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Hello from a potential civic owner

1K views 21 replies 13 participants last post by  Mr JP 
#1 ·
Hi folks, I'm Matt from Doncaster and I'm here to learn more about the Mk8 civic before I change car next year. With the scare mongering forecasts saying what they are I may as well keep the car with snow tyres for the time being.


I have worked on more than a few Hondas in the past as I was an apprentice mechanic with Honda from 99-02 straight from school, but medical issues meant a fair bit of time off and I was removed from training so no paperwork to say that I know which way up a spark plug goes... I do remember that there were not many warranty jobs, especially compared to the Citroen garage next door, some of their cars came off the transporter broken...



The car that I have now is the best car that I have ever owned except the running costs are higher than I would like, it's a 2002 325I touring SE with 135K on it and no squeaks or rattles but £295 tax and sub 30mpg, the factory Bi-Xenons are like driving a mobile sun at night with nothing coming the other way so I would not want to have to down grade by much if at all so I have been looking at EX spec cars, for the xenon headlights mainly but sat-nav will be useful.
I just need to decide how to fuel this car, 1.8 petrol or 2.2 diesel? I do about 10K a year at the moment but have been applying for jobs further afield so I'm leaning towards the diesel. I will have up to about £2500 + the BMW, if it doesn't bring 2K I will keep it as that's what I paid for it before doing a few bits to bring it back up to spec.. over £1K's worth.
 
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#2 ·
Welcome to :civinfo:, sounds like your Honda history should come in useful.

The 8th gen's are tough cars but take a look in the forum Wiki for a faults list, don't panic when you see it tho!

Petrol and derv's can clock up high mileages without issue provided they are regularly serviced.

The derv does suffer from a weak clutch tho, so beware.

I drive an EX with the usual toys and retrofitted heated/leather seats which are very nice at this time of year. Many don't like the OEM satnav but I find it works well and is easy to use.

You've a few active forum members nearby and we also have a regular meet coming up next year, maybe pop along for a chat http://www.civinfo.com/forum/england-north/338210-mattfest-febuary-4th-2017-south-yorkshire-north-notts-manvers-arms-s64-0nl.html

Good luck with your hunt.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thank's for the warm welcome.

One bit of info I gathered today is that my car is worth a grand total of £4/500 as a trade in, not exactly a flattering offer, it cost more than that to repair the rear arches when I bought it.

On the up side there is more rear leg room in the civic than the 325 and having sat in one now and had a play with things, I must have one. Love the dash and driving position.
 
#7 ·
Was in a similar position with my '02 clk. Got offered £500 against an 11k Crv, the merc having a really clean body, long mot/no faults heated, elec/leather etc etc. They're not quite 'classics' yet, but also have lost virtually all their value in the market place. Eventually got I think £900 for it against our 6k civic from an indie dealer.

Choices I suppose are check ebay/Autotrader for realistic valuations, bite the bullet for its p/x value or keep it a little longer. The Civics are brilliant all rounders though !
 
#6 ·
The Civic's are roomy with large boots, flip up rear seats, etc.

This chap is nearby and always has a selection of Civic's FS Jc Cars - Used car dealership in Doncaster - the dealer gets mixed reviews online (kinda odd they deal from their home) but I found them to be okay.
 
#8 ·
I was in a similar position just a few weeks ago.

If your car has a good history and plenty of paperwork you may want to consider selling it privately. If you're patient you may even get more than its average going price (it's just a market after all). I got 12.5% over AutoTrader's recommended private sale price, and a whooping 123% extra over their part-exchange guide price. That's £800 saved compared to average PX quotes. Not bad for a week worth of waiting and a cost of the advertisement itself! Selling it privately is not as smooth as part exchange but it's well worth the difference.

Don't get distracted while waiting btw! Filling your car up to the brim while it's advertised may cost you the price of a full tank! Kinda obvious but habits die hard!

In regards to the EX spec bear in mind that Honda downgraded their lines with the 2009 facelift. If you want xenons and sat nav on the facelifted models you need to look for the EX GT spec. I was very surprised to see no xenons on my EX but went for the car nevertheless as it was in very good condition and under budget. The lights on the Civics are rather poor (ever wondered why so many people have retrofitted HIDs on them?) so if you're used to xenons, don't compromise there.

Go for it. It's a great car with a ton of storage! You won't miss your wagon with a Civic!
 
#9 ·
Unfortunately the 325 has virtually no history so I might just have to bite the bullet on the trade in. I have had 7 years of work as a mechanic and am slightly ocd according to the Mrs, one ARB link failed so I replaced the pair, needed discs and pads on the front so I did both ends... She may have a point... I like 'Preventative maintenance'.

On the budget, by the spring I should be able to rake about £4K together + the BMW. I really wish I was better at keeping the receipts for parts.
 
#10 ·
I was in exactly this situation 3 weeks ago when I bought my first Civic, seems a great car so far but I have found a few things that don't work as that should so I thought I would share so you can check them out when viewing cars. The powerfold mirror on the drivers side didn't work but was only £2 to fix (DIY job). The radio goes staticy when I put the heated rear screen on. The blind for the panoramic roof gets stuck closed and need wiggling to free it up. The clutch seems fine at first but after a few minutes gets really squeaky and the light in the boot does not work. All minor things, non of them dealbreakers but worth looking out for, never hurts to have a few minor faults to help get it for a better price :grin2:
 
#14 ·
I went for the 2.2 diesel, I love it to bits especially after a stage 2 remap only downside is I need the uprated clutch to support it. Great on long runs aswell, I often see 55mpg not to harshly. Im also from Doncaster too so if you get a civic ill keep me eyes out for you :cool:
 
#15 ·
Thanks again for the welcome, this forum has certainly given me a lot of reading and even after learning about the clutch and flywheel costs and possible timing chain issues I'm still going to go for it.

I had better get saving!

Also I am now unsure if the EX is really the spec that I want, a non sat nav car with an upgraded android head unit could be a better way to go and the LED headlight upgrades I have seen on here apparently keep a good beam pattern, usually a big problem with cheap HID kits in reflectors. I have nearly come off the bike a few times when I meet a car with such a kit coming the other way on a dark country lane.
Never had a car with leather seats though, so heated leather does appeal just because I have never had it.
 
#20 ·
Well, yesterday I went to look at a silver civic si at the local Honda dealer, its pretty much mint even though it is lacking cruise control, xenon's ect it drives faultlessly with more punch and less engine noise than other 2.2s I have test driven, and I really like the wheels.

They also gave it a 3 year warranty... I pick it up tomorrow so will post pictures then, and start looking for mods, cc shouldn't be hard to retrofit.
 
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