1997 Honda Civic VTEC-E review from UK and Ireland
"Not recommended"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Several minor niggles.
Drivers door window doesn't shut properly.
Door seals split and loose.
Excessive wind noise.
Lumpy engine.
Interior trim rattles.
General comments?
I don't like this car at all, the economy is good as long you don't mind the utterly gutless engine.
The VTEC-E is supposed to be tuned for economy, but I found it incredibly frustrating and tiresome to drive.
Around town its lumpy and jerky and on the motorway the engine is very uneven between VTEC and non VTEC mode and lurches and splutters between the two. You either pootle along with absolutely no torque at all or you have to thrash it to death to get any response out of the engine. Truly dreadful to drive in my opinion, the equivalent Toyota engines are far gutsier, quieter and torquey.
One plus point is the handling, its quite compliant and grips well, but overall its Rover associations and zero image plus the whining, wearisome engine make it a truly unpleasant car to drive.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.5 Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 15000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 21000 miles |
| Previous car | Subaru GL |
| Date of Entry | 6th May, 2003 |