Honda Civic Estate (1998 - 2001) 1.8 VTi 5d (AC) (1998/R) Owner Review
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Summary
What does this car say about you?
A sensible (Honda) family man (Aerodeck) who has some petrol in his veins (VTi)!
What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?
They all like the styling and performance. Took a friend on the mway who was seriously impressed with the speed of the car..he owns a v6 ford galaxy and used to own the same model civic hatch from 97, a 1.6 version with full leather ESi I think its called.
Would you buy this car again and why?
No but only because always move on to something different. Lifes too short to buy same car again! Anyway Honda dont make a more updated version of this car. I would highly recommend this car though...for the money you wont find a much better all round car.
What are you likely to buy next?
3 series touring
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Buying experience
Type of dealer you bought from?
Didn't buy from a dealer
Did you buy this car new?
No
What price did you pay?
£0
When did you buy the car?
June 2008
Did you get a good deal and why?
Is there any special reason why you bought this car?
Wanted a perfomance estate with reliability, decent spec and which looked good on a budget.
What was the dealer like?
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Driving it
What's it like to drive?
Great. Engine is fantastic. Above 6k rpm it really takes off. 167bhp from a 4 cylinder non turbo 1.8 is remarkable. My A6 Avant could only manage 150bhp from a 2.5 V6 engine! Loads of power for overtaking and can embarass much more expensive cars! Good handling and brakes. Can also achieve excellent economy when driven sensibly (40mpg+ at 60mph). Bit noisy if cruising on the M-Way..but its a small price to pay for such a great engine!
What's it like to park?
Easy, being a relatively small estate car no need for rear sensors.
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Living with it
Have you had any problems with the car?
Heater resistor stops fan speeds 1&2 working. Common problem on the Civic. Very easy 10 min fix, part cost £10 on ebay. So far has lived up to it famed reliability..got it MOTed in Dec with no advisories. I did my research before buying, the 97-99 Civic was 2nd most reliable car of 97-99 (see honestjohn website)
What's most practical about your car?
Its an estate! Decent room for pram, shopping, kids toys, luggage for trips. I used to own an Audi A6 Avant which was quite a bit bigger in comparison but this is enough for our day to day needs.
Favourite gadget, option or accessory?
Elec heated mirrors and elec sunroof. 12 cd changer (not standard!) Has the bodykit which I think looks a lot better than the normal aerodecks. It also has a little tray under the passenger seat which I only found the other day useful for storing stuff!
