car becomes sound absorbing. Not as quiet on the highway as other cars in it's class but, quiet considering how little insulation exists in their cars, which helps to keep their cars lighter than most. Amazing engeneering, high quality, reliability, better materials(head gaskets, wheel bearings, engines, interior materials, etc.) is what Honda cars are all about. Other than Toyota, name another car company that has done all of these things and more,....Sooooooooo consistantly for the past 30 years! Many MFG's hit the target for a while but, they never seem to keep it going on like Honda. IMHO, right now, the Mazda 3 is this car. It has a little more of what I like in a car and, everything else is good enough(even if not as good a the Civic in other areas).
So the answer to Critic's question of "What can beat a Civic? The answer is: Not much! But it can be done. It all depends what you want in a car and, do you desire all the things that the Civis does well or is good enough, good enough?
Char Baby,
Very nicely put, Honda is not the best, from its humble Civic hatchback which one can still see on the roads plying around with the never say die engine, its now become a car company to be reckoned with, they never claimed they are in the higher echelons of exotica, only us consumers put them there and that too with a reason.
Very nicely put, Honda is not the best, from its humble Civic hatchback which one can still see on the roads plying around with the never say die engine, its now become a car company to be reckoned with, they never claimed they are in the higher echelons of exotica, only us consumers put them there and that too with a reason.
Honda has long been one of the most innovative and best engine makers in the world, no doubt about it, and Honda engines currently dominate the racing circuits, challenged only by the Audi diesels. As to the respective engines in the two vehicles being compared in this thread, the Civic and the Mazda3, however, I'd take the MZR 2.3 liter mill in the Mazda. See this Wikipedia article on the MZR engine. So would -- and does -- Ford: it is dropping variants of the MZR into all sorts of vehicles worldwide. The MZR inline-4 may well go on to have bestowed upon it the semi-sainthood that the Nissan VQ30DE/VQ35DE V6 engine has attained, because it is that good.
JHZR2
Staff member
Well then Acura must have fallen off the bandwagon, at least with their integra line. Ive not seen a car that has more issues with plastic and rubber materials oxidizing and looking lousy, if not failing... Heck, my twice as old MB has better looking original rubber parts. Now, our integra has 176k, and doesnt burn a drop of oil (as opposed to many a honda engine I see), and the engine will be great for a LONG time, but the materials are lousy, and if I say so myself, the clutch in that car (and a friend's integra, so this isnt just a one car thing) SUCKS compared to my BMW, or even a ford focus MT!
Quality-wise, theyre great, longevity-wise, theyre ahead of the pack, but materials selection-wise, when it comes to plastic and rubber components, theyre downright poor... And Im not so sure that their rustproofing is up to par either, we dont have any rust yet per se, but under the door trim, we are starting to see bubbling and discoloration, which indicates rust. Not happy considering our rust-free cars that are the same age or older.
JMH
What car beats the Civic? Easy, no contest, it ain't even close - Hyundai Sonata Limited. Mazda based 3.3L V6 with pretty fair gas mileage, lots of room, sporty handling and looks, comfortable leather seats, refined interior, great exterior colors and interior compliments, auto climate control, power seats, big trunk with fold down rear seats, uses regular gas, heated seats/mirrors, moonroof, Infinty 6cd changer system (best sound you can ask for in a smaller car), all controls on steering wheel, ability to drive with full auto transmission or control gears manually, etc., etc., etc. And it takes 5w20 with 7500 mile OCIs.
The Sonata also comes in a 4cyl but the Limited is the way to go. For just a little more than the Civic you get far more car with the Limited with much, much better performance. My fiance and I shopped around a lot looking at Honda (BTW, I love Honda and own a 2006 Ridgeline as my only vehicle), the Merc Milan and Camry/Corolla. The Hyundai ran circles around every one of them and the price is right. Toss in 100000/10 year power train warranty and 60000/5 year bumper to bumper - the best in America - and the choice is crystal clear.
The Sonata also comes in a 4cyl but the Limited is the way to go. For just a little more than the Civic you get far more car with the Limited with much, much better performance. My fiance and I shopped around a lot looking at Honda (BTW, I love Honda and own a 2006 Ridgeline as my only vehicle), the Merc Milan and Camry/Corolla. The Hyundai ran circles around every one of them and the price is right. Toss in 100000/10 year power train warranty and 60000/5 year bumper to bumper - the best in America - and the choice is crystal clear.
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