We have a 04 Civic 1.6 and 03 C3 1.4 in the family (neither mine), on 115K and 106K miles respectively. The C3 has no recorded service history but I’ve serviced it for the last few years, the Civic has a full service history. Neither car has ever broken down, but what are they like to drive now they’re past the magic 100K mark? Will the much-lauded Japanese quality start to shine through?

Economy: The C3 still returns 50-55mpg easily, the Honda struggles to return 40mpg losing around 8mpg from when it was at its best (1-0.) Suspension: The C3 rides really nicely with no rattles or squeaks, the Honda has a few knocks on both the front and rear suspension over speed humps and the ride is very jiggly –as it always has been (2-0.) Fixtures and fittings: There’s nothing at all wrong with the C3’s interior, the Civic’s driver’s side window keep coming out of its guide and getting stuck – the interior looks worn and scruffy – the C3 is fine (3-0.) Engine: The C3 doesn’t sound like it’s done the miles and doesn’t use oil. The Civic rattles like an old Chrysler Alpine – it too doesn’t use oil but sounds every bit a 100K+ mile car. (4-0.) Steering: Both cars steer very well with no real vices – scoredraw (5-1) Paintwork: The rear bumper on the C3 has patchy lacquer but not a speck of rust anywhere. The Civic’s paint is patchy and there are bubbles of rust appearing at the bottom of the doors and on the pillars (6:1.) I won’t rate the performance as the cars are not the same capacity – but in the real world the C3 is as quick because I cannot stand the din the Honda makes if you try to use the extra horses! The smaller engined Citroën is actually the better motorway cruiser because it has surprisingly tall gearing for such a small engine.

The stats don’t lie – Jap cars are the most reliable (not that the C3 has ever broken down) – but that doesn’t mean they are always the best! If circumstances mean I have to borrow either of these two cars – The C3’s keys are always my first choice - which does genuinely surprise me.

Edited by Avant on 04/05/2014 at 17:05