Emergency spec me a new car!

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I put in the postcode of some community centre up where you live and there are tonnes of civics in your price range. Certainly I saw plenty at less than 6k and newer than 2007! An eye opener to how expensive cars are down in Cornwall

A colleague of mine, back when he was at uni use to sell a few cars on the side. He would buy hatches from around here to sell in cornwall and buy big saloon cars to bring back with him and made his money on the price disparity between the places.
 
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Well I bought the civic. Got him down to 5720 and his guys are going to fit an aux input (ES doesn't have one). Really likes the way it drove, didn't feel hard or rattly at all. Very smooth and quiet in fact. Had a chance to get a "vtec kicked in yo" moment and think I could have a lot of fun driving it!

Thanks very much for the advice chaps!

Congrats, very nice car. Considering the diesel version of that car but I'm hearing good things about the 1.8. Let us know how you get on. I'd be interested to know how you do for mpg too.
 
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Surely a working car is worth £600 over a non-working one? Why not fix your current car and sell it? (That also opened up the option of driving it til next year when you were planning on changing anyway but since you've bought another car.. :p)
 
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Surely a working car is worth £600 over a non-working one? Why not fix your current car and sell it? (That also opened up the option of driving it til next year when you were planning on changing anyway but since you've bought another car.. :p)

We are scrapping Reginald. He had 120k on the clock, and rover 75s aren't worth much running anyway. Especially the ones with the rubbish K engine. I could fix him up and sell him, but I would only make as much as if I scrap him. Also, that car is stuck down south, and wasn't what you would call a perfect specimen (scratches, bad tracking and a few other issues that needed looking at).

We wanted a new car and had planned to get one in a few months, so this just sped things up. We are both excited about having a nippy little car instead of a sponge on wheels so it's worth it for us.
 
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Well I bought the civic. Got him down to 5720 and his guys are going to fit an aux input (ES doesn't have one). Really likes the way it drove, didn't feel hard or rattly at all. Very smooth and quiet in fact. Had a chance to get a "vtec kicked in yo" moment and think I could have a lot of fun driving it!

Thanks very much for the advice chaps!

Just to save you getting an absolute ribbing somewhere along the line. The 1.8 I-vtec doesn't have any vtec that kicks in. It has two cam profiles and unfortunately they are normal performance or economy performance.

When accelerating the car runs its normal cam profile, and when you get to a cruising speed with low engine load it moves to economy cam profile. The engine is a SOHC lump with one camshaft.

A colleague of mine, back when he was at uni use to sell a few cars on the side. He would buy hatches from around here to sell in cornwall and buy big saloon cars to bring back with him and made his money on the price disparity between the places.

A business idea is forming ;)

Congrats, very nice car. Considering the diesel version of that car but I'm hearing good things about the 1.8. Let us know how you get on. I'd be interested to know how you do for mpg too.

The 1.8 is pretty frugal. Having owned both the 1.8 and the 2.2 I hope I can help here :

The 2.2 got me 50mpg driving the roads to work and back. This is driving fairly sedately with only the occasional hard acceleration / fast run. The 1.8 is an absolute peach, same trip got me 43/44mpg driving nicely but the car was much better for the lighter 1.8 lump. The petrol versions tend to handle better than the diesel counterpart due to the weight difference.

I did a small trip out in the petrol and got this :


(I was over the moon with that figure too).

The 2.2's have weak clutch pressure plates, a DMF, and a turbo to go wrong. They are a reliable engine and the main complaint is the clutch - but why have a diesel when the petrol does almost as many mpg, sounds nicer and has less stuff to go wrong?
 
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Cheers Mike, that is exactly what I was after. The reason I started considering the 1.8 is due to the clutch issues the 2.2 has (unresolved by the facelift it seems). In the next 6 months I shall definitely be looking at one. The idea of a smooth petrol really appeals.

I do up to 20k miles per year but I'd rather pay more per mile for reliability. I do a 15 mile commute followed by driving around to people's houses (home care) which is a lot of diesel unfriendly 1-4 mile trips.
 
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My best MPG in the 1.8 was on a late trip to boston and back of 160 miles 52.8mpg, it was a proper eco run just to see what I could manage with the 1.8. Very dull, don't get that now, about 38mpg with a fair mix of town/A road miles

Hawker
 
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Just to save you getting an absolute ribbing somewhere along the line. The 1.8 I-vtec doesn't have any vtec that kicks in. It has two cam profiles and unfortunately they are normal performance or economy performance.

When accelerating the car runs its normal cam profile, and when you get to a cruising speed with low engine load it moves to economy cam profile. The engine is a SOHC lump with one camshaft.
?

Haha, so next time I enter a 50 section of road works I can look at my gf and say "i-vtec just kicked in yo" lol. Well, it certainly has more go than my old rover so that's fine with me!
 
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Cheers Mike, that is exactly what I was after. The reason I started considering the 1.8 is due to the clutch issues the 2.2 has (unresolved by the facelift it seems). In the next 6 months I shall definitely be looking at one. The idea of a smooth petrol really appeals.

I do up to 20k miles per year but I'd rather pay more per mile for reliability. I do a 15 mile commute followed by driving around to people's houses (home care) which is a lot of diesel unfriendly 1-4 mile trips.

20k miles per year is pretty high! It may make a diesel more sense. The bonus with the I-ctdi civic is that it doesn't have a DPF to clog up. It does however have an egr valve that gets nicely sooted up! The clutch is indeed still a problem, they had a coupe of revisions 305,315 and the lastest being 325 but even that is still known to slip. Honda have however, upped the warranty period on the clutch quite substantially.

Another problem that is just starting to filter through to the I-ctdi is a cracked exhaust manifold (its a two part welded item which splits!). Honda will replace this FOC up to 7 years / 125000 miles. Some have managed to get this done without fhsh so your mileage may vary here!

Haha, so next time I enter a 50 section of road works I can look at my gf and say "i-vtec just kicked in yo" lol. Well, it certainly has more go than my old rover so that's fine with me!

That's the ticket right there.... ;) The engine is a cracker, and I'd be willing to bet it'll give you thousands of trouble free miles. The lack of any worry over the clutch is a major bonus too.

If you sign up to Civinfo, you get a further 5% off parts at cox motorparts ( A Honda dealer with cracking prices online for oil, filters etc). Honda dealerships aren't particularly cheap for oil etc, but Cox are pretty good.

If you want parking sensors (you may well do) keep an eye on ebay, I got genuine Honda ones for £100 (paid indy £30 to fit). Honda dealerships charge a fortune. Of course you can fit cheaper unbranded ones, but the Honda ones come pre sprayed!

When you pick the car up have a look on the underside edge of the doors. There may be rubber bungs there, if they haven't been removed by a previous owner then remove them. They are counter productive due to the fact that dirt blocks them and then the doors hold water.
 
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20k miles per year is pretty high! It may make a diesel more sense. The bonus with the I-ctdi civic is that it doesn't have a DPF to clog up. It does however have an egr valve that gets nicely sooted up! The clutch is indeed still a problem, they had a coupe of revisions 305,315 and the lastest being 325 but even that is still known to slip. Honda have however, upped the warranty period on the clutch quite substantially.

Another problem that is just starting to filter through to the I-ctdi is a cracked exhaust manifold (its a two part welded item which splits!). Honda will replace this FOC up to 7 years / 125000 miles. Some have managed to get this done without fhsh so your mileage may vary here!

Not sure how the clutch would stand up to my driving. It's all country roads so changing gear countless times (no motorways here in the middle of Snowdonia). That said, I would buy one but only from a main dealer with an extended warranty on the clutch. I can't wait to start looking for a car again. A bit bored of my 1.5 dCi Clio.
 
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20k miles per year is pretty high! It may make a diesel more sense. The bonus with the I-ctdi civic is that it doesn't have a DPF to clog up. It does however have an egr valve that gets nicely sooted up! The clutch is indeed still a problem, they had a coupe of revisions 305,315 and the lastest being 325 but even that is still known to slip. Honda have however, upped the warranty period on the clutch quite substantially.

Another problem that is just starting to filter through to the I-ctdi is a cracked exhaust manifold (its a two part welded item which splits!). Honda will replace this FOC up to 7 years / 125000 miles. Some have managed to get this done without fhsh so your mileage may vary here!



That's the ticket right there.... ;) The engine is a cracker, and I'd be willing to bet it'll give you thousands of trouble free miles. The lack of any worry over the clutch is a major bonus too.

If you sign up to Civinfo, you get a further 5% off parts at cox motorparts ( A Honda dealer with cracking prices online for oil, filters etc). Honda dealerships aren't particularly cheap for oil etc, but Cox are pretty good.

If you want parking sensors (you may well do) keep an eye on ebay, I got genuine Honda ones for £100 (paid indy £30 to fit). Honda dealerships charge a fortune. Of course you can fit cheaper unbranded ones, but the Honda ones come pre sprayed!

When you pick the car up have a look on the underside edge of the doors. There may be rubber bungs there, if they haven't been removed by a previous owner then remove them. They are counter productive due to the fact that dirt blocks them and then the doors hold water.

Sounds similar to the ones on the Rover, except mine were to let water out of the ECU compartment. I once found it submerged in leafy water! Took em out and never worried again so will do the same with the civic. Really looking forwards to picking it up weekend after next (seems ages away!).

I have already signed up to civinfo because it seems a treasure trove of info, so thanks for the heads-up on the 5% discount.
 
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Not sure how the clutch would stand up to my driving. It's all country roads so changing gear countless times (no motorways here in the middle of Snowdonia). That said, I would buy one but only from a main dealer with an extended warranty on the clutch. I can't wait to start looking for a car again. A bit bored of my 1.5 dCi Clio.

I had a 1.5 dCi clio, only cost me £900 in repairs in my first year of ownership! Some cheap road tax though ;) (Had the dci 100). The extended dealership warranty doesn't cover the clutch. Honda cover the clutch up to I believe 7 years due to its inherent naff design. The diesel would save you changing gear quite a lot, its pretty torquey low down.

The savings though between petrol and diesel still aren't that much even at 20k. Petrol also warms up faster if you're doing lots of short trips which will be better for you and the engine in the winter ;)

Sounds similar to the ones on the Rover, except mine were to let water out of the ECU compartment. I once found it submerged in leafy water! Took em out and never worried again so will do the same with the civic. Really looking forwards to picking it up weekend after next (seems ages away!).

I have already signed up to civinfo because it seems a treasure trove of info, so thanks for the heads-up on the 5% discount.

Become a supporter. Its a couple of quid, and the extra section you get is well worth it.
 
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How is the car Devrij? I think you said you guys were picking it up Saturday? Interested to hear your thoughts once you've owned it a wee while :)
 
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How is the car Devrij? I think you said you guys were picking it up Saturday? Interested to hear your thoughts once you've owned it a wee while :)

We did indeed.

Impressions so far from the last couple of days:

- comfortable, plenty of creature comforts in the ES we bought eg cruise control, dual climate control (great as the missus and I are always different temps). I don't find the suspension hard or uncomfortable at all. Lots of fun stuff on the dash to entertain you on long journeys such as your mpg in realtime. Audio is average. Not bad, certainly nothing to write home about though.

- handles well in corners, nice and stable compared to my rover 75. Very precise steering from the smallish steering wheel which is right up my street and feels great at speed. Gear shifts are very precise and just click right into place. 6 speed gearbox is a new thing for me. I find myself skipping a lot of gears for reasons I'll explain in a sec. EDIT: Having had a chance to really open it up I have to say that high speed cornering really requires you to keep the power on or it starts throwing its weight back and forth along the axis between the the diagonally opposite wheel (cocking a leg etc). It also understeers a bit if you really chuck it in. You won't notice that unless you are really pushing it though. Much more fun than my old 75 and I can now chase the guy in the mx5 who overtakes me on the way home and keep up if my balls are feeling big enough to drive like a nutter.

- plenty of power at 2.5k rpm and up, very little torque at the bottom. 1st-4th gear are lots of fun, but 5th and 6th are definitely motorway gears and are to be avoided if you are planning to overtake. I don't use 5th very much as I tend to just go straight to 6th and cruise. 1st gear is quite a long gear, so I have unexpectedly launched like a rocket out of my side street, which is fun when you are expecting it. Very smooth power is good, but doesn't give that "oh my god" feeling of hitting a narrow power band.

- niggles: air con is a bit noisy at times. Don't know if this is just in need of a re-gas, but when it kicks in there is an audible hiss/woosh that bugs me a little. At full chat it is really loud, but it is never really needed so not an issue (auto never ever uses full whack so you would have to set it at full fans). Rear spoiler splits the rearview window in two, which isn't ideal, but hasn't bothered me so far. 5th gear feels irrelevant to me unless I'm conserving fuel in slow traffic that is too slow for 6th. Certainly nothing that will make me regret it! I had the garage fit an aux input which seems to have a slitghtly loose connection (supposedly a common issue that can be sorted with some glue), but I can't blame that on the car.

Overall: Really enjoying it! Fun to drive, comfy and full of features. Seems quite economical so far after 150 miles and not even a 1/4 tank gone (only cost £60 to fill from empty too). Will see how that changes after my commute this week though what with hills, twisty roads and ... temptations.
 
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Devrij said:
We did indeed.

Impressions so far from the last couple of days:

- comfortable, plenty of creature comforts in the ES we bought eg cruise control, dual climate control (great as the missus and I are always different temps). I don't find the suspension hard or uncomfortable at all. Lots of fun stuff on the dash to entertain you on long journeys such as your mpg in realtime. Audio is average. Not bad, certainly nothing to write home about though.

The stereo is pretty awful, unfortunately the stuff you need to buy to replace the factory unit isn't all that cheap! The stereo interfaces with quite a bit and you need both a fascia adapter and a harness to keep all the other bits working.

Devrij said:
- handles well in corners, nice and stable compared to my rover 75. Very precise steering from the smallish steering wheel which is right up my street and feels great at speed. Gear shifts are very precise and just click right into place. 6 speed gearbox is a new thing for me. I find myself skipping a lot of gears for reasons I'll explain in a sec. EDIT: Having had a chance to really open it up I have to say that high speed cornering really requires you to keep the power on or it starts throwing its weight back and forth along the axis between the the diagonally opposite wheel (cocking a leg etc). It also understeers a bit if you really chuck it in. You won't notice that unless you are really pushing it though. Much more fun than my old 75 and I can now chase the guy in the mx5 who overtakes me on the way home and keep up if my balls are feeling big enough to drive like a nutter.

The cornering thing is a trait of the torsion beam at the rear. Its not the best but fine as long as you don't chicken out mid corner! Same suspension on the rear as the Peugeots of old! The up side of this, and I'm not sure if the sales place showed you or you are aware - is the magic seats in the rear which I've found to be really rather useful. (Base lifts up and clips up into place creating a massive load space in the middle of the car!


Devrij said:
- plenty of power at 2.5k rpm and up, very little torque at the bottom. 1st-4th gear are lots of fun, but 5th and 6th are definitely motorway gears and are to be avoided if you are planning to overtake. I don't use 5th very much as I tend to just go straight to 6th and cruise. 1st gear is quite a long gear, so I have unexpectedly launched like a rocket out of my side street, which is fun when you are expecting it. Very smooth power is good, but doesn't give that "oh my god" feeling of hitting a narrow power band.

I think the engine provides a more rewarding drive than the 2.2 diesel lump which is also available. Remember, if you are light on the throttle in 3/4/5/6 it'll go into its eco cam profile too which saves quite a bit of fuel!

Devrij said:
- niggles: air con is a bit noisy at times. Don't know if this is just in need of a re-gas, but when it kicks in there is an audible hiss/woosh that bugs me a little. At full chat it is really loud, but it is never really needed so not an issue (auto never ever uses full whack so you would have to set it at full fans). Rear spoiler splits the rearview window in two, which isn't ideal, but hasn't bothered me so far. 5th gear feels irrelevant to me unless I'm conserving fuel in slow traffic that is too slow for 6th. Certainly nothing that will make me regret it! I had the garage fit an aux input which seems to have a slitghtly loose connection (supposedly a common issue that can be sorted with some glue), but I can't blame that on the car.

The air conditioning noise - if this noise is still present with the AC off button pressed, check the state of your pollen filter. Its accessible from the passenger footwell. If its disgustingly dirty it may be that the car is struggling to pull air through the filter

Devrij said:
Overall: Really enjoying it! Fun to drive, comfy and full of features. Seems quite economical so far after 150 miles and not even a 1/4 tank gone (only cost £60 to fill from empty too). Will see how that changes after my commute this week though what with hills, twisty roads and ... temptations.

The fuel gauge is not remotely linear. The top part of the gauge takes an age to get through and then it kind of drops like a lead balloon! FWIW I like the 1.8 engine, and prefer it by far to the 2.2 that I now have.
 
Soldato
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Thanks Mike, I have since discovered that about the fuel gauge! I get about 350-380 miles out of a full tank (filled it twice now) and that's with a bit of hooning it up the hills home too. Not bad since it is a small tank.

I'll check the pollen filter, cheers for the heads up. The AC does take ages to get cold so I do think it just needs a regas.

I have made the mistake of spending time on civinfo and now want to colour code it with FN2 splitters/arches etc and some polished black 18in wheels. I would have to forego the eibachs though as our roads are horrendous.

My gf has forbidden this, but I will win her over.
 
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