Honda Civic 96-00 5 Door Hatchback
Discussion
I was looking for a reliable car in 2002 so I bought a 1998 1.4SE from a main dealer with 29,500 miles on it. I don't do many miles any more, but it is now sat on my drive with 117,800 miles on it.
When I bought it the service manager said I wouldn't have much trouble with it and while handing me a complementary litre of oil said he if it used any he would be very surprised. The litre of oil lasted me the first 8 years.
In the time I've had it, it has cost me 2 blower resistors (I run the AC all the time), the original battery was changed at 13 years of age. The wiper motor fail, but I think that was mostly due to me not pulling the wipers off the screen when they were frozen to it so it stripped the gears inside. The original ac gas lasted until about 18 months ago, it was re-gassed and is now not cooling again. Exhausts only seem to last about 3 years and it is starting to get a bit rusty. Oh, and I replaced the sump because it rusted through.
The engine has all the power at the top end of the rev range, so it needs a fair thrashing to make progress, but it will happily cruise along in lane 3 with the big guns
. Even now the engine runs like it always did. It is very sensitive to tyres, if the pressure isn't right or they are getting worn, the handling goes to s
t. It's also a bit bouncy if you are pushing on a bit. But it's not that sort of car.
She's getting old now and though it has been well maintained I know it won't last for ever and I'm wondering when to call it a day. But for the sake of a few hundred quid in repairs over normal servicing I will probably get another year or twos, maybe 3 years cheap motoring
It's not going to set anyone's world on fire, but has done exactly what I wanted it to do and when the time comes I'll probably get a Jazz. It's never been the sort of car I'd fall in love with, but I'd be bloody annoyed if anyone damaged it, if you see what I'm getting at?
When I bought it the service manager said I wouldn't have much trouble with it and while handing me a complementary litre of oil said he if it used any he would be very surprised. The litre of oil lasted me the first 8 years.
In the time I've had it, it has cost me 2 blower resistors (I run the AC all the time), the original battery was changed at 13 years of age. The wiper motor fail, but I think that was mostly due to me not pulling the wipers off the screen when they were frozen to it so it stripped the gears inside. The original ac gas lasted until about 18 months ago, it was re-gassed and is now not cooling again. Exhausts only seem to last about 3 years and it is starting to get a bit rusty. Oh, and I replaced the sump because it rusted through.
The engine has all the power at the top end of the rev range, so it needs a fair thrashing to make progress, but it will happily cruise along in lane 3 with the big guns
. Even now the engine runs like it always did. It is very sensitive to tyres, if the pressure isn't right or they are getting worn, the handling goes to st. It's also a bit bouncy if you are pushing on a bit. But it's not that sort of car.She's getting old now and though it has been well maintained I know it won't last for ever and I'm wondering when to call it a day. But for the sake of a few hundred quid in repairs over normal servicing I will probably get another year or twos, maybe 3 years cheap motoring
It's not going to set anyone's world on fire, but has done exactly what I wanted it to do and when the time comes I'll probably get a Jazz. It's never been the sort of car I'd fall in love with, but I'd be bloody annoyed if anyone damaged it, if you see what I'm getting at?
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