1996 Honda Civic LSi from UK and Ireland - Comments

Exhaust rattle

Rotten door

Worn suspension

I was given this Civic to be a cheap car to run, because Honda's are "really well made".

I think this is a bit of a myth in all honestly. This Civic, on which the Rover 400 is based, is hardly a great example of good build quality.

It is a low mileage car, and although it is ten years old, I know it had been suffering from the problems listed for many years.

Basically from what I have seen, the engine is fantastic. It would take a lot to kill it, but it is clear Honda have used very substandard parts elsewhere.

Bodywork. The door was going rotten from the bottom after about 5 years. This is appalling really, and I am told it is a combination of poor quality steel and poorly designed seals and drainage points.

Suspension also wore quickly. I have had Renaults with over 100,000 miles on their original suspension without any problems, so you would think a 60k mile Civic would be fine - WRONG! The bushes must also be substandard as they are worn.

Lastly the exhaust. Well actually the heat shield. The detailing is poor and the bolts rot away, leaving it hanging down and rattling again the exhaust.

Overall I think Honda's and all Japanese cars are overrated. The parts are much more expensive than european cars, and I can't see why anyone buys them. It is an ugly car, it isn't built that well, and costs a lot to insure.

Its the engine that's awesome, they normally last much longer than the body, rusty arches is very common with older japanese cars.

I have owned a Honda Civic 1996 for 2 and a half years. I bought it with 60k on the clock and it now has 119k. it has never ever skipped a beat. Starts first time every time. Never had to buy anything for it apart from routine parts such as exhausts, filters etc during servicing (which I have been able to do myself on most occasions). The bodywork has a little bit of rust about on it here or there, but not as much as on most cars of its age. And don't confuse structural corrosion with cosmetic corrosion. Body panel blotches are not I ndicative of anything other than chips and scratches! The structural integrity (inspected at MOTs etc) is solid. And I am not the most steady driver in the world (not a typical Honda driver, put it that way!)

To suggest that Hondas and Toyotas are of a similar reliability and build quality to most European cars is naive and biased, as any mechanic or used car salesman will tell you their car lots are full of old fords and vauxhalls which they can't shift because they won't last much past 120k miles. Compare that to a VTEC engine: in 15+ years, with millions of units sold, incredibly no VTEC engine unit has ever failed. My friend's top spec Focus lasted 8k miles before the engine fell through the gear box and the car was a write-off. Good job he wasn't on the motorway when it happened or he wouldn't be alive today.

Anyone looking at second hand cars needs to be seeking the advice of a mechanically-minded person and, while no one can tell you what is going on inside a used engine, most will tell you that your best chance of finding realistically priced and reliable 2nd hand car is going to be a Toyota or Honda.