2004 Honda Civic Coupe VP 1.7 from North America

Summary:

Reliable, economical, well-designed

Faults:

Dashboard cluster failed and was replaced under warranty.

General Comments:

I have had 20 or so cars in my life time, and this is by far the most reliable and well-built. I would recommend this car to anyone. It is really economical and I have not spent a penny on repairs - just basic servicing.

It drives smooth, handles well, and feels solid on the road. There is loads of cabin space, especially in the front. There has been hardly any signs of wear in the last 55000 miles.

The only things I would change, is the acceleration is a little slow - but then I think it's restricted for greater fuel economy - I can still get the 32 - 38 MPG. The clutch pedal needs a bit of grease now and again - to alleviate a little creaking.

As long as you like the design, the feel and the way it drives, buy one. The new Civic prices have gone up a bit now - but I paid under 12K - brand new from the dealer. I think the 04 goes for around 8 - but find one that has been well looked after and you're laughing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd December, 2009

2004 Honda Civic Si 2.0 K20 from North America

Summary:

Sporty, dependable, efficient = versatile

Faults:

Nothing horrible, it's a Honda.

The power windows sometimes stop part way up and start going back down.

Sunroof stops closing halfway. Not a big deal, just have to let go of the button and push it again, but it's a little annoying that the car I bought strictly for reliability is having these minor defects with so few miles on it.

Insulation seems to have a leak. Sounds like the window is cracked open when it is not above 60mph.

General Comments:

Sporty for a 2 liter. Quicker than most 4 bangers. Handles smoothly, sporty suspension. Relatively good gas mileage, (usually 27-32). Although my old Civic, an 04 EX, got about 5 mpg better, and wasn't that much slower.

Overall good car, a few weird quirks. I am mainly unhappy with the fact that I had a 3k mile warranty, and the dealer refused to cover the above mentioned defects within the first couple hundred miles.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th February, 2009

30th Apr 2009, 11:57

My 2005 Si sunroof does the same thing. It is supposed to. It even tells you about it in the owner's manual. I don't like the feature, but it is not a defect.

2004 Honda Civic Special Edition 1.7L SOHC from North America

Summary:

Far and away the best car in its class

Faults:

Absolutely nothing has "gone wrong".

The car is extremely well made!

General Comments:

Even at 4 1/2 years including brutal Cdn winters, it shows and wears extremely well esp. in Silver/Grey cloth.

My wife loves the visibility over the hood and all around esp. blind spot. I love the way it holds the road. I keep forgeting it's an economy car.

Very fun, inexpensive to own (but not cheap to look at), comfortable, practical and sensible car. I was going to say "I wish all cars were made like Honda," but...

In our opinion, (my wife, son, his buddies and myself) believe that the 04/05 Honda Civic in any trim or either transmission is destined to become a classic.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st December, 2008

2004 Honda Civic LX 1.7 liter from North America

Summary:

Outstanding economical car!

Faults:

The only thing to have gone wrong with this car is an oil leak from the rear main seal. This started at about 39,000 miles. We immediately took it to the dealer for the diagnosis and price to get repaired. They estimated the job to be $800 since the engine had to be removed from the car. They also advised us to call Honda Customer Care to see if they could work out an arrangement with us since the car was just barely out warranty. Dealing with Honda Customer Care was phenomenal. They were very understanding and instructed the dealer to do the repair and only charge us $100.

Kudos to the dealership and Honda Customer Care!

General Comments:

This has been an outstanding little car! The gas mileage is phenomenal! I regularly get 38-41 MPG in mixed highway/city driving, while never exceeding 76 MPH, with or without the air conditioning on.

The seats are comfortable for a little car, but not terribly stiff. We have driven this car across the country four times and were never abnormally sore once we reached our destination. The one oddity with the seats is the driver's seat. It rocks when you push back on it and has done it since the day we bought the car. The interior panels scratch easily!

The exterior appearance is nothing more than I would expect from any other car. The paint holds up well and is relatively scratch resistant.

The hub caps are annoying! They make an annoying clicking sound when you're driving slowly with the windows down. I've re-torqued the lug nuts, rotated the tires, rotated the hub caps but to no avail; it still continues. No big deal.

At approximately 50,000 miles the driver's side rear hub started making a growling noise. I simply replaced it with a brand new one from Advance Auto and have been noise free ever since.

The air conditioning and heat work well. When idling in traffic the A/C isn't as strong, but that's to be expected. The car heats up VERY quickly, so it's a nice perk in the winter time.

My biggest complaint about this car is that it doesn't have ABS. I've come to expect it in every other car I've driven, but to my disappointment, it's lacking in the car. Surprisingly, I'm still on the original set of brake pads!

Overall, I'm very pleased with this car. We will absolutely buy another Honda (despite our previous loyalty to GM and Ford). I'm very confident this car will last a long time to come!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th November, 2008