civico

Alright people I want some honest advice. I've owned my 2002 Civic dx for 10 months and have put in about 10.5k miles on it. I've had a few problems with it from the a.c. to the exhaust. I've read through your site looking for advice to mod. it and also ended up in your problems section identifying with many other dirvers about the crappy brakes, clutch problems, vibration when driving under puddles, slowness, bad handling (specially in the rain), bad paint job and windshields, tires... etc.

I want to love my car!!! I think it has the best exterior design for hondas ever (really I do), specifically the front (without that ugly front plate thingie), I like the interiors and i don't mind the slowness so much since I have a manual tranny. However considering I have a new car and live on an island like Puerto Rico[IMG]i/expressions/beer_yum.gif[/IMG], where good handling/ quick braking are a necessity, I don't feel safe in my Civic. I had to brake quickly on the highway recently (going about 60) and I skidded all over the place almost crashing. I also get very scared whenever i hit a tight curve. it seems like the car is going to "slip and slide" all over the road (specially if there's a bump on the road).I know that you're prob. thinking that it is only a 13k car (here it is 18K ) and that I should mod. it with sway bar, strut bars, better pads and rotors, etc. and i'm willing to do it!!! but is it worth it?

Should I rely on this seventh generation civic? I love hondas like almost everybody in P.R. and associate our cars with performance and quality (like a local commercial where they say "nada como un Honda" --nothing like a Honda-- ) and i was happy to pay $360 a month (double interest insurance policy included) for the next six years, but now i feel like I might be wasting this money away!!! What should I do? Would you guys and chicks buy our beloved rides again if you had to do it all over. I want to say yes, 'cause I wanna believe but the odds are stacking against me. I am considering saving 5 to 7 k so i can hope to trade in for an Accord or a RSX. Or heading over to the VW dealer or go and loook at a Mazda Protege[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/IMG] I'm not wishing for an incredible ride, I just need a reliable all around good performer. What would you do?

VNlilMAN

iTrader: (7)

i personally dont like this car because it is so slow but ya they do look nice. since you dont care that its fast/slow or not, i think you should keep it. it really is a nice reliable car. yes there are a couple people that have problems but keep in mind this is only a few compared to many out there. and there are always problems with ANY car. i would say just mod your car, our stock tires suck so thats a good start... our car are high so drop it. but ya you have a civic, you know how it is, forget the problems others are having. are you having any problems besides the ones you mentioned? the ones you mentioned are there in any car but ya it can be fixed by modding it.

civico

I should've mentioned that the only mod. i've done is putting in some 16' rims and tires!!! Looking at going for the 19mm rsx sway bar (I know I need to replace something on the dx for it to fit?) and some eibach sport lines or h and r's? If I keep it.

noypirider

it really depends on you on how you will use the car. if you are going to race, then this is not the right car for you. if you are going to use it for your daily commute, this is the best one you can get. there are other cars out there with the same class, but this is the best you can get. however, since this is just a 16 grand car, you cannot compare it to a much higher class cars, that's a no no. to solve one of your concerns there's one alternative to your car, that's the accord. this car is a 19 grand car, but it is much better than our civics. it has a better suspension system, roomier, has more power (hp wise), but is not as good looking as civics.

bottom line, if you want to solve your concerns, you have to invest more to get more. but if you have a tight budget, you still have you civic with you.

JumpingBean

Get some better rotors and brake pads. Upper strut bars front and rear and lower tie bar. Just those few mods made a big difference in handling and braking.

I love the way my car handles now....i have done quite a bit to my suspension though.

JDog2001CivicEX

iTrader: (1)

Well Since your asking us this question it means that you already are wanting to get rid of it, so DO IT. Don't wait for our approval. Lose the car and get something faster, I mean ULEV CARS ARENT FAST GET IT GOT IT GOOD now trade it in for something else....I'm tired of these posts.

PESTLNC

I understand completely about the handling/braking weakness of the car. Whenever I hit a sudden slowdown on the highway I find myself shifting from 5th to 3rd and holding the brake to stop in time. The brakes alone would never stop me in time. Taking tight turns is scary let alone if it's bumpy...the car wants to hop all over the place.

My old car took turns much tighter and stopped much easier...and it was a 4000lbs. boat (Crown Victoria)...but man, it was the best car I ever had.

silverdevil

iTrader: (5)

Boricua, if you want to keep it then that's up to you. If I had the choice and were to stay in the same category of car I'd most deff. go with the new Corolla S. That's the top of the line. It looks better and will be more reliable IMHO. I got my car because that generation of Corolla wasn't out yet. However, I am paying $366 for my car for 3 years not including insurance. My insurance is another 80 a month for both my cars. I also have an 88 Celica.

I'm going to pay it off and get a BMW 325i in about two-two and a half years. The M5 is my dream car but I'm going to work my way up...hehe

Now, I know how the roads are there as I lived there until I turned 20 before I moved out of the island. I still visit every year or two as well because my family is there. Since you live in Santurce, or the Area Metro, you don't really have to do the twisty roads in las montañas. Id start by upgrading your breaks to the Brembos that Rob sells on Tornactive. The suspension will do for looks and the sway bar will help in cornering but as far as I know as long as you drive 10 over the speed limit you won't have any control problems on the PR roads. At least I never had problems in my 85 Accord, 86 323, 86 Hyundai Excel, or 92 Ford Tempo. None of those cars are known for cornering and I never had ANY sort of problem and I went to La Isla alot. Trips to Ponce, Cabo Rojo, Mayaguez, Culebra, Fajardo, Patillas, Caguas, Cayey, and Salinas were a weekend thing. I put 62 K miles on my Accord in only 2.5 years and that is a very, very small island.

It's up to you, bro, but I say if you can save up for the Accord that would be a better choice.

Litespeed

That's a tough decision. A civic does not come stock as a performance car. The shorter wheel base isn't as great for turning as an accord. The thinner tires provides less rubber to the ground and sure that doesn't help your stopping. It's all about what you like though. Don't force yourself to like it. If this car isn't for you then you might want to think about getting a different car. You don't want to get in your car everyday and think to yourself that you would rather be driving something else. I love my car cause I like the way it looks, the way it handles, gets great gas mileage, low insurance, etc... Just do what you think is best because only you know what is right for you.

nytejade

If you want a fast car get something else.
If you want a reliable car keep the civic.

I don't have any problems with braking. I have a DX with no rear sway bar and the handling is superior to my 1986 Nissan 300ZX. I have Neuspeed Sport Springs with Koni Adjustable Shocks. Braking dramatically improves once you upgrade your shocks too. If you don't have Z Rated tires get some. They're worth the money, you'll handle better, and brake faster. Safer all around for your conditions.

Progress is working on an adapter kit for the DX model where you can just bolt on their Rear Anti-Sway bar with minor drilling.

Once you can get those sway bars upgraded, get lowering springs, shocks, and better tires you'll be surprised at how well it performs on the road. With my set up I was running an autocross and I was beating 2003 Mustang Cobras (330HP).

One of the only complaints I've had so far with my car is the poor paint and body. I've got some major paint defects at only 12k miles and some minor dings just from pressing on my car to test the suspension. I can't complain though. I paid less than $13k for my car BRAND NEW so I'm not expecting everything to be perfect.

flotsamm

iTrader: (1)

Since the speed isnt an issue, I say you keep it. The Civic is capable of keeping up and slowing down with the same cars in its class give or take a little. The only thing is Honda should include ABS in all of its trim packages. Until there are some significant after-market power improvements at a reasonable cost you wont get much faster. However I think the 7th Gen has more of a chance of getting after-market parts then other cars it seems, though maybe not as fast as previous generations. As with any car, you take a chance no matter who makes it or how much it costed. What you have to consider is the frequency of problems, history of reliability and the cost to fix it. This is why I bought my 7th Gen Civic. It has great fuel economy, better chance of getting after-market parts then most other makers, looks nice and has a high re-sale value. That and orginal Honda parts arent that hard to get. As fas as reliability, hopefully it'll turn out to be as reliable as most people think they are.

speedracersong

iTrader: (10)

i like my car.

Drifter

Sell it and buy a GSR teg or something.

JohnnyLee

iTrader: (8)

That is what I plan to do

civico

Thanks for all the great feedback!!! It's helping. Still undecided but weighing all my options. Keep it coming!!!

Jalegr

I feel that you need to own a Bronco (or similar widow maker) for a while so that you can fully apreciate just how well the vics handle, brake, and want to stay on their wheels. (keep in mind that I'm talking about those trucks and SUV's that turn these cars into deathtraps)

Better yet pay 80 large for a 7 series BMW and tailgate in the rain @ 60 on a wet windy bumpy road, whatever.