KAK

Hello. I'm considering a 2019 Civic LX Sport with CVT. I have zero experience with Honda's. It will be for my son who inherited an old Ranger that's about had it. At least it got him through college. It will probably be the coolest thing I'll ever be able to do for him so I want to make the right choice. I'm comparing it to the Toyota Corolla SE, Mazda 3 Touring, and Ford Focus SE.
The Civic rates very well or better in most categories. I was surprised to see the Civic got a lower rating for reliability. Other than the front collision warning system that gets poor ratings for being too sensitive, I read nothing about anything specific. So they must be scoring the 2019 based on previous years. Why would the Civic receive a lower reliability score? I heard that Civic's had timing chain issues in the past and the chain was supposed to be replaced at 75K or so and was an expensive repair. Kind of like if you own a Honda then it's part of owning one? I really don't know.
The Civic will probably cost about $1,500 more than the others. That's fine, I just want to make a good decision. My son will be doing a lot of travelling next year and reliability is important.
I appreciate any help.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

My experience is with older Honda's and yes they have always been reliable to me and never let me down. That being said the new generation of Honda's is around a new engine platform so it's hard to gauge how reliable they will be until more years pass. I do trust Honda engineers and am sure they did their homework when designing the new turbo engine which is based off the 1.5L engine in the Honda Fit (which has proven to be reliable).

I do not work on cars though so my opinion is based off of my own experience. Someone like ezone who works on Honda's all the time might feel differently about particular Honda's.

Issues? The older Honda's had timing belt's that needed to be replaced at 100k miles. As long as this was done along with oil changes the car will run forever. Yes the timing belt replacement was expensive but just one of those things that you did.


Yes you do a pay a premium for the Honda. Toyota has a great reputation (probably better then Honda) they are just boring to drive IMO. The Mazda 3 is a great little car. My wife had a newer one (2015 I think) and it was a blast to drive and was reliable for the short time we owned it. The Mazda does have the SkyActive engine in it which is a very cool engine but only time will tell if it is reliable to the 100k mile mark.

Have you looked at a Fit?

For me if you want proven reliability buy a old 6th gen Civic for him lol. Not up there on the cool factor but it will keep on going forever and cheaper lol.

KAK

Thanks for the reply. Don't really like the "Fit". I've decided to go with a new car. Thanks again.
Any other replies/experience appreciated.

ezone

The turbo 1.5 has been in use since 2016 Civic (USA) , so I'm sure there's data high mileage data for the people who drive many miles in a short time, but long term time wise remains to be seen.

IMO the only Civics with timing chain that had real issues were on the K engines in the USA SI (and K engines in various other models), and IMO much of the failures can be attributed to oil service maintenance, or lack thereof.

ducebigalow

First of all, I would NEVER buy a ford.
I am on my 4th Honda (2 - crx's, 1 - civic coupe), currently 2018 civic hatch lx. I would not buy anything else. Yes, they may by more expensive to repair (especially at dealership), but as long as your son keeps care of it, it should last a long time. I would also recommend getting it rust sprayed every year (I live in Canada) vs buying the under body protection from the dealership. I did have my first CRX break a timing chain, but that was because I thought it had been replaced by previous owner. Yes, that was expensive to repair. Replacing the timing belt at the scheduled time (as per manual) is far cheaper.....and peace of mind. If your son is travelling a lot, I would recommend the hatchback myself for so many reasons. I think its the best bang for your buck. Trunk space, power, options, etc etc. etc. and this is on the base model, LX. I had a 2004 civic coupe, but you couldn't get anything large in the trunk. I would defiantly My mom who has the new Corolla IM hatchback, now wishes she purchased the civic hatchback because it is bigger, and you don't have to deal with the darn trunk cover as you do with the Toyota, which is a pain in the ***. Honda did a really neat thing by making theirs a roll up type, which can be removed and will fit under the front seat. Why you need to remove it I have no idea because it is out of the way when its rolled up. Anyways, hope that helps your decision making.

KAK

Thank you. Great reply and I appreciate it!
I had no idea that Honda's cost more to repair. As for the timing chain/belt needing scheduled replacement, what is the schedule for your 2018 Civic? My family has owned Pontiac's, Ford's, Chryslers, Chevy's, and Mazda, and only the 1970 Pontiac Lemans needed a new chain once. So am I right in thinking that, long term /5-10+ years, owning a Honda means chain/belt replacement is necessary? Also, I never paid for a dealer to spray an undercoating and was never asked (live in California/Utah).
I appreciate the advice on buying a Hatchback. I'll check those out too. Thanks for any more help with my questions.

ezone

Not necessarily-- on both parts of the quote. Repair and maintenance cost will vary due to MANY factors, including factors that have nothing to do with the car itself.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

There are a lot of factors involved. There are a few Honda dealers around me and the prices can vary even for the same job. Even parts prices can vary.

The new Civic's should have a chain and it should last a lifetime.

Colin42

Compared to what?
They're pretty typical cost-wise in my opinion, and they're so reliable that they rarely need much beyond typical maintenance.
Provided you do the maintenance items on time like you're supposed to.
Definitely cheaper to fix compared to German cars, and more reliable.

ezone

Try paying for suspension overhaul on some "american" brand cars and trucks every 30k LOL

Colin42

cough cough Dodge cough cough

ducebigalow

Correct, if you do the regular maintenance they you shouldn't have an issue with a Honda breaking down. In addition, I have only gone back to the dealership for work/repair (on my last two cars) and compared to a private garage, you will likely pay more because the dealership his a higher overhead. Plus (and I could be wrong) but I believe actual Honda replacement parts are more expensive. I haven't checked when/if my new car needs a timing belt changed as it doesn't have that much mileage on it to be concerned with it yet.

ezone

That's got a chain.
Keep up on the oil maintenance.

ducebigalow

Oh yes, thanks will do!

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

corrected for you