1.8 EX 6 months in - very dissapointing

[tongie]

I'm not sure if others agree with me but I think the EX model (and civic generally) has many faults. My observations are:

• The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed
• The dash rattles in many places
• The HID lights are rubbish
• The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods
• Soundproofing is really poor
• Auto wipers take ages to come on
• Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off
• Ipod connection is a rip off
• Computer overstates speed & MPG
• Suspension is noisy
• Stereo poor

It feels like they had to compromise the quality to keep the cost down.

I certainly will not buy another Honda and will be getting rid of it within 6 months.

[FWH]

I have also had an EX for just over 6 months.

• The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed
  - I don´t agree - I like the handling.

• The dash rattles in many places
  - Mine is fine so far, but one of the demo cars I drove was quite bad.

• The HID lights are rubbish
  - I have seen better (projector type) but I would not say rubbish

• The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods
  - With you on this one...

• Soundproofing is really poor
  - Again, I have driven better (at a higher price) but also much worse. I have no complaint.

• Auto wipers take ages to come on
  - I have no issue with mine.

• Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off
  - I have no issue with mine.

• Ipod connection is a rip off
  - Yes, which is why I did not buy one after consulting this forum.

• Computer overstates speed & MPG
  - Yes, but then many do. Not an issue for me. I have added a seperate GPS based speedo / cam warning device.

• Suspension is noisy
  - Mine is ok so far.

• Stereo poor
  - My radio reception is inferior at times, but apart from that it is ok for me.

It feels like they had to compromise the quality to keep the cost down.
- I am afraid that is the world we live in...


I certainly will not buy another Honda and will be getting rid of it within 6 months
- I might and I am not...

There is no such thing as the perfect car, the Civic has it´s good and bad points.
I certainly do not regret buying mine.
Coolest little hatchback on the market in my not so humble opinion.

[sallytraffic]

Originally Posted by tongie

I'm not sure if others agree with me but I think the EX model (and civic generally) has many faults. My observations are:

• The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed
• The dash rattles in many places
• The HID lights are rubbish
• The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods
• Soundproofing is really poor
• Auto wipers take ages to come on
• Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off
• Ipod connection is a rip off
• Computer overstates speed & MPG
• Suspension is noisy
• Stereo poor

It feels like they had to compromise the quality to keep the cost down.

I certainly will not buy another Honda and will be getting rid of it within 6 months.

I am very sorry to hear all that, tongie I fully understand your decision on the basis of what you say but I do feel the need to comment on my own experiences, albeit from a 1.8 ES.

Ride: Certainly a lot firmer than my previous Accord, but expected and I have not found it to be a problem, it does make the whole feel a lot more 'positive' than the feel of the Accord.

Dash: No rattles so far, but only 6 weeks old and a thousand miles so crossing fingers.

No HID lights but replaced standard issue bulbs and got a great improvement.

No hands free or SatNav so no comment

Soundproofing: ok so far. I usually have mp3 cd's playing anyway.

Auto wipers : Uncannily good at the centre setting, and they are adjustable.

Cruise : Absolutely fine, no problems at all. Maybe you have to get used to it ? I had it on the Accord and it is exactly the same.

IPod connection, don't have it but totally agree.

Speed and mpg: Also agree totally. But you just adjust easily enough.

Suspension: Not really noticed, and hope I won't !

Stereo sounds great to me, but I only really uses mp3s at highest quality, although I must admit, bass and treble are both pushed quite high to get the tone I want, not much to spare on that score.

So, just wanting to try to be fair to those reading this and getting scared off.

And to reiterate: I am sorry you have not found the car to be what you expected but I am not convinced that all the problems you have had exist in every car although some clearly DO.

[pjr]

Some comments to your comments.

• The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed - ride is firm certainly, but wouldn't class it as awful.
• The dash rattles in many places - mine doesn't
• The HID lights are rubbish - can't comment, don't have them.
• The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods - again, can't comment
• Soundproofing is really poor - Wide tyres do tend to make a bit of tyre noise, but again no worse than other cars I've driven.
• Auto wipers take ages to come on - Don't have an issue with the auto wipers, mine always work fine.
• Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off - If you find it jerky, try putting your foot on the accelerator before cancelling the cruise, then lifting off manually. Not had cruise before, so can't tell if it is any better or worse than others.
• Ipod connection is a rip off - Probably yes if the dealer fits it, not so bad if you fit it yourself (like I did)
• Computer overstates speed & MPG - All cars overstate speed to some extent.
• Suspension is noisy - no unwanted noises yet
• Stereo poor - I think the stereo is fine as it is - could maybe do with a touch more bass.

It feels like they had to compromise the quality to keep the cost down - as FWH says, all manufacturers are doing this to some degree.

[FWH]

Originally Posted by pjr

• Computer overstates speed & MPG - All cars overstate speed to some extent.

True, but some quality German cars show 111 km/h at 110 km/h. But as I said - I can live with it.

[GHGH]

I know by how much - so it's OK.
The overstating of speed I understand is a safety measure - I believe it's illegal to understate speed in the EU.
But the over-optimistic MPG should be avoided....

[tongie]

Thanks for your comments, sounds like I may have bought a pup! I just expected my car to be much better than it actually turned out to be.


A couple of clarifications:

Ride - don't find it firm, in fact would prefer it to be firmer. Its choppy when cornering.

HID - I expected them to project further as well as being white. Even after adjusting them upwards they are not very effective. If you have been in other vehicles with Xenon or HID lights they seem consistently much better.

Wipers - Once going they are fine but they don't sense when they need to come on in the first place which is surely the point of having an 'auto' function.

Cruise - If you go down hill with it on where the car wants to go faster it struggles to adjust smoothly unlike other cars I've had.

Speedo - I know that the overstating of speed is common but surely on a digital dash it means that the odometer is out as well? I wonder how much extra income Honda get from earlier servicing for this 'safety' feature?

Suspension - My dealer replaced some bushings which they said was a known fault. Still noisy over speed humps.

Stereo - Takes an eternity to find MP3 info, no bass even with infinity speaker upgrade (plus dynamat), does not toggle directly between sources (does anyone listen to MW and LW?), No aux in.

I agree with FWH though, its definitely a cool little hatchback!

[FWH]

Originally Posted by tongie

Speedo - I know that the overstating of speed is common but surely on a digital dash it means that the odometer is out as well? I wonder how much extra income Honda get from earlier servicing for this 'safety' feature?

Is the speedo accurate?
No, it over-reads by around 5 to 9%. The odometer only over reads by between 1% and 3%.

Source:
Is the speedo accurate? - Civinfo Wiki

[3rd Honda]

Originally Posted by tongie

I'm not sure if others agree with me but I think the EX model (and civic generally) has many faults. My observations are:

• The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed -Agree
• The dash rattles in many places - Mines not bad
• The HID lights are rubbish - Agree
• The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods - Agree
• Soundproofing is really poor - Agree
• Auto wipers take ages to come on - Mine are fair
• Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off - No mine (diesel) works well
• Ipod connection is a rip off - Don't have one
• Computer overstates speed & MPG -Probably
• Suspension is noisy - DREADFULLY noisy
• Stereo poor - Agree - and radio reception dreadful

It feels like they had to compromise the quality to keep the cost down.

I certainly will not buy another Honda and will be getting rid of it within 6 months.

All in - I've found mine a very mixed car - good in areas (engine, ergonomics etc) and poor in others (refinement of chassis, build quality, parts quality)

[jazzman]

• The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed
• My one is superb in all conditions and reasonable legal speeds
• The dash rattles in many places
• Not one rattle after 10 months
• The HID lights are rubbish
• Don`t have HID but Night Breakers gave a big improvement
• The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods
• Have`nt got or need so can`t comment
• Soundproofing is really poor
• Nothing wrong with mine, cruises very peacefully at speed
• Auto wipers take ages to come on
• Mine works perfectly at all settings
• Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off
• Smooth as silk in Auto or Manual
• Ipod connection is a rip off
• Don`t need so can`t comment
• Computer overstates speed & MPG
• They all do, better than understating, I log all mileage and fuel to give accurate mpg
• Suspension is noisy
• No more so than any other car I`ve had
• stereo poor
• My one is good enough for me for a car, if I want high quality then I listen to my home equipment

Sorry I can`t agree with you cos my spaceship is FAB and I`m a very HAPPY bunny

[HappyMan]

• The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed
• I don't agree I think the ride is very good at speed
• The dash rattles in many places
• I don't have any yet
• The HID lights are rubbish
• I disagree,Mine are ok
• The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods
• Don't have
• Soundproofing is really poor
• OK so not the best but not the worst, either
• Auto wipers take ages to come on
• Mine are very efficient and react well
• Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off
• haven't used it enough to comment fully
• Ipod connection is a rip off
• Haven't got one so don't need on so don't have it.
• Computer overstates speed & MPG
• Speed - isn't that good to stop you speeding?!
• Suspension is noisy
• I haven't found that yet
• Stereo poor
• Mine is very good and is better than the one i had in my Fabia for quality and reception

I am, however, sorry to hear that you aren't that happy with it.

[civicfan]

"The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed"
I understand you took your test drive via the Internet

"The dash rattles in many places"
Agreed. Remark: a bottle of silicon spray and you can write it in past tense.

"The HID lights are rubbish"
At least the xenon version is fine IMO

"The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods"
I don't know about this, I use the one that came with my portable nav (works OK)

"Soundproofing is really poor"
Yes, if there is any

"Auto wipers take ages to come on"
Can't confirm that on mine

"Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off"
See above (test drive)

"Ipod connection is a rip off"
Gimmicks are a ripoff everywhere

"Computer overstates speed & MPG"
There is always a "safety margin" but I think it's quite narrow, and at least you get an accurate reading on the digital speedo. Compared to what the satnav says, I got zero dev. up to 70 km/h, 2 (two) km/h at 130 and 6 km/h at 225 (displayed 231). I would test further but the floor prevents it For mpg: The computer will show the right figure (at least mine will) yut only when the tank is nearly empty (first fig. are largely overstated like 11 l/100 km and then it keeps falling. Today's result, 440 km, 8 l/100 km average (Diesel), top speed 225 km/h - not all the time of course, but certainly for some 100 km of it, the rest between 50 and 130

"Suspension is noisy"
Yes (see above - test drive)

"Stereo poorIt feels like they had to compromise the quality to keep the cost down".
The stereo is actually one of the best out-of-the-box systems that I've heard, at least as far as resolution and voice clarity are concerned. What really lets it down is the lack of soundproofing in the doors. Obviously, if you want deafening bass, that's another pair of shoes.

"I certainly will not buy another Honda and will be getting rid of it within 6 months."
I don't know myself if I want another - but anything you intend to buy, you should _really_ test drive it first (I mean a day or two and not 10 minutes) sorry for sounding like my own grandma but I just had to

[RickyBoy]

The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed
My one is superb in all conditions and reasonable legal speeds


The dash rattles in many places
Not one rattle

The HID lights are rubbish
They look awsome going from my other car to this

The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods
My deaf granny heard me at 70mph on motorway...No complaints re phone but recognition is mince. Would be easier driving to someones house and speaking to them rather than waiting for the computer to recognise spoken phone number.

Soundproofing is really poor
Is indeed shocking, especially if you have ever been a passenger in back. Canna hear a word from fromt at 60mph.

Auto wipers take ages to come on
Mine are fine, need to fiddle with the adjust on right stalk. Twin speed when overtaking lorry etc a wee bit much a times.

Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off
Smooth

Ipod connection is a rip off
Don`t need so can`t comment

Computer overstates speed & MPG
They all do, mpg could be better though getting 40mpg 2.2

Suspension is noisy
Not on EX (current car) was on SE but traded it in

stereo poor
My one is good enough for me and the CD quality is very good.

[Woette]

i can only agree with the mpg, it is just very hard to achieve the figures honda gave us, but still the mpg is great for a 1.8 petrol with 140 bhp.
I went on a 'spirited' drive this afternoon and at one point i still had 46 mpg.
I especially disagree with what you say about the handling, i find the car to be very firm on the road. Even on my drive while it was raining the car had loads of grip.
I wonder if you even test drove the car properly since you criticise about every aspect of it

and ow yeah, if you have problems with your auto wipers, just put them on manual, its still on there for a reason its only a computer programme that decides when to wipe, what you talk about is something i even experienced on a 2004 audi a4

[dieseldriver]

• The ride is awful especially cornering at any kind of speed
• I would agree on cornering - doesn't feel as "safe" in a corner as other cars I have had.
• The dash rattles in many places
• Mine has rattles to. One behind satnav screen and the rev counter. Dealer did look at rev counter and stopped it for a while, but I noticed this week its coming back.
• The HID lights are rubbish
• I have to agree, I would have liked to have seen projector lights. I have had to raise mine, but still not the best, but better than standard lights...
• The hands free/voice activation is a joke even after mods
• Not the best when moving....and verrryyy slloooww to respond
• Soundproofing is really poor
• not to bad, but do hear wind noise
• Auto wipers take ages to come on
• mine sometimes activate with the smallest spot of rain or dirt then other times don't come on until I can't see for water....
• Cruise control is not smooth especially when it backs off
• not as smooth as other cars but on the whole not to bad
• Ipod connection is a rip off
• don't have one
• Computer overstates speed & MPG
• I think the overstating of speed has saved my of a speeding ticket
• Suspension is noisy
• I find the fuel tank noisier after about 50 mines of fuel has been used.
• Stereo poor
• This I agree on. Sometimes I can't hear the station for the crackling. When the RDS changes the frequency it has a break in the sound for about 1-2 seconds, so if your listen to traffic information you miss half of the problem. The bass is poor and the sound is no where near as good as any of my previous cars...

It feels like they had to compromise the quality to keep the cost down.
I do feel they could have made the EX model a little more "upmarket" than they have. Other manufactures would on the flagship spec...

I certainly will not buy another Honda and will be getting rid of it within 6 months.
I felt like this a number of weeks ago, but as I am stuck with it until Sept 2010, I thought I will have to learn to like it.... but saying that I do like a lot about the car, and would like to see some improvements before I consider to purchase another in 2010.

Just my thoughts since Sept 2007 on my 2.2d EX and 6.5K miles...

[GHGH]

About the HID:
A large test in a german magazine two yeras ago ranked the civic rather high, and compared to other halogen headlights it was ranked rather very high.....

[Jeroen1000]

Are HID lights Xenon? And what are projector lights (FWH?)

I'm interested to know what the fuzz is about the lights

[GHGH]

After definition - no .

High-intensity discharge lamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My civic got halogen headlights not HID:

Halogen lamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Jeroen1000]

Originally Posted by GHGH

After definition - no .

High-intensity discharge lamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My civic got halogen headlights not HID:

Halogen lamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ah,why didn't I think of that.
thanks!

[FWH]

Originally Posted by Jeroen1000

Are HID lights Xenon? And what are projector lights (FWH?)

I'm interested to know what the fuzz is about the lights

Some HID (also known as Xenon) lights, e.g. BMW, have a more focused (projected) beam which gives more light.

Lights - Civinfo Wiki