1985 Honda Civic DX 1300 1.3 Liter I-4
Summary:
I hate it, it's a great car
Faults:
CV joints went bad around 87.5K.
Fuel filters plugged.
Brake lights didn't work.
Transmission had 1st, 3rd, and 4th gear only for a while. 2nd gear synchros were bad until fixed. (Reverse too)
Alternator suddenly died. It worked for 4 days, and then it died completely. Maddening.
Windshield developed a massive spider web, but that's not the car's fault.
Turn signals sometimes work.
Carburetor is very hard to tune.
3rd cylinder spark plug ALWAYS fails prematurely. Not sure why, I don't care.
Headlight bracket cracked and then broke off. (Old age)
Car never heats up properly. New thermostat is too cold. 160 F.
Clutch is slipping. The transmission seal is leaking.
General Comments:
Don't get me wrong. It's a great car, but I still hate it. Just think, any other make that age (Dodge, Chevy, etc.) wouldn't even exist now. In fact, they don't. Who remembers to Diplomat cruiser or the Medallion wagon?
Well, I know this car is very old, but the reason I hate it is not because it's been super unreliable, but that it's not a fun car to own. Come on, 60 hp? That's kind of lame, especially when you try and pass someone.
It's very uncomfortable and very noisy. I replaced the weather seals and tires on this car and it still has a TON of road noise. I guess that's how Honda's are.
I don't like the fact that at 75 MPH it goes nearly 4,000 rpms. That severely affects the gas mileage on the freeway. I believe it would get 50 MPG if it had a tall 5 spd.
0-60 in 22.8 sec. (audience laughs) yes, it's a pathetically slow car. Once again, a 5 spd would help here too. Top speed @5100 rpms, 86 MPH.
The car is very stiff on bumps and road debris, but really soft on body lean when it turns. I don't like that either. I don't mind body lean if it has a cushy ride, but this is far from that.
I give this car kudos for sounding really good with an exhaust system on it. I don't mean the "fart can" I mean a shorter pipe with a smaller muffler. It's about as loud as a lawn mower.
In all, I know this car was terribly abused, and it's held together pretty well. It's a perfect beater car for anyone out there who needs one. It's just not a fun or pleasant car to own. It's a car and goes from A to B a lot slower than other cars.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th May, 2006
29th Feb 2012, 09:32
What '85 American cars are still around? Full sized GM's, Ford/Mercury LTD's and Grand Marquis, Chrysler New Yorker (AKA Dodge Diplomat), GM A bodies - have an Olds Ciera wagon, 2.5 FI, 428,000. But Hondas are good too.
Most older cars, if taken care of, are around if you look for them - it can seem expensive to keep them up, but it's cheap compared to a new car, if you really do the math.