1997 Honda Civic EX review from North America
"Very reliable, moderately fun"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Rotors have warped on 2 occasions, usually after a hard highway stop.
General comments?
This car is the same as the day we bought it, feels very tight and runs and drives smoothly.
My only complaint is the lack of torque, with the automatic it is very hard to maintain highway speed on hilly areas unless you keep the RPMs high. Remember that a VTEC engine can have decent HP, but low torque, so it won't "feel" fast - the HP rating is high because the car maintains the torque to a high RPM level. Some people see the 127 HP rating of this engine and expect a reasonably fast car, but it is basically the same engine (slightly more torque) as the base model with a higher redline.
Recommended reviews
| Outstanding |
|
| A wonderfully reliable and fun automobile |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6 liter VTEC Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 28000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 98000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Sentra |
| Date of Entry | 9th July, 2002 |