Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive

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Sat 26 Jan 2019 23:44
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - BenQ

So after lurking on these forums for a few months now I finally felt confident enough to inspect and test drive my first potential car today a 2013 Honda Civic.

For the most part it went well but I did notice a few issues.

1. Kerb damage to two of the alloys

2. Peeling / corrosion of the side skirts:

www.dropbox.com/s/4auya10n68w3rtj/Side%20Skirt.jpg...0

www.dropbox.com/s/9xn1zjzbutug2u2/SK_closeup.jpg?d...0

3. Damage to wheel-arch

www.dropbox.com/s/2pibved3e8o2lyi/rearWheelArch.jp...0

4. Worn out wheel rotors

www.dropbox.com/s/vwj4kmqydnchfd1/WheelRotor.jpg?d...0

5. No picture but damage to the side of the drivers seat (leather)

I guess my question is, are my concerns accurate? How can I go about estimating the cost of these repairs to help me negotiate the price down?

Edited by BenQ on 26/01/2019 at 23:45

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Sun 27 Jan 2019 00:49
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - Bolt

My only concern from your photos would be, have they or someone done any body repairs to the area around sill and door bottom, as it looks like they have not done a very good job if the paint is peeling off and not a good job of the rubdown before the paint job

bearing in mind I`m looking at I presume flash photos so may look slightly different in daylight, but also appears to be 2 indents though minor above the area repaired

as for the rest it doesn't appear at all bad, the disc in my opinion is fine (are the pads) but would investigate the possible repair job to find out how much damage there was, assuming Im correct which I may not be?

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Mon 28 Jan 2019 23:38
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - BenQ

Good catch with the indents! I initially thought it was corrosion on the sill but it felt more like plastic so what you're saying definitely clears a lot up for me.

Although I was uncertain about the car at the time reading through the comments here and having some time to think about this I think I would be better off looking for a car in slightly better condition just to play things as safe as possible.

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Sun 27 Jan 2019 03:10
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - SLO76
Been painted and not well done at that. Leave this one and find another, preferably an approved used example from a main dealer. Pay a bit extra for a good one and it’ll return the investment via reliability and higher resale values. No need to rush into one of these as there’s loads of them about plus a Mazda 3 makes a good alternative too if you stick to petrol.
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Sun 27 Jan 2019 07:20
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - gordonbennet

Looks to me like a general used car, the sill paint shouldn't be coming off so it's been painted and not especially well.

The disc is about average condition, about ready for new rear discs by the look of it, friction materials are not expensive unless you insist on maker's parts, you wouldn't find discs as rusty or with a wear ridge like that on my cars but you'll find similar on many cars about 5 or 6 years old overdue for some old fashioned proper maintenance.

I too would be inclined to leave this one, kerbed alloys which no one has bothered to sort out, it all points to having been owned and used without much in the way of care but that applies to probably the majority of cars in use today.

As SLO, the best cars will be found with full approved used status at a main dealer, but still check it over.

Well done for spotting those discs, especially as this is your first foray into car checking, keep it up, dealers won't like you being so thorough...tough.

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Sun 27 Jan 2019 13:37
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - catsdad
I have a 2012 1.8 Civic with 65k miles and fsh. Mine needed rear pads at about 30k and the last MOT flagged up that discs and pads all round would need replacement soon. They measured the discs during a brake fluid change and I calculated there was still at least a year or 10k left in them, probably more. I think Hondas are relatively heavy on brakes so if you are looking around this age you can expect them to need some attention.

If you need a full set of discs and pads the Honda price is £600. You would be able to save on this by using an independent.

As for the alloys its easy to catch a kerb and I wouldn't dismiss a car on this alone. I would however be concerned if it looks like repeated damage suggesting a careless driver.

Whatever make you buy I agree approved used is worth looking at. However this does not guarantee a full service history with annual oil changes. My son bought an approved Mazda 3 last year and some such cars he looked at had service gaps. Also Honda offers both variable and fixed service options which might result in extended oil intervals. So don't take approved and fsh at face value. Look in detail at what has been done.

Finally my up till now reliable car has started consuming oil. Its too early to say what rate this is happening but googling shows this is an ongoing issue with some, but not all, Civics of this age. Mine doesn't smoke so hopefully its not going to be too bad. Honda do not recognise any issue and quote figures owners regard as high as being normal.

As ever, buyer beware even with cars with good reliability.
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Mon 28 Jan 2019 23:57
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - BenQ

Good point to factor in the brakes I didn't really think about how expensive all that could be!

I've actually been looking into approved cars recently but probably would have taken their word/assurances for granted had you not brought up your sons example so thats also appreciated! I will make an extra point to take a close look at the service history and pay attention to the intervals you mentioned.

Hopefully you'll get to the bottom of your oil issue - maybe worth posting here? I'm probably also looking for something with around 30k miles on it to try and balance price / age as much as possible. Out of curiosity is your dipstick bright orange, I actually tried to check the oil when before the test drive but it was so bright .I could barely see the oil against it.

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Tue 29 Jan 2019 18:11
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - Andrew-T

Good point to factor in the brakes I didn't really think about how expensive all that could be!

Obviously with any car, brake pads and discs will wear with mileage, so at 5 years old you can expect to pay for replacements at some point. But to some degree that will depend on whether the car has been driven vigorously, and I guess if the car looks as if it may not have been 'cherished' that may have been the case. So go by your gut-feeling - but don't fall into the habit of thinking the worst of every car you look at.

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Mon 28 Jan 2019 23:47
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - BenQ

"Well done for spotting those discs, especially as this is your first foray into car checking, keep it up, dealers won't like you being so thorough...tough."

lol I appreciate that! I've learned a lot from just reading people helping each other out here and slowly starting to feel more confident about what too look for.

Looking at the car as whole I do get the impression that it was not taken care of and it wasn't just a few 'one offs' so will keeping looking around - each time I see a new car I feel like I know a little more about if this is a good price or if it feels different during a test drive compared to the last one so its slowly coming together :)

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Mon 28 Jan 2019 23:40
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - BenQ

Mazada 3 is a great suggestion! I actually saw a few when I went to look at the civic but will pop back in next weekend to give them another look over. I 1005 agree with you about paying a bit extra rather than being tempted by a low price thats too good to be true!

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Sun 27 Jan 2019 19:31
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - Big John

Disks etc look normal but will probably need changing in the medium term future.

Clearly there has been a lot of body repair work done and you are only able to see the visible bits that are unravelling - myself I'd leave alone and find a better one.

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Mon 28 Jan 2019 23:59
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - BenQ

Appreciate that! After having some time to think about it I also feel its best to leave this as it had too many red flags surrounding it - even though it was tempting at the time!

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Tue 29 Jan 2019 13:22
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - catsdad
Ben you asked about the Civic dipstick. Yes it is bright orange which makes clean oil hard to see but its got a grid pattern between the marks which holds a small amount of oil and this is easily checked by holding against a bit of kitchen towel.

You do right to think about potential costs. Its worthwhile getting a cheap tyre guage to check tyres. A new set of quality tyres will be £300 for a Civic and £400 for a Mazda 3 due to its less popular size. Tyres that look OK can be more worn than you think.

If you are narrwing down to the Civic and Mazda 3 be aware they are very different cars. The Honda is more powerful, spacious (esp boot) and economical on fuel. It will be dearer to buy for a given age and miles than a Mazda. The Mazda is said to be more of a drivers car handling wise and has a more youthful image.

Both are good cars but one may suit you better than the other.
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Tue 29 Jan 2019 20:16
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - BenQ

Thanks Catsdad, I do remember seeing the grid pattern so I'll need to give it another try during my next visit! I think I was just thrown by the bright colour :)

My brief encounters with the Mazda 3 have always bee positive so I'l definitely be giving it another try before making my mind up. I did like the boot of the civic but at the same time I have heard about the mazda having a better driving experience so at the moment I'm still on the fence.

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Tue 29 Jan 2019 20:18
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - BenQ

So I’m going to try going to a Honda Approved Dealer as I’ve managed to find one within my budget and close to what I’m looking for (it doesn’t have sat nav but I can’t justify the extra cost for models that do).

Does this sound like a potentially good deal?

The car:

Civic 1.8 ES 2012 - 30,000 miles and £7,500gbp

Online Valuation at good/medium/excellent condition was: 7000/7100/7800 so assuming thats correct the price is still a little high as the car was in mostly good condition but still 7 years old, would expecting to get 7100 be reasonable? Couldn’t see any major issues from the short video I was sent but will be able to judge better in person.

I do have a few questions that I’m not too sure about:

1. I was told to always insist on a 5% rate rather than 7% but last time the dealer (the second car I looked at) said the best he could do was 6% should I hold out for 5% if this happens again?

2. As the car is already Approved, if it does have any scratches / damage or anything that needs repairing and they offer to fix these should I still try to bring the price down or should I accept. I could just say the valuation is a little too high for me and start at 7,000 and let them talk me up to 7200?

3. From what I can tell from the pictures of the discs the car has been sitting for a while could that present any potential issues later down the line? Its got a one year warranty so I’m inclined to think I should be fine but I know its bad for cars to sit for too long.

4. Due to work I was planning on going over the weekend but from my research the end of the month is supposed to be best time to buy? Is it worth the extra stress to go down before the end of the month.

5. I’m still not 100% sure the best way to answer a question like, ‘What would it take for you to buy this car today’

Could I just repeat my answer for (2)?

4. Is there a big difference between the same spec 2012 ES and the 2013 ES I can’t seem to find anything but 2012 seems cheaper for just being a year older?

5. Sorry for all the questions :)

Edited by BenQ on 29/01/2019 at 20:18

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Wed 30 Jan 2019 00:09
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - Avant

I think trey're asking a high price, not only for being 'Approved' but also because of the low mileage: this isn't necessarily a good thing. If you look for Civics on Cars for Sale on this site, as I just have out of interest, 2012 cars with average mileage are going for something with a 6 in it.

The ideal is something that's done between, say, 7,000 and 12,000 miles a year. But this one is worth a look provided it's got a full service history: beware if the previous owner has gone by mileage rather than age and it hasn't had many services in its 6-7 years.

Answer to question 5 - 'If you'll accept £6,500'. They'll turn you down but you might get it for less than £7,000, possibly depending on how long it's been sitting on their forecourt.

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Wed 30 Jan 2019 00:37
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - BenQ

Just looking through the MOT (no advisories) I can see that from 2015 to 2018 it was averaging only between 1-2k miles a year. Not sure if that is cause for concern as you mentioned the ideal amount is between 7 and 12k miles?

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Wed 30 Jan 2019 11:51
Honda Civic - My First Car Inspection and Test Drive - catsdad
Low annual mileage is not ideal as it can mean its been run cold for short journeys which can rust exhausts and can increase wear to the engine. Personally if the car is otherwise OK and its been serviced as per Avant's point, I wouldn't rule it out. But I would never pay a premium for low miles.

After all buying a seven year old car will necessitate a degree of compromise. You will never find the perfect car, just the most acceptable.

As to some of your other points -

While I suggest approved used is worth looking for, don't expect them to proactively address every cosmetic issue. They will only bring the car up to a selling standard, not a perfect one. As you say minor items can be a negotiating point.

Its probably better to buy at month end but its not a deciding factor. You might even get a better price as another month is added to its time in stock. Swings and roundabouts....

As for the "what would it take" question that's really one for you as it depends on whats holding you back. If it were me I'd take the "Well it has to start with a 6" approach. On the £7.5k example they will have a bit of room but they have to pay for fancy showrooms, consumer rights costs, any immediate repairs etc so don't expect a huge amount off.

The spec hardly changed through this model's life. Some minor suspension tweaks at some point are the main one I recall.

Don't get too hung up on price in isolation. Get looking at cars in the metal, not just in ads, and you will find that there is a wide variation in quality at the same price point. For example a good car at £7.5k is not expensive against an apparently similar one at £7k if the first has new tyres, brakes, shocks and a Honda service history and the second one needs these doing. I know this is already part of your approach, so keep thinking that way.

Good luck!
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